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Ферхат – :
Stream of consciousness review from Jolie…
My opinion is that Germaine Cellier made the feminine version of Bandit with this one. And what I mean by that is that she built a strong, white flower and narcotic flower top on a chypre background. I do not see the comparisons to Bandit and Cabochard… those are straightforward, dry, in your face chypres. Jolie is not. It is very soft, powdery.. coming from the violet, and narcotic with a very strong presence of Gardenia, tuberose, and jasmine. They r cousins, but they r not siblings.
It is fascinating how a modern interpretation of Jolie can be found on L’envol de Cartier.
A wonderful addition to any collection, a great, well preserved fume from the golden days of perfumery. Wish I could say that about Rochas Femme…
And well, I may have jumped the gun a bit… bc the drydown is where bandit and Jolie become siblings. Bandit is the rougher one, Jolie the softer, more introspective one…
Smell great, my friends…
FlikZiS – :
Hits first with narcissus & violets leaves with tiny bits of oakmoss, dirty vitever, and iris. There are olibanum, coriander, civet, tuberose, and gardenia but not quite clear. Lilac, and clear jasmines are there.
This one is kind of interesting since it’s quite impressive vintage heavy burst of narcissus, iris, oakmoss, and violet leaves. the colder the more impressive it become.
Helldozer – :
I loooove green chypres with leather/animal notes. I used to wear thick sweet gourmands, but recently I’m all about old greenies like Miss Dior EDT, Givenchy III, Bandit, Vol de Nuit, etc…
This was a blind buy and the bottle is the main photo on this page. So not vintage.
Love.
This is wonderful! Smoooooooooth happy violets with dark green chypre (moss/aldehydes/civet) and some smooooth leather. Divine.
I didn’t get any opening spices. And while I understand comparing to Bandit and Cabochard, this is a much brighter happier scent due to that beautiful smooth violet. I love this. It has some creamy floral sweetness that sets it apart from Bandit.
Now I need Azuree. Haha.
I wore this to a Christmas party, and I got pickles. Must be the wet, happy purple violets mixed with the chypre, in the cold-cold night. Or else I put too much on.
The violets normally remind me of Apres L’Ondee which I adore!
vikbabkin1 – :
On me, this opens a pissed off rose and dries down into an animalic leather. Jolie Madame is a dominatrix who makes you earn your pleasure, takes what she needs, then rolls over and smokes a cigarette. I love this gal.
NityBiort31 – :
I absolutely love this, I bought the bottle about 10 years ago so it’s probably a newer version, but the bottle and the colour are identical to the picture here on Fragrantica.
This is a woody, leathery, musky floral chypre that many of us who adored them in the ’60s and ’70s will remember.
Longevity is about 10 hours, discreet but heady sillage, overall a power house of a fragrance, don’t let the meek name put you off. Cousin to the original Miss Dior in my humble opinion.
sinus – :
3.3 vintage edt with bow.
This is one of the reference green animalic leather chypres.
Its extremely smooth, the artemesia lends a bitterness and completely vintage antithesis of the sugary gourmands. The violets lend a softness so it doesnt veer to masculine.
If you like Bandit, Cabochard..this will agree with you. I do not get anything at all resembling fracas. There is a gardenia note hidden underneath the green but its all leather castorum and minimal florals. I think Greyspooles review is much more in line with my experience. Its for the put together ice queen that still dons pearls and red lipstick with ideas to rule the world.Its super chic.
соуп – :
nordhaul you should mind your business 🙂
moreman1976 – :
No. males need to stick to men’s
cologne. There are some unisex
out there but anything with the
word “femme”, “Miss”, or LIKE
THIS “Madame” in the title isn’t
one of them. You wish though!
Yes 🙂 This is a Green Leather.
To that, I attest! I like it better
than Vente Vert but it’s really
weak – 10 sprays and then it
goes away – I got the E.D.T.
REVISIT fall 2017 autumn:)
I have worn this beauty for
everyday for the past 4 days
and it’s FABULOUS. Granted it
don’t last for shi* yet oddly I now
find that to be part of the charm:)
Natsteercevaf – :
I have the edt in cylindrical bottle, which I believe is from the 90s. It is my first choice for rainy spring days – smells amazing under the umbrella! Although it contains many notes, I sum it up to leather, violets and oakmoss. It’s soft and smooth, nothing rough or sharp about it. It has nothing in common with Fracas or Spectacular, but it is quite similar to Bandit (which is greener and less floral). Timeless and beautiful!
vasyaj – :
Jolie Madame (1953) is perhaps the most beautiful vintage leather chypre of all. Designed by the inimitable Germaine Cellier, Jolie Madame is a sly minx, combining the smoky, green-infused leather of isobutyl quinoline with tender dark violets, whose scent lingers for hours. The leather base certainly recalls vintage Bandit (1944), another Cellier masterpiece, or Miss Balmain (1967), which is frequently credited to Cellier but was actually designed by Harry Cutler, but the addition of velvety Victorian violets was a decided stroke of genius. It’s just Cellier having fun, combining the violets beloved by Victorian aunties with her trademark tough girl leather accord.
Our note pyramid for Jolie Madame is a hot mess, listing “bergamot” “neroli” “orange blossom” “tuberose” “coriander” “coconut” “narcissus” “lilac” “violet leaves” and many other random notes that I have never perceived in any of my vintage bottles of Jolie Madame. Perhaps these refer to the modern reformulations? I can’t begin to explain. In the original version, subtle floral notes of gardenia and jasmine as well as musky castoreum enhance the contrasting textures, but you really have to like the not-at-all-shy violet to enjoy vintage Jolie Madame, which certainly does not open as a “citrus floral” and bears no resemblance to Cellier’s gorgeous white floral, Fracas, and presumably also does not recall Joan Collins’ Spectacular, which I have not had the pleasure of testing but is described by reliable reviewers such as Passionata and Radchick as a canonical 80’s white floral powerhouse. Leaving those red herrings aside, if you’ve never thought of yourself as a fan of violet, you might find that vintage Jolie Madame gives you a taste for violets in other perfumes. It happened to me, and over time and rather unexpectedly Jolie Madame has become one of my favorite vintages.
P.S. This is real review, written by a real person, who has really smelled this vintage perfume.
DIMASAHA30051980 – :
Jolie Madame launched in ’53 by Germaine Cellier the brilliant female nose who brought us Bandit & Fracas is an elegant perfume of the Golden Age of Fragrance. I have the remnants of my last bottle from the time I first purchased it around 1954. It has been like a lady in waiting for me. She is always there when I draw my bath, when I dress, when I host afternoon tea, and when I prepare for bed. She is a beautiful floral woodsy musk of supreme perfumery. I have a fondness for this perfume and see her as an old friend. Now, that being said, when first launched, this fragrance was a stylish retro frag with hints of previous winners like Miss Balmain, Bandit, and Miss Dior. But ultimately it is it’s own scent. This is a breathtaking garden grove of flowers and woods, not to mention a civet which, like a fashionable fur, wraps around you like a fur stole. A glamorous evening gown of floral print, embroidered lace and carnation hue. As beautiful as any Pierre Balmain fashion for ladies.
The first spritz is a citrus floral with juicy bergamot oranges and orange blossoms, neroli, and green Artemisia along with petitgrain. There is the Fracas tuberose present from the start and it smells only slightly similar to Fracas but eventually turns into Bandit! The orange blossom embraces the spring heady with flowers. Gardenia, jasmine, violet, lilac, narcissus, rose, each make their appearance in this garden. The white florals of tuberoses and gardenia are not as pronounced as in Fracas but they are detectable. What I sensed most was the lovely violet, the lilac and rose. This is a very feminine floral unmistakably lady-like bouquet of flowers. She is a beauty queen who has won the crown and receives a floral bouquet.
The dry notes are greener, mossier, muskier. The day time flowers and the day wear, the floral print dress at tea time, is discarded and the beauty queen is now ready for her evening in a black evening dress, tight, form fitting, a heart shaped basque revealing cleavage, hair down and lots of make up; leather gloves and high heels. She is out to seduce and tempt the object of her lust. She is all of a sudden the bad girl in Bandit. This is probably going too far but I think this fragrance, as glamorous, luxurious and expensive as it is, can suit a burlesque stripper. This reminds me of something that could have sat on the dresser table of Gypsy Rose Lee! It reminds me of Natalie Wood in GYPSY.
Jolie Madame is a terribly sexy and very musky, spicy, earthy dry chypre. The dry down abounds with potent notes. Cloves, tobacco leaves, moss of oak, woods of cedars, vetiver, patchouli, leather and civet. If you have experienced civet and animal notes in perfume in your vintage collecting time, then you’ll love how leathery this is and how the civet is absolutely gorgeous. Likely, a real civet secretion was used for the making of this perfume but it was the times. The civet here is never too dirty or odorous. This is a beautiful musky finale to a wonderful fragrance. The smokiness from tobacco keeps it in a very mature and naughty vein, as if this perfume was meant to be worn strictly for evening affairs. This is not tame or subtle. One spritz can throw out quite an atomic aroma. The classic fragrance has so much going on that you are bound to enjoy it if you have worn the frags it seems to recall: Bandit Miss Balmain Miss Dior.
A beautiful and floral green chypre. Every note is perfection. The sillage is amazing and it lasts for hours and hours days and weeks. If you spill this fresh from the bottle on your clothing get it washed and dried. It lingers for so long but it is very beautiful to smell. I wear this now to evening formal affairs in black clothing, the opera and the symphony. But it is now mostly a leather and it matches up with fur coats and is suitable in winter and autumn. Today you can find yourself a bottle on eBay.
Must be smelt to be believed!
achot78 – :
This one rocks. I have a vintage bottle, which actually aren’t too hard to find and not too expensive on ebay, but I’ve sampled the new one, and it isn’t bad either, just a little shallower and a little more soft spoken. This is so woody and leathery with just enough earthiness and floral to balance it out and make it feminine (just barely – I love it). This is not loud at all but definitely not a shrinking violet or girly scent. Complex and confident Pat Benatar kind of scent – (yes, I am a child of the 80s). Classic but definitely not old lady (unless she’s driving a motorcycle). Love.
zero_502 – :
I have vintage Jolie Madame that I purchased in the UK. Leather, moss, sweet jasmine. I don’t find it old fashioned at all, au contraire, I find it modern, uber feminine, sexy and confident. A scent to wear with your black leather jacket and jeans. My male friends and colleagues adore this fragrance when I wear it. I always get the most compliments from everybody when I wear this fragrance.
kor1983 – :
Different years and batches, different scent. I have a vintage bottle that is good. The top notes are intact. On me, it was all about jasmine, chypre and musk. It goes on gorgeous jasmine, rich and sweet; dries down creamy with some muskiness ; doesn’t last. But, weird on top of weird, I got a mini of this that went on COMPLETELY tobacco and smoke then dried down very dark, musty but still tobacco. I get no leather in either version.
gjhyj2008 – :
Green and animalic ???!!!??? WOW!!! sounds great!!!
Avtosheff – :
I’ve had/worn a few Balmain perfumes since the late 1970s (and I still have a vintage Vent Vert) and I can remember every scent, from Jolie Madame to Ivoire. All are sophisticated, memorable fragrances but, to my nose, scents one would only wear occasionally, for special occasions—as I feel about all the old Guerlain, Caron, and Givenchy perfumes. The strong violet and leather in Jolie Madame was always initially exciting, as individual and assertive as Fracas or Shalimar or Diorissimo, but you have to want to be comfortable making a fragrance statement like that.
UnwiseeGignee – :
I love violets and that is the topnote to my nose. I also love leather and the drydown to this is rather similar to the leather moss of Cabochard, which I love, so it works for me. Long lasting also. Elegant on top but secretly sensual below. Definitely old school, Idiosyncratic, and to reach for on occasion only, but those violets sure make me happy when I do
Gypehieseeale – :
I have an old vintage mini extrait. I love it even though the top notes are iffy and at some points it smells like an ashtray. Rodin Bis is like a more contemporary take on Jolie Madame. Sometimes I wear them together.
zarun133 – :
J’ai été attirée par la marque Balmain ou le chic à la Française, l’âge vénérable du parfum, son nom et son beau flacon très classique.
C’est un floral cuir épicé très riche et très élégant, un parfum couture en effet, quand je le porte j’ai l’impression d’avoir un tailleur, un collier de perles et un chignon banane, bref je me sens Audrey Hepburn.
Il ne serait plus commercialisé, quel dommage; un chef d’oeuvre de la parfumerie voué à disparaître, apparemment.
sefo86 – :
JOLIE MADAME
BALMAIN
GROUP: FLORAL CHYPRE
NOTES: ARTEMISIA CORIANDER GARDENIA NEROLI BERGAMOT
PETITGRAIN CLOVES TUBEROSE NARCISSUS ORRIS JASMINE ROSE ORANGE BLOSSOM VIOLET LILAC LEATHER MUSK PATCHOULI COCONUT CIVET OAK MOSS VETIVER CEDAR WOOD TOBACCO
SILLAGE: MODERATE RADIATES WITHN ARM’S LENGTH
LONGEVITY: VERY LONG LASTING 7 HOURS PLUS
REMINDS ME OF: 30 CARATS DANA FRACAS BANDIT PIGUET MISS DIOR OCCUR AVON PASSION ELIZABETH TAYLOR SPECTACULAR JOAN COLLINS
Vintage Jolie Madame, circa 1953, was the fragrance that my grandmother said, and I quote, “that changed perfume and transitioned itself into the 50’s”. That being said, I feel that it is very much out of the 1940’s and doesn’t smell too dissimilar from such fragrances as Piguet’s Bandit and Fracas. Jolie Madame has leather in Bandit, a bad ass leather, musk, animalic notes of real civet, and tobacco leaves, smoke, and of course smoky floral scents. In this way it’s Bandit. But as it opens with citrus and white flowers it’s more like Fracas. The end result is a hybrid or “child” born to both parents Fracas and Bandit. As such she is the new generation of perfume. My grandmother adored this perfume and she wore it as a young woman, a new mother, and she always believed this fragrance brought her luck. She did some modeling for perfume ads and for women’s fashion ads in the 50’s. This was the perfume she always dabbed on to feel as beautiful as the gowns, dresses and suits she showed off in those ads.
Balmain specializes in chypres so I have always regarded this fragrance as being a chypre, or floral chypre. It does not begin with classic aldehydes. The neroli and citrus notes are a good replacement for aldehydes: fresh, cool, cold, brilliant. The citrus notes blend well with the orange blossom. The orange blossom/orange grove tree scent is quite lovely. The flowers begin to bloom: gardenia, tuberose, violet, rose and lilac. A bouquet of beautiful flowers. Essence of spring. You get enough time to smell the flowers and enjoy them before the scent dries down to notes of woodsy order: cedar wood and oak moss. There’s a lot of oak moss and vetiver. This part of the fragrance gives it a mature quality and nocturnal character. The smoke from tobacco begins to warm up the flowers and the leather makes it’s appearance. It feels like a young lady wearing a dark evening gown entirely of black leather, including gloves.
The spiciness of coriander becomes apparent and the cloves, giving this fragrance a darker edge, earthy, bold, and a bit like 30 Carats by Dana. The musk and leather plus coconut would not normally go together but this is actually a good pairing. It reminds me of the coconut/leather/musk in such frags as Avon’s Occur! and Passion by Elizabeth Taylor, as well as the leather in Joan Collins’ Spectacular. This is an evening cologne for a sexy confident woman in a bad ass leather dress. It doesn’t have to go with leather but it matches up with a woman wearing a dress that makes a statement. I can smell this on old Hollywood stars of sex appeal like Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, Lana Turner and Ava Gardner. If I had to pick one actress that this perfume is for it’s Ava. She has dark hair, loves flowers but is also a bold seductress. That naughty tobacco scent. Are you supposed to be smoking in front of gentlemen dear? Are you in a beautiful dress but you are longing to undress?
This was a very sexy retro perfume that can still be found on ebay and it’s a vintage lover’s dream. I enjoy wearing it myself and have the original that my grandmother kept and another one, still full, that I am now wearing. I wear it for rare formal occasions as an evening cologne. This is for women that know who they are.
Budulai – :
I treasure this masterpiece as my favourite vintage perfume ever (along with “Vol de Nuit” extrait, “Y” pdt, and “Mitsouko” edp)
This one has “Cellier” written all over it: the crisp gardenia, luscious, soapy violet, a kick of leather in bold, sophisticated Bandit-Style and a whiff of tobacco.
Nothing like it has been created ever since La Cellier composed this timeless fragrance. Perfection in a bottle.
зероид – :
I managed to pick up a small vintage bottle of the pure parfum of Jolie Madam on eBay. Whilst I enjoy the complexity of such an ‘olde worlde’ perfume, I can’t wear this in public as it has a ‘dope smoke’ note in with the leather and violets on my skin similar to Habanita – so I can’t risk my reputation!
Wess74 – :
Ho acquistato recentemente un edt vintage.Mi piace la sua persistenza elegante e ben bilanciata.Richiama note di altri ” Vecchi ” profumi ma qui il bouquet è tutto arrotondato e delicato.
nick123114 – :
Un autre très beau parfum de la grande Germaine Cellier. Un magnifique chypré cuiré adoucie par une merveilleuse note de violette.
KingOfBeer – :
All the complexity of this perfume is sadly lost on me. I don’t smell leather, just a soft green …shampoo. Maybe I should try it again in warmer weather. Hope it’ll work better.
Edit: I just remembered, it was birch-based shampoo: guess that makes sense.
sbt015intitytek – :
PRETTY WOMAN
Vintage 1953 Jolie Madame was created by Germaine Cellier who brought us such masterpieces as Bandit, Fracas, Vent Vert Coeur Joie. This was a fragrance for the designer fashion house of Pierre Balmain. In the late 60’s, Cellier would again work on another Balmain fragrance Miss Balmain. All these fragrances are timeless epic creations of such absolute beauty. If you liked Fracas you’ll love Jolie Madame. Women of the 40s 50’s and 60’s were spoiled by such fantastic fragrances! I would gladly go back in time to the 50’s and live there and not come back to 2016. This fragrance is pure enchantment. I can smell it on Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Wood, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly and ladies of leisure having lunch in Paris, Manhattan and London. A stylish fragrance that matches the classic couture of Balmain’s artistry. Aldehydes, Cloves, Gardenia neroli and bergamot are the first scents I could detect at first. It’s just a little bit like the opening to L’air du Temps by Nina Ricci. The heart is heavily floral, white floral and this way it does have something in common with Fracas. It’s big on tuberose. There is also roses, jasmines, violets, lilacs orange blossom and narcissus. Easily wearable as a wedding day fragrance for brides of the 50’s. After about 4 or more hours you’re already experiencing the dry down and the fragrance of the supportive base notes. It’s leathery, dark, animalic, musky and woodsy. Leather is what most people remember about this fragrance. But for me it’s not real leather. It’s clearly just classic musk found in most men’s colognes. A distinct tobacco scent is also present giving it a smokiness and sexiness. The woods, namely the oak, are soft. This fragrance has everything but fruity notes other than the opening citrus. It starts of fresh, turns floral and then turns smoky woodsy. The tobacco could almost pass for incense. Wearing this fragrance and letting my imagination soar made me think that this is a fragrance for young women who are being introduced to society. This is a debutante’s fragrance or a bridal fragrance. This is a woman who is opening the doors to life itself, who is embarking on a new discovery, taking on a new role, and a new beginning. This is so beautiful. I had to get my hands on the old vintage perfume and thanks to my Lucia in London I got it. Sorry ladies us women of today don’t wear real perfume. This was real perfume, it has everything so much beauty. Make me cry. For me the last great fragrance by Balmain was Ivoire de Balmain which would have been my signature scent had I not fallen in love with Arpege. For all the vintage lovers of the world, wear this fragrance and go back in time when women smelled better than we do today!
evw166speagoessenda – :
I have 3 vintage bottles and am a little frustrated because they all smell different. From all of these bottles I get a heavy base of vetiver, leather, oakmoss, but from the one bottle that is most fragrant I also smell orris root, cloves and coriander along with some violet, jasmine and tobacco in the background. I wish I had more to say but the different smells from the bottles is a disappointment to me. Such a classic perfume and I’m not sure what it really smells like.
mik3039 – :
I love the violet sharpness and green/leather accords, but find the urine background hard to shake off. Too animal for my taste at times.
myf895JeomiWogkig – :
Soft florals and creamy leather on a mossy base. I don’t smell a true leather note in Jolie Madame but more of a supple creaminess. The violet and Iris florals are soft and understated. The mossy base lends a bit of earthiness. This is a lovely scent for spring. Although it has been reformulated it still has a vintage feel. Love this scent!
eagegonsoxozy – :
Love it. I tried the vintage first and it had a sourness to the narcissus that I couldn’t enjoy. This (current version like picture) is perfectly fresh while still being fairly complex, quite oak mossy, and very very leathery. This is my new bravery perfume. Pretty, complex, long lasting, and no-nonsense.
deadR – :
Just got the 1.7 of this- not my thing I’m finding- just too….TOO for me. Looking to swap-
Dersperaeveno – :
Bursting violets and prim, ladylike leather with middle notes of spearmint and coriander seed. Springy, vivacious and playful. After the rain in mid May, walking through the city with wet green flower planters outside of the shops in the mists.
aleks75 – :
I think i have a reformulated version. A lovely sophisticated leather fragrance that stays with me for just about 15 minutes….so sad that i cannot enjoy this scent since it has no staying power on my skin.
swb – :
I just found out that this is the same perfumer as Fracas!
A wonderful vintage perfume in a charming bottle at a very good price. This is a lovely, well-balanced floral. It’s not very distinctive but sometimes you just need to smell nice without standing out.
vladlena – :
Jolie Madame couldn’t work for me due to the leathery base notes. I just can’t do leather, although I like it on others.
AsTredInoFF – :
This is beautiful and elegant and a little heavy but sadly smells terrible on me!
I really love the idea of wearing classic deep scents like this but they don’t love wearing me.
That’s okay, because at least I know I have good taste in fabulous scents. Just can’t wear them.
Glad I have tried it out 🙂
fintraining – :
Stunning. Wonderfully complex. Never a lover of violet, I find this an eye opener, but together with the leather it is a non-conformist, and indeed a reformer. I have some of the Robert Piguet fragrances with leather notes. They are lovely. However, this is so different, sweet, but not sugary. The leather gives it a maturity and substance. Deep purple or pink in olfactory appearance, if that is possible, but not remotely girlish, rather a kind of dusty pink. Would wear it in the winter out with friends. My outfit: a unique jersey dress, leggings and gorgeous boots, mandolin in hand at a jazz or some other more informal performance. Definitely a night on the town fragrance.Also for a lady of substance and perhaps more mature. Thanks to PB for this stunner!
Rifmovatel – :
Moss and other bitter and sour flowers and plants combo with powdery notes, nobel devine classy perfume, old fashion, mature frag, good longevity, I like it. Vintage version review.
Alespen – :
My review is for the vintage EDT.
This is the most joyful violet I have ever smelled! This one doesn’t have a lick of melancholy or introspection — let Apres L’Ondee wallow in her gauzy sentimental dreams. Jolie Madame is the fast-paced click of heels on wet pavement after a sun-shower, impatient to get to wherever she is going, breathless to be doing something exciting.
The leather is extremely smooth, and melds so beautifully with the violet that you wonder why this combination doesn’t appear together more often. The violet is green, and makes the leather glisten and shine — the leather cracks its whip to keep the violet dirty enough to keep from becoming dowdily Victorian. The dry-down is slightly sweet and powery but has a bit of spice to add a sultry violet sheen to the skin.
A delicately framed girl with sparkling eyes and nerves of steel, Jolie Madame is a very urban violet. The vintage ad from the 50s with the laughing woman with a shock of black hair really epitomizes this fragrance! The young women of the fifties must have been gloriously fierce!
golldaniil – :
Sadly, it seems, Jolie Madame has been totally discontinued by the powers that be who own the licence to Parfums Balmain.
I am so devastated to learn of this as Jolie Madame was introduced to me by my dear Mother in the 1980s. I had the pure parfum (pre reformulation) and adored it. I followed trends in fragrance, moving on to the new fruity florals and forgot about my dear JM and by the time i came to my senses and wanted JM in pure parfum, she had already been pared down to EDT.
I wish perfume houses had not disbanded and sold licences to big corporations etc. Nothing is sacred anymore.
My dear mother passed away 2nd February 1999, along with my heart and soul; now i have to say goodbye to another part of me… RIP Jolie Madame, along with another love, Rochas Femme 🙁
Arthur10 – :
A violet leather chypre. To my nose, that’s pretty much as good as it gets. Add to that a significant longevity on my ordinarily scent-evicting skin and sillage that evokes compliments from sexy strangers, and I’m sold. Jolie Madame will have a permanent place in my collection. Germaine Cellier did not mess around.
kopt9ev – :
I have a problem with leather in perfumes, so whenever I sample a fragrance featuring prominent leather, I first have to get past this commanding note before I can even attempt to appreciate the scent. Sometimes it proves impossible (thank you, Cabochard, for literally giving me a night full of terrors:).
I was bracing myself before my first encounter with Jolie Madame, seeing that leather was the most voted among the composition’s notes on Fragrantica. I was basically expecting to be smacked on the head with a leather fly swat, but I decided that I had to try this classic perfume at least once anyway. I’m glad I did – the experience was interesting and informative, even if not exactly fun.
In short, Jolie Madame is like a flower bouquet wrapped in leather:) For me the perfume is far from enjoyable, but not unpleasant. I have visions of dashing, James Bond-esque types revelling in old-time glamour. They’re smoking cigars in leather-upholstered penthouse interiors and flirting with martini sipping ladies with meticulous hairdos.
The scene looks kind of cool, but I can’t help the feeling that I’m looking at a vignette or at a convex, round-corner screen of an antique TV set. The perfume makes me think of the somewhat attractive but mostly stale and musty imprint that all these cocktail parties must have left on the place.
These’s just no way I could become friends with this classic, formal, old-school, eccentric madame, but she’s got my respect.
RobertsCreed – :
I am not too sure there is a place for such a scent in our world anymore.
A beautfiul, spectacular and complex fragrance that will take you on a journey around the world to every exotic and exciting city. I am reminded of Casablanca, Egypt, India, old James Bond movies.
A slice of the old world without feeling *old*.
This is what a classy sophicated French beauty of the 50-60’s would of worn. (and I am sure they did)
Not it any way modern if you like bubblegum scents of today.
A true masterpiece to which I am addicted.
nura – :
Why on earth was this gutsy little number given the name Jolie Madame (Pretty Lady)? It’s more like Femme Torride (Raunchy Woman)!
The vintage parfum version is taunting me, stopping me doing my work because I just have to keep lowering my head to the crook of my arm to get yet another olfactory fix of this seductive beauty.
On my skin this opens with a short-lived – almost blink-of-an-eye – mustiness which very soon develops into a distinct violet note. Unmistakable. I’m not one who normally thinks in colour, but when I detect Jolie Madame’s top notes all I ‘see’ is purple. For me there are no white flowers in this floral arrangement.
After about an hour the violets shrink to almost non-existence and, in their place, come the … what is that?? Animal? Civet? Barnyard? I can’t quite place it but to me the violets are replaced by a slightly dirty yet pleasant odour.
Finally, the leather and smoke. Warm, enveloping and blissfully satisfying.
Maybe this ‘Madame’ is a particular type. The perfectly made-up one who’s been around the block quite a few times, who watches her ‘girls’ and takes men’s money. First impression is all-woman and floral, then the animal takes over, and finally the smoking of the traditional cigarette. Let’s not think about where the leather comes in …
Femme Torride indeed!
auranew – :
Dear lord..I have only just received a small sample of this from a swap with Museumgal, but…I am amazed! I am instantly transported to the Indian Bazaar, a small Indian shop to buy Asian clothes, food goods, body products and more..And it always had that distinctly “Indian” smell about the place..Like spics, patchouli, incense, and something wildly sweet and almost sweaty. In a few moments, those tunes are turned down, and I get more sweet florals, which remind me of sweet pea. It must be the jasmine and narcissus coming into play. I still have the scent of the busy and aromatic Bazaar on my clothes, but now have hopped into a cool cab and sit with a beautiful Indian hostess, who mildly dabs on her patchouli and jasmine attar. Gorgeous. The lasting power is…Okay. It sticks around, but after the first few minutes, it does not project very well.
ninakias19 – :
The leather is prominent but not overwhelming. Not strong as the note usually is. It is very soft and well blended with the mustiness of the oakmoss and the fresh floral of the violet leaves. A beautiful truly feminine leather. Great for women who are concerned that leather is too masculine a note. Lasts well and is good for day to night wear.
andre1985 – :
This is simply the most sophisticated, beautiful violet/leath