Houbigant Mon Boudoir 2019 (photo: Elena Cvjetkovic)

A boudoir implies an intimate space dedicated to a woman, with it’s little or big secrets safeguarded in privacy, an oasis of irrefutable femininity. By the turn of 19th century the term boudoir became a synonym for a special comfort zone in which you could pamper yourself, a space between bathroom and bedroom, later on often romanticized, eroticized and idolized. In 1919 Houbigant released a perfume named Mon Boudoir created by Master Perfumer Robert Bienaime, a chemist who relatively quickly became a famous perfumer and signed a line of fine perfumes for the house from 1912-1925. Yes, discovering various, new generation aldehydes was quite a rage back then, and Mon Boudoir was trending with success.

Original Houbigant Mon Boudoir Advertisement 1922 (photo: History Net)

I remember seeing the original Mon Boudoir and other Houbigant bottles in Museu del Perfume in Barcelona, wondering – as with all other exhibits – how it affected those wearing it at the time it was created and released. I also remember smelling the revived perfume  in its earlier stage at Esxence Milan in April 2019, thinking about a 100 years’ time span between the two.

It is known that this perfume was Queen Marie’s of Romania favorite, and the original Mon Boudoir was not a light, frilly perfume: it was strong and sensual. Fit for a Queen that wasn’t a careless fairytale princess either: born as Princess Marie Alexandra Victoria of Edinburgh, known as Missy to family and friends, she attracted many admirers. Despite her father’s tears she married Crown Prince Ferdinand of Romania and became a Queen. Marie performed her royal duty by giving birth to six children but didn’t accept this to be her only function.

King and Queen of Romania (photo: Wikipedia)

Missy traveled the world, worked as a nurse in a military hospital and actively engaged in politics. America’s entry in the WW I provided coverage by journals and magazines that embraced the Queen during and after her visit to USA, calling her The Soldier Queen. As Romanian historian Lucian Boia writes, Queen Marie ‘proved that a woman, while remaining feminine, could win a game normally reserved for men.’ Her boudoir photos portray Queen Marie while reading:

 Queen Marie’s Boudoir (photo: History Net)

One hundred years later a new Houbigant Mon Boudoir is reinterpreted by super star perfumer Luca Maffei of AFM Atelier Fragranze: a modern interpretation of a place to pout (from French verb bouder, meaning to be sulky), a contemporary retreat to withdraw to and gather your inner strength or entertain chosen guests.  An invitation to create a fragrant palace boudoir of your own, an intimate capsule -be it real or imaginary- where you can be fragile and strong, charming and determined, delicious and seductive – while still winning a game.

Houbigant Mon Boudoir (photo: Elena Cvjetkovic) 

Houbigant Mon Boudoir rises from my skin like a peppery, spicy strong swirl drifting above bitter green citruses at first, and from the beginning, a patchouli vibe is felt and present, not overpowering but always there, moving in shadows.  Mon Boudoir reminds me of an almost dark and empty room after a glamorous party after all the guests have left, with half-filled glasses of sweet champagne leftover and a single box containing remaining pieces of dark, spicy chocolate sitting carelessly on a table near a plush, purple colored sofa.

Luca Maffei Falconeri©

To celebrate 100 years the storied brand chose 2 x Art and Olfaction Winner Luca Maffei with his characteristic smooth moves and blendings, as well as introducing at an accord or note that shines through, somewhat unexpectedly, accentuated in a perfume: this time again, like with Bois Mystique (reviewed by Sr. Editor Robert Herrmann) but in a different context) ginger is fueling spices up and giving a ray of brightness, with under layers of almost powdery jasmine, reminding me of Autumn orange roses I recently bought – a decorative vignette in the overall composition. The bouquet of flowers is here, yet this is not a bright or a floral-leaning fragrance at all: general feeling is ambery, very smooth and warm, ideal for rainy Autumn times I’ve experienced for the past two days, together with my leopard-pattern heels and red retro-matte lipstick to chase the gray away.

Orange Roses (photo: Dreamstime)

As time passes some slow, an elegant and classy animalic movement is felt, taking over the rhythm and rolling in dimmed resins made of what I feel as sharper-smelling benzoin and animalic-sweet-balsamic opoponax, with the addition of vetiver just to ground the whole composition. There’s vanilla settling down toward the dry down, the kind of vanilla that reminds me of the inside handmade soft goat-leather gloves, with musky odors to be felt when wet with rain, mixed with remaining traces of ambery warm, patchouli tainted background and a layer of soft but strong woods at the bottom.

Modern Boudoir (Pexels)

It is recorded that Queen Marie shocked officials by leading political negotiations during Paris Peace Conference 1919 – herself, moving aside all her ministers and commenting: “Never mind, you’ll all just have to get used to accepting me with the faults of my virtues.“ Bold, beautiful, elegant, charming and witty, with a matching perfume.

Times have changed but the spirit of Houbigant Mon Boudoir, now interpreted one hundred years later in a contemporary way, is still vivid and alluring.

Head notes: Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Timur Pepper; Heart notes: Geranium, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmin, Heliotrope, Iris, Ylang Ylang; Base notes: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Benzoin, Vanilla Tahiti, Ambre Gris, Musk

Disclaimer: Thankful for Mon Boudoir sent to me by Houbigant Paris – opinions, as always, are of my own.

Elena Cvjetkovic, Contributor

Thanks to  the largess of Houbigant Paris we have one 100 ml bottle of Houbigant Mon Boudoir for one registered reader in the USA and the EU so be sure to register if you have not done so. To be eligible please let us know what you thought of Elena’s  review, where you live and your favorite Houbigant fragrance. Draw closes October 1, 2019.

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The official launch of Houbigant Mon Boudoir (from the Collection Privee) 100 ml unisex Eau de Parfum is scheduled for the 2019 edition of TFWA (Duty-Free) World Exhibition & Conference taking place on 29 September – 4 October in Cannes.

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