Avant L’Orage, French for “the calm before the storm”, is a perfume poised between action and rest. The sense of suspense is teased by sensual jasmine sambac in a vanilla haze of benzoin and tonka bean. Sandalwood and musk prolong the milky mellow.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is the scent of a room that has gone suddenly still, where conversation drops to a murmur and attention sharpens. It suits close quarters and intimate company, projecting a soft, skin-level sensuality rather than a loud entrance.
How to wear
Best in cool to mild weather, when its creamy woods and tonka can stay smooth without becoming heavy. A light hand is enough: one or two sprays will give a soft, milky trail that sits close to the skin and gains warmth as it settles.
Who it’s for
For those who like modern woody gourmands with a sensual, understated edge. It will appeal to wearers drawn to creamy textures, jasmine warmth and soft sandalwood rather than sharp freshness or dense sweetness.
Release year
2020
The nose
Philippine Courtière. Courtière’s style here leans into contrast: airy brightness against creamy depth, with a restrained sensuality that keeps the composition modern rather than heavy. In Avant L’Orage, she shapes the idea of stillness before impact through jasmine, vanilla-toned warmth and a soft woody trail. Known for composing fragrances that feel clear, tactile and narrative-driven, Courtière works well in the kind of contemporary, concept-led perfumery Maison Matine favours. Her role in Avant L’Orage is to translate an emotional state into a wearable structure, letting the milky sandalwood and tonka linger after the initial tension has passed.
Collaborators
Maison Matine’s founders, Marie Kellou and Arthur Ponroy, helped define the brief and creative direction, steering the fragrance away from conventional luxury codes toward a more playful, unisex and emotionally direct expression. The house also works with an all-female team of international illustrators who shape the visual identity around the scent.
Maison Matine’s story
Maison Matine is a French house built around simplicity, independence and creative freedom. It rejects perfume clichés of opulence, sexism and excess in favour of inclusive, unisex compositions, sustainable packaging and a light, rebellious spirit that feels contemporary rather than formal.
Avant L'Orage’s concept
Avant L’Orage belongs to Maison Matine’s Origine Collection, the brand’s debut line of unisex eaux de parfum launched in 2020. The name means “the calm before the storm,” and the scent is built around that suspended moment: tense, quiet and sensual, with jasmine, vanilla, tonka and sandalwood creating a soft, milky haze.
Extra info
Avant L’Orage means “the calm before the storm,” a name that neatly mirrors the fragrance’s suspended, anticipatory mood. It is part of Maison Matine’s Origine Collection, the house’s debut line of six unisex eaux de parfum.
Avant L’Orage, French for “the calm before the storm”, is a perfume poised between action and rest. The sense of suspense is teased by sensual jasmine sambac in a vanilla haze of benzoin and tonka bean. Sandalwood and musk prolong the milky mellow.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is the scent of a room that has gone suddenly still, where conversation drops to a murmur and attention sharpens. It suits close quarters and intimate company, projecting a soft, skin-level sensuality rather than a loud entrance.
How to wear
Best in cool to mild weather, when its creamy woods and tonka can stay smooth without becoming heavy. A light hand is enough: one or two sprays will give a soft, milky trail that sits close to the skin and gains warmth as it settles.
Who it’s for
For those who like modern woody gourmands with a sensual, understated edge. It will appeal to wearers drawn to creamy textures, jasmine warmth and soft sandalwood rather than sharp freshness or dense sweetness.
Release year
2020
The nose
Philippine Courtière. Courtière’s style here leans into contrast: airy brightness against creamy depth, with a restrained sensuality that keeps the composition modern rather than heavy. In Avant L’Orage, she shapes the idea of stillness before impact through jasmine, vanilla-toned warmth and a soft woody trail. Known for composing fragrances that feel clear, tactile and narrative-driven, Courtière works well in the kind of contemporary, concept-led perfumery Maison Matine favours. Her role in Avant L’Orage is to translate an emotional state into a wearable structure, letting the milky sandalwood and tonka linger after the initial tension has passed.
Collaborators
Maison Matine’s founders, Marie Kellou and Arthur Ponroy, helped define the brief and creative direction, steering the fragrance away from conventional luxury codes toward a more playful, unisex and emotionally direct expression. The house also works with an all-female team of international illustrators who shape the visual identity around the scent.
Maison Matine’s story
Maison Matine is a French house built around simplicity, independence and creative freedom. It rejects perfume clichés of opulence, sexism and excess in favour of inclusive, unisex compositions, sustainable packaging and a light, rebellious spirit that feels contemporary rather than formal.
Avant L'Orage’s concept
Avant L’Orage belongs to Maison Matine’s Origine Collection, the brand’s debut line of unisex eaux de parfum launched in 2020. The name means “the calm before the storm,” and the scent is built around that suspended moment: tense, quiet and sensual, with jasmine, vanilla, tonka and sandalwood creating a soft, milky haze.
Extra info
Avant L’Orage means “the calm before the storm,” a name that neatly mirrors the fragrance’s suspended, anticipatory mood. It is part of Maison Matine’s Origine Collection, the house’s debut line of six unisex eaux de parfum.