PARFUM D’EMPIRE
MADAGASCAR LE BAUME VANILLE
2025
PERFUMER
MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO
pepper
clove
cinnamon
cocoa
coconut
resins
woody notes
leather
hay
tobacco
vanilla tincture
vanilla co²
vanilla absolute
‘A balm for the heart, distilling the vegetal treasures of Madagascar. A balm to drink, a fabulous beverage reinvented as a generous sillage. A vanilla balm, the opulent flesh of a pod macerated at length in rum, enriched with the spices of the Grande Ile. MADAGASCAR LE BAUME VANILLE: Premiering at the @perfumeweek from July 3 to 5, and available through our partners in September (2025) (…) A balm to drink, the olfactory imprint of the scent of blonde vanilla forever engraved in the perfumer’s memory. That of a fabulous beverage composed by a young Madagascan woman, reinvented here as a generous sillage. A vanilla balm, the opulent flesh of a plump, fatty pod, split to release its fragrance black seeds, expressed in Madagascar through three natural exracts. Tincture, Co² extract and vanilla absolute run through the composition. From top to base notes, these rich materials unfold balmy, animalic aromas that evoke the richness of the pod, enhanced by tones of wood, leather, hay and tobacco. To remain faithful to the original recipe of vanilla pods infused in aged rum, Marc-Antoine Corticchiato has drawn on the sumptuous palette of the island of Madagascar. Peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon sticks combine with the almost animal depth of cocoa beans. Freshly grated coconut flesh, a flash of milky whiteness in this amber elixir, enhances its creamy texture. Particularly rich in balms, oils, and resins, the formula of Madagascar requires a level of craftsmanship that has all but disappeared today. Another rare luxury is the long maceration process that allows each ingredient to express itself to the fullest…’ – Parfum D’Empire
Madagascar La Baume Vanille was up there with my most anticipated releases of 2025. Parfum D’Empire is one of the last remaining ‘true niche’ brands out there and I’ve liked their previous releases. That said, they tend to be on the ‘I-like-them-more-artistically’ side, rather than ‘I-must-have-a-bottle’ side for me and I figured, a vanilla fragrance may change that. In short; I really like this, but it definitely goes in a somewhat unexpected, but familiar direction for me.
And that direction is Byredo’s Tobacco Mandarin. I struggled to place what I was smelling (I definitely get some hints of Les Indemodables Vanille Havane too), but found it mostly a spicy, dry tobacco take on vanilla. It does get very sweet, but at no point does this fragrance resemble a gourmand. I think it will suit fans of the house or ‘connoisseur’ that have an idea of that to expect; for the casual perfume wearer or trendy gourmand-lover, it’s good to note that this will likely register much more as a tobacco-ish scent and not a vanilla gourmand.
Cinnamon is prominent, but I smelled something a bit more daring in that spiciness, akin to the cumin from Tobacco Mandarin. Compared to the Byredo Madagascar La Baume Vanille is significantly drier. It’s also less bold and cleaner. Not as dirty and acrid as the opening of Vanille Havane, not as heavy on the cumin and the projection of the Byredo. Very similar in the wearing experience in broad terms, but a bit more on the traditional sweet tobacco and hay side.
I’m surprised the description focuses on words like creamy and balmy, as I find it rather dry for this family of fragrances. Much less oily and resinous than the Les Indemodables, Byredo, but also compared to the majority of sweet tobacco’s like Herod, Plum In Cognac, Naxos etc. Compared to a popular tobacco from the same year, I’d say this is more vanillic, but also more interesting than Dries van Noten Havana Gold.
Overall, I really enjoyed Madagascar La Baume Vanille. The spiciness surprised me initally, but almost instantly reminded me of the Byredo for the rest of the wear. It’s a great take on that DNA and I’m happy that it’s not a more generic Tobacco Vanille style scent, but it’s not as much of a revelation and stand-out as I perhaps (unfairly) hoped for.
