Maison Nicolas de Barry - Madame de Pompadour

Picture: Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764)
portrayed as a turkish lady, 1747
Painting  by Charles André van Loo (1705-1765)

Madame de Pompadour is a creation from Maison Nicolas de Barry, a house which creates fragrances inspired from the history. The fragrances is created by Nicolas de Barry and Eddie Blanchet.

Madame de Pompadour starts with a burst of florals under command of the regal iris, the flowery version, not the carrot root note. Soon the rest of the boquet takes over, different flowers are fleeting in and out from the centerplace. On my skin the bulbflowers daffodil and hyacinth are particularly present, supported by a beautiful tuberose. The amber blends very well with the flowers and creates a special glow to the perfume. Also the amber and iris particulary seems to connect during the dry down, plush, velvety aura. The base are ambery-musky with the flowers still very clear present and a touch of a contrasting slight earthy/dirty smell. There is also a touch of the special textile band-aid note present in vintage Musst de Cartier Edt.

Summarized: Madame de Pompadour is a beautiful floral-oriental bouquet, interacting with a glowing, ambery base creating a warm, rounded boquet. Even if classic in structure and ingredients Madame de Pompadour doesn't smell dated neither dense or loud. One could imagine that a fragrance inspired by Madame de Pompadour would be lighter, pink much more fluffy, powdery and painted in lighter pastel colors as fashionable in the Rococoera. But the reality beyond the pastels was, as we all know, strong odeurs, attempted to be hidden by perfumes. In the perfume there is a hint of a dirty note in the base, so subtle on almost not recoginze it at first. It's not at all like in the barnyardnotes fragrances.

Picture: The Mme de Pompadour flacon
Photo: PR Maison Nicolas de Barry 

Madame de Pompadour is suitable for all seasons but just for evening in the summer. It's very elegant and maybe too much for most offiicies even if a pleasure to smell and wear. Sillage is medium and longevity for at least a day.

Wearing Madame de Pompadour I somehow get to think of (even if not smelling the same) classic Creed flower boquets as Irisia, Fantasia de Fleurs and Tubereuse Indiana. Madame de Pompadour is for everyone who enjoy a wellmade, grand, timeless floral boquet.

Rating: 5

Notes: Iris, roses, jasmine, gardenia, violets, hyacinth, daffodil, tubereuse, amber

Thanks for Fragrance & Art for the sample to test