Agent Provocateur Maitresse

Maitresse, to me smells like scented compact powder after it’s been applied on a cleansed face + the drydown of Chanel No.5 EdP after the aldehydes are gone + warm skin that had been moisturized with white musk body lotion an hour earlier. What a beautiful scent, smooth and soft yet with decent sillage...it has all the comforting elements of an ideal skin scent, while having enough projection to be noticed, keeping you within it’s lovely scent bubble for hours. I smell ylang ylang, iris, creamy white musk, a shy violet, and a fuzzy suede note most prominently, but all the notes are extremely well-blended with fluffy, rounded edges, and there’s this persisting, subtly-sweet, very ‘skin-like’ muskiness to it that smells so intoxicating and nostalgic to me. This scent had me almost crying when I first sprayed it on. It reminds me so much of my late mother in the 90s, specifically the way her face and neck smelled, it’s the combined smells of her perfectly powdered face, her clean, moisturized skin, and ofcourse, the lingering drydown of her Chanel no.5 perfume that she would discretely spray on every single morning before starting her day...it brings back the memory of her warm, tight hugs. I miss her so much and this scent immediately took me back to my childhood with my beautiful mother. Maitresse is so feminine and intimate, it can be cozy-matronly or extremely sensual, or both at once, depending on the context. For example, a child would find this scent comforting and memorable on their mother, while the husband would find it to be sensuous and very arousing on his wife, it has this attractive, intimate aura that makes people want to get close to you to savor your irresistible feminine energy. More than that, it’s also elegant and polite enough to be worn to the office, there’s absolutely nothing lewd or scandalous about this scent at all! It’s Woman with a capital W. As for the age group this scent would appeal to, this is a scent for women who are (and absolutely revel in being) ‘traditionally feminine’, regardless of her age, doesn’t matter if she’s 18 or 80. It would also appeal to those who are drawn to the retro-feminine, boudoir or vintage pin-up girl aesthetics and want an easy, everyday scent to allude to that particular style/era. A couple reviews below talk about it being a scent they imagine Marilyn Monroe wearing, I agree, but this is Marilyn in Norma Jean mode, not glamorous Marilyn on the silver screen, rather she is relaxing at home in a silk kimono after a long, pampering hot bath and indulgent skin care rituals. If you are someone who admires the vintage classics like Chanel No.5, but you don’t feel comfortable wearing them, or perhaps you desire a more modernized and smoother/softer take on vintage perfumes to wear day to day, you should definitely try this scent. Mama would have loved this scent for sure. And I love it too! A very successful blind buy for me (I have the new formulation without the woman on the bottle). Very different from mainstream scents. The ‘vibe’ and feel of this scent is like that of Love, Chloe (my signature that’s been sadly discontinued), eventhough they do not smell alike, both are modern floral-musk scents with a very nostalgic, retro-feminine twist to them, Maitresse has a more relaxed, creamy and intimate personality and Love, Chloe is much more powdery, sophisticated and aristocratic in feel. I’m looking forward to wearing this one often. It’s a safe, all-year round scent for me that can suit any occasion, day or night...the only time this scent would be a no-go is on hot summer days outdoors. I really can’t believe it can be gotten for so cheap when it smells anything but!! Update: I wore it out tonight meeting my friend, it’s a warm, softly breezy summer night...it made him take a huge breath and sigh as soon as I got into the car, he told me I smelled incredible! We hung out for a few hours at a nearby cafe, and after he dropped me back home, he called me to say that my beautiful scent was still lingering in his car. Now, I did overspray this one because I wanted better performance out of it, and I’m glad the scent still stayed true to itself even with nearly 10 sprays...on my clothes, neck, arms, in my hair. I’m ordering another bottle as my back up. For the price I’m paying, it’s an absolute steal, I don’t even mind having to overspray!

After a year of searching, and a lot of perfumes and euros later, i think i found my scent! Blind buy, based on great reviews, but i was very skeptic before trying it. I was expecting something "in your face sexy" and a somewhat overpowering fragrance. Soft, subtle,a bit powdery, clean, yet with depth !! I can't detect patchouli (thank God), but i think it's the leather that gives this a very soft and smooth feeling. I don't feel that this is really sexy, it's too subtle and soft for that (i guess a sexy scent to me is an oriental with bigger sillage). Longevity is great (12 hours/ next shower), sillage is moderate when lightly sprayed, and i like it that way. I don't believe in love at first sniff, but now it was! I have to explore this further, but i think i found what i've been looking for :) EDIT: I been wearing this for a couple of days now, and it truly is lovely. Something about this makes it smell very clean. Not "fresh" in the sense that it would be green in any way. Maybe soapy is a better word. The powder in this reminds me of Tocade, so i get a lot of powder, but in a very soft and grown up way, not baby powder. I think the powder in this might make it feel "old ladyish" to those who are used to fruity fresh scents. To me it feels classy and grown up. (And come to think of it, heck, i am an old lady, 42 :D ) Staying power is good, i almost wish it had more sillage though, it's very subtle on me. The more i wear it, the more i like it!

This is my second review for this insatiable fragrance, and must admit to myself that I am a liar (LOL), as on my first review I mentioned that I will stop using it as per its power of attraction... My bottle is about to finish, and honestly I intend to stock up with new ones so it won’t be missing from my collection. All those years of collecting perfumes, I thought that I was not going into that procedure, but after all I am deeply attached to Maitresse. Plus, it has become my signature scent. For me, Maitresse is my perfume overdose, a magnificent concoction of floral mixed with aldehyde notes, gentle and soft, desirable and flirtatious at the same time. I have got the whole collection line of Maitresse, including the Golden Shimmering limited edition bottle, which I use on very special occasions. My fiancé’s opinion is that of all the perfumes I possess, this one suits me the best and apart of that, I still receive a lot of compliments and from women too... In the years to come, I believe that my perfume collection may grow bigger and bigger, but if I had to give it up and just choose two perfumes, that would be Maitresse along with another one of my favorites, Caresse from Fragonard. Fragrances will come and go, but only those two have a special and permanent place in my wardrobe.

Maitresse is not a sex goddess to me. She's comforting, more of an embrace than a suggestive stroke. She has a lovely throwback quality which I have to attribute to the aldehydes. I detect quite a bit of the note, but they're approachable aldehydes. The kind aldehyde haters will find acceptable; a gentle gateway to the note. The suede is just as noticeable. A lighter leather presentation. It's cleaner and definitely softer. The suede holds the violet, ylang-ylang and musk gently together while the aldehydes uplift and cool the entire composition to perfection. Maitresse gracefully sidesteps both the trap of trying to please everyone and conversely trying too hard to be different and edgy. The balance offers a wonderfully projecting, long lasting fragrance which feels both easy to wear and beautifully unique at the same time. NOW, while I love the aesthetics of the bottle and how comfortably it snuggles into the palm of my hand, MY Maitresse is wearing a cozy pair socks not stockings and stilettos :)

Literal sex bomb. The bottle is shaped like a bomb. A lot of women prefer L'Agent but I tested it and didn't like it. Too much incense, nothing remotely sexy about it. Smelled like a Catholic church. Nothing to do with sex. This is the one you want. Sweet, floral, seductive. The kind of sweetness in this perfume is not a girly girl type of sweetness like the Paris Hilton fragrances. This is a womanly adult sweetness. A sweet woman who is beckoning a man into her boudoir in her lingerie. Opens with lotus and ylang-ylang, so right away it's floral. Osmanthus jasmine iris and violets are in the heart. Iris is really noticeable and the violet is as strong as I like my violets. This kind of floral is elegant and powdery. It's also got some leather or suede but it's not as big as others seem to make it out to be. It's there but I find this fragrance to be more on the woodsy and musky side toward the end. I wear this when I go out on dates or to wear in the bedroom.

AGENT PROVOCATEUR, MAITRÉSSE, such a storytelling name, isn’t it? It reminded me of some movie scenery I’d seen before. To me, the word MAITRÉSSE sounds discreet intimacy and vulnerability ....with AGENT PROVOCATEUR, suddenly becomes political. I chose MAITRÉSSE for my first experience from this brand because the original sounded too strong and vintage like. L’AGENT also seemed great but couldn’t find a reasonably priced one. The first blast of powdery iris made a really strong impact ....then, gradually settled into mellow floral nuance in about 2 hours. Iris, ylang-ylang, Jasmine were there but lotus petals were unnoticeable. I especially love the sweet woody last skin scent part. This was really a great buy, $15 for second hand 100ml since most of the fragrances cost double or more in Japan than those in the US. Athough, mine hasn’t got the sexy girl on the bottle, I like her ....I just have to make sure I’m gonna get her next time.

I definitely get what people are saying when they envision that Marilyn Monroe could wear this. This definitely gives me Chanel No 5 vibes and is aldehydic. I'm surprised to not see aldehydes in the notes. Starts out very strong and then mellows out to a powdery warm musky aldehydic blend. It is definitely well blended and is an impressive perfume for the price. I think if you are a big fan of powders and appreciate vintage perfumes then you will love this. For those that are not into powders, musks, iris or aldehydes they will think this smells a bit elderly. But, this type of 'old lady' description really frustrates me because the descriptor of 'old lady' smell just resembles the trends that those who are older today enjoyed throughout their life. So, this perfume reflects those trends of 'days of old' if you will. Either way, I think it is special and harkens to a vintage powdery vanity from the 40's/50's.

Elegant and intoxicting this replaced YSL Cinema as my signature fragrance for a few years until sadly it was discontinued. A very powerful oriental and very sexy musk. It had that classic vibe of a scent from the past like Chanel no5 there was nothing modern about it. Very seductive and elegant. I picked up the jasmine & ylang ylang notes but it wasn’t harsh as the amber really tamed the floral notes. To me this was more of an evening to night scent (I wore it 24/7 though) and it was a very retro vibe. Elder people seemed to love it on me as did men... my peers and the younger generation did not! On hearing AP wouldnt make it anymore I bought all the stock I could from their shop. I have a few bottles left but sadly, I notice that it doesn’t smell the same. It doesnt seem to age as well in the bottle as other brands do so I worry that I wont have it in my life much longer. I wish they would bring it back.

Danged if I know why this is supposed to be so sexy; on me it's a sweet, warm powdery floral, with all the usual suspects - rose, jasmine, iris, ylang ylang - on song and in perfect harmony. I love it just because it's so pleasing to me, rather than for any effect it may have on the man in my life (who would probably be more excited by a fragrance based on bacon anyway!) There are some quite obscure notes in there - I think I can detect the osmanthus, I had one in a previous garden - but exactly what white lotus or white suede are supposed to smell like, I have no idea. It doesn't matter anyway - it's all about the sweet florals, a charming, girlish fragrance, quite casual, not trying too hard. Maybe that's why it's supposed to be so attractive! The only downside for me is the tacky bottle, but I forgive the bottle for the sake of the perfume, which I rate among my all time top 5.

On me this is a fruity floral musk. Current formula. Osmanthus gives it a fruity tone, especially if I keep spraying throughout the day, which I do because it's not a very strong perfume. But it smells good! It's delicate, and sometimes leaves me wanting a bit more, as if I'm hearing a pretty tune, faintly, from across the park. I get a magnolia-like scent, even though that's not listed. Nothing really stands out except the osmanthus, water lily, and musk. I guess the violet and iris blend together in a bitter, spicy way, staying way in the background. If I get a leather at all, it's a very dry suede. Cedar just barely detectable. Again, the main impression for me is a floral fruity musk--osmanthus, water lily, and a nicely complicated musk. Wish the performance were better. Beautiful.

I'm wearing this one on one wrist and on the other I'm testing D&G classic (red cap). After 1 hour these two scents are very similar to each other on me. They are lovely! Mature and supersexy. I feel like a special woman. This one is just a little bit softer than D&G, but just a little bit. Great lasting power (for both perfume's). At the topnote they are not similar, but later they are. Jag bär denna på ena handleden och D&G gabbana classic på den andra. Efter 1 timme är dom otroligt lika varann i doftnoterna. Denna är kanske något lite mjukare. För den vuxna kvinnan. Jag känner mig sexig och speciell i båda dessa dofterna. De sitter otroligt bra på huden måste jag säga. De är helt olika i toppnoten men efter 1 timme tycker jag dom är väldigt lika i doftnoterna.

I'm visualizing a very glamorous woman, in the 70's, stopping to powder her face before leaving for an engagement, and some of the powder floats down, landing on her suede boots. Edit: The cold & rainy weather (+ perhaps the aging process of the juice itself) has made this foolproof for me. I just bought Petale Noire online and can't wait for it. This used to be a risky fragrance for me, and now I can't seem to unglue my face from my wrist... so juicy and bright, and cuttingly refreshing. The only gold fragrance that deserves to be associated with gold. God, it's like... a 60's Bond girl but way more mature and way more sexy. No frills, just fur. Maybe an heiress who collects motorcycles.

I believe Maitresse isn't at its best in the summer heat, but I got my bottle a month ago and I keep having this insane craving for it. If I spray it on myself as soon as I get out of bed, I can't eat for about 2 hours afterwards because the scent is so intense it messes with my tastebuds and appetite. And even despite all of that I just have to keep wearing it. I'm not even sure what it makes me feel... it's hauntingly beautiful. Not kinky, not really even sexy in my opinion. It has the coldness and clarity of the iris and the comfort of the suede and the musk. It smells mature and sophisticated and in all honestly, like something that doesn't belong on me. But I'm addicted.

Lovely top notes! Violet, rose, musk and aldehydes. This is my favourite out of all the Agent Provocateur fragrances. Having said that...after 2 hours the fragrance started to turn sour on me, which is a shame. Update: 3 years later, managed to buy a bottle at a discount price. I like it very much now! It's Chanel No.5 distorted and softened. Violets, vintage powdery rose with a musky base. I was expectiing something dirty and amazing but no...but it is not a bad thing either. Vintage and inoffensive. May I say perfect for the boudoir and the boardroom? Beautiful gold-glass bottle as well, has a weight to it.

I came back to this, it was so intriguing, as if it could speak a closed language, or as if I had to take the time to find the key, solve the clues, understand it. The dry and luminous fragrance makes me think of white violets, hidden in a spring shadow. The green powdered bitterness of the leaves, the delicacy of the jasminated flower edge, the introvert dusty skin... Every note is whispering take care, I’m different, I have specific needs, fragile dreams and secret hopes. But I’m stronger than you imagine. Come closer. I’ll tell you. Ed: I don’t like the bottle. No connection with the scent at all.

I unreservedly adore this perfume. I first purchased it almost a decade ago, and have since purchased it several more times. It has, on and off, been my favourite 'going out' perfume for years and I highly recommend it. It is a confident, sexy scent. It is not sweet, but musky and floral, and after awhile it just dries down to a delicious skin scent. On top of that, it is usually available very cheaply- my most recent bottle was under $25 for 100ml, which is amazing value. On my skin, it is long lasting with decent sillage, and I find the suede, musk and violet notes particularly noticeable.

This is definitely going on my list of great cheapies. I love it! I immediately get the suede, ylang and musk up front. Its very sexy. Its warm and inviting. I dont think many guys would not want to get closer for a better sniff lol I was worried it might be too heavy on the ylang or jasmine but no, everything is well balanced. It is musky but not overly so. I really dont like heavy musky fragrances. It is a touch powdery but not overly so. I think its the ylang and jasmine that prevent it getting animalic. It finishes with suede, musk and ylang. Impressive sillage and longevity.

I will have to check in again on this fragrance and write a proper review when I've test driven this one on my skin. Just received my three generous samples and gave it a first spritz...bright, beautiful floral. I get a lot of rose, which as a note, I am not really enjoying anymore. Also, this is going to drive me crazy all night, but this smells IDENTICAL to another (now vintage) fragrance I used to own or someone I knew well used to wear. I just can't think of it!!! If anyone else thinks this smells familiar, please weigh in here.

I love the notes in this fragrance; sweet ylang, powdery iris and suede, and gentle fluffy musk. This scent is so beautiful, and so decidedly innocent. It's not a dominant, ultra-sexy, man-eating mistress supreme; this fragrance encapsulates a very demure and shy young lady in the first flush of her womanhood. This kind of annoys me about AP - their heavy-handed fragrance names (for their more provocative scents) do not match the juice in the bottle; they're almost always opposite. Maybe it's part of marketing.

What an amazing fragrance. It has a deep, sultry, sexy feel to it. This is one of the best, well composed powdery floral fragrances I have ever worn. It has a very unusual feel to it, this one doesn't scream "I'm here", it just casually announces itself as you arrive. It seems to waft around all day, one spray and I am still smelling it on the way home from work! Needless to say, it's a 11 out of 10 for me, long lasting, decent sillage, and the best "feel" (especially if you are a powdery floral lover!)