Most mornings, rooting through my perfume cabinet, I push past the iridescent pink-washed, pyramidal bottle of Mauboussin Eau de Parfum with its wobbly bottom. Mauboussin is a big perfume. Like a hot fudge sundae, the first few bites — or minutes of wear, in this case — are delicious, but before long you might end up holding your stomach and sliding the rest into the garbage. Mauboussin can be almost too much of a good thing.
But this week an unusual cold snap settled in, and I wanted a big, oriental perfume, something that would go well with a broad-shouldered,1940s mouton coat. Mauboussin was just the ticket. Maybe I've developed a stronger appetite for sweets, but until spring arrives, the bottle will stay toward the front of my perfume cabinet.
Christine Nagel developed Mauboussin, the Parisian jeweler's first perfume, in 2000. It's an assertive, fruity oriental with notes of plum, bergamot, mandarin, white peach, jasmine, ylang ylang, Turkish rose, amber, patchouli, sandalwood, benzoin, cedar, and vanilla. In Perfumes: the A - Z Guide, Luca Turin describes Mauboussin as "an oriental situated somewhere between the first Kenzo Jungle and Fendi's Theorema" and gives it four stars.
I've noticed that tuberose gives off the most fragrance just before it dies. Its scent caramelizes slightly and fills the living room before the blossoms — already oxidized golden — turn brown and fall off. For Mauboussin, it feels like Christine Nagel chose only materials that were similarly past ripe but not quite rotten. The peaches, plums, and mandarin oranges seem to have been laid on a radiator for a few days to stew. The roses, jasmine, and ylang ylang were left to decay into potpourri and sugar. All of the sharp, dank smell of the wood and incense mellowed away. Only the amber and vanilla feel fresh and vibrant.
The result is a perfume that could have scented the runway during Yves Saint Laurent's Ballets Russes collection. When I smell Mauboussin I see aubergine and rust-colored silk velvet fashioned into capes and twisted into sashes. It's a wintery, after dark perfume that would blend well with roaring fires, men smoking pipes, and polished wood paneling.
Mauboussin has sillage similar to Yves Saint Laurent Opium or Chanel Coco and lasts all day. It will stick to your coat and leave a hint of patchouli and incense on your sweater the next day. Apply with a light hand. They don't make Pepto Bismol for perfume.
Mauboussin Eau de Parfum is available everywhere from Sears to online discounters, where a 50 ml tester can be had for around $20.
I have been tempted to get a mine of this one. I own both Theorema and Histoire d’Eau Topaze. How does this one compare to those two?
I meant mini not mine!
It’s so easy to make typos! I do it all the time.
Histoire d’Eau is a lot more woody–cedary, really–and less fruity than Mauboussin. Theorama and Mauboussin are both creamy, but Theorama is a lot more citrus. If you like them both, though, I bet you’d like Mauboussin.
Thank you! This very helpful. I prefer Theorema to the Histoire. But I can see they are linked.
Luca called Histoire: “The tropics in winter “, and Theorema a sober Hippy fragrance.
Hippy fragrance! I think it’s really elegant. (But my visions of elegance might come from a trashier frame of reference.)
It’s funny: I don’t think of this as a heavy perfume at all. I’m generally a fan of lighter scents and don’t wear a lot of the sweet ambers or syrupy gourmands, but Nagel’s fragrances always bring the word “lush” to my mind: not particularly dense, indeed a bit bouyant or breezy for orientals. I’m thinking here of Thierry Mugler Miroir des Envies, Armani Prive Ambre Soie and maybe even the A*Men Pure Coffee in addition to the Nagel Mauboussin scents. Perhaps it is her frequent use of cedar to complement amber that creates this impression for me? Or musk? I have been trying to figure it out for a post of my own on favorite takes on certain notes by great perfumers.
But, in any case, we both like this one. And I love the review – particularly your aubergine and russet capes! I want one. It would be much better than the outfit in the above ad, which sort of surprised me, sine Mauboussin is usually good at images. Love the tangerine pant suit in the weird rusted-out empty swimming pool for Histoire D’Eau Topaz.
Ha! I could have just waited for your post, then said “ditto!”. 🙂
She’s so eloquent, “ditto” is a good one!
I’ve read reviews that agree with you, that Mauboussin is lush but sheer, but on me it can get kind of thick. All that dried fruit. In the cold, though, it’s warming and nicely mannered.
It really is a visual fragrance to me! So much color.
My experience is also more like Erin’s and Boojum’s. I love this fragrance. It’s big and colorful and lush, yes, but for me it has a sheerness and lack of sweetness that allows me to bear the fruit. And the fruit seems dried to me, not stewed. Yummers!
I always find myself thinking of Mauboussin as being that really good homemade kind of fruitcake – with natural dried fruits like currants and prunes and golden raisins, instead of the candied cherries and citron and green pineapple… and a thin smear of cream cheese frosting on top.
Gosh, now I’m getting hungry!
Same here! The smear of cream cheese did me in. 🙂
It sounds like it’s one of your favorites! Isn’t it nice to love a fragrance that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg?
Angela – it’s interesting to me that you find this one so “big”. I wonder if the difference is skin, or application? I have just a mini, and it’s a splash rather than a spray…and the opening is tiny. I haven’t found this scent to be “big” at all (and I tend not to appreciate big scents). The fruits are definitely stewed, and it’s almost wine-like to me, so I find it more a fall scent than one for winter. Then again, I’m in a much more extreme climate than yours, so perhaps it amounts to the same thing. I’m still undecided on this one, though glad I have the cute mini. Your imagery is beautiful, as usual!
Hmm, maybe I should try dabbing it next time.
Me too. Maybe that’s the secret to wearing it well.
I think I’m going to have to try dabbing it! The fruit is so assertive on me (but pretty!), it’s hard to imagine it being subtle on me. The EdP smells as rich as extrait–maybe I should treat it like it is.
Now would be my turn to say *ditto*! I have a mini of Mauboussin also, and also much prefer it dabbed rather than sprayed. I wanted it for my mini collection because I think the bottle is so pretty, but I knew I wouldn’t wear it often. Histoire d’Eau Mauboussin suits me much better. I bought a bottle of it unsniffed last fall and have enjoyed it all winter. Wonderful post as always, Angela! I can just see the aubergine cape 🙂
I feel like I’m having kind of a revelation about dabbing it!
I was debating this one or Histoire d’Eau. It can also be had for very little. Maybe I’ll try it, too.
Histoire d’Eau is a lot more cedary and less fruity and big. Nice, though. Probably both are worth sampling first unless you have friends you know would like them, since they’re so easy on the wallet that it’s tempting to buy unsniffed.
I think there is something to how it’s applied. I originally tried from a sample vial from Boojum – and fell in love almost instantly as I do love those orientals! I got the bottle, and I tend to apply very lightly. I spray once on my wrist and then dab away from that little puddle. It stays very well behaved and minimalist – sheer, glowing, delightful. I think if I were to spray a few good sprays it would indeed come of much thicker. I’d still like it either way I’m sure.
I’m definitely going to try this more restrained method. I bet it makes a lot of difference.
I normally apply my rich orientals in the same method. It makes full-proof wearing for all occasions. I think orientals need more control when applied, esp. if a powerful sprayer is involved.
You’re so right!
Glowing is a good adjective, Ann. Mauboussin shimmers!
It really does – it’s not just any old oriental for sure.
Thanks for another great review, Angela. I bought this unsniffed recently because I like Christine Nagel’s work and it was practically free with a discount on amazon. Unfortunately we are having a very warm, humid February down here so I haven’t worn it much. I tested it on a paper strip when it first arrived, left it alone for a little while, and when I returned the whole room was filled with it. I don’t usually sort my perfumes out by season (loved the open thread about this over the weekend) but this one certainly qualifies as a cold weather scent. I prefer its cousin, Theorema, and I’m glad I stockpiled a couple of bottles after it was discontinued.
Theorama is a great one! I agree, though, that Mauboussin is better in the cold. I’d be afraid it could get smothering otherwise. Or, it would be divine for half an hour, then I’d be wanting to cut off my arm because I’d had too much.
I like both Theorema and Mauboussin. I find Theorema’s elegant path to be more linear though. Mauboussin has a lot of motion as it moves through it’s development.
I like them both, too, but if I were absolutely forced to give one up (no! no!) it would be the Mauboussin.
Well, Theorema definitely wins points for uniqueness and now sad obscurity. Mauboussin is definitely more “fun”. I don’t know what I’d pick and glad I don’t have to. I am fortunately well stocked on both. What I do know is that as winter is nearly over, I better get to wearing these guys before I have to wait until next winter begins!
Yes! I was glad to rediscover Mauboussin, too, even if I only end up wearing it a few times before my spring rotation comes up.
hmm, sound nice. I’ve been eyeing this one for a while and considering the Kenzo and Theorema comparisson, I guess it qualifies as the perfect blind purchase for me! thanks for reviewing it
The price is right, that’s for sure. And it’s the kind of fragrance you could probably easily find a home for if it doesn’t work for you.
I love fudge! and I’ve never heard of Mauboussin.
I love sweet perfumes too, but I have a feeling this isn’t the usual gourmand.
and I just read Kenzo jungle and Fendi theorama so I know it’s not for me.
I love fudge, too! (Unfortunately for my girlish figure.) This one isn’t so much like fudge except maybe for richness, in my mind at least. It definitely is luxuriously fruity, though.
Definitely agree with you on how big it is – too much for me and way too much for my very sensitive migraine prone husband. I’m trying to remember the weather when I tried it, although being in San Diego, I doubt it was that cold (it did get down to 45 last night though!).
I swapped away the mini I found on ebay and hope it is getting more love in its new home.
I bet the new home is loving it–it’s a crowd pleaser of a fragrance. But I’d think in San Diego it might be hard to wear.
Nagel has quite a range. For a long time I thought Ellena did Eau de Cartier, a perfume I’ve worn since right after it came out, when I smelled it on a woman in a supermarket in France and asked her what she was wearing. Anyway…I was so surprised when I found out it was Nagel. Now I’m off to amazon to see about this one.
I adore Eau de Cartier. I didn’t know it was by Nagel, thanks for the info!
Another Eau de Cartier fan here!
Isn’t it a great one? So light and easy to wear, too.
A dear friend recently sent me a generous sample. I Love it! Enjoyed, as always, your review Angela. 🙂
Nice friend! Especially since I bet that sprayer is a bear to decant from.
This a definitely one of those cooler to cold weather scents for me. And like a few others above, I dab since I only have a mini. It’s rather light on me but long lasting.
If you dab, please let us know what you think.
Right now I’m covered in Maharanih, but I’ll let you know!
Wow, if you’re covered in Maharanih, then you are smelling NOTHING else for the near future, dabbed or no. That Luca Turin review that said it was quiet and peaceful was one of the more stunning things I’ve ever read: I wonder if I have a sensitivity to something he has an anosmia to? (Although I’m right with him on Vie de Chateau sometimes being quiet, and then sometimes mysteriously loud.) Anyway, just goes to show again that the fragrance “weight” issue definitely differs from nose to nose…
Yeah, I’m loudly scented right now, that’s for sure. But I’m not at the office, so I can get away with it. It’s rainy out, and all that powdery orange and wood is perfect.
Angela – I love how each week you review oldies but goodies. I really like Mauboussin a lot. (I’ll have to dig it out – I didn’t wear it much this winter along with my other neglected orientals…) I got into it after Boojum sent me a sample. At the time it reminded me of a more well finished Badgley Mischka, which I also like, than of Theorema per se, b/c T lacks the wonderful play of the dried fruits. I’d say that Mauboussin is more like Badgley Mischka’s light-in-the-feet sister than anything. BM is much thicker, more linear with aldehydes and boozey fruit and vanilla notes, and Mauboussin wears like cashmere and gossamer – very sensuous and inviting. The fruits and woods are constantly playing off each other with the incense to break up the sweet. M has a wonderful play of incense and fruits, and the vanilla never gets to that “cake” place that I don’t care for. It’s the fruits that make it gourmandish, not the other notes. I’ve come a long way since I first got into M, but it was indeed some much needed training wheels for incense. I still can’t do incense full force, but it helped me understand that a judicious dash of incense here and there is just the ticket to complexity that I love.
The incense in it is really nice–not churchy, wet incense, but nice, elegant incense. The comparison to BM is a good one! I don’t have a sample handy or I’d try them side by side.
It’s nice to review something that isn’t ridiculously expensive for a change! It feels like everything I’ve been reviewing lately costs hundreds of dollars.
It does indeed harken back to a time when you could get a super well done fragrance for less than $50 a bottle. Based on the fact that M still exists and is as fine as ever, the excessive markup of “really good stuff” is truly questionable. I think its really an exclusivity issue with the majority of $$$ fragrances.
I know what you mean. In some cases I feel like I’m paying for materials, small production, and art–but too often I feel like it’s all about the name.
This sounds so exciting for cold weather – but in northern Calif I have so little time to wear my current winter favorites, it might be a bad idea to add another to the list.
I know just what you mean! I have so many wonderful fragrances that don’t get enough wear as it is that something has to be knockout fabulous to get added to the collection.
Hi Angela. I’ll need to pull out my sample vial — I remember really liking the plummy richness of Mauboussin and have often thought about getting a decant. Sometimes that kind of thing is just perfect. This isn’t a perfect analogy, but I don’t consider Mauboussin any more syrupy or cloying than LM Minuit Enchanté.
I agree it’s not good to get into situations where one is wishing for perfume Pepto!
I think it does smell very similar to LM Nuits Enchantees. Let me know if you want any – I’ve got lots!
They’re both rich fragrances to me, and I have to be careful wearing either of them, as far as “demandingness” goes. But when it’s cold out, or when I won’t be around many people, watch out!
I want you sitting by me! But I understand the “watch out!” factor. 🙂
Hopefully someday! I’ll lay out the sillage whoppers.
I recently bought a bottle of this from a discounter and definitely overapplied on my first wearing — the fruit *ballooned* in sweetness and reminded me of Flintstone’s vitamins! After a few hours it calmed down and smelled delicious. I’m more careful with it now. 🙂 I find the wood section in Mauboussin creamier than in other oriental gourmands. Makes me think of brandy aging in a cask — if brandy does any such thing!
Oh – nice – brandied fruits. Exactly.
It’s starting to sound like dabbing is a better idea than the flagrant spraying I’ve been doing! Or maybe walking through a mist of it would be better.
I think plenty of brandy is aged in casks. I bet they smell great.
This settles it. I’m getting it out to dab right now. Everything I’ve read about it and all the comments here sound like everything I love – we must have just gotten off to a bad start.
…Or not. Maybe it’s too fruity for you. But let us know what you think!
I’m still not in love, but I’ve had issues with certain fragrances since I’ve been sick so I’m not giving up yet. Dabbing helped a little bit and I think I’ve detected what is bothering me. I get a distinct fruity acetone, like ketoacidosis, in the top notes. I’m going to put it away and try again later when I’m not marinating in chemicals that distort my sense of taste and smell. Tabac Aurea has turned into dry cleaning fluid on me and I’m having a real problem with tuberose. On the plus side I’m enjoying some aldehydic scents I wasn’t able to tolerate before.
Another reader picked up on a “nail polish remover” scent at the opening–that must be what you smell, too.
I’m sorry you’re sense of smell is altered right now, but I’m happy it’s allowing you to experiment with other types of fragrances. As long as Shalimar still smells good to you!
I came home from work and dabbed some on from my “one squirt” puddle. Yummers!! Hello old friend!
I too own a mini – or *owned* one, rather, I’ve drained it! – and enjoy it very much. Unusual, in that I don’t do all that well with straight-up orientals, preferring them to have a strong floral component.
I do like the spice and fruit in this very much – I’ve said before it reminds me of good fruitcake with raisins and currants and lots of spice, not terribly sweet. And there’s a creamy, woody component to it that I really dig.
I liked Theorema fairly well, but there is a cocoa note in the base that just killlllls me.
You may be onto something with the Dab Vs Spray issue… I always dabbed my Mauboussin and did not find it too big or fruity. Mauboussin does remind me a little of Dolce Vita, but less rich! I seem to wear it most often in the fall, too.
Dabbing seems to be key to portion control with Mauboussin. It sounds like you need your own bottle! Fortunately, it’s reasonably priced online.
Hmmm – interesting what you say about Theorema. I have a problem with it amplifying as it dries down and sometimes when I wear it I get all clausterphobic. But not always. I never know when it’s going to happen, so I don’t wear Theorema as much as I would otherwise. I don’t normally read such comments about it – I thought it was my imagination.
I hate that dusty cocoa note. HATE. It probably wouldn’t bother me to smell it on someone else, but grrrrr.
I’d bet it’s related to patchouli somehow.
I don’t like a dusty cocoa note, either (as in Borneo 1834 and Coromandel), but I don’t get it in Theorema. Hmmm…
Sounds like patchouli to me, too.
Probably, bc I also should have loved Theorema, but didn’t. Fine by me, as it’s discontinued. 🙂
Its the first day of Autumn here and it has gone straight to Winter-before I even turned on the computer I sprayed on some Mauboussin-then was amazed that you are reviewing it! I really like this perfume and always have a spare bottle in my cupboard for cold weather.
We had a perfume psychic connection moment!
I bought this one unsniffed, as well as Histoire d’Eau Topaz. Neither are really my thing, and they’re both in my swap pile (if anyone’s interested, email me – krnszn at gmail dot com). Don’t get me wrong. They’re both nice fragrances, just not me. I’d classify the MbM as a fruity spice, HdE as incense and pencil shavings!
One thing with the MbM – the top notes have a nail polish remover note that’s quite the turnoff (at least to me), but it burns off quick enough. Does anyone else get this? Or are the top notes damaged in my bottle?
I don’t get that top note–either that, or you have better smelling nail polish remover than I do! I wonder if your bottle is a little funny? Or maybe you have a good nose and pick it out more easily than I do?
You’ve created a serious lemming here, Angela, already been trolling ebay. Had to shut it down…. This seems to be one of those things that everyone has loved all along and nobody talks about.
OOoooh – no ebay — lets swap! I’ve got tons of M, and that Bel Ami is calling my name!!!
It’s so strange what short memories we have for perfumes that aren’t brand new or old classics! Maybe I should do a post about favorites that are, say, 7 to 15 years old.
Tama! You will love this one, I am almost certain.
I must be the only person who bought this @ full price when it was introduced @ Nordstrom. Plum and benzoin, benzoin and plum are the 2 notes that waft from my skin.
I’m the sprayer – the person you smell 10 feet away. I like it that way, this and Ubar announce my arrival brilliantly! YMMV
Both fabulous fragrances! Bring it on.
I have never smelled this perfume, but I feel compelled to say–I have never slid a hot fudge sundae into the garbage. I am much more likely to finish it off, then wonder whether to have seconds.
O.K., full disclosure: it’s rare that I don’t finish a piece of cake or bowl of ice cream, either! But you get the point.
LOL… I’m glad someone said it! But I’m likely to finish it off and wonder why I feel so ill.
I’ve definitely been there, too.
Funny thing–I don’t think I’ve ever gotten sick from eating too many sweets, and I have certainly eaten plenty of them. I seem to have an unlimited capacity for sugar. There are times when my digestive system is out of whack and the only thing that will not upset my stomach is ice cream. Greasy fried food, on the other hand, is quite another matter! My sugar tolerance in perfume is not as high as it is with food though. I have a hard time with heavy, dense, sweet perfumes. Tuberose is a difficult note for me, as is jasmine. I am curious about this perfume, however, and could go for a mini. I never feel guilty about buying minis because even if I am not crazy about the perfume, I can enjoy the bottle.
You’re lucky! Have a big slice of pie for me!
I know what you mean about big, sweet fragrances, though. Sometimes I feel like they wear me rather than the other way around.
A mini is a great idea for Mauboussin. If you don’t like it, it’s not big loss. Plus the bottle is nice.
OK, will have to re-dab this. I have a sample that I tested when writing my little paragraph on best “winter fruits” for PST and I found it too sweet for comfort, but I do love many things related to it, including Theorema and Coco.
But what I really wanted to say is: why *don’t* they make a pepto bismol for perfume? Brilliant!
You’re right, they should make a perfume antacid! I’d buy a few bottles.