Mad Madame

I think I first tried this around 2012 in a shop at Westwood Cross (in London) with all the JHAG scents laid out. Citizen Queen, Calamity J, Lady Vengeance, Miss Charming, Not a Perfume, and this had just come out. There was no tester bottle for Mad Madame, and I didn't buy anything that day, but the sales lady put a sample of this in my bag. "If you like it, you can come back," she said with a smile. And oh, how I liked it! JHAG had tapped into one of my favourite scent categories - the dark rose oriental. I already had and adored Miller Harris Rose En Noir and Andy Tauer Incense Rose, and this was (and is) in the same category as those scents, but Mad Madame definitely has it's own personality. Whereas Rose En Noir's dark rose is peppery for a moment, then jammy on a bed of dark woods, and Incense Rose almost shimmers with myrrh, resins, and incense - Mad Madame start out very green. The blackcurrant is more leaf than berry, and the springlike green-ness of it entwines with a deep red rose, grounded with slightly bitter balsam and earthy patchouli to create a more realistic rosebush scent - dirt, leaves, stems, and flower. Somewhere underneath the rosebush, maybe, where your hair and clothes might snag on thorns. I absolutely love this part of the scent, but I can see how people who aren't into perfume might hate it, and the whole pyramid. This is a department store brand, and Mad Madame's vibe is more niche. Maybe that's why it's been discontinued (at least I'm assuming it has been - it's no longer on the JHAG website). Too bad, because it's wonderful. Even the drydown. ESPECIALLY the drydown. The green burns off in the first hour and you're left with a dark, floral rose (neither jammy nor powdery), jasmine, amber, balsam, patchouli, oakmoss, castoreum. The green rose has become a dirty, sexy, "come join me in the bedroom" rose and it's wonderful. If you like pretty, floral scents then this is not for you. This is a femme fatale scent. A woman who laughs in the face of danger. Too bad JHAG's gone back to ho hum, writing Odes to Dullness or whatever. Mad Madame is definitely more my speed. If you love it too, maybe we can be friends.

After spending nearly half a decade sitting on my Wanted list, I was taken to a shop this week that carried Mad Madame and allowed me to sample it (among countless other scents that eventually cluttered up the counter!). A mild but musky asphalt and gasoline opening, which I'm admittedly crazy about, and then nothing. Anosmia. I was devastated. I kept trying to sniff my wrist in between samples of other scents through the store, and Mad Madame was absent, a blank space where a fragrance was supposed to be. Writing it off, I sampled other scents, and nearly convinced myself to purchase another, when reaching up to adjust my glasses wafted up a symphony of fresh-licked cat fur, damp laundry too thick to dry completely in the machine, headshop herbal combinations, and a pile of leaves. It stank. It was sweet. It was sick. I waved my hand up again and caught another whiff, body odor and sex-stained sheets wiped off with a Wet Ones, but upon trying to sniff the wrist, absolutely nothing. Another wave, and hairspray and rain-soaked flowers. Wet, camphorous, and nasty. Absolutely obsessed. Immediate purchase. It's really hard to discern on myself at times. Can smell it better on clothing, but even then, it barely picks up to my nose if I'm actively searching for it. Sniffing too close, trying too hard to find it, paying too much attention to it makes it completely disappear; olfactory fatigue may be to blame, but I was worried that it would never register to me. But smelling it now, it comes and goes, heavy, musty musk and bitter flowers, raunchy yet refined and sometimes a little gross. Divine.

The opening is really beautiful, with noticeable appearances by a gorgeous rose, patchouli and oakmoss. The castoreum and currant come out to play about 10 minutes after initial spritz--I noticed the first time that I sampled it several weeks ago that this animalic stage was immensely strong and caught me off guard. I almost scrubbed it off, but I’m glad that I stuck it out, because the STRONG animalic stage doesn’t last forever, and then fades away and transforms back into something quite lovely. On my second wearing, I was prepared for the beaver butt juice stank, and it didn’t seem quite as alarming--probably because I was expecting it and anticipating its arrival. Once the castoreum subsides, a less polarizing but hypnotic musk comes out and settles things down. Projection might be moderate, but longevity is eternal--still very much detectable on my skin at the 12 hour mark. I strongly disagree with the comparison to Toy Boy--Mad Madame is nothing like Toy Boy, at least on my skin. I purchased a pre-loved bottle of Toy Boy, and I’m glad that I got the deal that I did on it--I would have been upset to pay full price. However, I would gladly pay full retail for a bottle of Mad Madame (although I do love a deal when I can get one). The only downside so far is that while getting ready for work, I noticed that my dog seemed quite alarmed by my fragrance choice. I haven’t sampled too many JHAG fragrances yet, but this is the first one that I can see myself investing in a full bottle sometime in the future--even if it does appear to frighten my dog.

This was a blind purchase. Mad Madame was heavily discounted, and I always wanted to own a Juliette Has A Gun perfume, so I thought, why not. I wouldn't say I liked it the first time I wore it; it reminded me of toilet cleaner. The scent was thick, velvety, and dirty while at the same time trying to hide under a cheap, heavy rose. Kind of like an old air freshener that isn't quite hiding (a not completely disgusting) poop odor. But I persevered; the next time I wore it, I sprayed it on my clothes and liked it a lot more -- I noticed the mysterious masculine elements, and the animalic was balanced with the florals. Since then, I have been wearing it daily and seem to have "adjusted" to it. It no longer smells like toilet cleaner. I would describe it as a dark, heavy, stuffy rose cut with a warm, masculine spice -- seems pretty unisex to me. Not sure I would pay full price for Mad Madame, but I am glad it is in my collection. UPDATE: After a month of wearing this fragrance, I have decided I LOVE it. Would definitely pay full price for another bottle. I have a great experience everytime I wear it. For example, I wore it to a concert, I sprayed more than usual (I am usually a 3 spray person -- this time I did 3 on my clothes and 3 on my body). The complexity really came out -- the sweet, the musk, the powder. I would say, that you are not going to like this fragrance at first smell, but the longer you wear it, the more you will enjoy it. Don't be afraid to buy it -- especially if you are a black clothes-wearing, lover of unique fragrances.

As a lover of rose, patchouli and animalic notes, MM is one of my very favourite fragrances. It's rich, juicy and skanky with its prominent castoreum, and tuberose is amplified on my skin during summer evenings. Yes, I know, scents like this aren't something most would wear in hot weather but I discovered it just before a trip to the Philippines so it has sentimental value for me - the patchouli note in particular brings me a sweet nostalgia. Mad Madame is potent. Very potent. Sillage is about five feet and when I wear it, everyone notices - as the creators intended. As one would imagine, it is polarising. Some love it, finding it kooky and vintage, with some describing it as sexy, even. Others have commented that I smell like a whore...which for me is part of its appeal! This of course, means it's not a safe blind buy, and something of an acquired taste. For me, this is a truly beautiful, vintage inspired floral-chypre with a modern twist. It's not like anything else I've smelled in recent years and I find the 60s-esque vibe very sophisticated. It has the JHAG DNA that all fans of the brand have come to know and if you're a fan of animalics and take your white florals pungent, this is a juice that's sure to please. It's a love-or-hate scent but if you fall into the "love" camp, this stuff is addictive and I'm a self confessed junkie. I was also pleased to read recently that JHAG is not tested on animals and is cruelty free, which is always good to know when you're dealing with animal notes. I now love it even more.