Milade by Guerlain was launched in 2006 as a fragrance unlike any other of its era. That year, at the Moscow Millionaire Fair—a glittering exhibition devoted to wealth, luxury, and exclusivity—Guerlain unveiled Milade as a bespoke creation designed specifically to captivate the house’s elite Russian clientele. Conceived by Sylvaine Delacourte, Guerlain’s artistic director at the time, the perfume was not sold in an ordinary bottle but presented in an extraordinary Baccarat crystal flacon accompanied by 23 refills. Together these amounted to roughly 1,800 ml of perfume, a lavish supply priced at €50,000. This presentation was not only a statement of luxury but also a reflection of Guerlain’s mastery at blending heritage, artistry, and exclusivity into a singular offering.
The name Milade itself was carefully chosen. Derived from Milada, a tender Slavic name, Milade carries connotations of sweetness, endearment, and feminine charm. In layman’s terms, the word may be pronounced Mee-lah-deh, with a lilting softness that evokes grace and affection. In Slavic languages, it is connected to ideas of youth, loveliness, and tenderness, often used as a name for beloved daughters. As such, the word conjures imagery of beauty, purity, and gentleness—an idealized vision of womanhood. For Russian audiences in particular, Milade would have evoked something both intimate and culturally resonant, a perfume name that felt personal, tender, and rooted in familiar linguistic traditions.
The timing of Milade’s launch was equally significant. The mid-2000s were marked by the booming luxury economy, particularly in Russia, where new wealth, oil fortunes, and a growing elite class were eager to showcase their status through luxury goods. This was the era of the “luxury explosion,” where limited editions, exclusivity, and high price points carried as much allure as the object itself. Fashion in the mid-2000s embraced opulence—furs, jewels, metallic finishes, and a return to maximalist glamour after the minimalism of the 1990s. Within perfumery, niche brands were beginning to rise in prominence, offering richer, more daring compositions than the clean, transparent perfumes of the late 1990s. Women of the time, particularly in Russia’s elite circles, would have perceived Milade as both a cultural homage and an ultimate luxury—a perfume that spoke to identity, power, and sophistication while existing entirely outside the reach of the average consumer.
Interpreted in scent, the name Milade translates into tenderness wrapped in opulence. Its construction showcased Guerlain’s finest raw materials: creamy sandalwood that added depth and elegance, radiant May rose that lent a classical floral heart, delicate violet for powdery softness, and vanilla for warmth and sensuality. These were enriched with spices such as caraway and cinnamon, adding vibrancy and fire, while a subtle coconut-tuberose nuance gave a creamy, exotic undertone. Critics noted that the fragrance captured something uniquely “Russian”—the flushed warmth of rosy cheeks after winter frost, the powdery sweetness of makeup, the rustle of furs, and the gleam of jewels under candlelight. At a time when some lamented that Guerlain’s modern releases lacked the richness and depth of its golden years, Milade was hailed as a return to form, a fragrance of true craftsmanship and unmistakable Guerlain quality.
In the broader context of the perfume industry, Milade stood apart. While gourmand perfumes and lighter fruity-floral scents dominated the mainstream market in the mid-2000s, Milade offered something altogether different: a lush, opulent, and unapologetically luxurious composition, grounded in classical perfumery but enhanced with just enough modern nuance to feel current. It was not aligned with prevailing trends but deliberately counter to them, existing as a statement piece meant for the very few who could afford it. In this way, Milade was less a reflection of popular fashion and more an assertion of Guerlain’s heritage as the ultimate purveyor of rare, refined, and enduringly beautiful perfumes.
- Top notes: cinnamon, cumin, coconut
- Middle notes: roses, violet, tuberose, frangipani, tiare
- Base notes: cedar, amber, vanilla, sandalwood
Scent Profile:
When first experiencing Milade, the fragrance greets you with a striking, almost theatrical opening. Cinnamon appears first—warm, resinous, and slightly sweet, its familiar spice enlivened by cinnamaldehyde, the molecule responsible for its piquant bite. It is not the bakery sweetness of cinnamon sugar but a velvety warmth that awakens the senses. Twining around it is cumin, earthy and dry, with its distinctive sweaty, animalic nuance from cuminaldehyde, adding depth and raw sensuality. Into this heat comes the unexpected softness of coconut. Its lactonic creaminess, rich in δ-decalactone, cools the spice with a milky sweetness, evoking exotic beaches yet here rendered elegant, a silken veil that tempers the intensity of the spice. Together, these top notes feel both fiery and tender—an opening that simultaneously startles and seduces.
The heart of Milade blooms with unapologetic richness. Roses dominate, not just as a generic floral but specifically May rose, the prized bloom from Grasse in southern France. Its essence is honeyed, velvety, and multi-faceted, rich in citronellol and geraniol, which provide its luminous freshness and faint citrus sparkle. Violet follows, powdery and nostalgic, driven by ionones that give it that tender, lipstick-like aroma—evoking memories of makeup compacts and violet pastilles. Tuberose rises more assertively, heady and narcotic, its indoles lending creamy voluptuousness, while frangipani and tiare add tropical opulence. Frangipani, with its almond-vanilla sweetness, carries a faint green freshness, while tiare, the Tahitian gardenia, is lush, creamy, and solar, enriched by methyl anthranilate, which imparts a sweet, grape-like softness. The combination of these white florals with rose and violet creates a heart that is voluptuous and radiant, at once classical and exotic—flowers warmed by the fire of spices, wrapped in velvet and silk.
The base of Milade grounds the fragrance in a sumptuous, lasting embrace. Cedarwood appears dry and elegant, its pencil-shaving crispness enriched by cedrol, which gives a subtle woody creaminess. Amber follows, warm and resinous, a blend of labdanum’s balsamic depth and vanillic sweetness, recalling golden warmth and skin kissed by sunlight. Vanilla itself is lush and enveloping, with vanillin and heliotropin amplifying its gourmand sensuality—yet never cloying, balanced instead by the woods. Sandalwood closes the composition with its soft, milky richness, particularly prized in its Mysore variety from India, where santalols give a creamy, slightly smoky sweetness unlike any other sandalwood in the world. In Milade, it is the anchor, enhancing both the spice of the opening and the florals of the heart, while harmonizing seamlessly with the vanilla and amber.
The interplay of naturals and synthetics makes Milade shine. Spices are sharpened by their key aroma molecules, florals are deepened with modern isolates that highlight their radiance, and creamy notes are amplified by lactones and vanillic compounds that extend their longevity. The result is a fragrance that feels alive—sensual, shimmering, and opulent. Milade does not just smell like a perfume; it feels like an atmosphere, one of warmth and abundance, conjuring visions of fur stoles, glowing jewels, and the flushed radiance of cheeks warmed after the frost.
Bottles:
The perfume Milade was given a presentation as extravagant as its composition. At its heart was a monumental 500 ml Baccarat crystal flacon, a vessel that embodied the artistry and prestige of French crystal-making. Baccarat had long been associated with Guerlain’s most exclusive creations, and here the house’s craftsmanship elevated the fragrance into a collector’s object of desire. The bottle’s clarity and weight conveyed permanence, a sense of owning not just a perfume but a symbol of luxury at its most absolute.
Accompanying this grand centerpiece were 23 refill flacons, designed to ensure the fragrance would last for many years. The refills were carefully apportioned into three 30 ml vials and twenty 60 ml vials, together totaling a staggering 1,800 milliliters of perfume. This immense quantity was more than a lifetime’s supply, emphasizing the rarity and exclusivity of the commission. Unlike ordinary perfumes sold in modest volumes, Milade was created for the few who could afford to indulge endlessly, a private treasure intended to be savored over decades.
The entire set was offered at the astonishing price of 1.7 million rubles, or approximately $57,885 at the time. Such a figure placed Milade among the most expensive perfumes ever made available to the public, transforming it into a statement piece as much as a fragrance. More than a simple scent, it was positioned as an objet d’art, a symbol of refinement, excess, and Guerlain’s commitment to maintaining an aura of unattainable luxury for its most privileged clientele.
Photo from parfumanechka.livejournal.com
