MASQUE MILANO
MADELEINE
2020
PERFUMER
Fanny Bal
chestnut
chantilly
cumin
tuberose absolute
cypress
geranium
tonka bean absolute
musk
vanilla
‘Angelina means a lot to me. First of all, it was the name of my mother. And from my mother I inherited the passion for travels and for nice afternoon teas in fancy patisserie. So it was almost natural – when I started traveling frequently to Paris – to feel a strong attraction for this place in Rue de Rivoli. Every single business trip in the Ville Lumiere could not end without a stop at our favourite delicatessen place. And most of the times I ended up eating a chestnut dessert that my mother would cook for me when I was a kid, the Mont Blanc!’ – Alessandro Brun
Stopping at the legendary tearoom – like famous artists and fashion designers did since the turn of the XX Century – means turning back time, bringing back sweet memories that the talented Fanny Bal (the nose behind the creation of Madeleine) skilfully managed to capture in a sweet floral creation that will not pass unnoticed. Like a charming girl, sipping hot chocolate in Rue de Rivoli.’ – Masque Milano
Madeleine joined the ranks of the better gourmand fragrances that I’ve tried. Madeleine is the first time Masque has done a full-on gourmand and they knocked it out of the park, with something that’s really easy to love, but still rather unique, as one would expect from this brand.
I was invited to the virtual launch event, so I got an in-depth look at the creation of this scent and sampled it early one, but I purchased the bottle on my own accord straight away. Masque Milano is a house I love, but their fragrances are not all for me and Madeleine was the first love at first sniff.
The first thing that hits you is the sweetness. It’s sugary, but not like a lot of popular sweet sugary fragrances. From the start it feels frothy. It’s creamy, but really light and airy and I don’t think I’ve experienced such a foamy sweet accord before.
The second thing that hits you is how nutty it is. One of the inspirations behind Madeleine is marrons glacé (candied chestnuts). In Madeleine you get a lifelike chestnut scent, that’s at the same time very strong and comes across almost powdery, but the composition as a whole keeps its levity; it doesn’t get as dark or even woody or harsh as nutty scents that I’ve experienced often do. This is no Margiela By The Fireplace by any means.
Lastly, there’s a hint of booze, like a coffee liqueur. I don’t think coffee itself is listed, but this fragrance overall puts me in the mind of having a latte coffee with a realistic chestnut liqueur (I don’t drink, but this made me reconsider), with slightly melted whipped cream and granulated sugar on top.
It evokes comfort and warmth on a cold day. There is also a floral accord with tuberose and geranium, that on it’s own smelled very feminine leaning and bright, but I have to say that I don’t really detect much of it. I assume the tuberose helps with the creamy quality, but this doesn’t smell floral at all to my nose.
One of my all-time favorites from Masque Milano.
