Watani Abyad

I was recommended to test this thick, heavy china bottle by a very skillful sales assistant, after I told her that my skin loves musk, iris and vanilla. I fell in love instantly! It was everything I could have wished for. I almost gave her a grateful kiss! I remember myself commenting that it smells like something in between of two of my favorite fumes: FM Lipstick Rose and Guerlain L'Instant Magic Elixir. Obviously, I was sold instantly! Fast forward, I don't get it anymore. It did take me some time to finally open my box (the package is beautiful and luxurious, tucked cozy like say TF Private Blend), but I just couldn't retrieve my initial fascination. Maybe it's because I tested and bought it in another geo space climate? In UAE everything smells differently, anyways. I could have sworn that even my own skin smelled differently over there, which probably is true, due to the local diet. When I bought it, it smelled like swans and like feathers, powdery, musky, violet-make up-sweet. Now I only get chemical musk and whipped cream. It is linear, persistant and synthetic, just like say Lancome LVEB Intense. This limited edition is dedicated to the jubilation of UAE national holiday, along with the other three, in the colors of the flag: "Red for Bravery, Black for Strength, White for Peace and Green for Hope". This one really smells peacefully, but honestly I cannot imagine a man wearing it. This is an absolute feminine fragrance, if anything. I really don't know who could've voted oud up there, because there certainly is non. There's nothing but white and pink here. According to the leaflet, "top is floral: rose; heart is floral, powdery: iris, vanilla; base musky, woody: musk, sandalwood" It doesn't smell like swan to me anymore, now it's more like a bunny (still symbolically, of course), but maybe it just thrives in Arabic climate. Maybe I was not supposed to take that national gem out... Edit: it stays on the clothes forever! And only one sweater can make your whole closet smell sweet, for days! It also "scent-stained" my wool scarf and I have a clear and strong whiff of Abyad, whenever I swing it around my neck, regardless of the fragrance I sprayed on my decollete that particular day. If you don't mind mixing your fragrances, it's very charming; otherwise you are stuck with Abyad for the rest of the season :) Summertime edit: Now we're talking! I can't comprehend what took me so long to understand that this thing was made for the extreme heat, and not cool or even mild temperatures. Which makes sense, since it was exclusive to UAE market and the local consumers. Its fluffy, sweet, persistent quality made me think of it as a wintertime frag, but on cooler days the chemical opening lasts forever and remains quite linear, even annoying. Now that I've been searching for a perfume through my own collection, which wouldn't fade in a matter of minutes in this horrible heat, I finally discovered the conditions for Abyad to bloom into its very best. Final edit: whipped cream should be listed as one of the notes. If it was, I'd vote it the most prominent one.

Went to Ajmal to try this. I believe this was a limited edition that is discontinued now.