Shadha

First I have to say the following: I have purchased many of Al Rehab's scented oils and I've also dabbled in the natural perfume sprays they offer as well. I find that the scented oils are simply a better formulation of whatever scent instead of the natural EDP. If one takes into account the reason why Arabian perfumes focus on oil based perfumes (religious reasons) rather than the alcohol based sprays of the western world, it becomes understandable why. I feel like the natural EDP sprays are made with westerners more in mind. I say this having always been a big sprayer, but the complex and rich scents offered by the scented oils have caused me to turn away from the spray perfumes that I have. I say all of the above because I think the majority of reviewers above purchased the natural EDP spray. This has a great effect on the scent. Frankly---the smell of the spray is cheaper and less nuanced. The oils are hands down better in my opinion. Now...on to Shadha. I received the 6ml vial along with other Al Rehab scents. The first time that I tried it on, I did a short smell test as I was trying other perfumes on as well. I was impressed with the light floral scent straight out of the bottle, however I chose another scent to wear that day. The next day, I was to begin a yoga session with my sister and in honor of the occasion, I wanted a light floral so I selected Shadha for the day. All on it's own without the distraction of the other perfumes, it BLEW me away. This is a strong perfume. Most of the scented oils are and I find many not familiar with them apply waaaay too much. All that is needed is the following: a dab on the wrist then rub wrists together, rub some in the clean palm of your hand and rub hands together---then rub lightly over clothes and neck/decollete. If you put too much on---that's where I imagine the metallic/icky burnt smell may come in. Lightly applied, Shadha smells like....organic jasmine tea overflowing with the richest of orange blossom honey. It's very sweet smelling and very floral. The jasmine is there in droves---a soft watery natural jasmine. Not the fecal smell that jasmine (especially artificial jasmine) can sometimes have. I love powerhouses when it comes to sillage so I found it to be just fine. For those who prefer skin scents, they may find the arms length sillage and longevity a bit too much. I put the perfume on yesterday morning at around 9 am. It's 1:41am in the morning and I am still getting wafts of it even as I type. If I were to liken it in the same category (not scent, but overall personality, because the scent is very unusual) to a western perfume, I would chose some of the vintage scents such as Arpege or any of the classic Guerlains such as Jicky, Mitsouko, or Shalimar. Honestly I love this perfume oil.

For years I've NOT wanted Shadha. Let me explain: Not that I dislike her, but she wasn't Arabian enough for my tastes. On buying a roll on some time ago, almost at once I gifted it to my sister, the Cabotine fan. On her it is so similar to Cabotine itself I cannot easily tell the difference. And that is no bad thing - just that it's essential to like soapy green tuberose florals already. Cabotine is one of those scents that may require a little getting used to, especially if this genre of soap-floral-dryer sheet aroma is new to you. For me, a fragrance I admired - from a distance. Which is not difficult to do, as her sillage is immense! But one thing I keep learning about fragrances, and attars in particular, however humble their origin. There is OFTEN more to them than meets the nose. :) Over time, I continue to test and give attention to what I initially disliked. Have I changed in my tastes? Has the fragrance matured and developed? Is the weather responsible for a new nuance? It's not a science, but an ongoing love affair! The other day I got a whiff of this big, dense floral and immediately wanted to try her again. Out she came, and OH the difference. She is exactly as before - and I am not. Now I feel at home in her, as if wearing an elixir of floral femininity rather than an unwieldy flower bouquet, even if that's what she literally is. Floral heaven - wafting sensuously about me for hours... and hours. Waxy, thick tuberose and green notes meld with rose and jasmine and musk. It's a man (and friend!) magnet, literally, and also the freshest, most delightful choice on a dreary rainy day.... Value - 5 stars Sillage - 5 stars Longevity - 5 stars on fabric, 4 on skin Scent Itself - (based on my current taste) 5 stars So there you have it - tastes can change and little surprises are just waiting for you around the corner! NOTE - For those seeking a similar dupe to Poison Tendre, may I suggest Rasasi Romance. To me it is much closer. And if you are seeking a scent perhaps closer to Cabotine than Shadha, consider Nadine. They are Very similar but I seem to recall Nadine being a bit less jasmine intensive.

This is a UNISEX fragrance and can be worn by men I can see where the white floral tuberose opening can scare some off but as this develops the subtle oud jasmine and sandalwood start turning this into a gothic rose driven potpourri floriental A scent one might find in a old funeral parlor bouquet it's rose potpourri left near a moldy basement window wafts of daytime jasmine sneak in from the garden breeze the odor of fresh spider webs add to the somewhat fecal damp environment it's bold it's attractive its fresh yet darkly seductive and somewhat ancient any lover of rose scents or spicy florientals should give this a try it's masculine if the confidence is there to let it develop but not a safe blind buy for a man who does not enjoy grandma perfume vibes , it's borderline feminine but the middle notes and base polarize it into a genderless hermaphrodite the underlying spices are complex yet subtle another masterpiece from al-rehab if you apply enough it will project loud.. add a bit of oud and you got yourself a more masculine scent 9.2 out of 10

Shadha comes on strong at first. A super intense floral. A dark pink rose and a rich, deep jasmine... not really an indolic jasmine to me, just heady. When I first apply, it feels too much, but then half an hour later I’m suddenly enjoying the scent cloud floating around me. It’s a lot like Cabotine and while it doesn’t go on the same olfactory journey Cabotine does, it seems to arrive in a very similar place. Shadha has more depth despite having less notes listed - or not named. Much more pronounced jasmine and rose notes. I don’t detect civet nor that powdery note Cabotine has. It is a touch soapy but it’s more of a nectary honeysuckle note, reminds me of when I used to sip the nectar out as a kid. I really like Cabotine in both EDP and EDT, but I think I prefer Shadha, it lasts a lot longer on me too, I barely get two hours out of Cabotine, but Shadha seems to stay with me all day.

One of the few Arabian perfumes I managed to try before buying when I was in London. On me Shadha smells like a powdery floral with a hint of spice in the background. I can pick up the Jasmine soon after spraying, but the rose seems to be mixed with other notes that I cannot make out at this moment. I did buy the spray version as there were no oil versions available where I purchased this from. I find the sillage and projection to be pretty weak-hence why I wished there was an oil version. It is a green floral but to my nose not sickly feminine floral, which I am not a fan of. There is something masculine in this perfume but in a good way. I actually really like this perfume-now if only it lasted longer on my skin-I'll have to get the oil version!