With Hypnotic Musk, the fragrance house Micallef is back on the fragrance diary stage after a somewhat longer absence. Almost two years ago, my last contribution to the French niche fragrance brand from Martine Micallef and Geoffrey Nejmann, which celebrates its thirtieth anniversary next year, was Top fragrance for hot summer days – GnTonic by Micallef. Insane, isn’t it? This means that we are dealing with real old hands in a business where it feels like new, young brands are trying to conquer the market every week. Micallef does not focus on hip and stylish, but rather preserves the values of traditional perfumery and combines them with innovative creations. Martine Micallef and Geoffrey Nejman attach great importance to the use of natural ingredients and French craftsmanship.
While some of its fragrances have classic elements, the Micallef brand is known for its artistic approach and the creation of unique, often avant-garde perfume compositions. This is also evident in the handcrafted, artfully designed bottles that make each perfume an individual work of art. Each individual bottle is finished with great attention to detail in the company’s own workshop in Grasse. Martine Micallef emphasizes the exclusivity of her fragrances with selected materials, gold-plated stoppers, crystal elements and elaborate lacquering. No two bottles are exactly alike – and that is what makes them so special.
Hypnotic Musk – Powdery-fruity dream
Hypnotic Musk is the latest addition to the French label’s collection, which comes in a spring-like, matte pink. The angular shape is typical of Micallef’s Jewel Collection, which also includes the Royal Muska, Royal Vintage, GnTonic and EdenFalls creations. The front is characterized by the classic Jewel Collection mosaic, which is individualized for each fragrance. In the case of Hypnotic Musk, it consists of small, rose gold mirror plates, which are intended to lend the bottle both elegance and modernity.
Perfumer Thierry Romeo was responsible for the creation of the eau de parfum. The French perfumer can look back on a successful career in the perfume business. From 2004 to 2015, he worked as a perfumer at Argeville, a fragrance manufacturer based in Grasse in the south of France, where Micallef is also based. In 2018, he founded his own company, Romessence, where he has been working as an independent perfumer ever since. He was already working for Micallef before Hypnotic Musk. He also created DesirToxic L’Intense. For the latest composition, he combined the ingredients iris, bergamot, raspberry, ginger, lychee, violet, caramel, musk, vanilla, sandalwood and ambergris.
The opening of Hypnotic Musk combines the greenish-tart, tangy nuances of bergamot with juicy red raspberries and transparent powdery iris, resulting in a spring-like, fresh and cheerful melange. As the fragrance progresses, I perceive the lychee as a tart, sweet fruitiness, while the violet provides additional powdery power. The fragrance has a very soft, molecule-soft effect, in which gentle, velvety sandalwood facets and a fine, crystalline musk fluffiness are added as the fragrance progresses. Hypnotic Musk gradually fades away with delicately fruity and cotton-soft nuances.
If you like enveloping, seductive, feminine and fluffy-powdery creations with deliciously sweet fruit and berry accents and a clean, soft musk finish, Hypnotic Musk by Micallef is just right for you. At times, the composition is difficult to grasp and synthetic, but at the same time has a medium presence and good longevity. Perfect for the warmer months of the year, for spring and summer and wearable for any occasion. Who already knows it? How do you like Hypnotic Musk?
Be First to Comment