Geoffrey Nejman and Martine Micallef Tax Free Week in Cannes 2016 photo via Instagram @azatyangevorg
Is it possible to distill 20 years of success into a single fragrance or to relive and repackage time in an exquisite, hand decorated bottle? In celebration of their 20th anniversary M. Micallef has done just that. With the release of the newest fragrance in their Collection Exclusifs line – 20 Ans – Creative Director and designer Martine Micallef, perfumers Geoffrey Nejman (her husband) and Jean-Claude Astier have poured two decades of experience, luscious gourmands, translucent florals and distinctive oudy beauties into yet another gorgeous flacon. 20 Ans, inspired by the past, explores a new future, a complex fragrant paradise of exoticism and elegance.
Pomelos by Gail apped by MC
20 Ans opens with a breath of my favorite citrus – the pomelo. My first whiff immediately recalls the soft pink pith and the sweeter than grapefruit taste of the luscious pomelo flesh. I love this fruit so much that I can devour an entire good-sized pomelo all by myself – in one sitting – and still want more. 20 Ans gives me just a little taste of this citrus before a seductive blend of mysterious fruits suffuses my skin with a fresh golden glow. A discreet use of davana (Artemisia pallens) adds further depth and color to the composition.
Laetitia Casa for Vogue Paris Age of Innocence
Davana, as an essential oil, is not only popular as a perfume ingredient but also as a flavoring for bakery products and beverages. In traditional aromatherapy and Ayurvedic medicine davana is considered an anti-depressant and aphrodisiac. The oil is reported to relieve depression and stress, helping people recover from shock and trauma and promoting relaxation. I have my own anecdotal evidence to prove this. My husband’s first comment when I wore 20 Ans was that he found the perfume to be very relaxing – and he promptly gave me a passionate kiss!
Forbbiden Fruit Pascal Flor apped Mc
In perfumery davana is used to soften the sharp edges and deepen the rose in rose geranium. It sometimes manifests as a plum or grape tone or smells like sweet, fresh cut hay. Davana can also add depth to woody notes, impart a cognac or fermented character to various aromas and color a composition with a rich, rosy hue. In 20 Ans, davana adds a full-bodied, honeyed dimension to the exoticism of the fruit and spice, heightening the already warm, lush effect of the orange flower, jasmine, vanilla and caramel.
Model Veroiek Gielkens “Forbidden Fruit” Avante Garde Magazine 2011
The fragrance is at once exhilarating and sultry, comfortable and exotic, with a sillage that is quite flirtatious while remaining polite. The complex structure of 20 Ans dries down and finishes, after several hours, with Micallef’s signature, oudy accord that I love so much.
Detail of M Micallef 20 Ans bottle by Michelyn
The new 20 Ans by M. Micallef is relaxing, luxurious, sultry and full of understated sensuality, a fragrance that shimmers with a kaleidoscope of olfactory effects.This is a perfume reflecting light through the snakeskin patterned bottle, offering a tantalizing and seductive aroma that could easily be the scent of the original forbidden fruit.
Fragrance Notes: Bergamot, nutmeg, exotic fruit, white rose, davana, orange flower, jasmine, geranium, patchouli, caramel, vanilla, precious wood, white musk
Disclosure: I received my bottle of 20 Ans from Parfums Micallef. (Many thanks for this beauty!) My opinions are my own.
Gail Gross — Sr. Contributor
Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief
Gail’s collection of M.Micallef Perfumes
Editor’s Note: It is no secret how much both Gail and I love M. Micallef’s fragrances, and on a personal note, I would like to take this opportunity to offer my best wishes to my friends-in-fragrance, Geoffrey Nejman and Martine Micallef. For our readers who are not as familiar with the brand despite the many reviews on ÇaFleureBon, the brand is difficult to find in the US but sold in over 900 boutiques worldwide. I am always perplexed that M Micallef is not carried in high end luxury specialty stores. M. Micallef was the first niche perfumery to use oud in their compositions in 1996 and all the fragrances are composed in Grasse. It always surprises me that readers haven’t tried the House but you you can buy sample sets from their site for around $25. If you live in the US and want to try 20 Ans it is available at luckyscent.com-MC
Thanks to the generosity of Parfums Micallef, we have a 100 ml bottle of 20 Ans for one registered reader worldwide (be sure to register or your comment will not count). To be eligible, please leave a comment with what appeals to you about 20 Ans based on Gail’s tempting review, where you live and if you have a favorite fragrance by M. Micallef. Join us in wishing Martine and Geoffrey twenty more years of success. Draw closes November 7, 2016.
We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume