Melón MaloExtreme Fruity Spicy Extract

Melón Malo by Born to Stand Out is a fruity, spicy, woody, unisex niche Extrait Extrême by Jordi Fernández. A juicy melon enhanced with spices, set against a background of oud and leather.

A line aged for three months in Korean jars

Born to Stand Out is a Seoul-based house, launched in 2022 by Jun Lim, a former investment banker turned creator. Its slogan says it all: “Why fit in if you were born to stand out?” But the Extrait Extrême line goes further than the rest of the catalog: the juices are concentrated between 55 and 62%, overdosed with natural oud, and above all, aged for three months in onggi, the traditional Korean earthenware jars that have been used for centuries to ferment kimchi and sauces. This slow maceration in porous pottery is a method the house claims as unique. The line was presented at Esxence in Milan in February 2025; Melón Malo joined it in 2026. 50 ml bottle.

An opening of melon, candied ginger and cinnamon bark

The melon opens with full freshness. The house created it from pressed juices of several varieties—honeydew, cantaloupe, and muskmelon—to combine the greenness of the rind with the warmth of the orange flesh. The candied ginger, simmered in sugar syrup, provides a sweet spiciness, cinnamon bark a dry warmth, and mandarin a luminous zest.

A heart of Bulgarian rose, red fruits and patchouli

Bulgarian rose and rose petals take over from the fruit, red fruits extend its sweetness, and patchouli removes its lightness to anchor it in a more earthy material.

A base of oud, Georgywood and leather

Oud and Georgywood, a synthetic amber wood, keep the sweetness in check. Cistus brings its resin, leather its depth, and musks extend the trail on the skin.

The house's signature touch

“Melón malo” means “bad melon” in Spanish, and the name is a memory. Jordi Fernández grew up in Spain, where melon remained on the table all summer, cut into thick slices. Years later, as a young perfumer traveling in Southeast Asia, he rediscovered the same sweetness at night markets, heavier and juicier, amid flowers, smoke, and fruit stalls. The perfume brings these two memories together: a luminous childhood fruit set against a background of oud and leather. That is the whole challenge: melon is one of the freshest and most aqueous notes in perfumery, and placing it in an extrait overdosed with oud is like making two completely opposing materials coexist. Jordi Fernández also created Purple Stain and Drunk Lovers Extrait Extrême in the same line.

For whom, for what occasions?

Fruity, spicy, and woody, this extrait is for those who love juicy fruits without giving up the depth of a dark wood. Its opening freshness makes it wearable in spring and summer, while its density extends it into the evening. Highly concentrated, it should be applied sparingly and is equally suitable for women and men.

With Melón Malo Born to Stand Out, Jordi Fernández puts a summer melon under tension.