NEW FRAGRANCE REVIEW Parfums M. Micallef Ylang In Gold + Gold Dust Woman Draw

I am not a visual person when it comes to perfume. I don’t care about the bottle, not that I won’t notice a particularly striking one. I don’t care about the color of the juice. Nope all I care about is how it smells. I look across my shelf of lab samples and decants and sigh contentedly as the only sense in play for me is my nose.  I know that is not true of everyone and there are those among you for whom the visual aspects add a significant amount of enjoyment to your fragrant experience, I’m just not one of them.

If there is one perfume house which might get me to change my mind it would be Parfums M. Micallef as I have noted their fancy flacons in passing. At this January’s Elements Showcase they finally showed me something which did tickle my optic sweet spot. Their newest release is called Ylang In Gold and infused in the juice is 24K gold dust and pearlescent particles. When you hold it up to the light and shake it up the particles swirl in a mesmerizing glittering pattern. When sprayed on your skin it leaves a bit of that sparkle on your skin. If that was all there was to Ylang In Gold it would be interesting but the perfume holding all the shiny particles shines all on its own as Ylang In Gold is one of the best fragrances in the entire Parfums M. Micallef collection.

Martine Micallef has proven her talent time and again but for a fragrance named Ylang In Gold there is no ylang-ylang note. Instead Mme Micallef uses a clever combination of mint, muguet, and magnolia to create the ylang accord. Before we get to that combination in the heart the top notes are a triptych of herbal notes sage, rosemary, and artemisia. This leads to the ylang in the heart which is sweetened further by coconut. Like other fragrances which use other notes to create a familiar accord much of the pleasure in the heart is enjoying the leisurely unraveling of the ylang into its components. The magnolia is what is left standing as we move to the basenotes. Ylang In Gold ends on a bed of moss surrounded by musk.

Ylang In Gold has outstanding longevity and average sillage.   

I have thoroughly enjoyed wearing Ylang In Gold on these early spring days. It is not a floral powerhouse as the herbs on top and the moss and musk surround the ylang making this a very restrained floral. It is also a complex piece of perfumery as kinetically evolving as the particles infusing it. For those who love visual and olfactory it is a complete package. Even for me the fragrance by itself is a complete triumph by Mme Micallef.

Disclosure: This review was based on a lab sample supplied by Parfums M. Micallef.

Thanks to Parfums M. Micallef we have a 5mL sample of Ylang In Gold. To be eligible leave a comment naming your favorite M. Micallef fragrance or your favorite artistic effort which has “Gold” in the title. I’ve been humming Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman” while I’ve been wearing this. We will draw one winner on March 19, 2012 via random.org.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilt perfume.

Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

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45 comments

  • Micallef has a number of fabulous fragrances, my favorite(s) are Mon and Ananda, i would most definitely love to try this one. Also their bottles are beautiful.

  • M. Micallef’s Patchouli is one of my favorites, a sophiticated patch with a lovely drydown.

    I also loved the Solid Gold Dancers from the old television show. 🙂

  • Martine Micallef is even more beautiful in person, and I love Gaiac.
    I am from California so I’m partial to all art depicting the california gold rush.
    This perfume bottle is quite amazing!

  • Neil Young “Heart of Gold” is fantastic. I have to admit that I normally don’t admire bottles (most stay hidden in a drawer in their original box), but this is gorgeous. Thanks for the draw!

  • I’m not one for ogling perfume bottles either, I’m all about the juice. That bottle is eye candy. One of my favorite paintings by Joan Miro is called L’oro dell’ Azzurro or “The Gold of Azure”.

  • Lovely review! The perfume must be amazing. I am a James Bond fan and have to say “Goldfinger” is one of the best JB movies made !!

  • My favorite is also Patchouli. Reminds me of my college days in the seventies. Thanks for the draw.

  • I’m more about the juice than the bottle too, but this is gorgeous. Golden Years, David Bowie. Thanks for the draw!

  • hotlanta linda says:

    The song “Gold“ from John Stewert – Stevie nicks sings back-up!! 🙂 Plus Bowie`s “Golden Years“and the theme to 007`s “Goldfinger“- Shirley Bassey RULES!! 🙂

  • My best perfume house ever!! My most precious perfume is Ananda!! Hope to win and try this new one.really hope so..

  • tomatefarcie says:

    Too bad that none of Gustav Klimt’s paintings have gold in the title—they would be my favorites. So one with “gold” in the title, Jan Vermeer’s “Woman Weighing Gold.”

  • Ylang In Gold sounds great; cannot wait to try it. Vanille Aoud would be my favoriter.

  • Amouage Gold Woman is a favorite perfume, I haven’t had a chance to try any perfumes from Micallef yet!

  • The first artistic work associated with ‘gold’ to me is the song Jerusalem of Gold.
    This perfume sounds amazing! Please count me in the draw. Unfortunately I have not had a chance to sample Micallef fragrances, though I do like to read reviews and sample vicariously!

  • I love the idea of that snow/ gold globe bottle, so decadent that it is real gold dust in there. My two favourites from Micallef are Mon Parfum and Black Sea. This one sounds wonderfully spring-like, and with all the talk of spring and gold, I got to think of Frost’s poem ‘nothing gold can stay’. Thank you for the draw.

  • Wow, that is a gorgeous bottle! My favorite from the line is Mon Parfum, although there are several I haven’t had a chance to try yet.

  • I’ve not yet smelled any by the line, but Ylang in Gold sounds terrific.
    I’m humming one of my favorite songs by Pete Seeger sung by Eva Cassidy – “Oh, Had I a Golden Thread.”
    Thanks for the draw!

  • Sounds like a great fragrance! Not familiar with Micaleff line yet.

    Gold-den Eye by Tina Turner is a song I truly love. <3

  • Favorite M.Micallef is Gaiac, and a great song with Gold in the title is Silence is Golden by Garbage.

  • Artist: Sam Sparro, lyrics Title: “Black And Gold” . my favorite perfume from M. Micallef is “Rose Oud”.

  • Stunning bottle!

    So far my fave Micallef scent is Yellow Sea, but Ylang in Gold sounds delicious.

  • I guess what I find interesting is the Daring Gold Salvador Dali fragrance, and I think perfume can be considered an artistic effort.

  • Gorgeous perfume bottle! I have not had the pleasure of experiencing any of M. Micallef’s creations so I unfortunately cannot comment on a favorite. I do however love the song “Fields of Gold” by Sting. Thank you for the drawing.

  • Oh, such wonderful eye candy! I haven’t experienced any of M. Micallef’s creations yet, however, I am certainly learning about many I would love to try… I think I’ll listen to Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush while I dream of winning and wearing Ylang in Gold! Many thanks!

  • I love the song “Fields of Gold”, as many have said before, but my favorite rendition is the one sung by Celtic Women in celtic style. Really nice!

    Thanks for the draw!

  • Neal Young’s “Heart of Gold” ! I have only had the pleasure of trying one of M. Micallef’s perfumes, thanks to a generous friend, Ananda. Must say I Love It! Great review, and Thanks to all for the draw!