Jolie Madame Pierre Balmain for women

I agree with Henriette - the current craze for gourmand and fruits-berries and candy perfumes is beyond me. I suppose they reflect the current zietgiest.

I loved Madame Jolie and never realized it was a leather scent. When I wanted a sweet perfume, I would reach for Madame. She stayed sweet to the drydown and never harsh or overbearing.

Also, I have difficulty understanding why so many fragrances that have no projection are so popular. Are we afraid of offending people? Or are people trying classic fragrances for the first time spraying on as much as they do of the light fragrances just to smell them?

Leather, oakmoss, narciss and vetiver - this are the serious notes which give Jolie Madamme some masculine character. But inside of them there are white flowers and rose, which make it a little bit soft. It's actually soft leathery scent when dries down. Yes, can easilly be unisex.

To me, this is serious and formal perfume. But still, depends on who and when wears it! Very special scent with much more character than some new fashion perfumes. Good lasting power.

I was sp excited to try a sample pf Jolie Madame but I was quickly disappointed by it's almost rubbery aroma. It verged on making me feel sick! But, I still did not lose hope and waited patiently expecting some amazing metamorphosis which would render me speechless. Not so! There was a brief moment when it smelled a bit spicey but that was it. It faded and I was almost glad to see it go!
How sad! I had sooo wanted to wear and love a classic!

If you are not used to the 50's and you don't happen to know how heavy they are, this perfume is simply not for you. Don't be carried away by the wood notes, they are not of the same intensity as in Dsquared2 or in some other modern wood fragrances (Purplelips sensual-Dali).
If you work in a small area, you won't be able to wear this there, because it smells heavier than a usual male parfume.
It hasn't the slightest 'femalish' note, in the way that many people percieve it nowadays. It is nor floral, neither leather-ish to me, it is pure wood. Maybe to some other persons it reveals another 'carachter', but all I get is wood.
In case you think it would be good to make an 'investment' in this perfume, bear in mind that it's not the kind of perfume that you can wear with an 'airy' dress. It's the kind of perfume you can wear with formal suits, with leather clothes and probably with a more casual appearance, based on leather jacket and jeans (on a Harley Davidson f.ex).
It may be a nice quality perfume, but in my environment, no one really valued it and the only one who liked it a lot was my husband.
Yesterday I put it on for the last(and 2d) time and my students were looking me with surprise, as I was approaching them. They were wearing after-shaves and I was smelling more masculine than them.
I can imagine a lawer (woman or man actually) wearing this scent, also a woman who runs a business, a gothic girl, a person who loves black clothes.
It won't suit a romantic or girly woman. It's not suitable for me and I don't even like very sweet perfumes (like Pink Sugar for example).

I have had Jolie Madame for a while and I am still struggling to understand it. It's not unpleasant, but it has this oily note (unlike Bandit's dry leather) that doesn't quite agree with me.
In my case, like the previous reviewer said, I need more confidence to wear it rather than it giving me confidence. I will keep trying.

My bottle of jolie has just arrived and spray straight away.
I like alot of different perfumes, and have tried way to many and wasted alot of money trying. This one is what i call difficult. I spray it, define as vintage straight away. It smells like an old fragrance your nan would wear.
Strangely comforting though after 10 mins or so. I have been wearing for an hour and am liking it more and more. It is floral to me and then gets more musky/ leathery. It is very different and in a good way, the longer i wear it.
i say difficult as i cant pin point or identify certain smells.
Other than strong florals drying down to floral with leather.
I bought this as i read reviews and it said iris root/ violet etc or something like that! I would describe it at the moment as dirty violet!
Again in a good way! And like nothing i have smelt before.
This is great stuff , nothing like the churned out sweet floraly, musky stuff on the shelfs. Last but not least, its not over powering now its faded a bit, would describe it now as a soft confident fragrance. Not sure if it gives you confidence or you need confidence as its different! Their best musk one though is gris ambre. That is pure class this one not far away from that too.

I couldn't agree with Bandit more. Yes, feminine today most of the time means smelling like fruit, candies, cookies. I am extremely puzzled when I read that Jolie Madame, Cabochard, Balmain de Balmain are masculine. I could not think of more feminine scents than these. And Piguet's Bandit of course :-)
I have been wearing and loving them through the years and the years have not faded my love for them. Never ever would I wear Mugler's Angel or other gourmand scents. They make me feel dizzy. There are so many scents today that one can certainly find what he or she likes. And I am happy to like and continue liking Jolie Madame. Yes, I am on my way to my first 50, that's why maybe.

Balmain's best. Bitchy smoky flowery leather.

Only the vintage, but that's no news for you, I suppose. Vintage in a bottle. Some reviewed it as "masculine" and found themselves confused by it. Let me say: Don't be! That's the vintage point of view on femininty. Habanita, No.5, No.22, Cabochard, Tabac Blond, Nuit de Noel, Arpege etc. are all meant to be worn by women! Jolie Madame is one of the most masculine of them, only outplayed by vintage Cabochard, imho.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind, if todays women think they should smell like a dessert. To each their own, but the smell of a dessert doesn't define me as a woman.

Am baffled by whoever it was who described this as something like herbal tea.. find it lingers as a strongly feminine complex floral, and is intense and earthy near the skin, the equivalent of wearing sexy underwear with under a bland business suit or jeans. And thank you, no kitschy fruit or baked goods to confuse the message. Ivoire,however, is my longtime favorite...

The first time I tried Jolie Madame (vintage EdT) on my skin, I found it to be the perfect match to Dior Fahrenheit. Its top notes are all about cool, smooth leather and the silvery sheen of violet leaf for me. Later on the delicate, perfectly blended florals, spice and just a drop of juicy citrus kick in, and it's pure heaven from then on - powdery, cool, silvery-green and with a beautiful light sillage.

I also find this fragrance exceptionally wearable of all things. It's as easy to slip into, as the perfect satin gown in my favorite gris de perle shade.

(Vintage Review)

This is my vintage treasure. Back in the day Jolie Madame used to be really stunning.

I’d never smelled anything like this before: A lovely touch of Gardenia and Violet, with a bit of green herbs followed by soft leather notes. It’s utterly fascinating and so well done. This is a high quality perfume.

It is elegant and retro (without being old-fashioned)

A must-have classic!

Bought a bottle unsniffed, thanks to the positive reviews I´ve read. So glad I did!

Opens up with Cowslips??? Ah, well in my nose, anyway?

Then leather, violets (not sweet ones, thankfully). I detect a rubbery note, sounds pretty awful, I admit, but somehow I find it nice.

Hm? I can´t detect the tuberose that easily? Tuberose seems to agree well with my body chemistry, but for me - this far, I can´t wait for the drydown - this lovely Madame offers cowslips/leather/violet and that teeny weeny amount of rubber.

Help!

Is my nose tricking me????
All I can smell nowadays in

Jolie Madame is
Weil Kipling for gents.

Do not get me wrong I love Jolie Madame a lot, but one of my co-sniffer pointed out that the dry down is very masculine, and I have to agree.
(vintage of course)

Just received my first bottle of Jolie Madame and I am enraptured. An alluring fragrance of smoky leather and spices drifting sensuously around soft florals. Bewitching with a subtle thrill and sense of something forbidden. Dark nights and not-so-innocent ladies stiletto-heeled stepping out towards the wild side.

Have a mini, and tha hunt began for an OLD BIG BOTTLE!!!
It is maturity in a vial.

I was never one to appreciate the smell of new leather shoes, coats or what have you, just wasn't my thing. Since I love many of the scents from Balmain and LOVE Montana's Just me, and Robert Piguet's Bandit, I figured I'd give my bottle of Jolie Madam another go. (I'm also in the process of getting to know Cabochard better, more on that later). Jolie is very different from most of my perfumes, like Bandit, I get a sense of green from this. I also detect a bit of sweetness when first applying, must be the pear and a touch of spice. Very sophisticated scent. Once it dries down, it brings me back to when I purchased the black leather biker jacket my parents didn't approve of (which later on became scented with patchouli, mango, musk and sandalwood-my scents at the time) and Jolie smells delightful. She's really growing on me, which is surprising because I really didn't care for it at first. To me it smells sexy in a confident way. My husband turned his nose up at this, too bad.

My bottle is a fairly current EDT and it seems to fade within a few hours even though I spray a lot on. The hunt for a vintage bottle is on!

Jolie Madame is a very easy going and light floral leather. Due to floral addition it lacks the claw which can be found in Miss Balmain or Cabochard, but thanks to this, it is also very wearable on a day to day basis. The florals are a tad sweet to my taste, therefore for a short while I get the unpleasant impression similar to the one that the terrible fruity chypre Patou For Ever gives me. Luckily, this lasts no longer than a couple of seconds, so I can ignore it and then I get the lovely soft and fresh dry down, the scent keeps close to the skin and does not scream about, although I am still able to smell it on me, which is great. There is a hint of a slightly rubbery aroma, and it may not suit everyone.

It is not my favorite leather (I'm more into the dark and mysterious ones), but overall a good one and I enjoy wearing it to the office or when I am more into elegant style. Definitely worth every penny, because it gives a unique olfactory experience, so rarely found in contemporary fragrances.
UPDATE: I am getting more and more allured by this little gem. What's more, it turns out to be quite long lasting in spring! Still not my favorite leather, but an excellent product!

oh dear and I was thinking of buying some of the above, now not so sure....I love Shocking, Arpege,1000, Farouche and L'blue Heure (not to sure of the spelling here) and would love to smell Quadrille (Balenciaga) but sooo expensive... rather fed up with trying other perfumes only to discover they do not suit me...
So all you perfume experts can you point the way forward for me by looking at the ones I alread love?...

After my unsuccessful attempt to make friends with Cabochard, I decided to try a lighter and more floral leather - to approach gradually this olfactory group. And I am glad I did so. Jolie Madame is a jolie-laide, she is not a classical beauty but she is unique and lovable due to her unstarched elegance – easy and natural. She is a lady of character, self-assured without being supercilious. Yes, I understand why perfume critic Tania Sanches chose Jolie Madame as the fragrance she would wear if some ruthless court sentenced her to wear just one scent till the end of her life. This is an all-purpose fragrance, yet with unique character and charm.
As for the notes, leather, iris and violets are definitely the most prominent ones. I am happy that I do not feel civet, which was a lot of pain to me while I was trying to tame Must de Cartier.

I’m testing Jolie Madame EDT reissue (thanks to Catbiscuit for the lovely sample). Jolie Madame has a really uplifting opening, which is like a cross between Chanel No.19 without the Chanelness plus well-blend, discreet white flowers, and a little bit citrusy hint. I almost loved it, but there’s something hidden there (maybe the Chanelness?) makes me feel it’s not my typical perfume.

Soon it gives off the best cooling powdery smell, which has a iris smell at heart, and it’s so well-blend with other flowers. It smells rich without being too loud; it’s sweet in a vintage, low profile glam floral way (like the floral sweet from Passion by Annick Goutal, but with minimised sweetness).
Then the pseudo-iris(in a nice way) powder smell transforms into something like cool sweet powder on warm skin. Ah ha, that must be the leather! I don’t really like wearing leather scent, but thought Jolie Madame might be the not-too-bold-loud-leather leather I can pull off. However, I tried and the chemistry is just a little bit not that right.

I guess leather lovers will find this one as a more day-time, refined, nice floral leather to wear. However, to someone who always try to avoid leather, this scent is seemingly perfect and seemingly not contain the deadly leather you don’t like, but still makes you feel uneasy in the end with its unchangeable leather/animal/dark nature.

I feel like this is Bandit's more girly, responsible sister. The leather is still there, but whereas Bandit was a leather jacket in the bar, getting friendly with the bikers, Jolie Madame is a leather briefcase in the corporate world, rubbing shoulder with CEOs. I think the floral notes come out making it feel softer and more womanly, the rose in particular stands out on me. I smell violets too, as other have noted. Don't get me wrong though, Jolie Madame is restrained, confident, and just a bit ruthless, but she's still a little naughty. Underneath that pencil skirt, she's got her sexy lingerie on.

I am currently in a battle of wills with Jolie Madame (EDT reissue). We are circling one another warily, greasy eyeball to greasy eyeball.

As my first full on leather perfume encounter I was initially charmed and delighted with the novelty of a slightly rough leather base for the ladylike florals. It was strange and genteel, like a ladies handbag, filled with 'liberated' floral samples from the botanic garden and handkerchiefs sprinkled with perfume water.

On my second application I found the florals to be heavy, sickly and sulky. The accompanying musty leather made me feel quite sick to my stomach. And yet, I found myself drawn to it, loving its wild nature, while it sat in a corner hissing & spitting at me.

Which brings me to today's testing. Where did this violent leather scrub beast come from? I feel like I have been sandpapered with bark, rubbed down in coriander and whipped with a filthy leather cat 'o' nine tails. Nary a flower in sight to shed tears for my suffering.

Jolie Madame: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

One or the other of us is going to be tamed. I am not entirely certain which of us it will be.

I love that this is not fruity.How boring they all r today.Its a very interesting scent.One ould think with the leather it vwould b a hard scent yet,its more like dove tail leather,buttery soft kissed by violets.A very girly softball player.A confident WOMAN.Sexy that doesnt scream it at u.It slips up and brushes ur cheek with its lips.Not like other scents,Stand out in the crowd.Timeless.

To my nose, JOLIE MADAME is all about violets and leather, and I do not detect even a smidgeon of civet. Pierre Balmain.com offers these notes for the new JOLIE MADAME:

Notes de Tête
Petitgrain, Girofle, Néroli

Notes de Cœur
Absolue Jasmin, Fleur d’Oranger, Feuille de Violette, Absolue Tubéreuse, Lilas

Notes de Fond
Mousse de Chêne, Essence de Patchouli, Tabac, Cèdre

So it seems that JOLIE MADAME has really changed her demeanor! I like her this way--a lot! She is a smooth powdery quasilinear with tender leather and fine violets. Great sillage--in fact, so great, that I advise against applying JOLIE MADAME immediately before dining, as I once did, and found myself swallowing violets and leather. I really appreciate this fragrance: simple and consistent yet somehow very satisfying. When I crave violets and leather--which as odd as it may sound, I do sometimes now--I know where to turn!

The Opening starts with i can detect
Lily Rose jasmine neroli and it dries
down to the dark underworld of woods and Leather It's like the Greek Legend
Persephone. when she was the maiden Kore and she picked Sweet crisp flowers
Represent the upperworld Until the ground beneath her Opened up And she was snached and aducted By the master
of the Underworld HADES! Represents The Leatherly Aspect of this Perfume
this is what this perfume reminds me of
Persephone's Decent.

Jolie is tuberose, lots of violets & leather.
At first application lots of citrusy greens which quickly turn into this softer violet smell which instantly reminded me of these simple little hard candies I used to get as a child, they were called 'violettas'- when I would peel back the foil & wax paper this sweet violet smell would come wafting out - the same scent that is in Jolie Madam; due to that olfactory memory, this perfume immediately won me over.
The tuberose smell compliments the earthy, but soft smelling leather , - very much like Cabochard but more soft & fem.
I can so see myself wearing this with a simple form fitting tank top, blue jeans, my Harley Davidson motorcycle boots & my hair loose all around my shoulders, gallavanting around town , window shopping at my leisure.. that said I think this would work even better in warmer weather , at least for my tastes.
Jolie is kind of a tomboy , but with an effortless elegance.

What I have is the EDT , if a EDP is available or even exists, I'd love to have it.

strong? leathery? great classic? somptous? elegant?

oh noooo! no waaay, this smells just like a... a lot of tea herbs bulked in an old bag. TEA !!!

nothing sophisticated, elegant, not even a bit chic here. It's just a light scent for a teenager who abhors sweet perfumes.

that's all about it!

A very unique fragrance - on my skin I can detect a banana note, which blends in smoothly with the leather and florals, like a milkshake, so the fragrance is very pleasant and creamy. Wonderful! This fragrance is good to wear in any season and on any occasion -and is timeless - it's a real pearl and gem in my collection and is my new #1!!!

No it is not similar to Miss Balmain. But both are VERY good perfumes, you can't go wrong with both of them.

I tested it once and it seemed old-fashioned in a bad, loud, 80's way. I'll stick to the beautiful Kelly Caleche for my occasional floral-leather fix.

I just got my bottle of Jolie Madame the other day and have been wearing it several times. It is not quite what I expected, very soft and feminine and yet complex. It starts out very fresh and energizing. Are there no violets in this? I could swear I smell violets. I think I like the beginning the best, so beautiful and unusual. In a few minutes I can smell the leather and flowers,the gardenia is soft and sweet and the others compliment it well. It smells like an expensive kid leather glove with a floral perfume spilled on it. Sometimes I smell something sour on my skin,maybe the coriander, but it does't last very long and some days I don't smell it at all. The dry down is soft and powdery yet a little soapy. It smells like some expensive french milled soap that I bought for my guest bath,which I love. I do wish it lasted longer. I can't smell it after about 3 hours, but the price is so affordable I can and will buy it often.

Jolie Madame is very feminine and even with the leather, stays light to me. I would compare the start with Insolence. It seems like violets and leather to me. Most perfumes that are soft and feminine tend to seem boring, but Jolie Madame is very different, unique and does not feel at all dated. unfortunately for me, the coriander and my skin don't get along and things go sour. I would be very happy to find something similar without the coriander.

I've never been much of a leather fan, but I like Jolie Madame very much. My bottle of edt is not the current version (a very attractive, tailored bottle, and one I find more congruent with the scent than the round-shouldered bottle with gilded-plastic top I own), so please bear that in mind while reading this review.

I'm a little puzzled by the notes listed above: no violet? I smell tons of violet. Narcissus, jasmine, iris - they're all there too, along with a restrained leather note that brings to mind my suede-lined leather briefcase. When I wear JM, I get wafts of leather through the air when I move, but close to the skin the florals are sweet and prominent. I like to wear this on days that I need some extra backbone; it's great for helping me muster the strength to deal with unpleasant tasks.

I also own two small bottles of vintage parfum: one has a great deal of leather, and the other, my favorite, is nearly all gorgeous florals, with just a hint of leather. (Of course it would be the tiny 2ml bottle, and not the bigger one!) If I wasn't sure I'd never find its like again, I'd wear that one all the time. It's simply stunning.

A sophisticated old and beautiful fragrance for women and men. Have a lot of leather all the time.
Really exotic.

I thought I have to get some classic fragrances to educate myself a bit and that is how Jolie Madame came to my house.
So, made myself ready for the big adventure and, oh boy, the first sniff knocked me down - what is it? I don't get this fragrance!
But hey, I thought Shalimar is not nice at all the first time I tried it.
So I'm learning the scent each time a little and started to like it.
I can distinguish some notes already! after gardenia-citrus blast it gets a bit sweetish of jasmine-orris root.
Rose wave for a while and then leather starts to dominate with some musk and patchouli.
I'm not familiar with leather fragrances and still have to learn a lot, but I like this one already - very special!

a month later:
definitely, an extraordinary fragrance for a big night out, not something you can smell around. Very special.

An unusual soft leather scent, Jolie Madame falls somewhere between Bandit and Kelly Caleche, in the mid-range with Cabochard and Habanita. If you find Bandit too stinky or unwearable, Kelly Caleche a bit too sweet and fruity, and Cabochard just not girly enough, then Jolie Madame might strike the perfect balance for you.

Jolie Madame begins with a blast of sweet florals, but dries down to a soft, powdery leather. It's feminine and a bit sexy, but not inapprorpiate for the office if used in moderation. I detect some smiliarities to Molinard's Habanita, but the leather has a larger presence in Jolie Madame and it's a more complex scent. And in spite of all my comparisons to other leather perfumes, it definitely smells unique! Worth sampling if you're exploring leather fragrances.

A lovely floral that dries down old fashioned and cloying on my skin.

Sophisticated, seducing perfume. Following the tradition of Bourjois' "Soir de Paris" - a perfume for a grand night out, beautiful.With leather notes and violet, timeless perfection.

Carefree, seductive, refined, knowing. Delicious - with no food notes in sight!

Sumptuous, yet carefree; refined, yet knowing. Lovely Jolie Madame is very seductive yet dignified. A timeless favourite.