The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Santorini isn't just a name here, it's the brief. The fragrance was built around that specific hour on a Greek island when the afternoon heat starts to loosen and the evening brings color back to the whitewashed buildings. The brief called for something that made you feel like you were taking a journey every time you sprayed it, and the perfumers Roger Howell and Frank Voelkl translated that into a formula that moves from bright citrus to soft florals to a warm woody close. The number 138 is the address, a location, not a concept.
What makes this composition work is the way the fruity top notes don't compete with the florals, they transition. Apple and mandarin arrive crisp and vivid, but within the first hour they're already yielding to lavender and jasmine, which carry the middle of the wear. The nutmeg in the heart is the quiet workhorse here: it adds a subtle warmth that stops the florals from going soapy, keeping them grounded and slightly spiced. By the time sandalwood and amber arrive in the base, the fragrance has shed its brightness and settled into something quieter, more intimate.
The evolution
The opening hits immediately, grapefruit, apple, mandarin orange arrive together in a burst that's almost effervescent. For the first 20 minutes, it's the most outgoing this fragrance gets. Then the citrus recedes and the florals take over: lavender first, then jasmine threading through with a clean sweetness that feels Mediterranean in the most straightforward way. Nutmeg is the surprise, it's not loud, but it keeps the florals from going powdery in the wrong direction. By hour two, the base notes arrive. Amber and patchouli come in warm and resinous, sandalwood adding a creamy woody underside. The drydown is where this fragrance becomes itself. The sillage drops to intimate, you're the only one who can smell it by hour four or five, but what remains on skin is a soft, warm closeness that feels like the end of a good evening rather than the beginning of one.
Cultural impact
138 Santorini sits in the middle of the Mediterranean summer fragrance conversation, not as aquatic as some, not as heavy as others. The grapefruit opening puts it in the same family as some higher-profile releases, but the lavender-jasmine heart gives it a softer, more floral character that sets it apart. Wearers describe it as the scent of someone on vacation, relaxed and present, not trying to fill a room.
The House
Michael MalulMichael Cinco is a Dubai-based fashion house that expanded into fragrance, translating its haute couture sensibility into a growing perfume line. The brand releases span floral Eaux de Parfum like Siesta Key and Upper East alongside lighter Eaux de Toilette including Sea + Zephyr and Ktoret 138 Santorini. A numbered M series arrived in 2024 with seven compositions, while the Ktoret line continues with releases like 508 Nightfall. The fragrance arm is developed in collaboration with perfumers including Frank Voelkl, Richard Herpin, Alexis Grugeon, Gabriela Chelariu, Gil Clavien, and Roger Howell, bringing established industry names into Cinco's couture world.
The Creator
Roger Howell & Frank VoelklWith over three decades of experience across multiple market segments, Howell works fluidly across categories, from fine fragrance to functional scent. He favors warm, resinous bases and has a particular affinity for constructing fragrances that deepen over time on the skin—a…
