M. Micallef
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Blackcurrant and saffron collide in a fruity-spiced greeting that's immediately jammy and slightly peppery, catching you slightly off-guard with its brightness. The oud lurks beneath as a shadowy presence, waiting.
The Rosa Centifolia emerges with honeyed, slightly animalic character, now intertwined inextricably with the blackcurrant's dark sweetness. The oud becomes more prominent, adding resinous weight and preventing the rose from becoming saccharine, whilst the saffron's warmth ties everything into a unified, complex whole.
White musk and sandalwood create a creamy, softly woody veil as patchouli grounds everything into the skin. The scent becomes noticeably more muted and intimate, retaining the rose and oud's whispered conversation rather than their earlier declarations.
Royal Rose Aoud occupies an intriguing middle ground between traditional rose perfumery and contemporary oud obsession—a fragrance that refuses to commit entirely to either camp. Geoffrey Nejman has crafted something decidedly unconventional: a blackcurrant-saffron opening that immediately subverts expectations of what an oud composition should be. Rather than the typical smoky, animalic oud bomb, this is a floral-fruity affair where the oud acts as a darkening agent, lending depth and a subtle woody undertow to what would otherwise be a straightforward rose fragrance.
The Rosa Centifolia provides the expected opulence—that slightly spiced, honeyed character that defines classic rose—but the blackcurrant refuses to fade into supporting notes. Instead, it creates an almost jammy quality, as though the rose has been stewed with dark berries and saffron's peppery warmth. This isn't a fragrance that whispers; it announces itself with fruity, slightly sweet declarations that soften the traditionally austere qualities of oud.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.9/5 (107)