The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
M+ arrived as a quiet entry in Mandarina Duck's fragrance line, a brand better known for travel goods and bags than for what's on the dresser. The label approached Véronique Nyberg to compose a scent that could carry the Mandarina Duck sensibility into olfactive form. Nyberg, working with a twelve-note palette that included black pepper, lavender, citron, grapefruit, cypress, iris, violet, tonka bean, cedar, vetiver, and amber, built a composition in the oriental woody register. The brief was implicit in the name itself: the plus sign suggests an extension, something added onto an existing idea rather than a reinvention. M+ reads as an attempt to take the brand's accessible, design-led sensibility and translate it into something wearable and aromatic.
What makes the structure interesting is the balance between aromatic and woody elements. The fragrance opens with black pepper and lavender, two notes that often anchor masculine-leaning compositions, then pivots into a citrus duo that keeps things lifted rather than heavy. At the heart, iris and violet do most of the structural work, with cypress threading a green, slightly resinous line through the floral powder.
The evolution
The first thirty minutes are where the fragrance announces itself most clearly. Black pepper hits first, sharp and slightly biting, with the kind of dry heat that prickles at the back of the throat. Grapefruit and citron arrive almost immediately, adding a bitter-edged brightness that keeps the pepper from feeling too aggressive. Lavender settles underneath, its herbal, slightly medicinal character softening the citrus into something more aromatic than sharp. It's a confident, almost bracing opening. By the one-hour mark, the citrus has settled and the heart begins to take shape. Iris comes forward with its powdery, rooty coolness. Violet adds a softer, more confectionary facet, like the smell of old lipstick or candied petals. Cypress threads through the floral core with a green, almost coniferous note that keeps the powder from going flat.
Cultural impact
M+ sits in an interesting position within the broader fragrance landscape. It's aromatic and oriental woody without leaning into the heavier, sweeter territory that those categories often drift toward. The black pepper and lavender opening gives it a certain sharpness that distinguishes it from the softer, more amber-dominant compositions in the same family. For people who want an oriental woody scent that performs well in cooler weather and close quarters, M+ offers a viable option. The cypress in the heart adds a green, slightly outdoorsy quality that reads as more architectural than organic.
The House
Mandarina DuckMandarina Duck is an Italian fashion house that began in Bologna in 1977, built around leather goods and travel accessories before expanding into fragrance. The brand takes its name from the Mandarin orange duck, a bird native to East Asia known for its vivid coloring, and this playful symbolism carries through everything the company produces. Their fragrance collection spans bold oriental scents like Pure Black (2009) and Black Extreme (2014), alongside brighter offerings such as The Mandariner for Her (2024) and Vida Loca For Him (2023). The house maintains a distinct personality that blends Italian craftsmanship sensibilities with an approachable, design-forward sensibility that distinguishes it from both mass-market and ultra-luxury fragrance houses.
The Creator
Jean JacquesJean Jacques favors classic bases built on fine woods, amber, and subtle florals. He often begins with a mineral or citrus spark, then adds a heart of rose or jasmine that sings under a warm, resinous dry-down.
