Malmaison

The regal, effulgent Malmaison, first produced by Floris, reported to be first released in as early as the 1830s and allegedly loved by Oscar Wilde, is almost a metaphor for aestheticism. In Malmaison's late 90s resurrection, it is the epitome of beauty for beauty's sake: an unadorned carnation soliflore. There is no complex narrative, no nervy abstraction. It's not rooted in chin-stroking, navel-gazing, there's no didactic upchuck. It is a divinely invigorating spiced clove velvet-petals-in-which-to-bury-your-nose Victorian garden carnation. Yes, it is naturally heavy on the clove but it also has a ylang-ylang undertone that is also characteristic of the flower. Further into the dry down, I get the sensation of opening a tin of black tea and inhaling its contents while in a gallery overflowing with carnations. However, what I must love about the carnation accord in general is that beyond its spicy, pink gregariousness, there is a tinge of longing—aching for something that is just out of reach (think of its tenor in L'Heure Bleue and Apres L'Ondee for example). In Malmaison, it is laid bare, much like the lens through which we may view Wilde's writing: the pursuit of beauty and joy brings with it reverberations. I'm led to another literary icon for which I am fond: Henry David Thoreau, and his quote, "Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." What are we after as we chase our carnations? Where will we go after the scent fades to a trace on our skin? Or rather, where will it lead us? This is the quandary that is hardest to swallow as we continue this passionate pursuit.

I have the vintage toilet water atomizer (dark blue box with gold) and it is a reference spicy clove carnation. It’s truly perfection “if” you are a fan of this type of carnation fragrance. Mine is in the opaque dark blue atomizer bottle and had never been sprayed and is in perfect condition without any detectable turn. It’s a classic carnation and I’ve never smelled one done more perfectly. I haven’t smelled Golconda but I can’t imagine it is any better. Not sure how it could be but again, I haven’t smelled it. Malmaison is how I imagine a queen would smell in the 1700-1800s. It smells regal. When you see oil paintings of historic royalty, male or female, I imagine them to smell like Malmaison. I am a lover of carnation and have many favorites but this one makes my heart pitter patter. But this is straight up carnation, other than clove you won’t notice much else. Nor would you really want to if carnation is what you’re looking for. The best carnation, it’s perfection in my opinion.

I wear this perfume when I want to feel bold, when I need a little secret encouragement. It's partly the wonderful association with Oscar Wilde, and partly the smell of the perfume itself. It is very spicy while at the same time very floral. The floral elements are somehow not at all sweet. It's beautifully composed but I admit that I did not like it at first -- usually I go for soft, airy and floral -- this is is strong and unusual. And sometimes strong and unusual is just the pick-me-up we all need. I love this perfume and I'm sad that it's no longer available. It is old-school in the gumption way, not in the stuffy way. I feel lucky to wear it!

I found this this after ran out of my last bottle of Golçonda (Jar House in Paris), which was my favourite until it just became too, too expensive. Floris' Malmaison is a great second, but now I cannot find it anywhere. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I love this scent!

This was gifted to me on my first trip to England. My mom-in-law loves Floris and it was a must see shop whilst there. On to this fragrance. I picked this one due to it's warmth and uniqueness. It doesn't smell like every other concotion out there. It is spicy and floral without being too sweet or dry/earthy. Opening notes are very spicy, almost masculine in nature, but as it melds into the heart the rose and carnation really come to the forefront and sweeten things up. As it developes further into the final drydown the cedar and musk become key players, but it maintains the carnation accord throughout the entire experience. It is slighty softened with a hint of vanilla and I do mean a hint, nothing sweet or gourmand, but just enough to round it out. Sillage is average and longevity is nothing remarkable, but an amazing fragrance while it lasts. I could definitely see either sex wearing this as it's not overly sweet or overly spicy. I treasure my bottle both for the memories of that trip to London and because it is no longer available!