MAD et LEN, the search for lost time

Taking a walk at Pitti Fragranze through all that stands dedicated to perfumes for themselves or at most to body care, often the attention gets hogged and the risk is to forget there are also ambiance perfumes.
In western countries scenting themselves is in our culture as a sign of wellness since ever, a way to express themselves or as a reward to themselves, to get notives or to underline our presence. On the contrary in the eastern countries by cultural matter they use to scent the house where people live rather than scenting themselves even if nowadays the cultural mix has spread everywhere both approaches.
In particular I like to underline chilling moments at home with ambiance perfumes creating a certain atmosphere, not to obstrusive but that give a certain warmth like incense and candles. These latter I use them above all in winter and even more in this period: just lighting one makes instanty Christmas time.


Back to Pitti, I've been impressed by MAD et LEN stand (thant curiously you can read as Madeleine in french), small artisanal brand in the neighborhood of Grasse that made a fine show of candles with a really striking package. Even if their production is divided in eau de toilette for the body, ambiance perfumes and a tea selection, the artisanal care at the base of all their products is immediately percievable at its best in the wonderful bougies d'apothecaire inspired by the ancient chemist's shop metal cans. Each hammered metal piece is hand made and the candles, also hand made with vegetal wax and exsences from Grasse. I must admit that since then they made my eyes sparkle and went straight in my wishlist.

Only drawback of MAD et LEN is the distribution still very partial and limited at least in Italy: in fact they chose to sell mostly in concept store more oriented towards interior design and fashion rather than through the canonical perfum shops. By the way it seems impossible to find the candles I liked a lot from the serie apothecaire and after a long trip around I had to please myself let's say anyway with a candle of the very chic serie noire with a simpler yet elegantly retró packaging.

Fragrance range goes from flowers to spices, from citrus to woods, resins and incenses to which is also dedicated the beautiful serie fumiste. Choosing among the candles, yet stalling on an ipnotic bois de rose and a tender jonquile, in the end I went for the tuberose one.
Even let out, the candle fragrance is really remarkable but it gives its best once lighted: a very elegant and green tuberose, not at all creamy or cloying suggesting the idea of the flower right before blooming with its green stem and the leaves and the milky sap probably given by a tiny bit of coconut I smell that's so gently measured with a masterly subtlety. An important yet corroborating scent for a candle gently burning so to completely melt the was, without smoke traces.
The atmosphere it gives is a roguish aura almost like a decó boudoir, with white lounge chairs, mahogany feather furniture with ivory and black laquer details with sensual lines, monstera deliciosa big foliage in the corners and tuberose vases at the sides of a large mirror.

I still didn't satisfy my foppish desire to get one of those wonderful apothecaire cans I saw at Pitti but I guess I will have to take a trip to France for them.