Chabaud Lait Concentré Review (Sophie Chabaud) + Got Milk? Draw

Chabaud Lait Contentre review

Digital collage by Nicoleta (background photo Jagoda Kondratiuk, via Unsplash)

Few things are so charged with meaning, symbolism, and emotional triggers as milk. From the pastoral societies that still rely on milk as their main food to the western advertising-turned-pop-culture of “Got Milk?” the life-giving liquid is a part of our daily life and we are not ready to be weaned off it.

Chabaud Maison de Parfum Lait Concentre review

Eiliv Sonas Unsplash image

A gene mutation that originated in Europe 7500 years ago (named 13910T) is the one responsible for allowing the human body to digest milk far beyond infancy, into adulthood – and we are the only mammals to have acquired this ability. The interesting part is that this gene has mutated and evolved differently in separate areas of the world and there is a fun linguistic element that separates this: the milk, melk, milch, mjolk of the north (where lactose intolerance cases are statistically fewer) vs the lait, leche, latte, leite or lapte of the south (where milk is mainly consumed as a processed product).

chabaud lait concentre review

Serena Williams in Got Milk ad© 2005

Milk is that one food that is given to us, it’s not found, harvested or manufactured, so it has always been the perfect offering for the gods, the fluid that symbolizes eternal life, motherly protection, abundance, vitality.  On a more practical and less symbolic level, milk remains a comfort food, the kind of treat you indulge in at midnight, half-awake in front of the fridge, gulping down a guilty sweet and dense snack. (Disclaimer: the morning ritual of cereal & milk combo is not that popular with grownups in Eastern Europe so milk is more linked to the sacred nightly ritual of the Nutella jar & the midnight cookies). And in these days, when more than ever, we crave a safe mental space to deal with the “new reality” around us, the quickest coping mechanism is retreating to the carefree memories of childhood and the fluffy safety cocoon we can hide in.

Chabaud Lait concentre perfume review

Will Cotton, 1965 – American Surrealist painter – Tutt’Art@ 

 Enter the simple but not at all simplistic milky gourmand joys: Lait Concentré (Concentrated Milk), Lait de Biscuit (Cookie Milk), Lait de Vanille (Vanilla milk), and Lait et chocolat (Chocolate Milk) from Chabaud  (a family-owned niche perfume brand from Montpellier, specialized in the production of luxury perfumes and interior fragrances and candles). I was never the “cocktail-with-umbrella” kind, having always liked my vices straight up: my wine red and dry, my chocolate dark, my tobacco unflavored (back when I smoked) and my milk… well, condensed and sweet.

Chabaud Lait Concentre

Lait Concentre bottle, @Chabaud Instagram

What you see (on the label) is what you get: a childhood memory wrapped up in a delicious and creamy milky gourmand bubble that smells exactly like a cup of freshly-out-of-the-microwave warm and sweet concentrated milk. Don’t think of a sticky overly sweet heavy gourmand, this perfume is light, transparent, and feels natural and hyper-realistic on the skin. After the deliciousness of the buttery start, a tart and fresh note of coconut adds nuance to the elegant minimalism of the white-on-white olfactive décor.  A homemade caramel, made from brown bio-eco sugar comes into play with warm hues, for contrast. Chabaud Lait Concentré is the kind of fragrance that feels like looking at an album of overexposed light-filled pictures from your childhood. Close your eyes, inhale, and go back to your grandma’s house, kitchen table full of homemade sweets, heart full of love.  We all have our version of the “penguin caves” Mine happens to smell of sweet milk and pastel cookies.

Chabaud Lait Concentré by  was launched in 2014, and the nose is Sophie Chabaud.

Notes: milk; coconut; caramel.

Nicoleta Tomsa, Editor

Disclosure: Sample kindly provided by Chabaud Maison de Parfum, opinions are my own

Lait Concentre by Sophie Chabaud

 Chabaud Lait Concentre bottle, @Chabaud website

Thanks to the generosity of Chabaud , we have a 100 ml bottle of Lait Concentré for one registered reader in UK or EU ONLY. USA AND CANADA EXCLUDED. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Nicoleta’s review, favorite “milky” fragrances and where you live.  Draw closes 8/19/2020

Michelyn’s note: While the draw is not for USA or Canada, you can sample the Chabaud brand at Osswaldnyc.com

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our blog feed… or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

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46 comments

  • INYA says:

    I always learn something new from CaFleureBon articles. That we have a gene mutation within us, in order to digest milk, was most interesting. One of my favs, that has a milk note, is Sacred Wood By Killian. Thanks for the opportunity to sniff! Mich USA

  • Carboytony826 says:

    Nicoleta, great review and I love the linguistic anthropology!!!! Anything with lactones and my skin gets jumpy, but these sound so good that I definitely need to get some samples from Osswald.

    My mother is half Polish and she used to tell me the Babcia never would eat cereal, unless she made a soup called kluski which is essentially warm milk with homemade noodles. I am now craving some Nutella on cookies and a glass of milk haha

    Thank you to Chabaud for the generosity of this draw. Good luck to the folks across the pond!

  • RonaldJ says:

    My girlfriend used to have a bottle of Montale Vanilla Cake which also smelled to me like warm sweet milk with vanilla. I remember it being absolutely delicious and would love to surprise her with Lait Concentré. Perfect fragrance for cuddling up with it’s cold outside.

    Another great article from Nicoleta. Thank you.

    UK

  • roxhas1cat says:

    I had not thought of over exposed photos of my childhood, what a distant memory and now we just delete those bad photos. I also hadn’t thought of my Grandma’s cookie jar (just a glass gallon empty pickle jar) in a long time. Oh how I’d love to have one more chance at that with a glass of milk (she’s been gone 3 years now). Thanks for the memories. I have heard a lot about this line because I follow some gourmand loving youtube reviewers, but haven’t yet smelled any. Thanks for the chance. USA.

  • Ozzyaziz says:

    Chabaud Lait Concentré is the kind of fragrance that feels like looking at an album of overexposed light-filled pictures from your childhood. Close your eyes, inhale, and go back to your grandma’s house, kitchen table full of homemade sweets, heart full of love. We all have our version of the “penguin caves” Mine happens to smell of sweet milk and pastel cookies. A beautiful and nostalgic description by Nicoleta I am intrigued by the notes especially caramel, coconut and milk. I am afraid I have no milky fragrances in my collection. Thanks a lot from the United Kingdom

  • simo975g says:

    I am one of the unlucky Northern Europeans who cannot drink milk. At least I can smell like it! As Nicoleta writes, the scent of milk is inherently connected to life and that’s what makes it so comforting to me. I had a similar feeling with Lubin Korrigan where milk is a major player. Thank you for presenting the chance to try this intriguing perfume from Chabaud. I’m in Denmark, EU.

  • Amaziz89 says:

    On a more practical and less symbolic level, milk remains a comfort food, the kind of treat you indulge in at midnight, half-awake in front of the fridge, gulping down a guilty sweet and dense snack. I was never the “cocktail-with-umbrella” kind, having always liked my vices straight up: my wine red and dry, my chocolate dark, my tobacco unflavored (back when I smoked) and my milk… well, condensed and sweet. A beautiful piece by Nicoleta intrigued by the notes of caramel, coconut and milk. I have not tried any milky fragrances but intrigued by the notes especially milk and caramel. Thanks a million from the United Kingdom

  • Naomi says:

    I appreciate that Nicoleta points out this is not a “sticky gourmand” scent, but more of a comforting skin scent, which places this fragrance in a more rare category which I find appealing. I would be very curious to try it! My favorite “milky” fragrance to date is L’Artisan Parfum’s Le Chant de Camargue, which highlights a rice-milk note.
    Boston area

  • Jnthmyw says:

    This sounds oddly delicious, condensed milk can be magical when heated. I’ve been on a huge coconut kick the last few months. I think I’d love the yumminess of a milk heavy perfume. Jovoy’s remember me & Miguel Matos’ Miracle of Roses are my favourite milky scents. I’n in Dublin Irealnd.

  • FC says:

    I didnt know that some species cannot consume milk into adulthood and humans are unique in this regard. I enjoy milky scents, with my favorite being Issey Feu. USA

  • Trinity33 says:

    I have fond memories of drinking warm milk at night when I was a child. There is a definite comforting quality although I can’t pinpoint a scent to milk products. I’ve never come across milk in fragrance although coconut and caramel are certainly familiar. Nicoleta’ s description sounds scrumptious. Commenting from the USA.

  • Laurentiu says:

    Lait Concentré has my favourite note: coconut. That and milk surely do create something special and different. I wonder how caramel mixes in.
    My favourite “milky” scent is Costume National 21.
    I am in EU

  • Teresa says:

    Intrigued by milky smell perfume. I don’t think I have ever smelt but your description makes it sound amazing. I would love to try

  • RobertQ says:

    What sparked my interest was the words ” Close your eyes, inhale, and go back to your grandma’s house, kitchen table full of homemade sweets, heart full of love”

    I have a very precious memory similar to that and I was wondering how a fragrance could be an olfactive representation of that. So I’m very interested in trying this.

    My favourite milky scent is mirible by V canto.

    I’m from Ireland, EU

  • Sorohan Adriana says:

    I resonate with your story about this kind of fragrance when we can feels like looking at an album of overexposed light-filled pictures from our childhood with
    kitchen table full of homemade sweets. I am from UE Bucharest Romania.

  • valentina says:

    I didn’t know that humans were the only mammals that had this gene modified. I know that there is a whole debate in Australia and USA because raw-vegans say that the milk is to be drank only when we are little (puppies, cats, domestic animals) and that is unnatural that adults to drink milk. It seemed pretty out fetched, and this info you gave us, just confirms that. I am very willing to try this milky way or milk-my-way perfumes because I never heard about a perfume with this fragrance. Am I so outdated or is it something truly special? I would go with the second :-)) I live in Romania

  • Roxana says:

    Beside the great writting of the article and the fun fact of digesting milk I really like the way that in my immagination this perfume can send you back to childhood memories. Also the gourmand type of perfumes always have a place in my heart.I live in Italy

  • Shibics says:

    Who wouldn’t want a perfume that takes one back right to childhood?
    I always loved milk, and as strange as it sounds, I preferred the one you could find in the stores, the one I tasted straight from the cow, at my grandparents’ , was too…well, concentrated for my tastes.
    I’m imagining this fragrance like my fav kind of milk – a bit cold, airy, and almost tasteless.
    I don’t know any “milky” fragrances, or I haven’t figures out the “milky” aspect of a fragrance.
    I am in Europe.

  • Southirina says:

    I don’t even know where to start from. I feel all the tastes is my mouth, the butter, the coconut, the caramel, all wrapped up in this milky aroma. And the fact that everything is not super sweet but super natural, makes it even more real.
    Thanks Nicoleta for making me drool 🙂

    I don’t know any milky perfumes and i live in Romania.

  • DespinaVnt says:

    I was very intrigued by Nicoleta’s mention that – in spite of all the caramel/condensed milky goodness – the fragrance manages to remain light and transparent. Two of my favorite lactonic fragrances are the 4160Tuesdays/Çafleurebon collaboration White Queen and Manos Gerakinis Immortelle. Best from France (EU), D.

  • Salem says:

    Oh, what a lovely, gentle article by Nicoleta. It immediately transported me to my childhood times when I used to sleep over at my grandmother’s and she gave me one warm cup of milk with a tablespoon of honey every night before sleep. Indeed it was such a comforting ritual that I still remember and miss.
    I was triggered by this perfume being described as simple yet realistic, with a touch of butter and coconut which imo adds to the coziness.
    The only perfume that I tried which has a milky note is Dent de lait. But I have to say, that it seemed like a very sterile kind of milkiness to my nose, almost like laundry being dried outdoors in the sun after having been washed with a creamy detergent…if it makes sense.
    I am in the EU and would love to try Lait concentré.

  • maria mihalache says:

    I really like the mixture of perceptions and sensations that Nicoleta’s review awakens in my mind, memories from my childhood with my grandparents when I drank fresh milk, and the kittens and puppies that always came with me to the stable at the cow.
    Of course we all had milk whiskers, but we were happy. I haven’t tried any milky perfume yet.I like the photo collage, congratulations for the review Nicoleta. I’m from Romania,EU

  • dx says:

    most interesting was the trigger and link to memories.
    fav milky is oriflame lovely garden. writing from EU.

  • Alexandra says:

    What sparks interest is the fact that this perfume could possibly bring me back to a happy and carefree part of my life – summer weekends at grandma in the company of my whole family. I’d love that.
    Currently I do not own any lactose fragrances, but I am super intrigued by this. Romania

  • Paeonnia says:

    I must be from southern part of Europe as I almost never consume non-processed milk. It’s always yoghurt, cheese, cream, butter,… But Iove the smell of milk.
    I’m in Slovenia.

  • Sue Bennett says:

    In these difficult times milky fragrances are a great comfort, this review goes a long way to explaining why. I have zadig & voltaires this is her and I crave Au Lait and Calalune, so this range sounds wonderful and in the same vein. I live in London.

  • kramerongo says:

    I never know that milk smells but you learn something new. I love to smelled. Im In Sweden EU

  • isaaclopedia says:

    I’ve never really thought about how milk is so polarizing to people, but it’s so true. I don’t think I’ve ever smelled a fragrance that had milk listed as a note? Well… does secretions magnifiques by ELdO count? Sorry if I triggered anyone with that mention lol. I love sweetened condensed milk though and this review makes me think this might smell like my favorite cake of all time, tres leches.

    California, USA

  • superandreea says:

    By reading Nicoleta’s review I imagine Lait Concentré being a perfect comfort fragrance. I love minimalistic scents made out of few ingredients. I’m curious about milky fragrances as I always wanted to try Sacred Wood by Kilian. Thank you for the lovely article! EU Romania

  • wandering_nose says:

    The simple and at the same time cosy notes of this concoction appeal to me big time. I have been obsessing over coconutty fragrances recently and would be happy to try this creation on a balmy summer evening and go down memory lane right back to my childhood. My favorite milky perfume is Amour by Kenzo, the pre-reformulation version. I live in Ireland

  • wallygator88 says:

    Thank for the great review Nicoleta.
    I chuckled when I saw the Serena Williams “Got Milk” poster. We used to have a ton of those when I was a child and I enjoyed browsing through those images. Your description of the scent is what I imagine – I am surprised to read that this is one of those hyper-realistic scents.

    My favourite milky scent is that of Indian Chai or Indian Filter Coffee – you can smell the sweetness and the body of the milk in it.

    Regards from WI, USA

  • drjedi says:

    Haven’t tried gourmand fragrances, yet. Liked the info about the gene and about the sacred ritual with Nutella and cookies and milk – “milk is more linked to the sacred nightly ritual of the Nutella jar & the midnight cookies”. While I can be very spiritual in following such holy rituals with cookies and the like, not sure if I would like milky smells on me – like I said, I don’t know as I have never tried a gourmand fragrance. Thanks for the review and the draw, though I can’t participate in it, being from the USA.

  • Timea says:

    I have never tried milky perfume, but I love coconut. And this perfume sounds like a dream. I know that I would very love it. Thank you very much for the chance. I live in Europe.

  • ElenaChiss says:

    I already pictured this one in my mind and I find it gorgeous. The last paragraph where this fragrance is described as something that is reminiscent of the past really speaks to me.
    Thank you for the draw! I am in Europe.

  • Teresa says:

    Intrigued by milky smell perfume. I don’t think I have ever smelt but your description makes it sound amazing. I would love to try
    UK

  • Tveta says:

    Reading this article made me crave for a glass of warm milk with some honey added in and I might just go and treat myself to that.
    I love milk, but I do not have experiene with any fragrance that has milk as the main player. I know I have been wanting for ages to test Le Feu d’Issey specially for the milk note, but also for the praising reviews. I do hope I will get my nose on some milk fragrance soon.
    I am in EU. Many thanks!

  • DuftHochZwei says:

    I have a feeling that my wife would like this, it would fit well to some of the creamy and gourmand scents she owns. So I’d love to win this to Germany, thanks for the draw!

  • Gechu says:

    I used to have a decant of this one and every time I use it was a pleasure. The smell reminds me so much of a sweet milk beverage that I had a lot when I was a kid back in China. Sweet, milky and soothing, a perfect cold weather staying at home scent.
    Thank you for the opportunity of the giveaway, good luck to everyone.
    Commenting from France EU.

  • Bryant Worley says:

    I really appreciated the way she made milk very desirable, that its not just a bland drink. I also appreciated this: “Chabaud Lait Concentré is the kind of fragrance that feels like looking at an album of overexposed light-filled pictures from your childhood. Close your eyes, inhale, and go back to your grandma’s house, kitchen table full of homemade sweets, heart full of love.”

    I live in Waldorf, MD, USA.

  • redwheelbarrow says:

    Milk and coconut are such a great combo. And it was fun to read the history of milk – I had no idea there were different gene mutations in different geographic areas. I don’t believe I have sampled many fragrances with a milk note but I love Curz Del Sur II for it’s milky mango goodness. Thank you for the draw from the US.

  • chrystyna says:

    In my childhood, every summer holiday we went to a village in Transilvania, for at least 10 days. There were two big reasons for that: the air and the food, especially the milk. For those who grew up in East -European communist countries, it is a well-known fact that the food was bad and scarce. Well, in the summer we could indulge ourselves with real milk, from our host’s cows. That is the memory that immediately came into my mind, after I read Nicoleta’s article. The fat, almost yellow milk we drank in our holidays, sometimes with fresh bread made with flour and potatoes. Congratulations, Nicoleta, for the article! I’m from Romania.

  • AnTar says:

    The notes sound absolutely delicious! As if this potion is more suited to be drank than to be wore as a perfume.
    EU

  • immortano26 says:

    I am lactose intoleraanr so i can’t drink milk, but why not to wear it! This review brought me my childhood, when i was being encouraged to drink milk by my parents. Wasn’t that beneficial after all, but delicious for sure. I had a chance to wear Sacred Wood by Killian, and it was pretty awsome, but Lait Concetre seems to be more, more “lactonic”, and i’d love to smell it. Poland, EU

  • diode31 says:

    I’m really appealed to the fact that this fragrance is not a “sticky overly sweet heavy gourmand”. There are so many sweet gourmands fragrances out there, but I can’t wear most of them without being sick of it after a couple of minutes. Lait concentré seems to have more nuances and contrast than the typical sweet milky caramel fragrance.
    One of my favorite milky fragrances is American Cream by Lush. Love that milk-shake-y feel with the kind of herbal touch.
    I live in Romania (EU).

  • LORI LAWS says:

    Great review by Nicoleta! I enjoyed her history of milk in different parts of the world. I loved learning about the gene mutation that allows us to digest milk into adulthood. I am sure I will love this gourmand milky treasure. I love coconut, caramel, and milk. My favorite milky scent is L’Artisan Parfumeur Saffran Troublant. Thanks for the giveaway and I live in the US!