MaDAME Bottle

Sometimes I just want a perfume that is simple, breezy, makes me smile, and is fun to wear. Today I got back from work so hot and sweaty and just drained that I immediately reached for John Paul Gaultier MaDAME. This perfume makes me at least smile, if not laugh out loud, immediately perks me up, and lets me just enjoy the way that I smell. The fragrance launched in 2008, and I remember seeing advertisements for MaDAME and being excited to try it. I went to Macy's soon after they got it in and asked for a sample.. They didn't have any. The nice gentleman behind the counter sprayed a Kleenex and put it in a Ziploc bag for me to have something to take home to smell later even if I couldn't wear it, which was sweet if not completely useful. I sniffed at the bag a few times, decided I kind of loved it, then filed the perfume away in my head in the place called "need to explore in more detail." One day I ran into a bottle at a discounters at a reasonable price so I bought it. This was the best semi-blind buy I’ve ever made. The mercurochrome-neon edge of the bottle, the embossed silhouette of the trademark Classique bottle, and the punk-ish black collar that locks the sprayer make it a great bottle on the shelf, which is a nice bonus. The fragrance itself is, to me, a real joy.

MaDAME campaign model Agnyss Dane and Jean Paul Gaultier

When I discuss this scent with fellow perfume enthusiasts, I say it is unapologetically synthetic. The notes of orange zest, sparkling rose, musk and cedar wood are kind of there, and kind of not. What I get is a big eruption of olfactory noise, but good noise, as if a car drove by blasting the classic “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and the Comets instead of booming rap. It is loud and sparkly, and very uplifting and refreshing. It settles down fairly quickly into a rare well-done fruity-floral.. MaDAME is made to be sprayed with abandon, and every time I wear it, I do.

Hot Pink and Orange Abstract Art Collage by Sheree Joy

I was surprised to see MaDAME have such a short shelf life, despite being composed by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian. It was at discounters very quickly, even though there was a flanker (Rose 'n' Roll) and special editions. Perhaps its younger target audience found it too bold compared to some of the soft, wan scents in this genre. It may have presented too young for a more mature customer. Who knows? But to me, it is definitely an unsung hero; here today, gone tomorrow, relegated to the bargain bin. If you like happy-go-lucky scents that give you a big lift, get some.

Jean Paul Gauthier MaDAME is available online all over. I haven’t seen it in-store in a while.

Tama Blough, Managing Editor