Maison Matine – Rebel Perfume

Marie Kellou and Arthur Ponroy are the founders behind the exuberantly awake perfume house Maison Matine. Inspiration for their scents comes from their everyday lives, and their creations explore their existence and surrounding world using creativity, playfulness, and respect as tools.

This house dares to experiment, discover, and look for meaning in all things great and small. We ask the founders to tell us how they would describe themselves as fragrances. Once again, their playfulness becomes apparent in their answers: “Like a gourmand, because I love cakes!” Arthur says. Marie fills in with her description of her fragrance-self: “Solar and spicy.”  

Note-wise, the house is not afraid to give extra attention to the unconventional. Arthur grew up in the west of France, in Brittany, and his early olfactory memories center around the area he grew up in – the scent of wet sand and the sea in the early morning. In particular, he thinks sea-scent is one of the most underrated notes in perfume: “Sea and metal,” he says.

One of the most cherished scent memories for Marie comes from her childhood as well: tomato leaves from a garden in her childhood town of Vance, in the south of France. When we ask her what her most underrated scent is, she says “Artichoke – quite an unusual note: slightly sweet, earthy, and green.”

“I love green notes.” Arthur says. “How they can add a natural feel to scents, especially basil and mint. That’s why I like to use our fragrance Nature Insolente: that scent reminds me of when my parents were getting ready for dinners with friends,” he continues. Marie also highlights Nature Insolente as a favorite among their scents, saying that it, at the moment, best represents her personality. 

Personality is precisely what the house Maison Matine offers – both in its team (where they also highlight their creator Mathilde as playing an important role) and in their fragrances. “Rebel Perfume” is the term they use to summarize themselves: free-spirited, cheeky fragrances, made for – and with – a world in motion.