Chopard Rose Malaki

Packaging and presentation: 8/10 Comes in a simple cardboard box, nothing fancy. The bottle is beautiful, very elegant, thick glass, the attention to detail is amazing, but the sticker with the name looks kind of out of place in comparison, almost cheap. The cap is heavy and clicks on snug enough to pick the bottle up by it but only the exterior ring is metal. The sprayer is quite small but it works relatively ok,I wish it was a bit stronger. Longevity and projection: 5/10 Lasts 5-6 hours on skin with 3 sprays on the neck and one on the shirt, but it has only about 1 hour of maybe elbow length projection, so this one is basically only for the person wearing it and anyone getting intimate with them. Smell 8.5-9/10 If it were just the opening id say a better name for the fragrance would be "saffron Malaki" it opens with a very leathery, very dry saffron blast, and the rose is more of a supporting note along with cyprus and papyrus (isn't the official notes but this is what I get). I wouldn't even call it sweet, it does have a tinge of sweetness at the very back but it's mostly very elegant and dusty. Puts me in mind of a rose flavored Turkish delight type candy, very soft, very dusty but really well blended, it feels like it all fits together where it should be. In the dry down the rose starts gaining prominence along with the greener cyprus, remaining very dusty and elegant and Id say even becoming a bit dark. I prefer the drydown but it is pretty weak at that point so there is my biggest problem with it. It is at the same time clean and high class but a bit abrasive and even edgy, at all points it is incredibly masculine (this doesn't happen very often, but I honestly cannot imagine a woman pulling this off, which is quite unusual for a rose based scent). Id say it's a fragrance for the office but of someone like Bruce Wayne, rich but dark and mysterious. Id say all it's for seasons but summer, it's a bit do dry and dusty for that. Also I believe the complement factor is pretty much close to 0, very advanced fragrance that won't be mass appealing, and therefore don't do what I did and blindbuy, I liked it but I can see many people really not, so try before you buy. All that said I cannot believe that juice of such quality is so cheap, so overall id say it's really worth trying at least.

This Malaki line from Chopard continues to impress me. I think it's clear that it was put together in response to the Swiss Arabian Malaki series, and wasn't made for the American (or maybe even the European) market. To me, Rose Malaki is more complex than the notes in the list. Rose, for sure, but it's not a jammy one. There is saffron, and it's on the leathery side of the note. I also get musk and vanilla. The cedar is there and it's a very woody one, almost in the direction of oud, a little bit of that sour/pissy note that we can also smell in a lot of the Dior ouds, though not as pungent as theirs. The coumarin/vanilla I smell here balances out the leathery and woody aspects of the fragrance without pushing it into gourmand territory. The rose is powdery as opposed to jammy too, though this maintains a wetness, almost toward aquatic, and doesn't go the dry powder route. Overall a complex and beautiful fragrance that I am sure will be polarizing-- my favorite kind. Some will not like this as it isn't the usual fruity/floral rose that is more popular these days. It's Middle Eastern in style for sure so if that's your thing you won't be disappointed.

First of all I would say please disregard any comment that says this does not have rose in it (they may have bad batch or a fake) because rose is what hits first in it. And it smells supper natural. This has only a few notes and I can pick all of them plus more for things that might not have been listed. This is one of the most beautiful interpretations of rose I have ever smelled. The smell is like if you are passing by a rose garden. It is very nice and fresh but it won't go too deep that smells like rose water which I don't like at all as a fragrance note. Then wood settles in which is again beautiful atlas cedar smell and very natural. And saffron is the one that if you know how it smells you will pick it up otherwise you will pick it up as a leathery note and marries the other two together. Overall, although I was not holding my hopes high since this was a rose fragrance but now that I have it and smell it, I love it. It's different from any other fragrance that I have ever smelled or have. Give it a try if you like to experience a beautiful interpretation of rose.

Rose/saffron dominant, rose especially in opening. Not very oud-y, although it has a woody "oud-like" vibe. Most "oud" perfumes don't really have oud, just a combination of notes that create that smell and this has that. This is a very safe bet for rose/saffron lovers. Lots of saffron. It has leather but it is well blended and doesn't shout "leather" but it is definitely there. This is almost like an Arabian perfume "light". It isn't light by any means but isn't AS strong as perfumes of this type tend to be. But it definitely has plenty of strength. But more wearable for people who don't like the blow you out of the room rose ouds. Seems like it would be a good starter fragrance into the middle eastern style. Bottle is nice, nice heavy metal cap, but ruined by the paper label. Not sure what they were thinking on that. It should have been metal. It ruins the entire look and feel of the bottle. Other than that, no real complaints. Nice fragrance.

This was mentioned by someone who I find to have excellent taste as a good choice for people who can't afford Amouage's Lyric, so I decided to throw a bottle in my Middle Eastern Ebay basket. I'm quite glad I did. It opens with gorgeous, rich saffron, smooth spices and dried rose petals. The heart is lush, smoky, spiced, subtle rose on a base of cedar, wood and a very light handful of patchouli. Everything about this is subdued - no screechiness or loud notes. It's a rose fragrance that any man could easily wear as well as a woman. Rose Malaki smells quietly wealthy. Sillage on me is moderate for several hours and then soft for several more.