M. Micallef
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The lemon and petitgrain burst with surprising vitality, sharp and aldehydic, but frankincense immediately pulls the composition earthward—suddenly you're not in a citrus grove but standing before an altar thick with resin smoke. The citrus acts as a clarifying agent rather than a dominant force.
Cedarwood and patchouli establish themselves with quiet authority, the woody accord becoming the fragrance's structural spine. Here, labdanum whispers in with honeyed amber undertones, and the composition achieves its most harmonious balance—smoky without being ashy, resinous without stickiness, with spice threading through like incense smoke itself.
The musk and ambergris settle into a intimate skin scent, the woody-smoky character remaining but now softened and deeply personal. What lingers is less fragrance and more the memory of having worn something significant.
Shanaan arrives as a deliberate contradiction—citrus brightness colliding with ancient temple smoke. Geoffrey Nejman has crafted something that feels less like a fragrance and more like entering a space where incense has been burning for hours, its resinous ghosts clinging to fabric and skin. The lemon and petitgrain opening is crisp, almost astringent, but within moments the frankincense emerges with tremendous presence, transforming those bright top notes into something shadowed and ceremonial.
This is where Shanaan reveals its true character: a woody-smoky composition where cedarwood and patchouli don't compete but rather deepen the incense's gravitational pull. The woody accord dominates at 100%, yet it never becomes linear or austere. Instead, the patchouli adds earthiness—almost damp, almost fungal—whilst the cedarwood contributes a dry, pencil-shaving quality that prevents the fragrance from becoming cloying. The labdanum in the base adds honeyed sweetness, a counterpoint to the smoky spice that threatens to overwhelm.
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3.8/5 (150)