MAJDA BEKKALI
Mon nom est rouge

2012

PERFUMER
Cecile Zarokian

LEMON
ALDEHYDES
ELEMI
PINK PEPPER
PEPPER
METALLIC NOTES

GINGER
CUMIN
CARDAMOM
CINNAMON
GERANIUM
TURKISH ROSE
FRANKINCENSE

AMBER
TONKA BEAN
CEDARWOOD
LABDANUM
PATCHOULI
SANDALWOOD
vanilla
musk

Mon Nom Est Rouge is my second foray into Majda Bekkali (after the popular Fusion Sacree Obscur) and definitely the one that made the best impression. Which shouldn’t be a surprise given a familiar DNA that Cecile Zarokian seems to have included here… more on that in a bit.

Sharp, tangy, medicinal incense with a lovely citrussy edge. It really feels like a good blend of the incense, elemi and ginger. You get a lot from the spices, but (luckily) not an overdose of cumin or cardamom to me. Or at least, they come across very aromatic and different than in a lot of cumin -or cardamom-heavy fragrances. Besides, you’re distracted from it, as the fragrance lets the incense shine from the very start as well, so there’s a lot to take in for your nose. I almost didn’t register the strong floral, rose core of the fragrance up until that moment.

Mon Nom Est Rouge is often and rightfully compared to Cecile’s Amouge Epic Woman (or Epic 56), as it does give a similar experience. While Mon Nom Est Rouge didn’t instantly register as ‘another Epic’ to me, the same feeling it creates in the air, especially during the mid of the wear, is undeniable. I walked to my car a 3 hours into the wear and could’ve fooled myself that I was wearing my Epic 56.

Yet, I do find substantial differences as well, especially in the opening minutes and after some hours, or when smelling my skin up close. Mon Nom Est Rouge is featuring the incense significantly more prominently, to the point that I didn’t notice the Epic-vibe right away. As it dries down, the Majda Bekkali grows much sweeter, and sooner. Both in the incense way, with a fruity edge, but also with some of the labdanum coming through. It’s an interesting mix of the sweeter side and the overall more refreshing vibe. Of red and green.

Epic 56 is firmly in my top 10 fragrances of all time, so obviously Mon Nom Est Rouge was an instant love as well. Some people seem to find a redundancy there, but given my love for the DNA, the sweeter incense-heavy take would gladly be given a place in my collection as well. Maybe it will one day.