A friend very kindly sent me some Malmaison by Floris so that I could wrap up last week’s posts on carnation (see Lorenzo Villoresi Garofano, Etro Dianthus, Caron Bellodgia). I had not smelled it in several years, and was surprised to find how closely it matched my memory — it is lovely stuff.
Malmaison was originally released by Floris in the first half of the 19th century; it was reformulated and relaunched in 2000. I do not know the notes, but it is reportedly based on the “rare Malmaison carnation“, and it is closer to the modern conception of a soliflore than any of the other carnation scents I’ve discussed so far. The top notes are, quite literally, a burst of fall spices…
A flame inside a beautiful cobalt glass on my dresser unleashes not only a blue tinged soft light, but also a wonderful scent. The fragrance is tart and crisp with enough sweetness to lend a nice balance and to meld all the notes together. One moment, it is a plate laden with grapefruit slices sprinkled with sugar and lemony coriander seeds; the next, it is a bouquet of garden herbs about to be chopped in the course of dinner preparations.