Marc-Antoine Barrois Tilia: review of the floral fragrance of summer 2026
At Marc-Antoine Barrois, every fragrance bears the signature of a couturier: a precise vision, rigorous construction, and impeccable raw materials. Released in 2024, Tilia marks a turning point—the house's first floral, created by perfumer Quentin Bisch, it captures the radiance of happy days and the atmosphere of a stroll beneath blooming linden trees.
Marc-Antoine Barrois: the couturier turned perfumer
Marc-Antoine Barrois was born into an industrial textile family in northern France before training in haute couture—first at Dominique Sirop, then at Hermès under Jean Paul Gaultier. He founded his house in 2009. Since 2015, he has worked exclusively with Quentin Bisch on his fragrance line: a rare partnership in which two French artisans create each fragrance together, without production compromises. The collection features six fragrances. B683, Ganymède (three-time winner at the 2020 Fragrance Foundation Awards), Encelade… and Tilia, released in 2024 and honored at the 2025 FiFi Awards UK in the "Extraordinary Perfume" and "Independent Fragrance" categories.
Tilia: the olfactory notes
Top notes
Linden blossom, Jasmine sambac, Broom
Heart notes
Orange blossom, Heliotrope, Vetiver
Base notes
Ambrofix™, Georgywood
The experience of wearing it
Tilia is a fragrance that warmth reveals. On the skin, it evolves from a radiant floral into something more intimate—almost bucolic. Broom brings unexpected, slightly apricot-like nuances that give the linden blossom a depth absent from conventional florals. Quentin Bisch describes Tilia as "a radiant stroll beneath blooming linden trees": the image is apt. It is not a showy floral. It is an atmospheric fragrance that creates an aura around itself rather than imposing itself.
Sillage and longevity: what you need to know
Tilia is distinguished by an airy, refined sillage. Its projection is moderate to good—it is not a fragrance designed to announce itself from a distance. Its strength lies in its persistent, high-quality close-range sillage. On fabric, its longevity is excellent.
This intimate character is a feature to consider before purchasing: lovers of highly projecting fragrances will appreciate a generous application.
Who is Tilia for ?
Tilia is for floral lovers looking to move beyond mainstream rose and jasmine. Its woody-musky base makes it practically unisex. It is particularly suited to those who appreciate carefully crafted raw materials and compositions that evolve on the skin over several hours.
It is also a natural choice for summer: light without being fleeting, radiant without being sweet.
view our samplesTry Tilia as a decant
Testing Tilia before committing to a full bottle is a sensible approach—the fragrance only fully reveals itself after twenty to thirty minutes. A sample allows you to observe its complete evolution, from the radiant floral to the woody-amber base, before making a decision.
Maison Matheis offers Tilia as a decant, as well as the entire Marc-Antoine Barrois collection—including Ganymede, the leathery-spicy fragrance that established the house's reputation.
