MAD et LEN's Perfumes (Parfum Mist)
When people think of MAD et LEN, the pot pourri — where you drip essential oil onto amber or lava stones — is by far the most famous, and I imagine quite a few people think of it as simply a room fragrance brand.
I first got to know the brand through the potpourri myself, and over the years I've used all kinds of potpourri scents, including the Boris Bidjan Saberi x MAD et LEN collaboration model.
But MAD et LEN isn't just potpourri — they also have plenty of other appealing pieces, from candles and perfume to cast-iron ware.
As you might guess from how good the potpourri smells, the perfumes are actually excellent too — I've been a personal fan of them for a while myself, which is part of why we've decided to start selling their perfumes.
The scents I've personally been using for a while are
Noir Encens
These four.
Liquides Imaginaires — compared to them, this scent is a totally different animal: overall, every MAD et LEN scent feels natural, yet has real depth.
Personally, I'd felt that Liquides Imaginaires, which we've carried up to now, was a little light on woody and earthy scents, and it's appealing that MAD et LEN's lineup fills that gap so well.
It's hard to put scent into words, but if Liquides Imaginaires' scents are ones where each note comes through sharp and distinct, then to me, MAD et LEN's scents feel more like the boundaries between notes are blurred and gentle.
Between the name "Parfum Mist" and the brand's commitment to production centered on naturally derived ingredients, the lineup is full of scents that are natural and casual, easy to wear regardless of occasion or the wearer's gender.
And another feature of MAD et LEN's production, with its commitment to natural materials, is that depending on the harvest conditions and season, some scents can end up unable to be produced at all.
In fact, the Noir Encens scent I mentioned above, the one I use myself, is currently discontinued — so I think it's best to pick up and enjoy whichever scents happen to be available at the time.
The scents we've brought in this time are all 9 varieties from MAD et LEN's perfume lineup currently in stock in Japan as of October.
*These are spray-type perfumes in German-made light-blocking bottles, packaged in the brand's signature iron box.
Addendum* Please note that due to a specification change, the iron box will be discontinued once current stock with the iron box runs out.
We can also order scent strips for trying any of these, so if there's a scent you're curious about, I'd suggest starting with a scent strip.
A hugely popular, one-of-a-kind refined musk: RED MUSC
RED MUSC is said to be by far the most popular scent among MAD et LEN's perfumes, and true to its name, it's a sweet, musk-based scent.
For Liquides Imaginaires, it'd be like Dom Rosa — every brand has that one signature, crowd-pleasing scent, and scents loved by so many people are popular for a reason; even allowing for individual taste, I think they're all, simply put, genuinely good scents.
Also, compared to the other scents, RED MUSC lasts a very long time, which is another nice point.
It's a scent that suits a wide range of people regardless of gender or style, so it's no surprise it always seems to be low in stock wherever you look.
If you're not sure where to start with perfume, I'd suggest putting the brand's signature RED MUSC on your list to try — and if you're already after this scent, grab it while we still have stock.
A stoic graphite scent with every trace of sweetness removed: GRAPHITE
MAD et LEN has some scents that exist only as potpourri, and conversely some that exist only as perfume, but GRAPHITE is one that's also available as potpourri.
With every trace of sweetness stripped away, graphite mixed with the bitter, astringent edge of raw wood makes for a sharp scent that, for me, is one of the MAD et LEN perfumes I reach for most and love best.
It's a scent I'd definitely recommend to anyone looking for something really cool.
Deep, heavy leather and wood: BLACK UDDU
BLACK UDDU is a deep, heavy scent blending leather and wood with a sweetness like tree sap.
This is a scent I'd like people to try if they're looking for something solid and settled rather than glamorous.
Deep woods and green air: VETYVER BUCOLIQUE
VETYVER BUCOLIQUE expresses deep greens (vetiver) and trees.
Not too heavy, not too light, not too fresh, not too sweet — it's a wonderfully versatile bottle that suits any season, and personally I'd recommend it even to people who don't normally wear perfume.
It's reassuring to have an all-around reliable scent like this on hand — the kind that's easy to reach for even when you can't quite decide, "which scent should I wear today?"
A highly artistic piece, with a masterful earthy shift in scent: HUMUS
HUMUS is, I'd say, the most distinctive scent in this lineup — or maybe the one that most divides opinion.
The top note is exactly the image of "soil in a damp forest, piled with fallen leaves and moss."
The first time I tried it, honestly, my impression was "is this really a good smell?" — but once that distinctive scent settles down, it undergoes a beautiful transformation into something floral, soft, and delicate: a scent with a world of real artistry to it.
I think it's a distinctive scent, but it doesn't assert itself too strongly, and once it settles it actually becomes quite subtle — so if you're not a fan of scents that smell overtly "perfume-y," or if you're looking for something genuinely different, please give it a try.
"Wearing coolness itself": SPIRITUELLE
SPIRITUELLE is fragrant with crisp, fresh herbs and mugwort — the most cooling, refreshing scent in the lineup.
It's a scent that's hugely popular as potpourri and candle too, but worn on the body as a perfume, it's just as good.
If you wear this on a morning you've woken up early, basking in the sunlight, I think it would make for a wonderfully refreshing start to the day.
Wearing the air of the streets of Paris: PANAME
Paname is a nickname for Paris, France.
While MAD et LEN's perfume lineup mostly leans toward nature-inspired scents, PANAME, true to its name, is meant to evoke the atmosphere of the streets of Paris, so compared to the other scents, I think it's a more urban composition.
Citrus and the green of wild grass, with leather and tobacco lurking beneath.
Try it while picturing yourself wandering through the crowded streets of an exotic, faraway Paris.
Walking through a damp forest, feeling the trees and the earth: TERRE NOIRE
TERRE NOIRE, along with SPIRITUELLE, is one of the scents that's overwhelmingly popular as potpourri and candle.
While you sense damp trees and earth, a somewhat spicy, hard-edged scent mixes in, and images of minerals come to mind as well.
It sits somewhere between VETYVER BUCOLIQUE and SPIRITUELLE — a scent with both sweetness and freshness, like a forest right after it's rained.
A mysterious, dark sweetness: BLACK MUSC
BLACK MUSC is a scent with not just the mellow sweetness of musk and amber, but also a faint, cool, minty edge somewhere in it.
RED MUSC, which also carries the "musc" name, feels bright and sweet, whereas this BLACK MUSC gives off a somewhat mysterious, dark atmosphere.
It's a scent with a real, confident presence.
I've quickly run through all 9 scents here — was there anything that caught your interest?
You could stick with one favorite perfume for years as your signature scent, or, just as you change your outfit for the temperature, the season, the occasion, and above all your mood that day, you could switch up the scent you wear too — that's another fun way to bring perfume into your own lifestyle.
Whatever way of enjoying perfume suits you, I'd be happy if you find a favorite scent that's all your own.
