After running out of the first batch
of our popular Al-Arabiya, I re-created the blend - but this time with
Indian oud. I also added the
essential oil of one more eastern spice. The resulting blend is more Khaleeji
Arabic smelling, which is more classy, and is also more oud-intensive.
Inspired by the sights and smells
experienced in old Arabian 'Souq' bazars, Al-Arabiya features a
multi-layered ensemble of scent notes that is sure to enchant your
senses.
Smear some on your wrist... inhale... close your eyes. You’ll
find yourself at an old attar shop in which the aromas of frankincense
and bakhoor infuse every surface - even the walls emit their sacred
scents. Countless gold-trimmed glass flacons ornament beckoning
shelves, their sweet, floral and spicy notes vying for attention. An
incense burner sitting on the vendor's table emits a plume of scented
smoke. Oud, frankincense, bakhoor. Their beauty is hypnotic.
As you leave the shop, you spot people lounging outside the Gahwa cafe
next door, furiously puffing away on hookah pipes. Raw tobacco,
molasses, sweet figs. Inside the cafe, the counters are decorated with
pastries garnished with rosewater, honey and pistachios. Waiters scurry
out in single file, pouring coffee into depleted cups. You inhale
deeply, enjoying the smell of Arabica coffee spiced with cardamom.
Jasmine garlands hang along the arched walls of the Souq, scenting the
air with their scintillating, siren notes. You pick up another strong
floral-herbal fragrance and discover the source: a throng of fervent
girls are crowded around a henna stall, each impatiently waiting to get
her hands painted - a wedding celebration must account for their
gaiety. Every so often, you pass by more attar shops burning bakhoor
pellets at their doors to lure customers.
More coffee shops line the alleys. Spice vendors are busy haggling and
stuffing bags with cloves, cardamom, and Sabah Baharat spice blends.
Their bustle adds a spicy edge to the aromas already perfuming the air.
Saffron, coffee, henna, jasmine. Bakhoor, frankincense, oud.
I breathe in and wonder if I’m in a dream. If it’s
a dream it’s one I know I want to return to again and again.
I smile. Magic in a bottle. Al-Arabiya will always bring me
back there. I swipe my wrist. I close my eyes.
I’m there..
Price:
$150
2.6 grams per bottle
What customers are saying:
I’m
fascinated by how clearly this
perfume actually tells the story Taha wrote in his description of the
blend- it’s so easy and fun to smell the vignettes as they
unfold.
Moment-by-moment the different scents drift by- the balsamic
mysteriousness of frankincense, the rose-ensconced opulence of bakhoor,
the smoke of burning agarwood, the dry earthiness of golden henna- the
list goes on. The complexity of notes allows me to get lost in each
moment, wandering down the scent-encrusted alleyways Taha so vividly
describes. Just when I think I know the perfume a new note appears that
adds to the vividness of the picture. Sometimes it’s dark
with
smoke,
other times it’s lively with the zing of cinnamon, it
momentarily
throbs with the sensuousness of heady florals and at other phases a
gentle powderiness emerges. I don’t really know what to
expect at
any
particular moment and that’s what I like best-
Al-Arabiya’s
complexity,
contrasts and surprises. I may never visit SA but as long as I have a
bottle of Al-Arabiya on hand I won’t feel as though I
completely
missed
out.
M.W.
(USA)
I
received my bottle of Al-Arabiya today in the
mail and it is one of the most alluring and unforgettable scents I have
ever come across.
E.M. (USA)
It's
very very dark, both visually as
well as aromatically, slightly sweet...think figs or dates, slightly
balsamic, musky, resinous, earthy and root-ey (vetiver?) ... very
slightly floral, with just a touch of tobacco perhaps. I don't get the
aoud much over the first couple hours, it comes through after the
top-notes have dried down a bit. When it does come in, several hour
after application and quite strongly in my observations (but by no
means overpowering) , it smells to me like a Hindi aoud, or perhaps an
Indo-Chinese, or a blend of the two... slightly "barnyardy"... but I
like that. This will be an amazing oil for the cold winter months...
yet as I state this, I'm reminded of how nice it was, even on the warm
days I've worn it... I get a hint of, vetiver perhaps (something that
feels soothing / refreshing in warm weather), and also frankincense in
the dry-down, along with the aoud. Over 12 hours in and I can still
smell it, excellent longevity.
I've only had the Al Arabiya for perhaps a week, so I'm still picking
out the notes, still discovering more to it's structure... so far, I am
amazed. Huge thanks to Taha! I really couldn't be happier with this
purchase.
B.J.
(Canada)
