The other day I reviewed Rouge No. 1, part of the new M. Micallef Art Collection.  I loved Rouge No. 1’s floral beauty…let’s see what Rouge No. 2 has in store…

WHAT I SMELL:  Rouge No. 2 opens with sweet black currant cut with bright citrus notes.  It’s tangy, sparkling and zesty.  You can smell a tinge of nutmeg which gives it an undercurrent of cinnamon like spice.  Quickly, the florals make their way in.  At first I get more violet which is then taken over by a wonderful jasmine.  The base notes bring some nice depth into play with sweetened and warm vanilla and amber.  After around 20 minutes, Rouge No. 2 becomes more full-bodied and begins to expand.  There is almost a gourmand sugary sweetness that sits on top of the florals.  It’s sweet, but not syrupy…it’s what I would call more of a sophisticated sweet.  In the end, Rouge No. 2 radiates its gourmand beauty with a large projection that lasts for hours.

Rouge No. 2 Notes:

Top notes are citruses, black currant and nutmeg; middle notes are jasmine, violet and orchid; base notes are vanilla, labdanum, amber and castoreum.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Cake.  Not literally; but its yummied goodness makes you want to cut off a big piece and eat it!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ROUGE NO. 2: big, sugared, gourmand

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ROUGE NO. 2:  Olfactoria’s Travels, Cafluerebon

BOTTOM LINE:  Where Rouge No. 1 sits more on the sophisticated side, Rouge No. 2 sits more on the wild side.  Its full-bodied sweetened goodness doesn’t allow for it to be shy.

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

THE DRAW:  The good folks at Hypoluxe, the U.S. distributor of M. Micallef fragrances have offered 10 5ml sets of Rouge No. 1 and Rouge No. 2 to my lucky U.S. readers.  That means all winners will get one of each!  Each 5ml fragrance comes in its own cute little bottle and accompanying bag!  To enter, please leave a comment as to which M. Micallef Art Collection perfume, Rouge No. 1 or Rouge No. 2 , intrigues you the most and why.  Also, be sure to state that you are a resident of the United States.  The drawing will close at midnight Eastern Standard Time on August 31, 2013.  The 10 winners will be chosen at random.  Good luck with getting your rouge on!!