Alf Lail o Lail

First things first. This famous Ajmal fragrance indeed contains the very famous Shamamatul Amber. As you know you have the pungent 'whale-vomit' ambregris and you have the vegetal 'yellow amber', best known as 'amber', based on tree resin. Because the resin alone is too bitter and 'woody' then ingredients are addded, mostly labadanum, benzoin, vanilla, clove... and that mix ix named 'amber'. So amber is based on tree resin but by adding own ingredients there are countless kinds of yellow, vegetal 'amber' that can be used as a pure oil on their own for amber lovers or as an ingredient in another fragrance. From soft and sweet to woody, strong, animalistic... So 'Amber' is not 'amber'. Like 'wine' is not 'wine', 'bread' is not 'bread ' and 'fragrance is not 'fragrance'. There are countless very, very different kinds. One of the most famous, original, strong end high quality ambers is 'Shamamatul Amber'. It is Indian made from some 80 different herbs, roots and plants. Indians are masters in spices and the so 'the Shamamatul' is more expensive than the usual amber and thus fragrances with Shamamatul are more expensive than the normal Arabian oils or attars. Why? Because the 'Shamamatul' almost smells like the very expensive, 'medicinal', woody, original, revered and highly sought after pure oud-oils. And because the Shamamatul Amber -indeed known in short as 'Shamamatul'- is so relatively expensive compared to other Arabian oils, there are many fakes like there are a lot of fake or diluted 'pure oudh oils'. So be sure to buy the real stuff from a trusted house like Ajmal, if interested. In the Arabian oil perfume world 'Shamamatul Amber' is considered as the next level of quality below 'heaven' aka 'pure oud oil'. You can buy Shamalatul Amber oil also pure, but it smells almost the same like pure oud, only less deep and multi facetted. So it smells more 'medicinal', herbal, like Lancômes 'Aromatics Elixir' times ten in intensity. If you like oud, but don't want to pay a lot of money for the real oud, I would first start with a mixed oil with Shamamatul as an important ingredient like this. Then maybe try a vial of pure Shamamatul Amber and, if you get hookd by the oud-bug, then fork out for real oud. Unmixed Shamamatul, for the oud virgins here, smells animalistic, 'dirty', earthy but not fecal. Like 'younger' oud oil, to my nose. The longer oud ages in contaners or barrels, the more intense, strong but also rounded, velevety but intricate it gets. Like aging high quality red wine, or single malt scottish whsiky, but the is no alchohol in arabian ioils because alchohol is forbidden in islam, it is 'haram', like 'halal' is allowed. A deeper mor intricate evolution of the fragrnace is the magic of oud. But oud and also Shamamatul Amber stays very much an acquired taste. It is not for every one. A lot of people will classify this as 'medicinal', 'wet nappy' etc... certainly during the first hour on the skin. But the Shamamatul Amber here is mixed with other notes and becomes after an hour more 'palatable' for 'inexperienced' western noses (I'm a Westerner myself) than the pure oud oil because the rose and especially the patchouli become stronger and tame the 'wild', 'intense', unmistakable 'animalistic', 'indolic', or if you want, 'wet nappie' oud a bit. Make no mistake: this is a real 'oud patchouli bomb' despite its fairytale name '1001 Nights' or 'Alf Lail O Lail' in Arabian. This is more an oud-fragrance than a floral attar, the oud is very present, much more than the flowers. Oud is dominant, then patchouli/spices, in third place: flowers. To get an idea: think of this fragrance as 50% oud, 25% spices/smoky tobacco/patchouli and 25% flowers. So for people who like Al Haramain's 'al Kaaba' or Swiss -Arabian's 'Noora', but don't like the more woody, 'medicinal', spicy attars, I would not recommend this. Of course that is exactly the reason why the Shamamatul in the Arabian world is so sought after and expensive: it is 'the next best thing' to pure oud oil and an affordable alternative to lovers to the real oud oil which are countless in the Eastern world but stays an acquiered taste for most Western noses. Shamamatul is much less expensive but almost smells like the real oud. It is like 'the poor man's oud', no offense intended. But less deep and less 'edgy-nappy'. Indeed it smells a lot like pure oud: sweet, sour, animalistic, smoky... Some people would indeed call it 'woody-medicinal-peppery'. I like it, but then I like medicinal oud. People who like the more sweet floral attars, I wouldn't recommend this. There are other attars that you'll like more, that are more sweet and flowery. People who like real oud, but don't won't to pay a lot of money for the pure oud oil, or people who like to discover what all the fuzz is about with 'oud', you can try this, you'll get a fairly good idea. For me it smells like oud of medium quality mixed with patchouli and adulterated with other spices/smoke and a bit of flowers. Try a sample, but beware that this is no wallflower. Or other flower for that matter. There is also a smoky 'tobacco' note mostly in the top and in the first hour or two of the fragrance aura. And then the patchouli takes over but stays under the thumb of the omnipresent woody-oudy smell. This is a fragrance from the Ajmal perfume house. If Al Haramain is more mainstream, Al Rehab is the Avon of Arabian oils, Rasasi and Swiss Arabian are in the league of Chanel and Dior, then Al Quarashi and Ajmal are more exclusive, you could say 'Arabian Niche', or 'Arabian Lutens', if that makes any sense to you. And like Lutens: no compromise to mainstream and Main Street. Ajmal is Ajmal, like Lutens is Lutens. So it is indeed, love or hate. And this Ajmal will for some smell like nappies and for others like heaven. All Ajmal creations are even more dense and 'strong' than then ususal attars by al Haramain or Rasasi. And 'Alf Lail O Lail' is like the Lutens 'Ambre Sultan' of Arabian oils. But more edgy, even more patchouli, less flowers, less rounded and more 'animalistic-oudy' It is always difficult, a puzzle and a challenge to try to pinpoint the fragrance notes in a highly quality thoroughly mixed Arabian oil. And with Ajmal oils it is even more difficult. Like it is nearly impossible to indicate all the notes in a Lutens. My guess: Top: Tobacco, Taif Rose Middle: Saffron, cardamon, pepper Base: Sandalwood, Shamamatul Amber, patchouli After the oil has warmed up on the skin you first getstrong woody oud, pepper and tobacco. Not much Taif Rose. So it is an oud-dry-spicy beginning... You get an unabashed, unashamed and no-holding-back or 'sweetened' woody-medicinal-smoky-spicy opening. It is love it or leave it. After on hour the oud goes strong and stays strong till the end, some 8 hour later. The 'tobacco smoke' note gradually disappears, the patchouli gets stronger and stronger, and other spices go to the background. Also to give way to more rose. But the rose stays demure, to be honest. During an 8 hour period the fragarnce softens from 'oud-smoke-spice' to 'oud-patchouli' and a bit of spice and even less flowers. The name of this oil is maybe confusing for Westerners like me and/or you. With '1001 Nights' one thinks automatically about flowers, sweet and flowery notes. But make no mistake: this is as 'oudy' as it comes. Dry, sweet-sour, powerful. Alchohol is 'haram' or 'forbidden' in the Arabian world, so there is no alchohol in this oil, but for better understanding, forgive me this equation: this would be a high quality dry white wine compared to a sweet white 'dessert wine' that can be compared to al Kaaba, Noora... Think high quality resinous Greek retsina versus sweet French a bit diluted Sauternes. If you find the smell of oud is not your thing, this is simply not for you. It is more 'medicinal' smelling than the named ones and even than 'Amber Oudh' by Rasasi. So on a scale from 1 to 10, this gets a 9 for overall 'oudy-ness', a 3 for flower smell, a 3 for sweetness and a 7 for patchouli and overall spicyness/smokiness. It is a high quality very well made oil, but very oud-y. Take it or leave it. I like oud and this is much less expensvive than the real oud, so it is an alternative to the pure oud oil for me. And compare this to 'oud-note' expensive Western fragrances like the Montales or M7, the Montales/M7 bite the dust very hard. If you want oud, skip the Montales an try this '1001 Night'. But straight flower lovers, there are better alternatives: al Kaaba, Marwah, Manama... Great for oud-lovers, a 'let pass for' lovers of flowers and sweetness. This is definitely a masculine yang fragrance where 'al Kaaba' for instance is more female yin. In short: this is the real oud fragrance mixed with spice/smoke/patchouli and some flowers, not a faint 'suspicion of oud'. But as said: love or hate, 'white linen' or 'wet nappies', take it or leave it. You have been warned.

This is a very interesting fragrance. Not being western of course, it smells ultra-different and super exclusive. The blend is formidable but a tad on the masculine side. Very soapy, fresh, but in a completely mature, nearly matronly way. This is by no means a negative matronly. Think perhaps the amazing Helen Mirren in the Red movies. Or Judy Denche's M in James Bond. Even though this could completely be worn by a gentleman in a private members club smoking a pipe, drinking vintage brandy. No sweetness detected, which is refreshing every now and again. The sandalwood is very prominent, I also detect rosewood rather than rose even though it's note in the description. It's very sacral also for some reason and there is a slight cumin note which I'm not a fan of but I don't mind that much. It's not chique as it is majestic. A true gem. Will I be wearing it? Yes, but most likely for my own enjoyment. Also another thing. This could be D&G Sicily's super expensive flanker. Like Sicily Eau de Orient or something. I am wearing Sicily on one arm and 1001 on the other arm and they are strikingly similar in several notes. Exchange the bananas for spices et voila! I like this, but don't love it as though even I adore and admire both ladies in description above I've got another 30 or so years to go before I reach that fabulous new 30's that they're in, please God. Then I'll wear it out and feel positively regal! Edit: This is TOP layered with Choco Musk by Al Rehab. WOWOW! Projection: demure, 2/5 but youll be smelling it all day Price: wahey, 2GBP for a huge 3 ml attar sample = WIN! 5/5 for perfumers talent. This is one rad scent.

What's with this vague note listing they give to all the Ajmals on here? It really doesn't give any inkling of what you're in for. This is probably the most challenging Ajmal I've worn, far more than Dahn Al Oudh Shams etc. It really does have a sort of vomity, baby shit, sick-bay-at-the-farm thing going on for a good while in the beginning. However, if you stick with it, it pays off, if you like this sort of hardcore Arabian perfumery. It's one of the most genuinely animalic perfumes I've come across, way more than Salome, or even the ones I've tried that have real musk, ambergris and hyrax in them. This is urine-stained camel undercarriage with a faint waft of flowers. You have to smell it to really appreciate how dirty it really is. Bal à Versailles is pussy-level, this is Versailles palace floor-scrapings after a 9-day extravaganza of decadence and debauchery. Starts to resemble Salome after a good while, whilst remaining much dirtier.

Alf Lail o Lail or 1001 Nights is one of my Favorites Perfumes from House of Ajmal. Best Mukhallat made so far. Hats off to Ajmal Perfumes. All Notes are well placed. The Top begins with a Fresh-Woody note followed by a Woody-Floral and base of Musky-Mossy. This Fragrance has been Designed around an Oriental Mukhallat Route with rich warm notes with a seductive touch to it. Beautiful combination of Oud & Wood with Musk & Florals, Well Blended. Its Unisex & can be worn by both Men & Women. It Comes in Both Spray & Oil Format. Used both Perfume & Oil. I love Oil Version more than Spray as its thick and stays long. Can be Worn in All Seasons & Occasions But Ideal for Winter. Projection & Longevity are V Good. Presentation & Bottle is V Nice. Sprayer of Perfume is Decent. My Rating for this Perfume is 4.5 out of 5. If you are looking for reviews on Arabic Perfumes visit my facebook page: Arabian Gems on Facebook

This is one of those musks that's big on the furry animal element. Personally I love this type of scent, sexy, warm approachable. Not unlike the fragrance of clean skin warmed in the sun. This animal element in question here is sheepskin, really good sheepskin with soft flowers in the back. That sounds terrible but it's actually incredibly comforting and much easier to wear than a lot of leather scents. This is a big fragrance but not room filling huge and dials back to be close to the body but not a skin scent. It remains decently strong throughout its lifespan. Like a lot of Arabians is does hold the odd surprise too. At hour six, I got an unexpected blast of good parma violets. Overall, this gives the impression of a very well made perfume. It's easy to wear, very, very different to mainstream stuff. Instant favourite for me.