Salma

A rich, warm, deep, woody, traditional floral..... To me it's almost like a dark and boozy version of L' aimant for a few minutes, and then gets down to business being the loud and lovely 80's lady that she is. And yet I know L' aimant is merely in my head - not the bottle. With all this flower power I cannot help but catch whiffs of this and that classic floral and oriental every other hour.... Gloriously distracting, I will say. Salma's woody aspect makes her a trifle more bitter than some big throated florientals, and for that reason classics like Arpege and Ysatis come to mind. The bitter wood is only slightly similar, but it is there nonetheless. Others smell camphor, which I often interpret as wood in these attars. Not for the newcomer to Orientals, perhaps, but intensely rewarding to those Oriental lovers currently jaded by modern designer releases! Something about the specific balance of fruit to floral and woody notes (thick,sweet,bitter, dark!) makes me instantly aware that Salma is an Arabian take on the explosive florals of the 80's. Not quite western, for all her tuberose and charm. She smells like an EXPENSIVE Arabian at that. Not for the faint of heart, but sillage is moderate after the first 30 minutes or so. Could be worn to the office easily with (very!) restrained application. To sum up: Fantastic value, deep decadence, and terrific, purse-worthy bottle. Update - The more I wear her the more I smell a heady and daring floriental, completely drunk on Pineapple Wine. ;) My sister, however, smells a divinely skanky floral, complete with something rather like asafoetida... Whatever the undertone, it is both fruity and naughty, rich and bitter, all at once. A gorgeous blend! More Thoughts - I have to completely agree with recent reviews... this is Deep, woodsy TUBEROSE above and beyond all the other (fantastic!) notes. References to Avon Persian Woods are spot on - as if Persian Woods had dark, sauteed pineapple and a TON of tuberose added to the mix. To avoid if you like dislike bitter woods or tuberose, for sure, but such a long lasting, powerful treat otherwise! Highly recommended for the adventurous. <3

I was a bit surprised by this one, as so many in this 15ml line are wonderful scents, well worth several times the money that they cost (~10USD). The top of Salma is dominated by a tart, fruity accord akin to the smell of 'Wacky Wafers' or 'Sweet-Tarts' candies, joined by what I think is kewra—a sharp, astringent floral note not often encountered in western perfumes; the heart is a mix of sweet, white flowers (tuberose and orange-blossom?) as well as the core of the fruit-accord; the base a "waxy" sweet musk with touches of woods and warm resins. I don't much enjoy the first few hours while the head dominates, but it does recede and the fragrance becomes better-balanced on the drydown; at the 5-6-hour mark, I actually find myself enjoying it, and would describe it this way: my skin has turned into the skin of a fantastic ripe fruit- a fruit with floral overtones- perfuming the surrounding air, exquisitely enticing. Maybe I'd wear it on my ankles. EDIT: I find myself wandering over to this bottle in my collection every now and then, uncapping it, sniffing it, setting it back in place, trying to understand it. It's like my little pet monster- it is just so very odd to my nose- yet I can't let it go. I contemplate the title, which means "peace" in Arabic. Perhaps it is an allegory for peace arriving only after a period of turmoil. EDIT: I think I'm starting to like this perfume, and have started wearing it on my arms. EDIT: I've become a bit attached to this perfume and like to wear it for an emotional "lift" when needed. I think I need a backup bottle. EDIT: I adore this fragrance from beginning to end, from its odd opening to its long and sultry parting.

A green noted oriental floral with a built in rollerball with a generous 15ml of oil extrait. Very important to note: Let this oil settle! Give it a few weeks to do that. It smelled remarkably better once it had the chance to settle from shipping. Quite literally a green rose, tuberose, red rose scent augmented by fruit, but its a stringent pineapple counterbalancing the amber and benzoin. Musk, orange flower and tuberose give it a indolic quality. The price point is great, and for tuberose lovers this is a must try. The tuberose is naturally green like in vintage Chloe. There is a bitterness to it, the tuberose and the fruits are held tightly in check with the green notes. An odd, interesting parfum. Great for expanding a tuberose/rose wardrobe and floral lovers. It really has a little something for everyone much like an 80s perfume. There us also an avon persian woods aspect to it that surfaces in and out of it. When the red rose meets the tuberose, it is a good moment in its development. Its not thin or watery. It is rich and smells better once the base starts to stir and as time progresses. ll be layering it with more base notes to support such a strong point of view to round it out. One wearing is not enough to get a handle on this one. Id call it: Retro 80s Arabian Parfum. Fun!

I've collected a number of vintage fragrances since I wrote my review 5 years ago for 'Salma' (down below). I was surprised to discover that vintage 'Anne Klein' EDP (1984) in general, as well as the floral-fruit section of vintage Arpege EDT from the '80's, bear a passing- but notable- resemblance to Salma; Salma is less aldehydic than Anne Klein, and lacks the dry, herbal component of Arpege; as well, Salma has a more-robust, muskier base than either of these, and its fruitiness is p.o.t.e.n.t... but still it shares a similar atmosphere and several common notes with these two aforementioned fragrances. Salma also has a waxy/fatty note (others describe as "lipstick" or "makeup") that Mitsouko features prominently (though the two fragrances are nothing alike beyond this note). I forget the name of the aromachemical responsible for this, but remember seeing it mentioned in an article about Mitsouko. Anyway, Salma started out as my least-favorite (shocking at first, in fact) Al Haramain attar from their 15ml line... and is now one of my favorite perfumes! Definitely worth a try if you enjoy circa-1980's-style big floral-fruit bombs!

Dirty, sexy, loveably massive, Salma opens bubblegummy tuberose that's a bit indolic with a dash of incense. Halfway through there's a barbie head note but it's fabulous. I NEVER thought I could adore the smell of plastic but here we are. There's also night scented jessamine. In the middle there's a good bit of grapey soda like menthyl anthrillate yummy and candy. The tuberose re-emerges at the end along with a faint animalic note. It has decent sillage in the opening hours. The longevity is a worthy foe for even the most scent-sucking skins, like mine. I got 12hrs, the last three an intense skin level scent. This one is definitely worth a try.