Sheikh Eau de Parfum

I spent a lot of time with this perfume before writing this review, so let’s get into it: In recent years, the longevity of perfumes in Europe has been heavily restricted. I used to love Drakkar Noir, but nowadays it has absolutely no lasting power — it’s just a waste of money. This perfume, however, has a very similar scent — not identical, but close enough — and you can get it at a lower price. In return, you get an extremely long-lasting fragrance that doesn’t feel like a scam! About the scent: I hate ambroxan and cetalox (ambergris), so I completely avoid perfumes that contain these ingredients. Once, I accidentally bought Royale by Rasasi, which turned out to be horribly ambroxan-heavy — almost unbearable. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who dislikes that synthetic amber note. I only bought it because I was searching for a Drakkar clone, but sadly, I had to sell it. Now, Sheikh by Al Haramain is a very fresh, minty barbershop-style fragrance with beast mode longevity, and it doesn’t rely on ambroxan to hold it together. It’s a very well-crafted perfume. At first, it smelled a bit synthetic and I thought I detected some ambergris or a synthetic substitute, but I believe it’s more likely a side-effect of the mint note, and it’s not overwhelming. The barbershop character here doesn’t come from the usual overdose of lavender, but rather from a fruity apple note, which gives it a hint of sweetness and light floral freshness. It’s not a copy of Drakkar Noir, but rather an interpretation of it, built from different ingredients — and it works brilliantly. It doesn’t have that dark, mossy base that Drakkar has; instead, it remains more fruity and fresh throughout. Yes, it can smell a bit synthetic in parts, but overall it is an amazing fragrance at a fantastic price, and it delivers something that most European perfumes have long forgotten: true lasting power. Honestly, this scent is a solid 10/10, and if European perfume houses don’t start taking longevity seriously again, people will keep turning to alternatives like this.

The scent is unique and very pleasant, but it is not for everyone. At first it smells like a barbershop from the 90s, but after about 40 minutes to 1 hour it changes and becomes a modern, contemporary and beautiful scent! I would write it as something different from all the "barbershop" scents, because this one develops and takes you on an adventure in nature, as if you are walking in a garden with many types of flowers, fruits and herbs, and all of these are in sync with a unique scent. Sheikh is an extremely fresh, spicy and clean fragrance with very good performance, it is definitely for spring and summer, although I have also sprayed it in the winter and it works very well. Its longevity on me is over 24 hours, I spray it in the morning, get in the car and I can smell the scent the next day in the car's interior, as well as in my room when I come home in the evening, it leaves a very "chic" trail behind you. Some people say that it depends on the skin and DNA of the person regarding performance and longevity, but I don't really agree. If a person's body is polluted from the inside, if the skin is not well hydrated, if you don't have exceptionally good hygiene, no matter what perfume you put on, it still... Regarding the bottle, many people criticize that it was plastic, ugly, etc., I don't think it matters what material it is made of, what is important is the content, which in this case is very good. It is good to leave the perfume after spraying, in the original packaging in the dark in a cabinet at room temperature to mature, then you will have a really beautiful fragrance From me 10/10

I blind bought this but because of the reviews, I kind of knew what to expect since it is compared to Drakkar Noir and rightly so. It is very close to Drakkar Noir except for some minor differences. I wouldn't be able to tell for sure if I didn't have them side by side. Even though I'm talking about DN , it is important to note that I'm referring to the modern day version of it and not the old ones since its been reformulated and has changed somewhat In character and strength. Nevertheless, there is still something with the real deal that the dupes haven't quite been able to catch. DN is deeper and richer somehow but Sheikh EDP does a wonderful job still. Lomani is also a brand that has tried to emulate DN but that one is much lighter and more minty while Sheikh EDP is also a bit lighter, it's still closer to DN. My favorite take on DN is the roll on version called DAKAR which is concentrated perfume oil by Al Rehab. This one is very close also. In conclusion: If you like the Drakkar Noir style fragrances with some minute differences than Sheikh EDP is a jackpot. Its very well made in my opinion and gets very close but I still think you should own both or even several versions of you like this scent. Its an Immortal classic to me. An old school King.

I find reviews here misleading. Unlike most here I find a clear damp blonde tobacco note. More so after a few hours. The beauty of it is that it is not overpowering. What makes this perfume interesting is the fact that I can smell every note listed yet my brain flitters between a white floral immediacy or for all intents and purposes a lavender scent during the first couple of hours as the balloon of the scent bubble. As it dries down the power of the bubble fades dramatically which surprised me however for the price it is very enjoyable. Occasionally it reminds of of a juniper and white floral such as Porsche Design Essence or the mint, jasmine and spices sometimes remind me of lavender in Bond No9 Harrods exclusive or a softer less dark whiter version of Forreau Noir. Weirdly enough I can understand the association with Drakkar Noir and Duc de Verveins with mint though this is only in the initial stage. The bottle though is a bit cringeworthy...

I was buying Rasasi's Shuhrah and I took a spritz from a tester of Sheikh by Al Harramain. Hours later some lemony musky herbal freshness kept imposing itself over Shuhrah's dark sweet incense leather drydown. The scent was so familiar I had to back and buy it. This is a very good fragrance with great projection. If you like classic powerhouse scents, herbal, fresh, dry and you want something that approximates that era then try this. I also want to go beyond the Drakkar Noir comparisons and say this is actually closer to Chanel Pour monsieur (1955), YSL Pour Homme Haute concentration (1983) and Dior's Eau Sauvage (1966). They all have similar lemony/citrus opening. Although the overall scent profile is executed uniquely in each case, If you own(ed)/tried any/all of them you will probably notice the similarities with Shiekh Al Harramain,