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Cashmere & Tiaré Flower DKNY 1927

7.8 / 10 41 Ratings

A popular perfume by DKNY for men, released in 1927. The scent is spicy-chypre. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Spicy

Chypre

Woody

Green

Citrus

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Clary sage Lemon

Lemon

Tarragon

Mechanical Eyelash

Heart Notes

Juniper

Lavender

Mandarin orange

Plunzaktir

Base Notes

Cedarwood

Patchouli

Ratings

Scent

7.841 Ratings

Longevity

7.032 Ratings

Sillage

6.128 Ratings

Bottle

6.937 Ratings

Submitted by Apicius · last update on 11/08/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Madrigal Parfum

Extravagante

Madrigal Eau de Parfum

Reviews

6 in-depth fragrance descriptions

11/23/2012

9Scent 5Longevity 5Sillage

Yatagan
416 Reviews

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Yatagan

Top Review 19

Festive Composition

After Molinard's Madrigal made its way into the 100 most popular men's fragrances on this site, my curiosity was piqued. I am a great admirer of the classic, traditional perfume houses from Grasse, namely Galimard, Fragonard, and of course Molinard. Ultimately, however, I have mostly remained loyal to the men's fragrances from Galimard; Molinard has remained for me the house of Habanita, one of the great classic women's fragrances that I enjoy smelling on women, but which is certainly unwearable for men.

The other men's perfumes from Molinard are pleasant, but they tend to fade from memory more quickly, at least that has been my impression so far. Madrigal hardly caught my attention simply because it is shyly hidden on the Molinard homepage, while the newer compositions are more prominently featured. Madrigal is indeed a truly old fragrance (1930) and thus may seem suspect to many younger buyers. However, I have experienced that it is precisely the classics that excite me. This is especially true for the English "scents," some of which are still compositions from the 19th century (although of course no one living can say for sure if something was reformulated at some point. A little digression: English perfume houses are very reticent when asked about new compositions, even claiming that they do not exist. In some cases, I know better...).

Back to Madrigal (according to Wikipedia, a multi-voiced vocal piece, usually of a secular nature): This idiosyncratic, solitary fragrance combines subtle hints of a chypre scent (citrus top notes with a patchouli base; here instead of moss) with a warm, yet strict, very distinctive and rather chypre-typical tone. Madrigal features a citrusy, hesperidic top note, a subtly floral heart note, and woody-earthy base notes (warm, but very subtle patchouli), creating a completely new impression that is only vaguely describable through its individual parts. This has, unsurprisingly, been achieved most beautifully in a classic from the house of Guerlain: "Derby (1985) (Eau de Toilette) | Guerlain." In fact, Madrigal is also quite balanced and innovative, especially since it is (allegedly) the older fragrance. I would even argue that it is a prime example of chypre fragrances with patchouli in the base note. Additionally, it is particularly pleasant that Madrigal is difficult to overapply. The sillage is (pleasantly) subtle, while the longevity remains satisfactory for a long time.

All in all, Madrigal is a festive composition that brings a touch of grandeur to everyday life and allows the wearer (perhaps less so the wearer, but why not...) to go through the day with a feeling of being carried along.

Updated on 10/13/2025

01/22/2015

8.5Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Florblanca
1166 Reviews

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Florblanca

Very helpful Review 10

In a Word, Gentlemen!

When I look at the user bar on the right, I seem to be out of place once again as the only woman owning this fragrance.

Sure, it’s a vintage, and sure, they usually smell different from the current versions. I don’t believe that Madrigal was created as a masculine scent from the start, although my vintage - I admit - does have masculine accents.

Unlike the current fragrance, it doesn’t start off herbaceous-citrusy, but rather soft-sweet-floral (?). Then lavender takes over with the bitter juniper in the background, but still soft and exceptionally pleasant. I can’t perceive mandarin, but there’s something sweet and lovely in the background that allows a gentle bitterness from the juniper without any harshness.

Just as the multi-voiced (mostly 5-voiced) secular song Madrigal shaped the music of the Renaissance and early Baroque, the fragrance Madrigal also displays a certain polyphony, a variety that I wouldn’t have expected from a rather simple composition - at least according to the pyramid.
Even before the fragrance arrived, I had read the comments and expected a rather harsh and distinctly masculine scent. But how surprised I was when I applied it to my wrist. Now, lavender is one of the scents I absolutely love. It has a calming yet cheerful effect on me, and nothing is more beautiful than stroking the lavender spikes and deeply inhaling the scent released by the flowers and leaves. So, for those who like lavender, Madrigal is undoubtedly an elegant and very unusual companion.

In the base, dry, mossy, woody with - still - the beautiful lavender note, Madrigal is a soft and elegant chypre that (at least in the vintage version) can be worn by more than just men.

The bottles from Molinard were really appealing in earlier times, partly beautifully designed. Many of them by Lalique. The current bottle used for all fragrances (except the exclusives) is, in my opinion, ordinary, and the labels even more so. Here, the marketing department of Molinard is called upon to give the fragrances a distinctive identity again. The fragrances certainly deserve it if their exterior better corresponds to the contents of the bottle.

11/08/2011

8Scent 5Longevity

Turandot
841 Reviews

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Turandot

Very helpful Review 10

Molinard can do more than "Habanita"

I already liked the name of this fragrance, as this type of Renaissance music once played a significant role in my life. But can the perfume live up to that? Since the scent was "composed" in 1935, we at least don't have to fear experiencing a citrus-fresh sport fragrance. It is also not baroque-opulent, but rather subtly spicy with surprisingly strong expressiveness.

Madrigal starts with green spice notes. I always ponder finding a different term for plants where the fragrance carriers are not the flowers but the leaves, seeds, or roots, rather than calling them "herbs" or "spices" or even "medicinal plants," as that always sounds so much like the kitchen or discomfort. The top note of Madrigal does not remind me of that at all, even though it might be suspected at first glance. In the drugstore, dried parts of plants with specific effects are called "drugs." That's where our professional designation comes from. Only with the spread and abuse of hallucinogenic drugs did the term acquire its negative connotation.
I prefer to describe the top note as aromatic rather than spicy. And in exactly the same mood, the heart feels to me. Strong lavender with bitter juniper and fully fruity mandarin, that is serious yet very harmonious. I can very well understand Apicius's comparison to the Chypre direction. However, here it is not oak moss that forms the backbone of the base but a strong cedarwood note with a hint of patchouli as a softener.

And does the name fit the fragrance? I think it does, even if other perfumes were certainly in vogue during the Renaissance. But Madrigal is harmonious, serious, yet not melancholic or heavy, and distinctly timeless.

Addendum: I had to adjust the longevity of the fragrance downwards. It simply vanished; the base does not hold up to what I expected.

10/07/2010

9Scent 5Longevity

Apicius
1328 Reviews

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Apicius

Very helpful Review 11

Affordable Chypre Alternative

Madrigal is rare and hard to find; even on the Molinard website, you have to search for a long time. It was only briefly available on Ausliebezumduft, hence the sample.

So, it seems to be a long-lasting classic, born in 1935 and likely kept alive since then by a small but steady group of buyers. And I believe I have stumbled upon a real gem here…

Not much is known about the fragrance, and the notes listed above do not paint a particularly vivid picture. Important details are probably missing. Well, what can I say - what I have on my hand reminds me quite a bit of the expensive Derby by Guerlain. Although it lacks a classic Chypre structure, I perceive the scent as such. In any case, the base - the best part of a men’s Chypre - fits this category. Besides the stated patchouli, I would suspect labdanum and moss in it. You could also imagine it a bit like Chanel pour Monsieur, just without the lemon and floral notes.

I can gladly do without the classic three-part Chypre structure if I only have the base note. Instead of geranium and bergamot, Madrigal offers herbal notes as an addition, a hint of tarragon, just like Derby. I would also find a touch of leather note coherent. I don’t perceive the lavender again, as so often happens when it plays a minor role in the fragrance.

The omission of the classic three-part Chypre structure means that Madrigal is one-dimensional, without much development. It is immediately present, and it is immediately good. It may not fully compete with Derby. One must not overlook - Guerlain costs around €180 at Schnitzler, while Madrigal is offered on the Molinard website for just €35, plus €15 for shipping to Germany. I think the leatheriness and the herbal notes in Derby might be a bit more pronounced, and I readily admit a bit more complexity. But the gap is not very large. I might be mistaken, but isn’t there even a hint of Guerlinade noticeable in Madrigal?

Madrigal is a distinctly straightforward and unexciting contribution to the men’s Chypre theme. Some aspects that I occasionally find problematic in the Chypre concept have been omitted. Madrigal is not a fragrance with which one can shine. It lacks any exoticism, any exaltation. It feels distant, only present with its pleasant bitterness. If Chypre weren’t such an old-fashioned thing, one could call Madrigal cool.

Madrigal is actually always wearable for the Chypre enthusiast, especially when a more reserved and subtle approach is desired. I consider it completely suitable for the office and everyday wear. And of course, there are those days when you need a nice, but familiar scent that has no rough edges to constantly bump against.

Back to Derby: Unfortunately, I have a problem with this wonderful Guerlain fragrance - I cannot wear it on my skin. It unfortunately disintegrates immediately and becomes uninteresting, so it only works for me on clothing. Especially with Guerlain fragrances, one must expect such things. For me, Madrigal is therefore a highly interesting alternative and naturally makes it onto my wish list.

11/18/2011

8Scent 7.5Longevity

Ergoproxy
1130 Reviews

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Ergoproxy

Very helpful Review 11

Multivoiced Choral Music

Music and perfume have so much in common. There are classical compositions, contemporary compositions, and also avant-garde. Many perfume names have been borrowed from music, and perfumes are composed on a scent organ, after all. One could extend this list, but that would become rather tedious.

Madrigals are polyphonic choral pieces that used a free form of poetry with secular content as their text basis. The spiritual counterpart to this would be the motet. The Baroque period is considered the golden age of choral music, and particularly the late Baroque shaped the current understanding of choir.

To be honest (and if you haven't extensively engaged with this musical topic), one might suspect something religious behind the name and expect the swinging censer in this scent. But it is secular here, and thus the absence of incense is acceptable.

Enough of the cleverness... how does this choir smell?

The opening chord is finely aromatic (Thank you, Turandot, for this expression) and the lemon has been very harmoniously integrated. It does not pucker your mouth with acidity.

The heart chord is dominated by lavender. Those who think of an old-fashioned scent here will be surprised, but you won't get a trendy fragrance slapped on your nose either. The lavender note receives a bitter spiciness from the juniper, and the mandarin (I suspect the peel) breathes a pleasantly tart freshness into it.

The heart note slowly fades in the patchouli-light base and finds rest in a beautiful cedarwood note.

This truly timeless perfume is not a scent bomb, but that would not suit this composition either. Madrigal is an optimal scent for a business meeting or when going out for dinner. Although it has good longevity, it remains pleasantly understated.

Turandot, thank you very much for this enrichment and the extension of my "want to buy" list.

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