Madonna

This scent entered my life via the fragrance finder on the official Boadicea the Victorious website. After selecting my preferences (it turns out I like aromatic scents, worthy of a clean white t-shirt) it crunched my data and came up with 4 recommended fragrances; ‘Vetiver Imperiale’, ‘Imperial’, ‘Aurica’ and ‘Madonna’ – so I bought all 4 samples.

‘Imperial’ I know very well after owning (and loving) a 100ml bottle about 6 years ago, but now, after smelling it again, I realised I’ve moved on. ‘Vetiver Imperiale’ was woody and aromatic but with a smoky incense accord that didn’t sit well with me. ‘Aurica’ was too sweetly complex (and way too expensive at £825) but ‘Madonna’ impressed me.

‘Madonna’ was created to mark International Woman’s Day and is described as a “sentiment of purity.” It’s also described as being “gentle with the ability to soothe and calm even the most restless of individuals.” So how did they create a fragrance that’s “pure in spirit and abounding in passion”? Firstly, a heady intensity comes from an alcoholic (liquor) note called ‘rhum’. ‘Rhum’ (as opposed to ‘rum’) only comes from Martinique and rather than being distilled from fermented molasses, rhum is made for fresh pressed cane sugar – the final product is lighter and more savoury. The rhum note is sweetened by the herbaceous geranium and floral osmanthus. The tuberose is a big character, offering heady wafts of white florals, which is intensified by the jasmine and the clean/soapy orange flower. The vetiver is very present, giving a sharp, grassy freshness, which is further boosted by the herbal, tea-like davana. The pepper adds spice, but I don’t detect any obvious patchouli nor saffron. The base offers calming sandalwood, whilst the ambergris (or grey amber) grounds the scent with its savoury, marine-like quality.

The only downside to ‘Madonna’ is the longevity – it’s the shortest lived from any Boadicea I’ve tried. I get only a few good hours before it fades away. If you find ‘Madonna’ to be too feminine, then I’m recommend her more unisex counterpart; ‘Vetiver Imperiale’ (also from Boadicea The Victorious).

Overall, ‘Madonna’ is a herbaceous and heady white floral, that shines with aromatic, soothing, herbal freshness.

TOP- Rum, Davana, Saffron, Geranium, Neroli

MIDDLE - Osmanthus, Indian Tuberose, Jasmine Sambac , Moroccan Orange Flower

BASE - Sandalwood, Ambergris, Patchouli, Haitian Vetiver, Black Pepper