M. Micallef | The Scented Hound

August 20, 2013
by The Scented Hound 12 Comments

Rouge No. 1 by M. Micallef

This past June, M. Micallef launched two fragrances as part of their Art Collection; Rouge No. 1 and Rouge No. 2. It’s always good to start at the beginning, so today I’ll be reviewing Rouge No. 1.

WHAT I SMELL: Rouge No. 1 opens with a tangy peach that is quickly overtaken by beautiful ylang-ylang. The peach keeps the florals slightly at bay with a bit of a bite. But Rouge 1 is not shy and it eventually starts pumping out a milky warm and inviting floral bouquet that is thick and almost slightly honeyed, which I believe is the vanilla at play. Wrap this all up with a white musk base and you have a fragrance that doesn’t develop all that much, but provides you with a floral loveliness with some lasting longevity and some pretty big projection.

From the 2013 M. Micallef Art Collection press release:

Head note: peach, tangerine – Heart note: ylang-ylang, rose, jasmine – Base note: white musk, vanilla, benzoin.

Floral-fruity eau de parfum, Rouge n°1 combines delicious yellow fruits and a generous bunch of flowers heart, warmed by the vanilla and white musk base.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The large bouquet in a formal foyer of a beautiful home. It’s beautiful, inviting and welcomes the visitor in.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ROUGE NO. 1: proper, elegant, warm

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ROUGE NO. 1: As the Micallef Art Collection was released this past June, I was not able to find any other reviews.

BOTTOM LINE: Another beautiful perfume from the house of M. Micallef. There is some similarity here with one of my all time loves, Givenchy Ysatis, although Rouge No. 1 seems to exist in more of a subdued gauzy haze vs. the louder and sharper edges of Ysatis.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Floral Fruity
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $245 for 100ml EdP

Sample provided by Hypoluxe, official distributor of M. Micallef products.

May 16, 2013
by The Scented Hound 10 Comments

Le Parfum Couture by Denis Durand for M. Micallef

WHAT I SMELL: The newly released Le Parfum Couture has a bright opening of cinnamon and tangerine where the mix is slightly medicinal. Quickly the middle notes (rose, orange blossom and honey) circle around in a warm thick haze of oudish gourmand goodness. At this point, Le Parfum Couture is incredibly lovely and I have to say it is my favorite part of the olfactory journey. The fragrance then comes out of it thicket of juice and becomes lighter, with almost a tinge of incense with an ever so slight metallic edge (in this case that’s not bad). The patchouli then starts to reveal itself and what was once exotic now somehow becomes familiar. I think it’s the sweet amber that reminds of me another fragrance, but I can’t put my finger on what. In the drydown, Le Parfum Couture is a nicely sweet woody amber fragrance.

Le Parfum Couture Notes:

Head Notes – Ceylong cinnamon, Italy tangerine

Heart Notes – Bulgaria rose, orange blossoms, honey and animalis

Base Notes – sandalwood, patchouly, amber and white musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A bee drenched in the juice of a honeyed flower.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE LE PARFUM COUTURE: sweet, alluring, inviting

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE LE PARFUM COUTURE: That Smell, Kafkaesque, Chemist in a Bottle

BOTTOM LINE: Le Parfum Couture is very appealing, even though it might be a bit sweet for my taste. It is one of those fragrances that I see as being very versatile in the fact that it is wearable for day or night and in warm or cold weather. Overall, a nice effort from Denis Durand and Martine Micallef.

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $190 for 50ml EdP

Disclosure: Sample for review provided courtesy of M. Micallef Parfums.

November 12, 2012
by The Scented Hound 15 Comments

Gaiac by M. Micallef

WHAT I SMELL: Goes on herbal and astringent to the skin. It smells of bergamot and light jasmine and an almost brown sugar sweetness that’s slightly spiced by the clove. Gaiac to me is a very different fragrance and I’m sure that I am smelling the gaiac wood, but I’m not familiar with what that smells like so I can’t say for sure, although as it starts to dry down a bit of sourness comes forth, almost oud like in its composition. Gaiac is a vetiver fragrance in its best form in that it’s not green, but more woody in its dryness. After a good 45 minutes Gaiac completes its transformation and what you’re left with a sweet honeyed vanilla that is incredibly pleasant.

Gaiac Notes: bergamot, jasmine, cloves, gaiac, vetiver, vanilla

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A medieval forest tinged with sunlight.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE GAIAC: ancient, otherworldly, sweetened

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GAIAC: I Smell Therefore I Am, Confessions of a Perfume Nerd, Nathan Branch

BOTTOM LINE: This was a very pleasant surprise. I could see this as a future full bottle purchase. And if you’re not a big fan of vetivers like myself, this restores my faith in the vetiver note.

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Woody
Nose: Martine Micallef
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $90 for 30ml EdP