Floral No 11 by Jean-Claude Astier for M. Micallef 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Heya Bargain Hunters,

Do you ever spend an evening trolling the fragrance discounters? Sometimes, after a windfall or I’ve paid all my bills, I set myself a budget and go hunting. A few weeks ago I did just that. there were a couple of things on my list to definitely find a good priced version of but there was about $70 spare by my reckoning to take a chance with.

Floral No 11 by M. Micallef 2009

Floral No 11 M. Micallef FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, galbanum
Heart: Rose, jasmine, geranium
Base: White musk, woody notes

M.Micallef’s Floral No 11 is the most ridiculously bargain priced scent for a real hark back to perfumes of days gone by. When I first sprayed Floral No 11, from the very first spritz, I felt like I was visiting an old friend. The galbanum/bergamot opening sequence like a chilled out version of CHANEL No 19, imagine #19 the morning after a really fun party, she’s washed and dressed with her usual attention to detail but her hair is a loose ponytail instead of a French twist, to her sharp chocolate/grey suit and ice blue shirt she has added a fabulous over the top Pucci scarf and an inch of heel. She is still impeccable but free-er, warmer and more human.

Floral No 11 M. Micallef Jasmine Flower DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Then, instead of heading for the cool aloofness of iris and narcissus our girl has taken a right hand turn into geranium territory, a spicy, flirty and welcoming combo with jasmine and rose. Jasmine plays peek-a-boo through the heart, you smell it and adore its slightly indolic magic and then it’s gone, you forget it and some time later get a waft of its breathiness again. There seems to be a honeyed/animalic note almost from the beginning waft, could it be the way galbanum, jasmine and musk are playing or is there a groaning whisper of honey? Around the hour mark we are in hefty vintage-fragrance sensual mode, I’m probably way wrong but there seems to be some notes missing in the list and if you told me this naughty little baby was from 1960 I would believe you. I don’t understand why this is not talked about. How is it not thought of as a modern perfumista masterpiece?

After around 4-5 hours I am left with a pretty wash of flowers, musk and woods. Nothing groundbreaking or earth shattering but a good, solid, wearable close that makes up for its lack of outrageous by being comfortable and very easy. That sounds like a slur but it’s not, the fireworks have happened earlier, now we can all relax and hang out. Imagine being so comfortable in couture that you could have a ball, rather than being constrained by going to a ball. That’s how I think Floral No 11 feels.

Christian Dior: Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture S/S 2009Photo Stolen Luxussilk

FragranceNet has 100ml refills around $20 before discount coupons! (I paid just over $15 with the DCRT3 21% off coupon)

I hope you enjoyed my finding you a secret budget fragrant champion. Sometimes we are incredibly lucky.
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

20 thoughts on “Floral No 11 by Jean-Claude Astier for M. Micallef 2009”

  1. It is so much fun to find a bargain perfume that you like. Even better if it’s something that’s easy to wear. No.19 was never one of my favorites because it seemed so cold. This sounds more wearable.

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  7. Has anyone out there ever worn Trigère? If so, how does this compare? (Whoops, a little couplet.) I’m looking for something nice and grassy, but rich, since my parfum is almost gone. A bargain price would be ideal.

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      • It’s the long-discontinued perfume from the late designer Pauline Trigère. My mother got some in a 1980s version of Birchbox, and I’ve loved it ever since. Mine is almost gone. (I’ve been using it very rarely, since I’ll be sad to smell the last of it.) It smells like freshly-cut damp grass, and I think there must be some light florals under there, but I can’t identify them. It isn’t particularly flowery, though, or sharp like Silences, or fruity like Aperçu. I’m not enough of a gambler to take a chance on the murky-looking vintage edps I’ve seen for sale. Sorry to veer so far off-topic. Your description of the opening of #11 as green, but sort of soft and casual, made me think of Trigère.

        Fragrancenet also had Micallef #21 for sale. Did you try that one?

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        • WOW! I’m glad to read of this lost in Antiquity masterpiece. Have you checked the sample stores like Surrender To Chance? They may have some. Also, are you on Facebook? Facebook Fragrance Friends is a good place to ask for old stuff, there are some incredible collectors there.
          I did grab some 21 too but haven’t given it a proper go yet.
          Portia xx

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      • I’m not on Facebook, but nobody online seems to remember it. The only place I’ve found it listed is on that Fragrances of the World thing that finds you three similar perfumes; two were also discontinued, and the only information I can find on the third is that it’s from 2001. Maybe Trigère just wasn’t that great. Not everything I fell in love with as a teenager has stood the test of time.

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