Madinah

love love love. i'm just so crazy over this fragrance. probably my greatest blind buy.combine all the notes stated altogether and no other designer fragrance can match this. madinah is not a typical crowd pleaser or something you have smelt before. sometimes i combine this with another al-haramain's fragrance which is oudi for an exquisite smell just like how a niche middle eastern fragrance smells like. i apply madinah on my clothes and it last more than a week coz i just left my clothes in my laundry basket and i can still smell it. what a great longevity. it does have an excellent sillage too. one day i went to my office and i smell the fragrance i wore the previous day which is madinah. i was amazed at the performance.some designer fragrance can be disappointing sometimes. however, this is suitable for mature women. i don't think younger crowd will appreciate this. you can wear this anytime at any kind of climate. works well in hot weather too. if you're just starting to get into niche fragrance, this would be a great first niche fragrance coz al-haramain is a niche brand too and the price is a steal. anyway i got this for a cheap price too, which is MYR 20.

I normally don't swoon over such "airy" fragrances (normally I like very-heavy, resinous and balsamic scents), but Madinah is simply exceptional! Citrus peel and petitgrain, white pepper, a gorgeous, "cool-toned" floral accord centered on taif rose with carnation, orchid, and maybe a wee touch of jasmine...and then a tea-like, herbal note weaves in and out like a filigree'd vine amongst the blooms... it's like a painting upon a canvas of clean musk, sandalwood, orris, and a supersonic combo of iso e and camphor, opening the nostrils. But the blending is very smooth... as they say: "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts", and this is very true here. The overall effect- for a middle-eastern attar- is quite ethereal and "gauze-like"... a spring breeze... or starlight. I like it VERY much, and have no problems as a man pulling this one off as it is so sparkling, yet restrained, and elegant! Longevity is 24+h on my skin, and over a week on clothing sitting in the laundry. EDIT: Madinah is becoming one of my favorites of this line- so unique and beautiful- and I receive compliments every time I wear it. Absolutely gorgeous!

The rose in this reminds me of the realistic rose in Rose of no man’s land by Byredo, except this is a tad softer. It also reminds me of Roses musk by Montale but my skin chemistry has a bad reaction to the musk in that one, so this is way better and smoother in my opinion. This starts off very citrusy and for a moment I was a bit scared it would be just like Roses musk on me but the citrusy faded quickly and the sandalwood made it so smooth. What a beautiful realistic yet smooth rose scent. Perfect for spring and summer. My only complaint is that I wished it projected more, as this has a very intimate silage on me but then again that just makes it more versatile in terms of occasions it would be suitable to wear. I might try to mix it with my sent free lotion and then a little overspray magic to see if that gives me a little more projection. It usually does the trick. Nevertheless, this smells way more expensive - high end than it is. Absolutely beautiful.

Very pleasant surprise. I hadn't planned to get this since I already have Al Rehab Musk al Madinah which some people say is similar. However I tested it in a local shop out of curiosity. BTW I am not sure since when the box has changed but mine has the geometric green floral design rather than the mosque picture on the box. This is a crowdpleaser and should not upset Western noses, even less than the Al Rehab one (which possibly has a little bit of oud in it, not sure). The very first moments bring a burst of freshness that borders on aquatic but fear not, it quickles settles down into crispy clean freshness, for me definitely more on the female side (at least in classical terms). Low to medium sillage, but good longevity. I would assume great for layering too. If you are a lady who likes Al Rehab Silver but find it too masculine you should give this scent a try!

Cheapie that is very pleasant. Soft rose, soft floral. In offensive, while projecting nicely and leaving a calming scent trail. sometimes Rose can smell a bit grandmotherly or obnoxious... But this does not do that. this is very pleasant and soft without being too in your face and it lasts quite a while, on me, about six hours. Skin sent for another 10 to 12 hours. Really impressed with this blind by. Yes, I think it does lean a touch more feminine, but a man with claws and confidence can pull it off, but it doesn’t require too much confidence. Just to cut above the rest. Probably not for the young crowd. Not juicy or sweet enough. While it is still softly juicy and faintly sweet. I’m just really impressed with this.