The Four Lives of Ma Griffe: A Comparison

by: Miguel Matos

“An outdoor fragrance without the heavy overtones.”—Madame Carven

In all fragrance families there are certain icons or milestones that practically tend to define the genre. In the chypre family, one of them is Carven's Ma Griffe, composed in 1946 by perfumer Jean Carles, creator of other peculiar fragrances like the outrageous Tabu or the elegant/dirty Miss Dior. It is said that by the time he created Ma Griffe for Madame Carven he was already anosmic, so this composition is a product of his intellect and not of the senses. And  I think you can notice that when you smell it ...

Ma Griffe was the first perfume from the house of Carven and was intended for a younger woman. By then, perfumes were not designed for the youthful spirit, so this tactic was a bit of an innovation. Elena Vosnaki wrote in her blog Perfume Shrine that “it marked the introduction of chypres into the arena of professional women. Those were not factory workers of the war or flappers; they were secretaries at the new firms; twin set in place, string of pearls and a slick of lipstick on impeccably powdered faces. The psychology of those new chypres talked about women who earned their living by themselves, but did not manifest themselves as sexual predators: There is a sense of detachment and intelligence." In fact, even the name of the fragrance made a statement. "Ma Griffe" not only means “My Signature”, but also “My Claw,” like an affirmation of strong personality and power but also a warning: “don't mess with me!” The assertive character is expressed both by name and smell.

Since 1946 and throughout the years until now, there have been a number of different versions, concentrations and formulations of Ma Griffe. More recently, in 2013, the fragrance was rebottled and again reformulated by Groupe Jacques Bogart, following the rebirth of the house of Carven in the world of fashion. As a vintage collector, I have had the chance to grab some bottles from different eras of Ma Griffe. When I was offered a bottle of the new version I started testing and comparing it with all the other versions. The comparison is rather interesting, so I thought I might share my impressions with you. Let's start.

Ma Griffe Eau de Cologne

This bottle, that I suspect being from the 60's (can anybody help me with this?) is an eau de cologne version. It's a big 125 ml splash glass bottle with a green paper label. The bottom says “Carven Paris.” This can't be a reference for the true smell of Ma Griffe, since it is supposed to be a lighter version and to be true, I suspect it is very oxidized by now. At least the top notes are ruined, not fresh and green but syrupy and sweet. I actually like the scent of these kind of turning perfumes, call me crazy. It smells just like the first minute of my bottle of vintage Chanel Nº5 eau de cologne. The fragrance coming from this bottle of Ma Griffe is sweet all the way and very powdery, thus fading rather quickly. You can identify the Ma Griffe vibe, but to be honest it's a whole other thing that vanishes in 20 minutes.
 

Ma Griffe Parfum

Moving to a 15 ml bottle of vintage Ma Griffe Parfum. This I suspect is coming from the 70s and this time it is real Ma Griffe glorious chypre quirkiness and a green/sweet odd aldehyde blast. It smells luxurious and so balanced, for the first time. When I got this bottle I had only smelled the first Ma Griffe reformulation from the new millennium, the one in a rectangular green translucent bottle, so what I knew was a very hard and harsh perfume. When I smelled this vintage parfum I entered a realm of rich and sparkling notes. There was the initial asafoetida thing that ruins it for me but it lasted only a couple of minutes, getting all scintilating and bright after that. It's green to the bone and a bit bitter, yes, but not biting green like Bandit and there is a clear vetiver tone commanding the march of elegance. It makes me think of diamonds, I think, because of the sparkling quality of it. It is such a masterpiece of contrasts that works so well and manages to be wearable by today's standards. The iris is very prominent here, so the progression is rather interesting: from acrid green to aldehydes and citruses it goes into powdery iris and vetiver, always in a kind of fresh androgynous style. This is a borderline scent: it lives standing on a tightrope. The contrasts are tense, and that's the heart of this idea from Jean Carles, who gave us that masterpiece of strange things called Tabu. Following the iris/vetiver, there's a dirty something that I bet is the styrax, but in a discreet way. And there's the wonderful oakmoss, damp, green, earthy and rich. In the drydown there's a pinch of cinnamon that brings up some sweetness and spicy undertones. The powder becomes sexy and the green becomes sweet freshness. Since there is always the tension between clean/dirty (like in Chanel Nº5), green/sweet, clear/dark, this is a startling fragrance. It surprises me every time I open the bottle. It's almost disturbing but also beautiful at the same time. If there was ever a quirky perfume, Ma Griffe was the master example of it. Like a rich dominatrix in a white ball gown. There’s a double personality inside and, like Barbara Herman says in her book Scent & Subversion, “this is one of those fragrances that shouldn't work, but does.”

Ma Griffe Eau de Parfum

Now, the eau de parfum in the rectangular green bottle. This was the first Ma Griffe I had and it is previous to the most recent version. Let's say this bottle has 10 to 15 years. Now this is the harshest of all versions and the hardest to wear. It's not a completely bad reformulation, but it's an aggressive blend that can make you quit smelling and run to wash it off if you're not brave enough. The opening is very violent on the asafoetida, acrid, sour and nose biting. It's not a good smell in the initial accords. It makes me think that these first notes exist only for a special purpose, a funcional thing, not for beauty. When I wear it I always have a hard time for 10 minutes. And only after that do I get some joy. After that it's like the classic Ma Griffe I smelled in the parfum, but softer and lighter. It's not so rich and glamourous. You can easily tell that there are lesser quality ingredients inside, but it still manages to get the soul of Ma Griffe. All in all, this version makes me think it could be the result of blending Bandit with Chanel Nª5.

Ma Griffe Eau de Parfum 2013

Now, for the latest reformulation also in eau de parfum concentration. Normally one could expect the destruction of a classic fragrance in a modern reformulation. Not in this case, surprisingly. I was so happy when I tried this new version recently. It was launched in 2013 and I was given a bottle by the brand's PR in the TFWA expo in Cannes. I was not sure if I wanted to try a new version after the not so good experience I had with the previous one. But was I in for a surprise here. Finally, it seems that someone managed to tame down the craziness of the top notes in the original and subsequent versions of Ma Griffe. Without changing it too much, this new version makes it easier to wear. Green, sparkling opening citrus notes complement the blast of aldehydes in such a demure way that it screams elegance and sophistication. It's the perfect balance of strangeness and beauty. The result is still faithful to the original idea, but more contemporary. Well, it is of course a very vintage smell, still. But there's the richness I remember from the parfum right from the beginning and the strange asafoetida note is very, very subtle. It is somehow even more masculine now and a great unisex fragrance. Don't expect it to be extremely similar to the vintage versions—it's not. But it's like a very well crafted homage to the greatness of Ma Griffe. It's still recognizable as Ma Griffe and you can feel all the heart of the original composition, but somehow deeper and more consistent. Maybe it's not so fizzy and sparkling but the andehydes (I think it's the aldehyde C11 undec) are more controlled after the opening, and closer to the smell of laundry. The Iris/Vetiver combo is stronger and dominating. There is a cashmere vibe to it, instead of the powdery animalic original feature and in the end a dash of tonka bean brings the sweetness previously provided by cinnamon. It reminds me of Paco Rabanne's masterpiece Calandre and from time to time it brings me back to the glory of Ma Griffe Parfum version. You can tell it's different, but at the same time, true to the origins. While I admire the parfum vintage edition for historical reasons, I dare say that the modern version is my favorite for contemporary wearing.

Vintage Ma Griffe ads from hprints.com
Photos by Miguel Matos