Mad Madame

Mad Madame, inspired by Juliette Has a Gun Mad Madame (2012)

Rose oxide, the molecule that gives a rose its fresh, almost metallic sharpness, sets the tone, and blackcurrant bud adds a tart green bite alongside freesia. One reviewer found the first minutes sour. Patchouli then moves in strongly, with peony and tuberose absolute filling out the heart and oakmoss supplying the chypre's mossy, damp-earth shade. Below it, white musk, Tolu balsam and vanilla are roughened by castoreum, an animalic, leathery note.

About the original

Mad Madame comes from Juliette Has a Gun, the independent Paris niche house founded by Romano Ricci. It was reviewed in October 2012 as the brand's newest release and came as a 50 or 100 ml eau de parfum. Its note list also includes ambroxan and Hedione, two modern materials that add a mineral, ambery glow and a transparent, jasmine-like airiness. It no longer appears in the brand's EU or US online stores, which still carry scents such as Lady Vengeance, and retailers list it as unavailable.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Juliette Has a Gun stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Its character is closer to a modern take on the classic chypre than to a fresh rose. Patchouli and castoreum give it grit, so a wearer after a pretty, sweet rose will probably find it too combative.

Related scents

• Juliette Has a Gun Lady Vengeance
• Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume

Notes of the original fragrance, as listed in fragrance references.

Top notes: Rose Oxide, Ambroxan, Blackcurrant Bud Absolute, Freesia

Heart notes: Peony, Patchouli, Tuberose Absolute, Oakmoss, Hedione

Base notes: White Musk, Tolu Balsam, Vanilla Absolute, Castoreum

The top is rose oxide and blackcurrant bud with freesia, tart and green, lifted by ambroxan.

Patchouli leads the heart with peony and tuberose, while oakmoss and Hedione add moss and a sheer floral glow.

In the drydown white musk, Tolu balsam and vanilla absolute sit under castoreum, leathery and skin-like.

Is Juliette Has a Gun Mad Madame discontinued?

It is no longer listed on the brand's own EU or US online stores, and retailers show it as unavailable. We have not found an official announcement from the brand.

Is Mad Madame a sweet rose?

Not really. The rose is sharp and green, and the heart is dominated by patchouli. Vanilla only appears in the base, tempered by musk and castoreum.

Is Juliette Has a Gun Mad Madame coming back?

So far, we have found no announcement from Juliette Has a Gun that it will return. Our version is an eau de parfum in 50 ml or 100 ml.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Juliette Has a Gun and Mad Madame are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Juliette Has a Gun in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.