Balkis

I'm not sure what to make of this one either- it is an unusual perfume and the blending/balancing is so good that I'm having a hard time picking out notes- definitely there is more going on than the notes listed above... and more than I can try to state here. Very complex with a unique character! I get a sense of licorice (in agreement with patxaran below)- not directly, but more how it bends the fragrance- distinct from anise or fennel. Someone ahead of me also mentioned "pyrethrin" which is extracted from chrysanthemums. While I'm not getting chrysanthemum exactly, I AM sensing a flower in the compositae family- like davana flowers or yarrow. It is a floral that I am simply not used to smelling in perfumes, that has a "low" and slightly-powdery/dusty-herbaceous-yet-sweet scent. Very odd, and intriguing to me. This one note makes this fragrance stand apart from any others I've ever smelt. It's almost fig-like. I am sensing tuberose, jasmine, and ylang-ylang also- all in such delicate amounts that they merely accentuate the sweetness which contrasts an overall "dry-woody" fragrance. A wee bit of rose that I almost blinked and missed. A couple reviewers have mentioned a likeness to 'Poeme' and I must agree- especially after an hour into the drydown- though it is definitely "drier". I sense benzoin for sure, and maybe a smidge of labdanum and frankincense for an interesting amber accord. A little vetiver? Ebony or guaic wood? Balsam of tolu? Styrax? Lets' just say "dark woods". Definitely there is musk- a nice musk and a touch of vanilla (and not coumarin/tonka/woodruff) to add "roundness". And it is a "round" and sensuous fragrance overall- with that odd flower in sympathy with the woods. Definitely evening fare... and I'd say if you're someone who likes a deep, exotic, sweet/dry-floral-woody-spicy-musky-oriental (this hardly describes it), then you would probably like this one very much! Actually, I could say that if you like florientals like 'Poeme', 'Jasmin Noir', 'Crystal Noir', 'Cashmere Mist', and 'Bal a Versaille', this would be right up your alley. Maybe. Personally, I'm starting to love it! Sillage (& longevity): I thought it was moderate until my mother was kind enough to inform me otherwise: heavy-verging-on-enormous (~6-8') for about 5 hours, then it recedes to soft, exposing the caramel-y benzoin and musk base which lingers on past 12 hours. P.S. I am absolutely NOT sensing any oudh in here. That's a misconception to assume that all mid-eastern scents employ oudh.

Such a strange little creature this is! Often when I see oud, I shy away (though when it's done well, it's stunning). It's sometimes so sharp and harsh. But in this one the first thing I get is an explosion of what I feel to be dates or another fruit that grows in the arid climate. Then I get a bit of caramel and the creaminess others have mentioned. Shortly after that, there's a powder (as listed in the notes) along with almost a rubber note (probably from the oud). It's spicy and sweet and strange and it morphs so that just when you think you have it figured out, it gives you something else. Oh, and it smells different from a close sniff than from when it "wafts" to your nose too. Coming to my nose it's a powdery, creamy gourmand that confuses me when I look at the notes. I just don't get the florals all that much. But sniffing closely I tend to be able to separate the individual notes a bit more. A beauty. And I feel that it could layer well with a lot of woody and dry or even floral scents. EDIT: I couldn't figure out what this reminded me of. There comes a creamy orange note to it that just kept nagging at me. Then it hit me! I sprayed my Jil Sander Sun on another spot on my arm. Nope that's not it. But then the drydown. These aren't dupes, but it's that same beautiful, creamy, delicious, skin tone with just a hint of orange. I could almost interchange these when I want such a fragrance. But wait! The whole thing changes again, and the next thing it reminds me of is Nicole Miller Frenzy. It's a cool, almost citrus, woody amber. What a delight! One of the more complex of the Al-Rehabs I own. Takes quite a journey for me!

The first spritz was sweet, masculine, slightly woody, (possibly the Oud note). I couldn't really make up my mind whether I liked this or not so I spritzed this on my hubby as I felt that it was suited to a male wearer rather than a female. It disappeared from his skin very quickly and to be fair, he didn't seem terribly impressed with the smell anyway. As with all Al Rehab fragrances, the notes are not very apparent to me. I couldn't really smell Oud in this fragrance, but there was a vague forestry, woody note there. I decided to use it as a room spray and then forgot about it for an hour or so. What happened later was amazing as this rather strange perfume morphed into something so gorgeous that I was looking around to see where this amazing smell was coming from and then I realised that it was me!! So in conclusion, if you can get past the first half hour or so, then the drydown is well worth waiting for as it is seriously glorious and delightful, sweet, slightly gourmand, fruity and oh so pretty!! The down side is that the longevity is fair, this lasts for about 3/4 hours, but for £2.99 a bottle, a few extra spritzes a day won't hurt anyone, least of all the bank balance.

I got this through Amazon as the AlRehab best seller sampler set of 3 scents -- Balkis, Rose, and Soft. All three are excellent, and very different. The Rose is authentic rich rose; Soft is powdery, much like the old Heaven Scent I remember from college days; Balkis has totally stolen my heart. I don't know what this smells like -- perhaps I'm getting the oud as it is soft and woody or mossy. A little powdery after the drydown. Very very rich. I have been looking for a scent like this a long time -- almost had it with the old Charlie Red although that had a sharp edge to it, and now they've changed the formulation so it is brittle and metallic. If I could combine the softness of Cinema with the deep undertones of Shalimar, I'd have it (but alone, Cinema is too sweet and Shalimar smells like a grandmother). Balkis achieves it. I love this. It is my favorite now. The incredibly reasonable price, and amazingly fast shipping from Al-Rehab are bonuses. This is a rich, complex scent. Quiet but insistent. I think I could not have worn it when I was younger (say, under 35) as it carries a confidence I did not yet understand. Timing is everything. Now, this is my favorite scent.

I tried this perfume while waiting for my falafal in a Middle Eastern Deli. It was so blah... I was going to try and wash it off after I finished eating but forgot. An hour or so later as we were almost home my fried said "what is that incredible smell"? I was like, I don't know but I can't believe how great it it... I thought it must be one of the cards I had grabbed in Sephora so started digging around in my purse trying to figure out which one it was. I finally realized it was the Balkis wafting up from my wrist. I can not believe how much it changed in an hour! This perfume oil is infreakingcredible! I smelled it for hours and started obsessing over it. The next moring found me in the car for the 2 hour round trip drive back to buy this $2 beauty. I have worn it daily for a week and it has garnered more compliments than anything else I own. Love Love Love this little bottle of perfume oil. WOW!!! Update: I realized what this reminds me of. Tauer's L'air du desert Morocain.