Majda Bekkali sounds like a magical spell to me.. This is a name of a very creative and passionate lady, born in Morocco. And this relatively new fragrance house is with us since 2009.
As soon as I close my eyes I can instantly envision the beautifully shaped bottles. They are like stones – so smooth and sleek like the ones caressed by the constant movement of waves… And those colourful ‘stones’ fit your hand perfectly, just like a favourite mug, the one and only… Now, the scents that fill those gorgeous bottles are purely exceptional pieces of art. Each one of them is telling a different story, with passion for life pulsing through..Thanks to Esxence perfume exhibition in Milan, I now have a chance to try a few of the fragrances encased in those precious bottles. It’s like going down the rabbit hole of raw materials, as one perfume is more delicious than the other… And I ended up loving them all!
In order to get a full experience, I usually try to devote a whole day to sample one fragrance. It is a slow process but I do enjoy it.. I enjoy spending time with that perfume, listening to its story, watching how it develops on my skin, how long it lasts, and even how it suits (or doesn’t suit) that particular day. So, with my eyes closed, I started my journey with this French perfume house Majda Bekkali…
The first blind pick was Fusion Sacree Obscur. And wow what a surprising fragrance this is! I got a punch of peppery spicy ginger, which then softened as it acquired gentle floral sweetness… It felt like tasting caramel and sniffing ginger at the same time! Fusion Sacree Obscur is a very complex scent, full of surprises and unexpected turns.. It is a very pleasant scent, nonetheless. I had a feeling of sniffing something oudy, animalic, packed with rum and coffee, too.. The dry down eased off into a very attractive incense-like sandalwood.. This powerful bouquet lasted on my skin the whole day, definitely more than 12 hrs, and I never wanted to stop sniffing my wrists… Fusion Sacree Obscur – your best friend by day and your secret passionate companion by night…
Fusion Sacree Clair I would call the morning version of Obscur. It felt like a happy scent, packed with citruses and mandarins, tuberose, and coffee. The peppery notes were there, yet they were not overpowering.. More like gently presenting themselves and moving on… Sweetness was the center piece of this fragrance… Juicy, fruity, floral sweetness. I loved the calmness and innocence of this scent, too. Clair has a slightly shorter longevity and projection than Obscur, and it is way more suitable for office wear. I would call Fusion Sacree Clair the younger sister of Obscur – happy and sparkly like a fresh fruity wine…
Mon Nom Est Rouge was another totally different experience. The one I never wanted to end.. More than 12hrs in, I could still feel it on my skin… Every time during the day when someone passed me, I could feel the little whirlpools of my scent in the air… Every time I passed by an open window, it was as if my skin got an extra boost to lift the fragrance off and bring it to my nose.. Mon Nom Est Rouge is truly something magical. Whenever I would think of the most beautiful lady passing by me, this would be her fragrance.. To me it smells like the most elegant, kind, gentle woman… She is wearing a beautiful flowing dress, her hair is waving in the air, and her eyes are smiling… This kind of fragrance stays with you the way you never want the relationship to end… This scent makes me feel at home. Rose, amber, spices, and smoke… The way all the ingredients have been blended together created a living scent… A masterpiece, to me… And it is my favourite from this perfume house so far… Also, it is as much of an instant-love like it was with Amouage Women collection…
The next two creations came out in 2010. They are the closest to being original starter scents! So, I am digging into my wrists, with J’ai Fait Un Reve Obscur on the left and J’ai Fait Un Reve Clair on the right.
On the left I am met with a gentle aroma of slightly peppery woody softness… According to the notes, the scent is filled with cedar, cashmere, saffron, vanilla, and jasmine… One hour in I am greeted with a soft woody skin scent – J’ai Fait Un Reve Obscur projection is not carrying very far. To my mind, this fragrance is very suitable for a day wear – smokey, oudy-type soft wood aromas are not overpowering. They are more caressing and enveloping me in a cashmere jumper! Later on the fragrance settles on my skin and the cedar makes it a touch slightly to the masculine side. But I am loving it! It is a wonderful scent!
And on the right I get a punch of sweet citrusy florals with J’ai Fait Un Reve Clair. The notes quickly change to a slightly spicy woody aroma which feels sweeter, younger, and more joyful than J’ai Fait Un Reve Obscur version… One hour in, and I am enjoying the sweet delicate notes of jasmine and leather… It is such a soft blend, suitable for a lovely sunny day. Also very wearable in the office, as its projection is very low, close to the skin.
I thought that the longevity of both fragrances will be on the weaker side (3-4 hours) just because they felt quite soft and the projection was very close to the skin. How wrong I was! More than 10 hours later I could still feel both of them on my wrists! And the pleasure they give, to me, equaled bliss… ❤
On one hand, it is so unfortunate that these scents are so rare and future admirers cannot just pop into a closest perfume store to sniff them. But, on the other hand, I am very pleased they are not so easily available…. What ever is mass-produced usually looses its authenticity, exclusivity, and heart… These precious bottles from Majda Bekkali house are all hand made…. And they are all polished to perfection, for the bottle has to be smooth and it shouldn’t have sharp edges at the base… So, whenever you can find Majda Bekkali perfumes, don’t walk past them. Try them. Give them time. Fall in love with them…
During my travels, I found this perfume house only at Creme De La Creme shops in Lithuania.
On the official Majda Bekkali website, Purs – Sens is the go-to online store for your purchases.
Jovoy Paris is another very reliable website.
Both websites offer 2ml sample testers, along with full size bottles. 50ml bottle comes from 89 euros, 120 ml comes from 189 euros, plus delivery.
For a delivery to Ireland, it would cost an extra 25 euros. An investment, for sure!
Testing these samples was very enjoyable. I wish to thank Majda Bekkali from my heart for this beautiful sample sellection ❤ also, their representative Charbel whom I met during my visit in Esxence 2018 in Milan.
Prices are correct at the time of writing this post. Thoughts and words are my own.
Bonjour Perfume 