Jul et Mad
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Mandarin and orange zest collide with clove's sharp, almost menthol-tinged punch, creating an unexpectedly green-spiced citrus that feels more autumnal than tropical. Davana's peculiar herbal-tobacco character adds a grounding earthiness that immediately suggests this fragrance has no interest in being conventionally pretty.
The florals emerge cautiously—orange blossom creamy rather than indolic, rose softened by almond's marzipan sweetness. Beeswax materialises like a faint, honeyed varnish over everything, creating an almost savoury quality that transforms the fragrance into something closer to scented skin than perfume.
Amber and tonka dissolve into a creamy, vanilla-forward base, with Indonesian patchouli adding earthy depth and musk lending a faintly soapy, powdery texture. The finish is warm, diffuse, and decidedly un-shouty—closer to a lingering scent on clothing than a present sillage.
Secrets du Paradis Rouge announces itself as a fragrance caught between restraint and indulgence—a scent that wants to whisper but can't quite help itself from exhaling. Luca Maffei has crafted something fundamentally contradictory: a gourmand-floral that feels both austere and luscious. The mandarin and orange zest create a bright, almost tart opening, but they're immediately tempered by clove's peppery bite and davana's tobacco-tinged earthiness, preventing any cloying sweetness from taking hold. This isn't a juicy citrus fragrance; it's citrus through the filter of spice and resinous neroli.
What's most compelling is the almond-and-beeswax heart—that creamy, almost soapy warmth that sits at odds with the floral. Rather than competing, orange blossom and Damask rose wrap around the almond like silk, whilst the beeswax adds an almost savoury, waxy richness that feels decidedly un-perfume-like. It's the olfactory equivalent of candied fruit studded with whole cloves: recognisably sweet, but with enough textural complexity to reward close attention.
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3.8/5 (106)