Ma Griffe Eau de Parfum (Vintage)

The venerable Ma Griffe was launched in 1946, just after the conclusion of World War ll. From the Carven website: “Mrs. Carven created in 1946 a fresh, dashing, very flowery fragrance while remaining classic with a touch of haute couture. Its name imposed itself quite naturally. It would bear the name of Madame Carven's signature dress of simple green and white striped cotton: Ma Griffe. A legendary fragrance inspired by Madame Carven's favorite flowers: Gardenia, Jasmine, and Rose.” The name means both “my signature” and “my claw.” (I was here- and I will be remembered.) Ma Griffe was created with the optimism of the future in mind. It heralded the coming era of post-War prosperity. Ma Griffe was marketed to a youthful demographic, to the young woman who could now put the challenges of the past behind her. It was time at last for her to celebrate her youth. I was a bit surprised to learn this, as Ma Griffe had never struck me as a “youthful” scent. When I think of a fragrance aimed at a younger demographic, something sweet and gourmand usually comes to mind. (Although anyone of course, of any age, can wear whatever fragrance they wish to.) This “surprise” is, of course, influenced by my coming of age in an era in which gourmands were beginning their ascent. Were I in my teens in 1947, my perception of what a “youthful” fragrance might be would be different, no doubt. To the modern nose, Ma Griffe can be a bit of a challenge to get to know. Ma Griffe's scent structure seems to echo the era of its origins. First the dark clouds of the War, of loss, of austerity (asafoetida, oakmoss.) Then, the clouds part, and the way into the magical garden of the Future shines invitingly before you (fresh greens, white florals, inviting lemon.) Ma Griffe is certainly not a gourmand, though it does exhibit a sublime sweetness in its middle phase. It is classified as a chypre floral, and is a complex (in a good way) fragrance. It begins with an earthy, herbal blast that seems to say “Go ahead- just try to like me." This off-putting phase does not last. Do not let the opening deter you from experiencing this amazing scent. After the darkness passes, Ma Griffe's brighter aspects unfold. It transforms into a lovely, green, sweet, lemon/sage/white floral something, sparkly and fresh. (Some people smell cinnamon. I have never detected a cinnamon note in Ma Griffe, although during the multi-nuanced dry-down, there is a powdery aspect that does have a touch of mysterious spiciness.) I love every stage of Ma Griffe after the asafoetida has exited, but especially its longest manifestation, which is the green sparkly citrus-ness. It’s very uplifting. Ma Griffe calls up a memory of a little lemon tree we had in our back yard. It was scrawny, and always looked a bit moribund. But it never failed to produce the best lemons, and, even more delightfully, in Spring it boasted a deluge of the most heavenly lemon meringue pie scented flowers. I remember standing in awe of this funny little tree, all alone in its container, spellbound by the impossibly lush aroma of the new white blossoms that had sprung from its spindly, dark twigs. Ma Griffe’s long lasting dry-down is like a walk in a garden in Spring, after a morning rain. Green things are glistening with new growth. Unfurling blossoms beckon you. The air is fresh and bright with herbs. Rose, jasmine, and gardenia glow gently within the chorus of green and citrus. There is a touch of powdery orris root, and all is anchored by the earthiness of the resins and a whiff of oakmoss and vetiver. Ma Griffe smells like the earth under your feet, like the clean brisk wind from a garden hidden among the City buildings. It smells sophisticated- it smells like the future. Traditional ingredients have been combined here in a new way. Every time I apply Ma Griffe, I somehow discover a new facet of it. You will feel absolutely unique, and timeless, when you wear this fragrance. I never would have thought I would end up loving Ma Griffe so. It was my mother's signature "going out" fragrance. Sometimes when I spray it, I can hear her high heels on the hardwood floors, and see her touching up her Fire and Ice lipstick. A spritz of Ma Griffe, and she was ready to go Out. As a kid, I didn't care for Ma Griffe. It was too weird. My mother's every day fragrance was Woodhue by Faberge, and I loved when she wore that, as it was soft and sweet. I used to sneak a bit of Woodhue on my wrists when she wasn't around, but never touched the Ma Griffe. Woodhue is almost impossible to find these days, but some years ago, in honor of my mother, I purchased a small bottle of vintage Ma Griffe (I have not tried the new formula, but I would like to.) I sprayed it. Then- I put it in the refrigerator. I think I just wasn't ready for it. After years of gourmands- which I still love, and wear- I thought I would give Ma Griffe another try. And, to my surprise, I fell head over heels for this strange, modern/vintage, complicated scent. When I get a whiff of it throughout the day, I am filled with a sense of optimism. It’s easy to see why this fragrance was formulated to be the scent of a new era of hope and progress, of belief in a future of what was now possible after the dark clouds of the Depression and World War ll had finally dispersed. I will never be without this singular and mesmerizing perfume. It’s wonderful in hot, sticky weather, and makes you feel like you’ve just put on a freshly laundered, crisp white blouse. Ma Griffe is a true classic. It makes me feel sophisticated, yet playful. Give it a try, and experience for yourself the intriguing echoes of the glamour of a bygone age in a scent that seems ageless.

I had a gamble on an eBay auction. I thought it was an ordinary mini EDT or EDP. Turns out its a vintage "Pure Parfum" - Lucky !! It was also another eBay bargain at £3.50 including PnP. (i love it when i get a bargain!). The two words that best describe this perfume for me , are "Green Powder" ! Id prefer it if the Green notes were more prominent, and it was less powdery. I still like it though. Reading through this review page ,it seems that the different versions over the years vary a lot in quality and smell. Ive tried a tester vial of the modern EDT and its brighter , fresher and less powdery. Ive seen a lot of reviews all over the web , that slate this perfume as "old Fashioned".It does remind me of "Old School" style talcum powders that the older generation use heavily. Ma Griffe is so different to the majority of whats on the perfume shelves in 2012 , that i think it may just be too austere ,too bitter and maybe too eccentric for the young consumer . I just don't think they would "get " what Ma griffe is about. In contrast to the mainstream perfume trends , Ma griffe is devoid of ANY sweetness , and is quite bitter and harsh. It screams the coulour GREEN , the packaging n advertising is a perfect fit for the smell. When its settles down , its a green powder bomb. PS - I read on another site that the edition that was brought out in 2007 is the one that's been slated as "bad quality" in reviews. Apparently Carven listened to its customers and have re-issued it again , in a reformulation that's better quality and closer to the original. :)Below is a quote from carven reps - ..............."Carven has had new owners since July 2008 and the proprietors want to go back to the roots of the historic label. They are planning to release an authentic version of Ma Griffe -- which is in dire need of it as it has been undone by blotchy reformulations lately -- as well as Eau Vive which will be released as an unisex scent.".......... ( Wouldn't it be great if more perfume houses took this approach! )

It's interesting to me, how long the comment threads are for these older, classic vintage scents---so, of course, I have a long story about Ma Griffe, too. When I was a theater student in the early 1970's at the Pittburgh Playhouse, I was cast in an Equity mainstage production of "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie"--I played a Scottish schoolgirl and had 2 lines in the play. The young woman who played the supporting female lead, Sandy, part of Miss Brodie's gang of favorites, "The Brodie Set" and the one who betrays Jean twice during the play, had a large splash bottle of Ma Griffe EDT that she would splash on during rehearsals. The fragrance smelled like the essence of French to me--meaning what a stylish,elegant, effortlessly fashionable and cosmopolitan French woman would smell like. I was fascinated by it and confused about whether the actress used that scent as herself or as the character of Sandy. It did not strike me as a scent that 16 yr old Sandy would wear, mature and wise and cruel beyond her years as she was---but rather as the perfect scent for Jean Brodie herself--flamboyant, charismatic, self-dramatizing and aggressively, toxic-ally, narcissistic--the kind of scent that announces itself as it enters the room and lingers in the air when the woman who wears it, leaves, like a persistent memory of her. I always thought "Ma Griff" translated into "My Signature" in English, but, as others have pointed out, it could also translate into "My Claw"-- which also makes it the perfect scent for Miss Jean Brodie, whose signature line about herself is : "Give me a girl at an impressionable age, and she is mine for life." I never asked the actress about her perfume choice and how she chose to use it, but I went out and bought a bottle for myself and I still have some of that 1970's EDT --and it always makes me think of that play and the character of Jean--not Sandy. Maybe Sandy would have worn it in imitation of Jean---and then threw it away after she turned on her? I guess I'll never know!

I had an amazing opportunity to test both, Pure Perfume and Eau de Perfume versions of MA GRIFFE. They both share the same theme but they are definitely not the same. I have to say that I absolutely and deeply in love with both versions. The EDP is like a walk outside on a spring morning. It is green, fresh and beautiful. The EDP appears much lighter, less complex and a bit sharper and greener than the PURE PERFUME. The PURE PERFUME is like a sultry summer night. It is deep, rich and opulent. The PURE PERFUME is very smooth and incredibly complex but it still retains this “green” quality. The EDP opening is lemony fresh with green notes and just a touch of aldehydes. The heart notes are mostly ylang-ylang, orange blossom and iris. The composition remains to stay beautiful and light. The oakmoss, vetiver and resins are prominent in the dry down. The PURE PARFUME opening is rich and opulent. The aldehydes are much more present than in EDP. I also feel a touch of asoefetida. This is a strong combo but it remains very smooth and creamy. The heart notes are stunning with jasmine, ylang-ylang and rose. The composition remains to stay within the green zone but without the sharpness of EDP. The dry down has woody notes with noticeable cinnamon, resins and benzoin notes. There is a bit of honey like sweetness in the PURE PARFUME that I do not detect at all in EDP. EDP version is like a light beautiful tune played on the piano. PURE PARFUME is like the same tune but played by a big orchestra. MA GRIFFE Pure Perfume is my mom’s signature scent. I am so happy that I followed her advice and tried both versions. If I was asked which one is my favorite, I would pick the pure perfume for its complexity and smooth velvet like finish. This was definitely one of the best purchases I made recently. I am so glad that I finally found the fragrances from Chypre Floral group that I love.

I received a decant of this vintage scent from one of my fave swap mates (thx, D!), and I was sort of surprised and then blown away by how lovely this is, especially since it is so very green and bitter for the first half hour or so! This is all about the middle and dry down for me. While the bitter greenness is detectable throughout, it takes a backseat after the opening. It provides both an anchor and a contrast to the balsamic, floral sweetness. I just love it, but if I only based it on the top notes and initial impression, it could have easy been a dislike! The moral of the story is to wait and resist the urge to scrub off a scent just because of your first impression. You never know what delights you might miss out on, especially when it comes to vintage and niche. Now off to Ebay to find a bottle! PS - wondering how Chanel No. 19 Poudre compares to this, if there are any similarities. I guess I need a decant to see for myself! PSS - That didn't take long! Bid on an unopened bottle of extrait dating back to the '70s and won. How this will compare to the EDP remains to be seen, but nevertheless, I'm happy to have her in the "family"! EDIT 4/1/2019 I received my bottle of vintage extrait today. Though sealed, there was some evaporation and the top notes are less prominent. What is left is a beautiful, smooth floral balsamic that is rich and sophisticated. I smell the gardenia and ylang, both tempered by benzoin and sandal, and though there is no giant aldehydic and green explosion at the start as is the case with the EDP, the greenness is still present in the background, preventing this from being just another floral chypre. Sillage is close to the skin, as is often the case with dab on extracts. Longevity TBD, but it's old school, so I am anticipating it to be average at the very least. I am really happy to have this one in my collection!