Sharif

This perfume is magic! Absolute magic. The ultimate sepia toned fragrance, translucent possessing both resinous heft and depth, but has a lightness, allowing it to be light and nuanced. It does remind me of coke. Not cocaine before you Tuscan leather sniffers start, but coca cola (other brands are available) infact it's more like the syrup of an own brand or soda stream cola, or holding up cola bottle (sweets) to the light. That's highly reductive though because it has a blend of spices with gingery bite, cinnamon warm, anise character and much more. Leathery amber is a broad approximation of this fragrance. It’s MAD because I looked at the notes and reviews here and people were talking about almond notes etc... which I TOTALLY didn’t get at all. However as this dries down after several hours it goes almost floral, and lightly powdery and that sweetness becomes that cherry/almond benzaldehyde smell but really, really natural, not something forced in fact it smells like real tonka absolute which has those qualities and indeed I get almond sure, but like nearly 12 hours later on my clothes. I like it very much indeed, a fun fragrance to wear if you like sweet, piquant spices, cherry coke/Dr Pepper stuff like that but conveyed in an unusual and high quality manner. I want it but I fear it’s not gonna be easy to get as the sample is old.

Truly lovely: somehow oddly medicinal, strangely sweet yet completely calming and never "too much". On my skin this tends more towards a nearly-amaretto-adjacent note rather than almond per se; its warm and woody undertones blend so beautifully to create an aura of safety and calm, rather than anything thunkingly butch or vulgar and cloying. A quiet, diplomatic yet extremely seductive presence. Perfectly unisex and with the kind of centred, understated charm that gently strokes your soul rather than whacking you around the head with how good it is. Perhaps, from one angle, a kind of individual, nichey, artisan reversion of Givenchy Pi? But much much more distinctive and characterful all around than that may suggest. I don't really get the leather, and if there is civet, it's staying oddly quiet and furry rather than reeky-animalic here; perhaps shades of cinnamon and dates, but that may be a hallucination. Most gorgeous of all to me when autumn draws in and it swathes you in comfort. Wears close to the skin, but trails out enticingly for hours and hours. Whatever lies behind its mystery, it's a true elixir. Noble indeed, as the name suggests. Not cheap, but then nothing about it suggests that it should be - it's high class in the truest, most honest sense.

When I learned that a new series of Arab perfumes was about to be presented by Abdes Salaam, I have been intrigued. Sharif is the first of seven new fragrances:the name mean noble person and the perfume was built thinking in terms quite different from the current trend ;I think the description given by the composer is very appropriate:"Sharif is the scent of a noble Arab Sheik who chose the supreme elegance instead of the show of wealth,kindness and seduction instead of arrogance. In the pure tradition of the Middle East, Sharif consists intense notes of leather and aromatic woods with the delicious aroma of amber scents of the East, and sweet almond". At first you feel an animal note and you have a strong impression of camphor along with a hint of bitter almond,but then the scent opens, leaving room for a gourmand scent, where I seem to smell vanilla and anise. As with other Abdes Salaam's perfumes, I do not think it's a simple composition:I feel that this fragrance has two souls, a dry and hard one and another soft and tenderly sweet. It's simply surprising! The laconic description from the Nose is Leather,Precious Woods,Amber,but I suspect that there is much more.

Of three blind buys I made from La Vie del Profumo, and a handful of their other scents I've sampled, this one is by far the standout masterpiece. An exceptionally beautiful green woody oriental that has had myself and others swooning near the bottle before one can even get the first spray out. Exudes class, nobility, and eastern exoticism without going the more familiar spicy route. Not at all a casual scent, nor for "casual" personalities. But easily the signature scent of a powerful masculine presence, yet also applicable to feminine wear with the fresh greenery on display. Ideal for darker complected, oilier body chemistry and temperate weather, and unforgettably distinguished in its overall presentation. Not a cheap date, as the 32ml is currently 110 euros ($125 USD). But again, not for a budget persona either. Well done, La Vie del Profumo. This irresistibly gorgeous fragrance is the stuff of greatness, and should be worn as such. ★★★★ (out of ★★★★).

che bello questo sharif! un profumo che richiama a gran voce la tradizione mediorientale focalizzandosi su una poco battuta, almeno in occidente, combinazione di cuoio, zibetto e muschio di quercia. ma se queste tre note sono quelle portanti (e il muschio di quercia non è per fortuna preponderante) in realtà compaiono nell'evoluzione anche mandorla, ambra e benzoino. l'effetto è magnifico: si inaugura con una bella botta di sensazioni animali che si ammorbidiscono presto su un fondo leggermente gourmand e canforato, passando attraverso un'elegante legnosità (non so come altro descriverla!). bello e inusuale.

How nice! Sharif opens with an extremely realistic mastic accord. Totally non-linear in development, it progresses to a really nice variation of Dana's English Leather (but nice!) with a lovely and delicate floral facet. Wonderful!

Masterpiece! My favorite from Abdes Salaam's la Profumo. Brilliant just brilliant. Bitter almond leather with Amber. Super blend.

Sharif La vie del Profumo 2011 A soft, well-tempered almondy, woody, powdered leathery scent that's surprisingly subtle coming from a brand called Abdes Salaam Attar. Traces of florals like Heliotrope or Lilac is noticeable in the powderiness of Sharif; I say Heliotrope also due to the almond-note that's most prominent of all. People have mentioned Tonka Bean, and I do get that sweet-spicy accord here, but I'm supposed to hate all things Tonka.. with it's garishness and disproportionate abuse in modern designers. Here, the sweet-spicy qualities are tamed, supple, even effervescent. I do get little Lavendar and some Leather but almost no Civet or anything remotely animalic. They seem to be reaching for quiet masculine elegance; the soft powdery woody leather seems to be working just fine for that. Animalics would just be superfluous and would distract from a kind of soft strength it is trying to exude. Sharif conjures up the image of a kind of man who would ooze of uncanny confidence even if he was stripped of all his titles and riches and was exiled to another country with shreds for clothes. The kind of man who doesn't need much to be assured of himself because he still has his mind and his body. A kind of man who'd be in tatters and would still carry himself like he was a Sheikh. Sharif embodies this kind of ambient, skin perfumery that shows you that you do not need to be Loud to convey Power. In fact that relationship is more often than not pretty inversely correlated. 👃👃👃 @bigbusynose of Instagram

Great review Ulysses. I'd been reading on Basenotes about this new perfume and, encouraged below review managed to get my hands on a bottle. So glad I did. My first impression is sharp leather. Brings to mind the scent of huge coiled ropes, dockside in an Arabian port, baking in the hot sun, sailors, skin glistening with sweat, shifting spices from a cargo ship onto the backs of muttering camels, cinnamon, ripe figs, sweet in the air. The tang of the sea; the dry of the desert. The call to far-away open space; the comfort of belonging. The middle for me is warm cinnamon melting into dry sweet sandalwood with a mirage of rose and candied almonds, still with a touch of edge; a bit of bite; air, space. I agree with Ulysses, this perfume calls in two almost opposing ways and for me therein lies the magic. A beautifully constructed perfume.

that smells a strong spices! *Especially the smell of ginger is strong. (It also smells of various medicines herbal a little) And it smells like suede leather. And very sweet and warm. I could not feel almonds. I think It's scent blend powerful spices with amber smoothly. Also, It's reminiscent of a father, a very dignified, mature fragrance. A very exotic and wonderful fragrance with a strong oriental flavour. One more thing, Korean has an oriental drink. The drink is made with ginger, various medicinal Herbs and sugar. That perfume scent is very similar! (The drink name is Ssanghwatang)

It's unisex so no thanks. I question the reviews here that call this both masculine and feminine at the same time. Really? A friend of mine, another fragrance collecter had this, he found it to old lady like, and gifted it to his brother. The brother also did not like it and gifted it to his wife. This is nothing like classic English Leather, a distinctive aftershave for men.

@ Richmilton..... Men CAN smell of other things than English Leather..... What is considered a masculine fragrance differs depending on culture and era. Some men like roses ( me for example ) and the middle east is drowning in rose scents. Cheers Matz Ridderstrom Stockholm Sweden

Stunning, stunning, stunning. 1000 and one night’s fairytale scent. Transports you to another realm of Middle Eastern mysticism and alluring scents. True master piece.