According to some sources Ma Griffe comes from the class of perfumes known as the floral chypre. This is one of those perfumes that are meant to shock rather than soothe the perfume and therefore it has to be approached with some level of trepidation given the fearsome reputation that it can bring to the table. You will either love or hate this perfume because there are so few compromises when it comes to creating what is a great fragrance in reality.

The Brand

According to historical sources Ma Griffe was created around 1946 under the auspices of the great design house known as Carven. The genius behind it was none other than nose Jean Carles. It is rather a curious chance of fate that by the time this perfume was created, the creator had lost a sense of smell. Perhaps this explains the rather powerful fragrance.

The Fragrance

The fragrance list for the perfume reads like a who is who of the remote notes that can be included in a perfume. They include gardenia, greens, galbanum, citrus and aldehydes. We then move on to clary sage, jasmine, rose and sandalwood. After that comes a list of some interesting notes that include vetiver, orris, ylang ylang, and styrax. Finally the perfume closes with hints of oakmoss, cinnamon, musk, benzoin, and labdanum. This is a rather complicated list of ingredients and the final product follows suit by adding complexity. Whether people like it will largely depend on their personal tastes.

The Packaging

I have to apologies for the designers but I really hate the packaging. It is a mixture of cream and green zigzags that cover the box. When you open the bottle it actually looks like something from a clinical cabinet. This is not their finest packaging by a long shot.

General Customer Feedback

This is a perfume that is capable of dividing opinion significantly. Some people were of the view that it was too edgy while others felt that the final fragrance did not live up to the expectations of the fragrance list. However they did achieve their aim of getting noticed and this is not a perfume that can easily be set aside.

Popularity: 5% [?]