Esprit de Contradiction 2019

Esprit de Contradiction by Maison Matine
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7.8 / 10 174 Ratings
A popular perfume by Maison Matine for women and men, released in 2019. The scent is fresh-citrusy. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Fresh
Citrus
Spicy
Green
Woody

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
LemonLemon CorianderCoriander Mandarin orangeMandarin orange Black pepperBlack pepper
Heart Notes Heart Notes
CloveClove GingerGinger Orris rootOrris root Ylang-ylangYlang-ylang
Base Notes Base Notes
SageSage VetiverVetiver CedarwoodCedarwood MuskMusk

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.8174 Ratings
Longevity
6.0152 Ratings
Sillage
5.7147 Ratings
Bottle
7.8149 Ratings
Value for money
7.5109 Ratings
Submitted by OPomone, last update on 07/16/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
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1982
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Oceania Eau de Parfum
Bergamotto di Calabria by Acqua di Parma
Bergamotto di Calabria
Aqua Allegoria Orange Soleia by Guerlain
Aqua Allegoria Orange Soleia

Reviews

6 in-depth fragrance descriptions
Ebichuunee

98 Reviews
Ebichuunee
Ebichuunee
1  
Gin tonic + baby product
Such a weird but surprisingly enjoyable scent! On paper, I can barely smell anything after the initial burst of gin and tonic, which fades within five minutes. However, on my skin, it’s a different story. The gin and tonic note is still there but softer, quickly followed by warm spices.

As it settles, it transforms into a comforting “baby smell,” reminiscent of Mustela baby lotion. It’s fresh, soft, and oddly addictive. While it’s definitely unconventional, there’s something about it that keeps me coming back for another sniff.

Last 2 hours at best
0 Comments
6
Pricing
9
Bottle
6
Sillage
4
Longevity
5.5
Scent
Akira1005

198 Reviews
Akira1005
Akira1005
1  
Super Lemony → Gentleman's soap
30 seconds after applying, it's lemon. It feels like a drop of lemon juice has splashed on me. Then, later, a masculine scent like a cologne for men comes out. When I first applied it, it was completely masculine. It's similar to the old Yves Saint Laurent JAZZ perfume.
・JAZZ
Top: Lemon peel, grapefruit
Middle: Coriander, wild reed
Last: Cedarwood, vanilla, ambergris
・Esprit de Contradiction|Refutation
Top: Yellow mandarin, lemon, black pepper, coriander, "soul"
Body: Ginger, ylang-ylang, iris, clove, "voice"
Base: Musk, vetiver, sage, cedarwood, "belief"
Oh, the composition was more similar than I thought. Isn't it amazing...? At times like this, my nose becomes more reliable. (Perfume lovers have a thing, they remember similar scents by feeling) However, Saint Laurent's Jazz had a lot of diffusion and durability, so it's different from the Maison Matin's fading easily. JAZZ is more mature and sensual. This is because Maison Matin does not have the "animal scent" of vanilla and ambergris at the end. Maison Matin is "day" and JAZZ is "night".
After a while from the top, the iris comes on and the atmosphere becomes surprisingly gentle. It's like fabric softener. It's like that person always uses difficult words and has a serious face, so it's hard to talk to them, but when you talk to them, they're surprisingly gentle. At the end, it gently fades away with cedarwood and sage.
Rather than being exactly like the package or the image, it was like "Oh, it's surprisingly normal".
(From the brand)
A spirit of refutation. A harsh criticism. Insightful wit. Unbending self-assertion. No compromise. Love your own ideas and beliefs and look inside yourself. The purpose is not to defeat the other person. Just to polish your own identity.
↑When I read this, I imagine a completely avant-garde scent like the tyrant Nero, but it's really a very gentle scent. In other words, instead of deciding the outcome by defeating the other person and trying to dominate them, you stick to your arguments for the sake of self-improvement. NOT the king of arguments.

From the bottle, you can smell a sour, spicy scent like the scent of men's hair styling products, which makes you think it could even be used in sports scenes. (Lemon, pepper)
Then you can smell iris, which seems to be contained in antiperspirants and sweat wipes, and a little ylang-ylang and ginger. However, it is mainly iris and floral.
It is extremely light, so if you wear it on a hot day, it disappears quickly and does not last for 3 hours, and it does not diffuse, so you can tell when you talk. It feels like that kind of personality.
I can't imagine when and where I would wear it, but it is a scent that can be used for work or casual scenes. In the first place, it is not very diffusive, so it may not be noticeable to others. So I think it can be used to confirm your identity.
The bottle also gives off a "macho!!!!" vibe, with a duck on his bicep, strength and kindness are proportional, and assertiveness is the result of self-training, in other words, training, just like in sports. That's the feeling I get.
↑The striped border on this macho man's arm made me think, is this a challenge (or homage) to Francis Kurkdjian (a very famous perfumer) who created Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Mal perfume? (Because the Le Mal ad has a picture of a sailor wearing striped borders that expose his biceps) I don't know, but Maison Matin is a combination of "rebellion" and "morning", and they say they will create a challenging perfume that is different from existing perfumes, so I thought maybe that was the intention.
0 Comments
10
Pricing
7
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
9
Scent
SunShine1110

131 Reviews
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SunShine1110
SunShine1110
10  
Duck good... all good!
I admit it, I am a victim of the duck. I came across the fragrance through a YouTube video by Leni. The fresh scent immediately appealed to me, but when I saw the bottle, I was really hooked. The duck called to me... and the fragrance ended up first on my watch list and then in the shopping cart of a large online store.
As there is a 15 ml mini bottle, I dared to make a blind purchase... and I have not regretted it.
As soon as the cute little duck bottle arrived, the first splashes landed on my wrist.
Wow... what a refreshment. The fragrance gives me freshness, energy and subtle cleanliness for a whole working day without being citrusy.
It's spicy (ginger, pepper, sage), fresh (lemon, mandarin), green (coriander, vetiver), clean (musk), very slightly sweet (ylang ylang) and woody (cedarwood).
Somehow I also smell a slight tea note, although tea is not listed.
You feel fresh and clean in a natural way, without synthetics.
The sillage is medium, the longevity is not bad at all, I perceive it on the skin for about 7 - 8 hours. However, the first burst of freshness fades quickly, but a mini bottle like this fits perfectly in any handbag.
It's perfect for summer, but also offers pure refreshment and energy at any time of year.
If you like to smell fresh and clean without the usual floral accompaniment or synthetics, you should follow the call of the duck...
3 Comments
8
Pricing
10
Bottle
4
Sillage
4
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Sari85

16 Reviews
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Sari85
Sari85
4  
Great gym fragrance
I'm still very cautious when it comes to blindbuys. My first one was a complete miss. This was followed by a direct hit and here too I got carried away by the Leni's scents channel. I thought that the price was a bit too low if I was wrong. I find the Esprit de Contradiction very suitable for spring/summer. The first thing I smell is a pleasant lemon, which is not too sour and acrid and remains so throughout the fragrance. I was a little unsure about the sage in particular, but I think it gives the fragrance, together with the other spices, a nice twist and a pleasant spiciness. I find the longevity rather lousy, will try to pimp it a bit with my "Molécule 234-38 | Zarkoperfume". However, I have now found the perfect gym fragrance. I've always preferred not to use perfume in a full classroom, you don't want to annoy anyone. But I don't think you can go wrong here, you just smell nice and fresh and a bit special without annoying or penetrating your fellow human beings. Absolutely unisex with no tendency towards masculine or feminine.
1 Comment
10
Pricing
10
Bottle
3
Sillage
6
Longevity
9.5
Scent
MadameNicci

7 Reviews
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MadameNicci
MadameNicci
Helpful Review 4  
Surprisingly peppery
I bought this fragrance on recommendation. Cheap and a candidate for a "blind buy". No disappointment instead great love. Is very close to the skin and probably from third parties at a distance rather less perceptible.

The tangerine at the beginning is definitely there, then I take quite quickly the coriander, the ginger and also the beautiful pepper was. Especially from the pepper I am taken. Very pleasant. A fresh some also powdery creamy fragrance, but without heliotrope and iris. Rare.

The bottle is of course great made and the packaging only! Also very nice to give away!
1 Comment
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Statements

2 short views on the fragrance
DressUpWitchDressUpWitch 6 months ago
Forgettable and soapy. Masculine.
0 Comments
Lily3013Lily3013 3 years ago
5
Bottle
6
Sillage
4
Longevity
7.5
Scent
Like a walk in a floral spice garden - with freshness instead of sweetness. One of the best floral scents I know. Bad longevity.
0 Comments

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