GNTONIC by M. Micallef

A sparkling opening that mimics an herbal liqueur, not a Gin & Tonic. Half an hour in, the undisclosed iris blends with ginger and valley lily, turning it feminine, like a hand cream. If you think it’s masculine, Andrés Croxatto will scold you. I’m washing it off; I won’t buy it, and if someone gifts it to me, I’ll leave it in the plastic for a fool. Advice: never buy it blind. If you’re looking to smell like a sixty-something party lady, there are worse options. Why settle?

It’s a powerful perfume, but one that shatters good expectations. If you had high hopes, prepare to be disappointed. It smells like pure field grass, it’s average, almost leaning toward bad. The price is that of a great fragrance, but it has nothing to do with the quality.

I bought it solely because of the name, my favorite drink, and fell victim to marketing. But with over 250 fragrances in my collection, I can say that from the very first sniff, the rest is history. It’s nothing groundbreaking or innovative, yet I loved it so much that it became my most-used scent over the last 12 months, until I bought another bottle. It feels more masculine, evoking a classic fougère, perfect for the contemporary gentleman. It’s crowd-pleasing, everyone loves it, and its performance exceeds the average for its fragrance family.

I think the name is a bit misleading; I would have called it Lemon Cocktails because the opening reminded me of a sweet, minty mojito, then it shifts to a Gin Tonic with a salty, icy note. Performance is good: it lasts 10 hours and projects for 6 to 8 hours, changing to a cocktail vibe around the 3-hour mark. It gave me a strange sensation: the opening and heart are 100% summery, but the balsamic, amber dry down makes it better suited for late afternoon to carry you through the night, rather than as a fresh daytime scent. 9/10.

I think the name is a bit of an overstatement; I’d have called it Lemon Cocktails because the opening smells like a mojito with that sweet, minty blend that then yields to a salty, icy gin tonic. Performance is excellent, lasting 10 hours with 6-8 hours of projection, as if it’s switching cocktails every three hours. It gave me a strange sensation: while the top and heart are 100% summery, the dry down turns balsamic and amber, so it’s best used for a strategy starting in the afternoon and ending at night to get the most out of it (9/10).

The M.Micaleff house isn’t usually my thing since they don’t take many risks and their creations tend to hover around a 7/10. But after trying GNTonic, drawn in by the gorgeous bottle, wow, anyone who isn’t head-over-heels for citrus has fallen hard. It opens fresh, slightly bitter, fizzy and cool, yes, with a touch of masculinity. It’s potent and doesn’t evaporate quickly like most citrus scents; it has body and character. The other notes form a melody that elevates those citrus notes to their peak without leaving them alone. In the dry down, it’s an effervescent gin with lemon, pepper, and ginger, with just the right sweetness and a barely perceptible woody halo that holds everything together. It has become totally unisex, the perfect fragrance for summer. It’s casual for everyday wear, but not for sports settings; it deserves a certain class and distinction to wear, and for it to bring you along with it.

Excellent fragrance that handles the heat with ease and is a truly exquisite scent.

Reminds me a lot of Dior Homme Sport 2012. Opens with spicy ginger and bright citrus, then that bitter gin sensation with pepper and mint, earthy and spicy touches. Closes with clean, musky cedar. It’s realistic, vibrant, and has decent performance.