Jewel for Him M. Micallef 2011

I love Jewel for Him and find it to be one of Micallef's best efforts. It is not going to win any innovation awards, and the $245 US price tag is more than a bit off-putting. That said, the scent takes the best elements of a couple fragrances I like, but don't love -- Voyage d'Hermes with a hint of Invasion Barbare, and IMO couples them near-perfectly,the collective improving on them both to my nose at least.

Jewel opens with hints of citrus, primarily orange and grapefruit, then a beautiful cedar note emerges to create the heart of the scent mixed with a hint of herbal goodness. Finally, the dry-down is primarily incense, with hints of clean musk mixing with the remaining cedar to finish things off. All of this is classy, subtle and extremely wearable. Projection and longevity are both average.

If you are looking for a challenging scent look elsewhere, but if looking for a super quality, well-made scent that you can wear casually, in the boardroom or anywhere and everywhere else, Jewel for Him is versatile enough to more than get the job done. Do try to find it at a reduced price if you can, as yes, Micallef did price this one too high, IMO. That said, the scent is a 4 star out of 5 winner and is highly recommended to all.

Jewel for Him by Micallef is a soft, luminous, slightly “glueish” and waxy woody scent for men, with a nice aromatic spicy accord (cumin, quite sweet and almost reminding of curry), citrus, and a woody accord comprising mostly vetiver, then cedar. I don’t get much oak moss honestly, rather a generic and synthetic dark woody shade on the base, that sort of rubbery note you find in hundreds of masculine scents since some years (I guess it’s due to norlimbanol or something similar). Nothing great, but simple, pleasant, bright, really clean (even somehow soapy), reminding of several traditional “gentleman’s” woody colognes with an Oriental touch (like Ho Hang by Balenciaga) – just more thin, modern and dry. I don’t get the similarity with Terre d’Hermès initially, while on the drydown I admit it’s quite similar – I get mostly “fresh” Iso E in fact. Safe and versatile in pretty much any circumstance, quite dull and not the most original around, but nice enough. Pretentious crazy price (but who isn’t among niche scents...).

6/10

Great scent reminding me a tiny bit of TdH with lots ISO E Super and the orange replaced by grapefruit that gives it a kick and afterwards ending on a peppery woody cedar base with musk, cardamom and traces of incense.

Some time ago, I was at a meet-up with other fragheads and from the 60+ fragrances we tested, this one really stood out to me. I asked the owner if I could have a small sample for further testing, to which he politely agreed. About one month later, having tested it several times, I knew I had to have it.
It's a very fresh spring and summer scent, super classy, office suitable and very versatile. Admitted, the retail pricing at around $200 for 100 ml may be a bit over the top for a scent that in many ways is a niche version of TdH eau Tres Fraiche, but if you find it anywhere for a reasonable price I can highly recommend it.

As others have mentioned, the "rich mans TdH" is not totally off, though I'd prefer this to TdH.
A great piece of work from Msr. Astier.

The sharp-fruity and spicy-aromatic-peppery opening smells almost like solvent for a few seconds. Then, sharply sour bergamot briefly dominates. But the fruit retreats within half a minute to a fragment of itself, and the spices evoke a swimming pool ambiance that I have only known with the involvement of rosemary or its closer relatives (see "Piper Nigrum" or "Uomo" by Lorenzo Villoresi). Here, it seems to arise particularly due to the now astringent bergamot and the spiciness of pink pepper, as well as probably one or two complementary herbs (laurel?).

However, after just a few minutes, a first nutty vetiver breeze mixes in and temporarily flanks the pink pepper. Unsupported, I would also have guessed some addition from the conifer corner that goes beyond cedar. Perhaps pine. Or the cedar has not contributed only its wood. I imagine something with a slightly medicinal sting. Aha: The bathing hour was of a medical nature, and now the treatment continues?

No, it comes to an end and vetiver takes over. As it progresses, it remains true to the once chosen line and stays in the un-earthy area. We will get to the topic of earth shortly; someone else is responsible for that today, and in a roundabout way. First, the emergence of a dark wood note must be mentioned, which we also need now.

After almost two hours, I am reminded of truffles. Jewels of the earth. From my own experience, I only know such an official pyramid part so far from "Oxford Street" by Hugh Parsons. The direct comparison reveals no major parallels overall; the exception is this one, specific point. I estimate that in both cases, alongside the dark wood (heroically called "oud" in Hugh Parsons), musk is significantly responsible for the noble mushroom idea. There seem to be musk-heavy aroma combinations that smell surprisingly similar to truffles or their form as truffle oil - at least for me. Lômusk by Santi Burgas illustrates this truffle connection well through its concentration on musk. Without, however, any corresponding indication being listed - in other words: probably unintentionally. As a side note: Lômusk offers a terribly cheap variant and is therefore a recommendation only as a study object, not as a perfume.

The dark woody-truffle impression, which could also be rounded and made elegant by benzoin in Micallef, lasts for hours. However, the musk does not merely play the role of a supporting actor; it also emancipates itself over time and eventually creams the building block mushroom itself. It will - to preempt this - also conclude the scent in the evening. Long story short: I find the truffle almost on par with the vetiver.

Only in the afternoon can I approach the idea of a "drunken" scent described below, as Jewel for Him actually gets a touch of, for example, dry port wine. Or a robust fine red. With a portion of cork, which is undoubtedly due to the wood. Interestingly, on my skin, that green-fresh vetiver twist comes through for the first time, which is probably attributable to vetyveryl acetate and already gave the Guerlain classic its freshness (the experts may correct me if necessary).

By evening, Jewel has indeed become very subtle but still brings a final, beautiful variation with a scoop of smoke. The grand finale is played - as mentioned - by "ordinary" musk.

An original and recommendable scent. I thank MisterE for the sample.

The women's fragrance Jewel - now also available under the name M Micallef - is one of the most expensive and beautiful perfumes from this brand. The opulent Micallef style is maintained in the best possible way here, and I somewhat regret that the outrageously jewel-encrusted bottle of the original version has fallen victim to budget cuts or marketing or both in the meantime.

Be that as it may - the counterpart for men raises expectations, and high ones at that. Does the well-known Micallef opulence continue here? Or did they opt for an alternative?

The opening already announces a somewhat different style. There are sharp, peppery notes - one can expect a rather slim, assertive character: a perfume with bite! Alongside the spiciness, a bright patchouli note emerges, which initially seems to point in an oriental direction. But it doesn't take long for Jewel for Him to reveal itself as - Vetiver!

Now that's a surprise - nice to see that Micallef is also tackling this theme. Many brands have at least one vetiver in their lineup, and somehow they are all derived from the classics of the 1950s, from the great vetivers of the brands Caron, Givenchy, and especially the successful fragrance from Guerlain.

Just recently, Lubin also renovated its "Le Vetyver" and introduced the variant Itasca, which has received a lot of attention on parfumo. Itasca is far removed from the classics; it has a - I would say - alcoholic side, which I described in my comment: iridescent, sparkling, but also with a sharpness reminiscent of mustard.

I'm not quite sure if this can really be expressed well in words - it's a new vetiver style, and the dedicated perfume enthusiast will want to experience it.

With Jewel for Him, Micallef picks up on what Lubin recently showcased with Itasca. I welcome this - this new style can still accommodate several interpretations. Therefore, I do not wish to have Jewel for Men understood as a plagiarism, but rather as an independent contribution to a new theme.

Jewel for Men is also what one can beautifully refer to in English as "boozy." However, compared to the Lubin fragrance, a slightly different spiciness has been chosen here - sharper and slimmer. Micallef has managed the little feat of creating a slim fragrance while still not completely forgoing the typically oriental aspects that are so characteristic of Micallef. A bright, gentle patchouli note engages in a lovely dialogue with the drunken vetiver at times. And a bit of benzoin in the base may also contribute to the volume.

Lubin's Itasca does not have that; it takes other paths. Itasca is a loud fragrance - for Lubin, the new vetiver style has been fully developed. Volume comes there through nuances that remind me a bit of the distinctly masculine perfumes of the 80s and 90s, such as in the style of the exuberant aromatic fougères. Micallef can do without that; it wouldn't fit the style of this house. Lubin's Itasca is the blockbuster that one should get to know - but Micallef's Jewel for Men could be the fragrance one chooses for the long term.

Of course, I own Itasca - but when I have worn it occasionally, that is enough for me for a long time. Ultimately, it is too distinctive in its nature, too expansive, and too demanding. I find Jewel for Him significantly more wearable. The "booziness" is somewhat less pronounced, the spices have bite and make the fragrance even slimmer, and the patchouli is the certain extra that provides a complexity that the excellent Lubin fragrance may not quite match.

For the sake of completeness, another comparative fragrance should be mentioned: Jasper Conran's "Mister" can probably be considered the progenitor of the "drunken vetiver" direction, but it is even darker and more macho than Itasca.

Which of these fragrances deserves preference cannot be said in general terms. It has something to do with whether one prefers - metaphorically speaking - loud or quiet music.

Jewel for Him is priced at just under €200, placing it in the upper range of the Micallef lineup, thus costing more than twice as much as the mentioned comparative fragrances. I might make a rare exception for Jewel for Him from my principle: I never spend more money on a perfume than Guerlain charges for its best fragrances.