Back in February, I took a bite from the M. Micallef Aoud Gourmet buffet, and I liked what I found:
“This is exactly what aoud needed — a spoonful of gourmand to help the medicine go down. The somewhat sharp and prickly initial phase of the complex aoud scent is both rounded and warmed by a layer of creamy, nutty frosting that downplays the negatives while still allowing the best part of the aoud (the resinous, smoky drydown) to shine . . . if you’re the woodsy & foodie type, this particular combination of sinus-wrenching aoud and rich, buttery sweetness hits a terrific balance, with nary a wobble on the highwire — though keep in mind that it’s not a total, full-on gourmand. Aoud as the featured scent note keeps the fragrance firmly anchored in the land of incense.”
Note the somewhat Arabic looking script on the package, as well as the symbolic “M” on the box and bottle. The M. Micallef brand was founded in 1996 by Martine Micallef and her husband, Geoffrey Newman, and though self-branded as a Paris perfumery, a significant retail (as well as fragrance development and packaging) focus of the brand appears to be the Middle East.
Out of the six boutiques listed on their website, two are located in Dubai and two in Abu Dhabi. The fragrance selection boasts several oud based scents, as well as a men’s seasonal line that includes the likes of Black Sea (named after a body of water bordering Turkey) and Red Sea (named after a sea that borders the Egyptian desert). The Micallef promotional material even states that they’ve developed exclusive fragrance collections for royal houses in the region, so I would say they’ve got a head start on the recent “Let’s Go to Dubai!” trend among Western perfumers and retailers.
Aoud Gourmet was introduced to the U.S. marketplace only this year, and is still not listed as an available product on the Micallef website (Perfume Intelligence states that it was first released in 2000, though I’m not certain that’s correct). When I took it for a test drive in February, Lucky Scent only had samples available, but the full bottle is now up and running and ready for purchase on their website.
While Pure Oud By Kilian ranks as my favorite of the oud-based scents I’ve tried so far, the Micallef Aoud Gourmet is a welcome addition to the oud genre. The sharp, almost medicinal “Hello!” that often turns Westerners away from oud as a fragrance choice is tempered by toasted, creamy notes that bring the composition into a pleasurable balance.
There’s still a whiff of medicine for the first hour, but the inclusion of sugary, vanillic essences (not to mention a very nice sandalwood) buffs its overtly ragged edges into a much more smooth and polished surface.
A reviewer at Makeup Alley writes that Aoud Gourmet, while eventually “warm and seductive” is simply too bold at the intro for her feminine tastes: “I love gourmands, but even the sugar, honey, etc. in this arent enough to make me want to buy or wear it. The aoud is very pronounced and overbearing at the start, it obviously softens over time and the honey and spices come and peek their head out. But I still dont think I can wear this. In fact I cant even imagine what type of woman could wear this.”
In other words, Aoud Gourmet is that new marketing beast known as a unisex fragrance, straddling the middle ground between feminine and masculine — which means that if you like warm, smoke and wood based fragrances, then you’ll stand a fairly good chance of liking Aoud Gourmet. If you’re looking for something flowery, sugary and/or girly, however, you’ll likely be disappointed.
Listed scent notes for Aoud Gourmet: sugar, marzipan, honey, spice, patchouli, cedar, cypriol, amber, sandalwood, cashmeran and musks. Despite the presence of sugar, marzipan, honey and amber in this list, Aoud Gourmet is really about the woods and creamy musks.
Something to think about: Cashmeran is a registered IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances) trade name for the synthetic compound 1,2,3,5,6,7-hexahydro-1,2,3,3-pentamethyl-4h-inden-4-one, and on the Aoud Gourmet box itself, the ingredients list includes Cinnamal (aka cinnamaldehyde, which is listed as a synthetic flavoring substance on the FDR website), Geraniol (aka 3,7-dimethyl-2,6 and 3,6-octadien-1-ol, another listed synthetic), D-Limonene (another listed synthetic), Linalol (another listed synthetic) and more — which kind of deflates the following Micallef statement included in their printed PR material: “Today, most aromatic substances can be manufactured in larger quantities and therefore more cheaply if done so synthetically . . . Micallef’s unwavering philosophy guarantees the refusal of these synthetically produced substances and uses purely essential oils only.”
If you parse the language used, Micallef doesn’t come right out and explicitly state that they use only all-natural oils (the phrase “purely essential oils” doesn’t mean “natural” or “organic” — in fact, it can be argued to mean whatever the writer wants it to mean), but I disagree with what appears to be an attempt to lead the consumer into assuming the brand operates under a “No Synthetics Allowed” philosophy, when that’s clearly not the case.
But minor language quibbles aside, the longevity for Aoud Gourmet is excellent — the scent lasts on the skin practically all freakin’ day, and its drydown (end phase) is wonderfully low-toned and barrel toasted. I’ve been wearing it every day for a couple of weeks, applying liberally (from six to ten sprays at a time), and while it’s a rich, deep fragrance, it never comes across as too strong . . . except for maybe the somewhat medicinal (camphorous?) opening. This settles down rather quickly, but I’d recommend spraying it on at least twenty minutes before leaving the house, just as a precaution against potentially overpowering any
toy dogs and small children in your vicinity.
To clarify: Aoud Gourmet is not harsh, but it is strong in its introductory phase as the above Makeup Alley reviewer noted.
The box for Aoud Gourmet is nothing special (thin, printed & textured cardboard), but the bottle is made of thick, hefty glass that displays a variance of rich color hues, and the Micallef symbol placed at the center of the bottle front is surrounded with appealingly colored crystals that seemingly light up from within. If you’re looking for a perfume package that makes for a dazzling gift, an M. Micallef bottle (once the cardboard box is torn open and thrown away) has a good chance of eliciting some appreciative ooohs and aaaaahs.
Another plus: the atomizer is excellent — the spray that emerges is fine and light, and there was zero problem with any of the liquid leaking down my hands. I’ve become so accustomed to leaky atomizers, even from higher-priced brands (hello, Nasomatto!), that I was genuinely surprised when this one functioned perfectly and I didn’t have to wash a rivulet of fragrance from my hands after applying.
Wrapping it up: 1.) pleasantly balanced oud with a lightly sweetened, toasted-smoke undertone; 2.) hefty, dazzlingly embellished, colored glass bottle; 3.) high quality, leak-free atomizer!
Fans of loud, “in your face” ouds might not find the subtly sweetened woods & smoke approach of Aoud Gourmet to their liking, but it’s a worthy oud to explore if you’re interested in the more densely layered examples of the genre.
UPDATE:
Confession: I gave a gift of M. Micallef Note Ambree to a good friend last Christmas, and 50% of the reason was the bottle. I know, I know — it’s what’s *in* the bottle that counts, but I knew that she would like a soft, feminine amber fragrance (she’s a girly-girl), and M. Micallef does have a reputation for quality work, but what sealed the deal was that gilded, painted, bedazzled glass bottle. It’s guaranteed to elicit a squeal of Christmas morning delight.
Marian Bendeth, a global fragrance expert and consultant, recently gave an interview to CTV about fragrance, how to wear it, the different genres — a straight-forward how-to. What struck me the most is when the television interviewer looked at the sampling of perfume bottles spread across the table to her right and said: “Half the time it’s not what’s in the bottle — I look at the packaging of it and think, ‘Oh it’s a gorgeous bottle and then, you know, this becomes my next signature scent.’”
Got that? I know it may send shivers down any self-respecting perfumer’s spine, but perfume needs to be beautiful in every aspect, not just in the way it smells but also in the way it’s presented. An unfortunate number of niche perfumers and/or independent fragrance companies don’t really understand that concept (or simply ignore it to their own detriment), but Micallef both understands and delivers.
UPDATE 2:
Brian at I Smell Therefore I Am, has a terrific blog post up addressing the lack of imagination in the marketing of contemporary perfume, including several spot-on observations about packaging. He also says some very nice things about this blog, but let’s just pretend that’s not why I’m linking his post . . . *ahem*
It’s definitely worth the read: An Open Letter to the Brilliant Men and Women in the Marketing Department
