Thursday, March 7, 2013

Parfums M. Micallef Rose Extreme Eau de Parfum

Martine Micallef has created a new rose fragrance - a special, sultry rose fragrance that has captured my heart. I'll bet many of you have never heard of it because it's not sold in major department stores, such as Neiman Marcus or Saks.

Parfums M. Micallef was created in 1996 by Martine Micallef, a beauty and wellness specialist and a passionate artist, and Geoffrey Nejman, a financial consultant. The M. Micallef brand was created from their love story and their desire to design luxury handcrafted treasures combining art and perfume. Today, their fragrances are available from 750 retailers in 39 countries - all highly selective retailers that specialize in luxury perfumes.

The first M. Micallef fragrances I purchased were Ananda and Ylang in Gold - both exquisite fragrances in beautiful hand-decorated bottles. I really must backtrack and tell you about them. I'll save that for another day. Today, I want to focus on the new Rose Extreme ($485, 50 ml). I requested a sample because I adore rose fragrances and have quickly become an M. Micallef devotee.

Intensely feminine, the fragrance of Rose Extreme is a combination of the best absolutes and essential oils of Bulgarian Rose, with a touch of peach and the scent of honeyed apricot from osmanthus. The top notes are Centifolia rose and osmanthus. The heart notes are peach, Bulgarian rose, iris, and pink clove. The base notes are sandalwood, musk, amber, and vanilla. All of the notes combine to reveal one of the sexiest rose fragrances I've ever worn.

Rose soliflores, perfumes designed around the rose, and rose-dominant perfumes are polarizing. While some consider them old fashioned or fussy, I love them. The Queen of Flowers, the rose, has always had a prominent place in my garden. I grow old roses, known not only for their beauty, but especially for their remarkable fragrance (something that has been bred out of most of the long-stemmed roses created for florists' bouquets). Perhaps that makes me an old-fashioned gal.

There is nothing old fashioned about Rose Extreme. With its peach and vanilla understory, it might be classified as a gourmand rose - almost edible in its attraction. It strikes me as an elegant sexpot - the kind of fragrance Jayne Mansfield would have worn. Every man's dream, if not his pinup, she was smart, voluptuous, and successful. Fast forward to today, and her appeal can be yours - with Rose Extreme. Isn't that why we wear perfume? To smell good to ourselves and others? If the others are men, so much the better [wink].

When I wear Rose Extreme, I want to dive into it. Each time I wear it, I spray some on my arm so that I can satisfy my nose. With every whiff, I think sultry. I hesitate to limit Rose Extreme by calling it a date-night fragrance, but I'm not sure you want to let loose its powers of attraction in the office. The rose is, after all, a symbol of love, beauty, and passion - and this one has an intense magnetism.

Rose Extreme's bottle, with its sensuous curves, is dressed in a beautiful coat of 200 glittering Swarovski stones. It is presented in a luxurious, lacquered wooden, white jewelry box. Everything about Rose Extreme and the experience of owning it, holding it, and wearing it is luxurious. If you love roses as much as I do, I'm sure you will find Rose Extreme to be a treat for all of your senses.

You can find it at Parfum1, one of my favorite online perfumeries. Their customer service is fabulous, an extra-added benefit of shopping with them. Luckyscent, where M. Micallef fragrances are sold, can special order it for you.

Photos courtesy of M. Micallef and m.bonhams.com

13 comments:

Veronica said...

This perfume sounds heavenly!!!! Thank you for such a wonderful description! Where could I obtain a sample? Also, where can these delightful fragrances be purchased?:). I sense a new obsession...:)

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Veronica,

Parfum1 will sell you a sample. I called them to check, so they are putting the sample price up on the Rose Extreme page. Look in about an hour.

http://www.parfum1.com/rose-extreme-perfume.asp?itm=MIC900174

Veronica said...

Thank you Charleston Girl! You are so sweet!! I cannot wait to try this one!! Your description of fragrances is spot-on and I always look forward to your fragrance reviews! Anything new and exciting on the horizon in terms of fragrance?

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Veronica,

As for new things...always!

Meredith said...

For those who live around the Seattle area, there is a wonderful perfume shop in the Alexis Hotel in Seattle that is run by a very knowledgeable woman named Nasreen. I believe she has a number of the Micallef Parfums and many others that are not sold in department stores. If you're in the area and interested, it's a fun afternoon as Nasreen will spend however long you need to find the one for you! Personally, I'm having a love affair with Chanel's 1932. The more I wear it, the more I love it. It's spectacular!

Lulle said...

I have tried a few fragrances by M. Micallef and I really loved them. They had so much depth, and they were so much more subtle than mass-market perfumes!

Charlestongirl said...

I've called that shop, Meredith! They have a lot of treasures.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Lulle,

It's an expensive habit, but so luxurious!

lovethescents said...

I'm ambivalent about this one. I have had no success at all with any Micallefs. The only one that showed moderate promise on my skin is the Ylang in Gold, with it's lovely coconuttiness...but alas, as with all the others from this range, it dried down to the typical, Micallef-house perfuminess....screechy and high-pitched on my skin. What a shame!

Anonymous said...

As a big M. Micallef fan (Hiver)and also a lover of everything rose, this is must have. One of my favourite spots to find indie or niche perfume decents--a great way to try an expensive perfume without the $$$ commitment--can be found at Surrender to Chance. This one sounds romantically delicious~

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Lovethescents,

I'm beginning to think you have very difficult skin. :)

Charlestongirl said...

Hi wwendalynne,

The prices are the only problem with Surrender to Chance. They do have a large inventory of samples and decants. You can do better by joining a Facebook fragrance group and buying from fellow perfumistas.

I think the $5 sample of Rose Extreme from Parfum1 is a great deal.

Anonymous said...

I love M Micallef perfumes and I found them in Dubai,UAE at Dubai Duty Free with nice price. If you live or flying by Dubai, it's cheaper than European countries. Good luck :)