Madame Gres by Grès

I would define this fragrance as velvety, warm and elegant. It’s a classic, cosy scent, ideal for personal enjoyment because it lasts a long time but lacks much projection. I think it’s perfect for when you want to feel good without drawing attention.

My second Gres: for someone who hates vintage, this is a love. It has that antique touch but isn’t cloying, like a Chanel No. 5. Initially the pineapple dominates, and as it dries down it becomes floral and woody. Undoubtedly elegant for dinners or formal events. Delicious and best of all, its price. It’s a gem; undervalued Gres perfumes are hidden treasures.

I own three Gres perfumes, all with projection and longevity, and they share that vintage touch that might scare off those seeking modern, light florals. Madame Gres is a powerhouse, serious and formal, sweet, woody and very powdery, with a heavy trail for special occasions. I understand it aims for the Miss Dior style, but I don’t see much similarity; it reminds me more of CK Euphoria. I like it immensely; it’s my favourite from the house.

Tastes vary, but for me this isn’t a clone of Miss Dior, nor with Le Parfum. I bought it blindly out of curiosity and the result: a failure. The combination of freesia and pineapple gives it a cloying touch that distances it from Miss Dior, which is a childish fruit-chili, but this is more cloying. You have to wait a long time for the pineapple to fade so the base can emerge, and the hangover lasts too long. To avoid such strong notes, I only spray it on clothes, never on skin. The bottle is a disgrace; it looks like a knock-off, nothing like the sober and elegant box. If you like La Vie Est Belle, you’ll like this. If you respect Madame Grès’ work, probably not, because it has nothing to do with it. Heartbreaking. Moral: don’t buy blindly just because they say it’s a clone.

In my opinion, this is an inexplicably undervalued gem. It has an eighties-nineties spirit but is impeccably crafted: it knows what it wants to be. I stand up for perfumer Sidonie Lancesseur, who deserves a prosperous future. Upon trying it, I understood the similarity to Miss Dior: a sweet and fruity opening, but in Madame Gres, the leather is key—dry and regal, adding dense darkness. The leather with patchouli makes the vanilla dark, nothing of that juvenile adolescence. In Miss Dior, the vanilla is sweeter and more luminous. Madame Gres wins in complexity by three turns. It is a perfume with layers and evolution, less easy to please. The pineapple gives freshness and prevents it from being too sweet. The first hours are potent, an intense cloud. The trail is sweet, dark, with that little fresh touch of pineapple and talc. I, who am not of this style, felt overwhelmed in winter, but the dry-down is glorious: less sweet, more elegant, earthy and seductive, with the complexity of leather, sandalwood and patchouli. I am surprised by the longevity: 8-10 hours and clothes holding it for days, at half the price of designer. The cap is terrible plastic, but the bottle is clear, clean crystal, Chanel style, absolutely beautiful. I imagine it would suit a smoker well, mixing the smoke with the sweet trail. It is a good blind buy for anyone who likes sweet, potent and personality-filled scents. I can’t see why a man wouldn’t wear it, perhaps layered. I won’t use it much because it is too sweet for my taste, but I won’t sell it. I will keep it for cravings for something sweet, intense and unique, with a dry-down that steals your breath…