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.

After I spending my time reading all the reviews about Mad Madame, I have to admit, some of negative reviews had paused my blind-buy idea for this perfume. Especially the one that mention piss and dirty underwear. But my desire for MM had won over the fear. Then, the package had arrived. I unbox it and admire the exquisite blood red bottle while thinking that MM will unleash the piss horror or the bewitching rose... I hold my breath and spray it on my wrist... guess what? I F****** LOVE IT! First off, I got whimsical rose. It is a little bit sugary which make it smells modern. (IMO) Then, the ripe blackcurrant comes out. It smells like an expensive wine. The patchouli is not dirty at all. It is very fresh, menthol even. Somehow tuberose and jasmine are distinctive to my nose. They add creaminess and mellow sweet to MM. Oak-moss puts in dry and green vibe. Finally, the main actress of this perfume... Castoreum. It is dirty indeed but not powerful enough to turn a perfume into piss and dirty lingerie odor. (Though, be proud if your underwear smells like this perfume.) It just darken all moods that express earlier. It's like the dark force that corrupts a charming princess, turns her into Darth Vader... wait, no... an evil lustful queen... or, perhaps, just a Mad Madame. Amber and balsam come out on the dry down to add oriental vibe. Of course, the limelight is still on the castoreum while rose peek out from the crimson curtain. Overall, I enjoy this beautiful madness.

In my large perfume collection, I have nothing quite like this. It was a blind buy, but I was feeling risky and I guessed it would be a true love or a hate. Polarizing fragrances are sometimes my favorites. I wouldn't recommend dropping the money on this one as a blind buy for most people. Mad Madame is not what I'd call a "beginner's fragrance" as it is very unusual and might be hard to appreciate for noses accustomed to more conventional perfumes. At first, it overwhelmed me with its animalic accord. It was bold. My husband, who loves fragrances, liked it immediately. It struck him as an aggressive, dirty rose that enjoys a good time. He could smell the animalic tones (castoreum + black currant), but they weren't off-putting to him. My dog, who loves to smell my perfumes (I really am not joking--he is extremely interested in them), took such a shine to this one, that he followed me around the house, nose glued to my wrist. The glint in his eye, had me briefly worried for the dignity of my leg. Fortunately, he was content to just sniff and keep all four paws on the ground. Sure enough, the drydown did the trick. The sharp, in-your-face animalic accord settled into a big-bosomed rose. The patchouli, jasmine, and tolu balsalm are probably the next most noticeable notes. The vanilla and freesia are completely undetectable. Overall, this is a badass bouquet--not appropriate for work, but totally awesome.

Hahahaha - I just have to laugh!! This is absolutely wonderful - in a totally unexpected way! It is like spending the whole day at the tivoli... complete with a tour in the horsecarriage with your family, or your humourous, fun and loving man: through the lovely park surroundings, just before sunset, when you are finally all exhausted.. and then you spend the next day at the Zoo, and round off the day with going to the opera!! With lots of visits to different cafe's, ice cream stands and restaurants, in between it all. Not the usual rose perfume, but oh so fun!! P.S: It is not strong, though, so I highly recommend overspraying. Or at least reapplying... ☺ But I find that it lasts longer on clothes. And on hair - if I'm ok with having the same fragrance the next day. Actually unoffensive, as opposed to what some say - totally work-approprate in my opinion. Not really a skanky perfume at all I think, and not a sexy perfume. Just sensuous in a very oldfashioned, bohemic and romantic way. And like I said before: fun. Don't let the notes scare you off! But of course: try to test this first, since it will not be to everybody's liking. It is a very special and personal fragrance. And it so happens, that it fits MY personality perfect, so that is why I can say that I could wear this almost every day if I like to. But it is not for everybody.

I'm sitting here with Mad Madame on my wrist and a very confused expression on my face. Rat urine? Plastic? Hospitals? I don't get any of those. And I can't help but feel a little disappointed by that. The nose for this perfume isn't listed on Fragrantica, but I'm willing to bet money that it's Francis Kurkdjian. His typical musk base (Narciso Rodriguez EdP, Elie Saab EdP) is very recognizable in this. The JHAG rose is present, reminding me of the Chloe EdP rose, but also triggering memories of Agent Provocateur,. I have worked with castoreum, and on its own it is pretty disgusting and indeed 'plasticky', as some have mentioned here. I don't recognize it as such in this perfume. That is not to say that it isn't in there, but it means that it is well blended with other ingredients, to pull out a 'sparkling' effect in the floral notes that makes me think of champagne. It certainly is not the second-most obvious note in Mad Madame. I've learned to distrust the voted pyramids on here as they seem to be very sensitive to marketing ploys and 'peer copying'. All in all, I really like this. It has a very similar feel to Elie Saab EdP, so I'm not 100% convinced I need this in my wardrobe, but I would definitely wear it if I had it. I just wish Mad Madame was a little crazier! Seriously, Agent Provocateur EdP is WAY scarier than this.

Yes, it smells like a zoo. Blooming manicured gardens, freshly trimmed topiary, sweet fruity animal feed for the tropical birds and primates, and yes, the animals themselves, in all their unapologetically warm, furry, au naturale glory. Mad Madame opens with unassuming ruby-red rose, currant jelly, and bitter green oakmoss. I am not a huge fan of any of those, so I was not impressed. But once Mad Madame catches the heat of your skin, it lights up the otherwise-average notes and injects their scent with intense castoreum. Overall, Mad Madame is a menagerie of rich rose, faint touches of tuberose, delectable oakmoss (and I do usually hate oakmoss) woody patchouli, bright currant, and gorgeous castoreum. Sometimes, I even catch something that smells sharp and bright, like oud. The end result is both a little crazy, a little vintage-flair, and extremely elegant. Weird and wild, but also wonderful and wearable. Interestingly, is enhanced by summer weather when your skin is hot and a little sweaty. This seems to be a running theme with JHAG scents. I did NOT enjoy Mad Madame the first few times I tried it. Like coffee or liquor, it is an acquired taste. It really grew on me each time I tested it. An amazing, thoughtful, and generous Fragrantican gifted me a bottle, so I can now indulge whenever I wish!

Ayyyyy...this one snuck up on me and made me fall in love. I blind bought this over a year ago and I was soooooo disappointed. The castoreum/musk presented itself as the worst armpit sweat funk ever. It completely over-rode the rose and any other notes. I sadly placed it to the side and promptly forgot about it. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. Some spirit moved me to try it on again, despite my initial impression. Something wonderful happened. The rose and animalics began to dance sensuously together with the other notes making beautiful music for them to dance to. It's slightly skanky in the best way now. I'm thrilled I didn't give up on this. It matches my introverted but outspoken personality. It's not for the faint of heart and won't work with the chemistry of many. I got lucky with this blind buy. I wouldn't recommend this as as blind buy unless you're in love with hard core animalics. Edit 8/5/22--this joint switched up on me! 😃 Put some one tonight & it's a superlative symphony of florals with black currant & patchouli. The patchouli is green & earthy. Barely any animalic anything and this is still a thing a beauty. Fascinating!

Mad Madame is a wild ride from start to finish. A skanky, thorny, green rose. Sits equally well on a man or a woman - so long as you have the attitude to pull it off. Mad Madame opens with a smack of green, dry rose. Sharp and quite masculine, with a peppery patchouly edge creeping in. It pretty quickly morphs into something a lot smoother, but by no means safer. As Mad Madame develops, a powerful animalic skank joins the spiky rose front and centre, and for the next hour or so these two accords fight for top billing. It's a lovely contrast - Green, spicy rose and hot, sweaty musk. It eventually dries down into a glowing, floral musk. Still wildly animalic but with just a hint of soapiness to pull it out of barnyard territory. Longevity is excellent. Sillage is quite heady for the first 20 minutes or so, but fades down into moderate territory for the rest of the wear-time. Savage, garish, oddly both modern and vintage in feel. Mad Madame is an excellent choice for informal events on brisk evenings. This is not your Grandmother's rose... Unless your Grandmother was a fur-wearing, chain-smoking, underground, criminal gangster.

How could I forget this one in my survey of daring perfumes! This one just slashes the air around with an olfactory knife. Or it's a kind of olfactory whipcrack! If there is a fragrance equivalent of an emergency services siren, I think this has got to be it. Shrieking loud, super pungent, abrasive: possibly one of the most bellicose fragrances on the shelves! I can't not say a few more words about this one. Please don't get the impression from the above that I in any way object to this fragrance. It is light & bright taken to an extreme ... and really taken to an extreme! And this is surprising seeing as it has castoreum and tolu balsam in it, both of which I would say are components of the thick and heavy kind. But in this, the pitch of their vibration seems to be raised by about two octaves. That's quite a feat of parfumistry! Spritzed myself with this on the bus earlier, and then suddenly thought "maybe I shouldn't've done that here!" No-one objected though, thankfully. And that reminds me - haven't changed my "wearing". (It's bound to go out of date very often, though.)

Ooh Mad Madame. I love this. And that is a big accomplishment from a fragrance with patchouli as prominent as this one. I, like the reviewer below me, do not generally enjoy patchouli in fragrances. It often takes over and ruins them for me. It actually doesn't do that in Mad Madame, though it's there. The balance of this fragrance is masterful and I just keep coming back to sniff again and again. Mad Madame is a great name for this scent, and part of the reason I was drawn to it. The bottle reminds me of the Queen of Hearts and the book Heartless (just read it!), which might seem weird but I needed it just for the bottle. So, this lady is...ultra feminine, rose and currant forward, patchouli isn't dusty smelling, it's earthy, which is I think why it works better here for me. Jasmine and freesia are supporting notes and I love them both. She lasts and lasts, revealing depth and mystery that keeps you coming back for more. Try a sample or travel size first.

No, it doesn’t smell like piss, fecal, hospital like or animallic to me. This is a beautiful combination of rose and jasmine for my nose almost powdery and reminds me of some old school Talcum powder my gran might have used also her makeup drawer.. for my nose mad madame and lady vengeance are fairly similar, only vengeance could get cloying but madame stays one step back from it. It will remind you Middle East fyi!! At the same time I could totally see the reference of a gothic madame wearing it but then I also said my gran so I probably relate this with a strong woman, or my gran had a secret sparkling night life! I bought it for myself (i don’t really eff about perfume gender) for early spring and autumn .. probably on cooler summer nights as well if I am out at harbour or a boat. Do check the profile of person and their perfume choices before taking their opinion seriously. Edit: And my partner smells piss when I spray 😞!! Hate to part ways

Amazing scent. I love it. It smells to me very much of jasmine, but it is modulated in a very particular way. Although almost all female fragrances have jasmine, so they say, and many even in the name, I do not know of many current fragrances which do smell of jasmine, which I love, and this one does. To me it is a jasmine bomb. It is from my viewpoint very well conceived because Jasmine is as I said modulated in a very particular animalic way. Although the overall feel is very different, it does remind me of Ysatis. It has a very particular scent nevertheless and that is in part, I think, for having amber in the opening, It smells very animalic, since the beginning, and while the jasmine opens opulently and then the base notes give it another very deep animal touch. I think I smell these three levels very sharply. They burst out of it. I did not even know this brand, but by the way, the brand name is lovely, unusual and lovely.

I was gifted a JHAG discovery kit from a friend here on fragrantica! Mad madame was one of them in the kit. I think this is stunning and sexy. I thought i didn't like casterom or civet, well i was wrong! I love it in here! It gives this perfume depth, warmth and a slightly dirty musky sex appeal. At first spray it smells very similar to Red Door . After it mixes with my skin chemistry it turns into a powerful red rose, musk, woods and i do smell moss and casterom. After hours it dries down to a soapy musk. From the discovery kit this is one of mine and my husbands favorite. Longevity is 8 hours on my skin ,sillage is a good 2 to 3 feet for the first hour and after that it's soft to moderate. Imo its worth the money. Please dont let the casterom scare you off, this is blended so well and this perfume wouldn't be special or even warm without the casterom.

Mad Madame by Juliette Has A Gun designed by Romano Ricci nephew of the designer Nina Ricci. It is a 2012 fragrance that contains an unexpected vintage charm, the charm of the great classics with redundant and varied olfactory pyramids. Opening notes to the juste pulvérisé and subsequently to the dry the explosive rose triumphs over amber and fruity accords, central notes the white flowers and the tuberose make the bland floral and hyper feminine, in the base notes and the dry down this floral symphony flares up with animalic, chypre, sweet and woody notes that make it enveloping, sensual and damn vintage. My sense of smell associates this fragrance with a great vintage classic: Diva by Ungaro, with the only difference that this fragrance lacks the classic old-fashioned notes of aldehydes and civet. Pleasant unobtrusive sillage. Evanescent duration.

From the notes and reviews I was expecting dirty, skanky sex, but when I spray it on me all I get is a clean, masculine, old smelling, very musky citrus. I only get the rose when I press my wrist right up against my nose. Not a bad fragrance per se, but my expectations were set up for something very different. It's absolutely nothing like I was expecting, and nothing like I wanted, although the more I test it the more I am beginning to appreciate this kind of musk. I suppose after a few hours there is a hint of something that some people might describe as sexy, but I was hoping for something on the level of VW Boudoir, which this cannot even compare to. If it were a colour it would be very pale yellow, which is maybe where the pee connotation comes in. It's pretty long lasting though which is a plus!

Mad Madame is an unusual perfume. It tells the story of a graceful young woman with a lifetime of experience in seduction, control and destruction. This Madame is really wearing a fur coat, drinking champagne with rose petals and laughing out loud. But there is another side to this Madame - the strong side, the side that knows her values, the side that has a strong backbone - the side that can love, give love and save souls. This sense of duality created by the composition of the perfume is very charming. This is no innocent rose. This rose knows what suffering, passion, sweat, childbirth, nurturing and womanhood are all about. At the same time, this rose is not about maturity, but about thriving in beauty, in splendour. For me, it is the perfume of a queen. 10 of 10