Perfume Review: Micallef Vanille Aoud

I am rarely in a mood for vanilla. I am always in a mood for a fragrance that is masterfully built on an interesting contrast. In Micallef's Vanille Aoud, the contrast is announced right in the name. The sweet, milky innocence of vanilla is juxtaposed with the dry, dark sensuality of aoud. Vanilla turns aoud into a mouthwatering delicacy, while aoud turns vanilla into "the little deadly demon among the wholesome" vanillas. It is a very simple scent, all there is to it are two accords intertwining: one toffee-like, creamy and childish, the other slightly spicy, woody and the very opposite of innocent. A touch of citrus adds fresh tangyness to the blend that otherwise could have been too sweet. I would compare Vanille Aoud to a less saccharine and much lighter Matin Calin mixed with oud. It is a "not a girl not yet a woman" kind of perfume, the kind to which one feels almost ashamed to be attracted and yet can't help but be enthralled. This Dolores Haze of a scent seems to be one of the newest Micallef creations and will be available at Luckyscent in the near future. Image source is unknown, and I would be grateful if somebody could tell me who is the author of this photo of Natalya Vodyanova.

Perfume Review: Micallef Note Vanillee

Note Vanillee had to struggle against all sorts of odds to even be tested by the jaded little me. I don't like vanilla and I have been previously underwhelmed by Micallef's creations. But test it I did, and - you guessed it - loved it! Typically vanilla scents smell of mum's cooking, chidlhood memories, of cuddles and smiles and all things nice. Note Vanillee is not that innocent. In fact, she is a dirty little thing and doesn't feel sorry about it. What it smells like...it smells like Etat Libre d'Orange Jasmin et Cigarette with a generous dose of vanilla, rum and cognac added it to to make the brooding juice a lot more fun. Indolic flowers, cigarettes, booze and sweets... does it get any better? I adore the smoky, cheap-tobaccoey undertone Note Vanillee has on my skin. It smells like the morning after a very enjoyable night, the kind of night the memories of which make one blush and smile ear to ear as one struggles to get through the serious and mundane obligations of one's day... A very naughty vanilla for those who don't do vanilla. Available at First in Fragrance and soon Luckyscent.