Shaikhah

Shaikhah was my first arabian scent. And my first oil perfume. And my first heavy-oud perfume. A lot of "firsts" attached to a tiny, 3ml, cute and quite stylish for the price roll-on bottle with silver cap. It was also a happy accident with reading and deciphering notes incorrectly - I wanted something heavy, spicy and oriental while also being a bargain price - Shaikhah checked those boxes having "warm spicy" as top. It was also an oil in roller, something new and exotic for me. What I missed from notes were oud and "earthy" notes - I had general idea about "green/moss/wood" notes and being a "vanilla/sweet" type of person at time they ringed more masculine for me or even worse - wet earth after rain - scent I genuinely don't like (like, "who in their right mind would want to smell like wet earth or musty cellar). But it was cheap, it was "warm spicy" - couldn't be that bad, right? Well, about that. I like to smell the cap/dispenser on new perfumes so I did the same here - won't say it was mistake but certainly it was an "experience." The smell was strange - it was nose-wrinkling, sharp menthol-like (reminded me of some really old nasal stick I've found at my grandparent's) but at the same time it smelled alluringly sweet. Ok, YOLO as teens would say - I rolled the ball on my wrist. First rule of oils: apply sparingly. I learned it the hard way. In an instant I was overwhelmed in the scent of new car tyres mixed with something sweet, medicinal? Alluring in their own strange way but far from being in-vogue. Reading reviews I've patiently let it sit on my skin and after a 30 minutes or something - the magic started. Tyres and rubber vanished giving place to a dark, sweet wood with something spicy - an old, heavy and ornated cabinet in grandaprents room that's always cold, because there are robust trees growing outside, blocking the sun. There is also rose. A Queen. She's slowly emerging from between her woody companions who are always one-step behind her, while carnation and cardamon - her young children - are mischieviously playing hide-and-seek, running among the suite. Rose is beautiful and she knows it, standing proud in front of her suite. She mixes well with wood but she knows she's queen here. Intoxicatingly sweet but in dark and opulent way. She's lush and captivating. Sweet and dark. You can almost smell rain on her petals. She's flirting unabashed with jut as opulent and dark, wet wood and resins. The sad thing with this perfume is fact that spice notes aren't as prominent as they could be as the time goes on. They are still there but are so blended in that are only sometimes noticeable (or when you bury you nose and take a good whiff). As the dry-down progress the scent is getting warmer and dryer and rose more pronounced and sweeter - I totally love this part and have troubles staying away from my wrist, the rose is a b s o l u t e l y amazing! I would risk saying it goes from sweet to sickly-overripe-rose scent with woodsy/musky background. The word on longevity and sillage: this thing is a monster. It stays on my skin for hours, I can still sniff the good amount of dry-down way into the next day after applying it (for comparison I have Dior Addict and can't smell it in the evening of the same day if applied in the morning) And as of sillage - yes, it does makes an aura around you and yes, it does fill the room. It's not a close skin scent at all for me - you will get wafts of it as you move around. Word of warning: I don't know if it's my skin that's so easily irritated or what but after 3-4 days of consecutive use my skin starts to get itchy and red. It's probably because of high concentrates or something. Not like it will stop m from using it anyway. It went from "what the hell did I bought myself into" to pure sniffing addiction. Went from "I don't want to smell like wet forest and moss" to actively looking for oud/rosy scents thanks to Shaikhah. My must-have from now for a bargain-price, will make sure to check more Al-Rehabs from now on.

This review is for the 6ml attar oil my favorite perfume in all the world (so far). The moment I first opened the bottle I knew this was not one of your modern eau de la cupcake fragrances. "No fruit salad or cool aid for me thank you. I am a Royal Woman!" True to her name Shaikhah is the scent of royalty with out the cost! This is not for every lady! I too was terrified by the intense and unfamiliar language bursting from the little unassuming roll-on but at 35yo I am a big girl now! I told my self this and bravely applied a scarce amount. What was to occur 1/2 hour later was beyond my wildest expectations! At first I was impaled with the sharpest agarwood (oud) and I suffered but with the days that followed I began to respect and even grow to adore this slap in the face. It was as if she was saying "wake up and hold on!" Eventually the oud still bitter softened a bit and was joined with a somber rose. Together they guided me through a head spinning whirlwind romance with precious spices, heady flowers and sacred woods! Each note appearing only long enough to seduce and than leave just as I was falling in love. Some notes lingered to dance together as if to different music. yet they were not incoherent or muddled and just added to the dark exotic sensuality of Shaikhah. These notes that would arrive kiss and disappear reminded me of the lurid trysts and romantic love affairs of my reckless youth. They would begin oh so beautiful, end all too soon usually (but not always) one at a time! However the affairs of those days always seemed to have sour or dirty dry down. This is not true of Shaikhah! This seductive middle eastern temptress makes love with out ever uncovering her mysterious veiled form. The last remnants of this Beauty is a soft clean white musk that actually left me feeling fresh from the dryer! Shaikhah reminds me of a middle eastern mystery woman. She is completely veiled with only heavily done up eyes visible. Like the scent itself she is untouchable and not understood by most westerners. When the romance ends and the day is over I realize I have not reapplied all day! the longevity is amazing but the oil stays quite close to the skin. Try mixing a bottle of attar oil with 30ml of Everclear in a spray bottle and let it sit for a week. It makes a good eau de parfum!

Beautiful ambery, sweet, skanky leather pantyhose filled with barnyard oud, a touch of spices and rose, getting some hints of sweaty skanky notes think vintage Balenciaga/Kouros dirtyness mixed with some Tom Ford style Leather . That's the first impression I get when this is on my skin. It smells much more niche and expensive than other Al-Rehab offerings—the quality of oil used in this blend is very high. Its Al-Rehab contemporaries fall in the same style as Musk Makkah, Saat Saffa, Al Sharquiah, and Musk Oud. A very punchy, animalic saffron oud leather. After a few hours, the middle and base start opening up. Hints of musky gothic florals appear while the leathery barnyard oud calms down a bit. Then the beauty of ambergris, rose, and amber becomes more pronounced, adding a sweet, gothic, smoldering rose note. Strangely, the balsamic twang from the saffron playing on the leathers gives me hints of dark imperial beers and ales hours into the fragrance—raisins, honey, spices, yeasty fermentation along the lines of Chimay Grande Réserve, La Chouffe, St. Bernardus Abt 12. Shaikah is some seriously impressive perfumery. This oil constantly reminds me of popular niche house offerings. The churchy gothic rose note in Dominique Ropion's Portrait of a Lady is found in Shaikah. There's a dark balsamic twang, as stated in previous reviews. I would assume it’s the saffron playing on the cardamom and resin along the lines of gothic old church/indian supermarket, dimly lit with camphorous torches, dusty walls, and leather-bound books. It’s absolutely beautiful. In my opinion, one of the best fragrances from the whole Al-Rehab line. It’s skanky barnyard S&M leather and bondage, filled with midnight nuances, yet just enough sweetness to be worn in any season other than maybe very hot summer days. Even then, this is a perfect summer night scent. If you love fragrances that are leather-forward middle eastern, gothic, and have an air of darkness to them, this must be in your collection. A true masterpiece...

Sometimes we meet a scent and say 'oh no!' only to have her steal our heart and leave us addicted. Happily, in the case of Shaikhah this is not a financially devastating experience. ;) I've often found perfumes grow on me. But my favorite fragrances are usually either Instant Love or THIS IS WEIRD, followed by the haunting need to smell it again. I have an absorbing, inexplicable urge to find it once more and figure out what on earth that crazy thing was! The following sniffing sessions (often over the space of years) create an unexpected attachment to that weirdness which comes as a bit of a shock, even to me. Attachment stemming from a growing awareness of the special qualities of the once despised fragrance, suddenly a Cinderella in full blown regalia. Transformed before my eyes (& nose!), while fundamentally the same.... Uniqueness is not merely weird, but we all know people mistaken as such by their unappreciative peers. What their detractors cannot see is their immensely attractive INDIVIDUALITY. Unique, in a sea of plastic doll beauty. :) This is Shaikhah for me. Yes, I know she likely has many siblings in the massive Eastern world of attars, and I look forward to meeting more! In the current Western market, however, she stands alone with a striking exoticism not gauged to please the average consumer. She is that ravishing model with the crooked teeth or roman nose who takes the world by storm and does it with such panache you are left breathless. Her aura is more appealing for that endearing 'imperfection', and her appeal far more than glowing outer beauty. All of which to say: I rate Shaikhah right up there with Youth Dew and Aromatics Elixir as among my most treasured finds. Initially unappreciated, now ADORED. And yes, they DO have something in common. They are all woody, complex, unsweetened sirens transcending time or era. In short, wildly successful, unexpected beauties who don't bore and never disappoint! If possible, 6 stars. <3

Review for 6 ml attar: The notes listed here are no doubt absolutely correct, but what I smell most of all in the dry down is: Regal, UNsweetened Rose and Persistent, POWDERY Sandalwood! The opening is somewhat tangy-gasoline-oud,and quite loud enough to scare a newcomer away. At this phrase many will run for the hand sani in panic! Happily Shaikhah quickly becomes warm and woody and almost therapeutic in nature. Not heavy or overbearing now (compared to Balkis this is quiet indeed), Shaikhah becomes restrained for a middle eastern scent. It lasts approx. 5 hours on my skin, and I am happy to re-apply at any point during the day. Very soothing and grounding. Interestingly, my initial review for Shaikhah three years ago labeled it a men's rose cologne.... possibly owing to the spray version I sampled? It was a fascinating scent to me even then, but not one I could envision wearing. Probably it's my nose that has altered, but I also suspect the spray to be a trifle less warm and powdery. Everything about this fragrance is unisex, but taste and chemistry differences being what they are, people will find Shaikhah (meaning 'female Sheikh') to be more pour homme or pour femme on them. I think some men are going to be happily surprised at finding a scent by this name smelling so muscular, while others will mostly notice Grandma's roses.... You decide. ;) Personally I would be happy smelling Shaikhah on ANY one. A little like Oak moss based Chypres in effect, it gives a calm and centered feeling to the wearer and those around them. Definitely a treat. If you love sweet, modern roses, look elsewhere. (Particularly, consider Al Rehab's Moroccan Rose.) But I don't see how a woody-rose lover could go wrong with Shaikhah's dignified and amazing take on roses and wood. A beauty! Highly Recommended Update - Layers gorgeously with Al Rehab Sultana Perfumed Cream....

Shaikhah Al-Rehab perfume oil arrived rather unexpectedly, as an addition to some other attars I had ordered. Already before I opened the parcel, which arrived in my office, the scent was noticeable. I cautiously tried the other fragrances, but put Shaikhah Al-Rehab in the drawer, intimidated by the strong oud scent. Within a couple of hours the entire office smelled faintly but distinctly of oud, even though the little roll on bottle had not even been opened, By now my bag smells like a hiding place for djinn, my umbrella emits wafts of the Middle East and my cat's fur is perfumed since he has been sleeping on a sweater which briefly came into contact with the oil. In other words, this is a truly long lasting fragrance with considerable sillage! Along the way, I have learned to love Shaikhah Al-Rehab. The main note is oud: Intoxicating, addictive. I am very cautious about when to wear it, as I realize it has a huge impact on everyone around. There is still a bottle in my car, so I can get a fix just by sitting there on my way to work. Is this a safe blind buy? Absolutely not! For me this was an acquired taste, but once hooked there seems to be no way back. On the other hand, why not spend a couple of euros, dollars or whatever your currency is, and give it a try? At best you will have found one more love, and at worst you will have increased your experience with Middle East perfumes for a very insignificant sum!

It's been years (a decade?) now since I first tested Shaikhah, and each year it just seems to improve! For starters, I prefer the oil. It's less sharp in the opening and longer lasting overall, but the dry down is so similar it's hardly worth noting if you love to spray. I have both and layer. :D I didn't initially love her, shall we say? I thought it was a bright, men's rose cologne. Literally. Then I tried again after more Arabian oils were under my belt. What a change! I could smell the sweet(er) rose notes under the saffron better and found her rather intoxicating. Later I had my first experience with fresh, green cardamom pods from the Asian store. Wow, is that perfectly represented here, mixed with that marvelous saffron and happy, bright rose. Everything is balanced so well, but I would still avoid if you hate either fresh, green cardamom or carnation. By now I feel the scent dries down to a gorgeous sandalwood and is more femme than butch. Men may want to layer with leather, more oud, or another woody scent for a more masculine punch. For me, it is unsweetened, exotic PERFECTION. The only thing I could wish for is an EDP offerng - that's how much I want Shaikhah (female Sheik!) to linger about me all day. For a budget scent, I give Shaikhah 5 stars. So long as you understand how unsafe a blind buy she is and how exotic a discovery for those who love this sort of thing. Delightful!

I received this from a kind person I met here. This is a wonderful oil. The oud here is very leather like and a very animalic type. I get the spices, ambergris and musk w/ a beautiful damask rose oil and a HUGE saffron. That metallic twang from saffron comes through really big for me here. I adore saffron so that is a win for me but if you dislike saffron don't blind buy this. This reminds me a bit of my bottle of Smolderose but it isn't a dupe. This is less complex but it will be perfect to layer w/ that. I like to put fragrant oil in my hair to tame fly aways. If you are looking for a low cost rose/saffron/musky/leather/oud perfume oil this, is it. Don't think because this is inexpensive that it isn't good. This smells so authentic, the rose in here is very true to nature. It is a true rose oil. There is an aromatherapy quality to this oil as well. Soothing, rich, warm but cooling because of the rose, the rose here is cool and dewy, like after a rain shower. Just upgraded to a love. This is gorgeous, true to nature perfume oil.

One of my favourite Al Rehab oils. Today I even got a compliment for it! Someone said it reminded them of Indian ayurvedic oils.... and in fact I do admit that as I was walking outside (and prior to getting this comment) the thought crossed my mind that Shaikhah has something of those ayurvedic rose petal jam concoctions (or the amla preparations) that are sold as health remedies. Now before you think this makes you smell like a pharmacy, fear not. But it's probably safe to say you should have good associations with indian spices, rosepetals and oud in order to like Shaikhah. I believe the notes on this pages have been updated and they do seem to reflect the scent appropiately now. If you are after something less rose heavy, you could try Al Sharquia like another reviewer said.

It opens with a pungent, medicinal, almost unbearable oud so strong that burns your eyelashes. But be patient: if you wait this monster will gift you the most beautiful, the darkest roses veiled with inciense, amber and spices. Only if you dare. A rare, exotic beauty not for everyone, not something easy, almost nasty at first but after a while one of the most mysterious and intoxicating rose-oud combos. This lasts for many, many hours and fades into a soapy, clean, skin musk, roses and spices reminiscent of Sales by La Toja soap. Unisex. Not for people who like smelling like a fruit smoothie or sugar frostings. Sophisticated, different, luxurious, dark, not Western friendly, wonderful. I love it. This is one of my favorites Al-Rehab, after Nebras and Cobra.

Shaikhah is odd and comforting and regal as hell. These days, I'm only wearing Al Rehab perfume oils even though I have an extensive collection of niche and mainstream perfumes. Somehow, these oils seem more authentic. And after rubbing one into your skin -the preferred method of application - it becomes part of your molecular structure. Goodyear tires lead out in the top notes of Shaikhah, but soon the oud and jasmine make an appearance to balance any irregularities caused by the juvenile delinquent that is saffron. Al Rehab has produced several favorites, such as Saat Safa, Bakhour, Aseel, Lovely, Dalal and Al Sharquiah. I love them all. Nothing on the market smells quite like Shaikhah, which is all the more reason to joy this unique beauty.

Leather...oud...flowers...Yes!! This is a wonderful scent! It opens with a strong oud note ( and i love oud),then the flowers notes starts to develop. It's deep, misterious and yes, it's sexy. I was not sure if it could work well on me but...it works! This scent is UNISEX. I'm a man and i love this perfume. Of course, you should be "trained" to the East Fragrances, it's very very strong! Extremely long lasting and the sillage is enormous! So be careful. A 6ml roll on oil will last for ages! It smells way more expensive. Great stuff. 7.5/10 ----- I reccomend to buy/try the OIL version of Al-Rehab perfumes. The oils are much more better than the spray version.

I love this oil, wore it for the first time yesterday and it immediately went into the favourite category. The first half hour or so is quite strong and bitter as others have said but I didn't find it too off-putting in fact. Then it turns into a rich exotic confection of woods, spices and florals, with a bit of musk. The dry down is oud-dominated and long lasting, and I found it really delightful. Restraint is indicated when applying, one or possibly two small swipes of the rollerball is quite enough.This is powerful. Just the thing to make you feel like an arabian queen.

Very different to western scents. I really love it. It is just right, however, my husband doesn't like it :( I suspect it is a mix of the musk and cardamom that my husband doesn't like but oh well. I will still wear it; we don't have to agree on everything! If you like warm, spicy, musky scents, go for it on the proviso you like cardamom also. I love these sort of spices and am quite happy with them in my perfume. If you are not, perhaps this is not for you. Very good sillage! Lasts a while and dries down very sweet and powdery, not really like Shalimar to me though.

This is a reverse parfume. :) When i put just a dub its a rosy Sweet not so interesting.. When i put too much It bacomes a leather candy sweet Rosy juicy butifull feminine that i man Could force himself to not care and have it also. Like me this is butiful one of those i can put when on rehearsel with the band. Really good i realy like this one. Also i think very smart composition and blending. Enjoy..

A true oriental floral oud! I smell flowers, musk and smoke, with incense, cardamom and wood notes. Very strong and long lasting, with a gorgeous dry down. Shaikhah is a complex fragrance, and you need patience to truly appreciate it. This oil develops slowly into a glorious spicy oud that many high end perfumes would envy. I can't stop sniffing my wrists when I wear it.

I first bought this before I got used to oud based oils and didn't like it. I mixed it with perfume parlours copy of tobacco vanille and I liked that. Its predominantly the shaikka I like now, without the need to add anything to it. The sharpness it opens up with soon softens and it gorgeous

From this I get a leather, library, old book shop kinda vibe. Oud, resins and amberguis are dominant on me and it's just addictive ! It's not got great sillage or longevity on me, but I wish it did have as it smells amazing.

A lovely musty rose oud like the rain soaked garden of an old house with just a hint of saffron and ambergris and cardamom adding a piquant exoticism to the English garden scent

To anyone who's tasted it: this smells like a sweet, rich betel nut. This cheap little roller is definitely going to stay in my collection! 8/10

This smells like some sort of bathroom cleaner. Like orange scented bleach, oh my god... Oh my god... Eew!!!

try layering this with al rehab vanilla musk... makes a very nice combination

Maravilloso y tiene un no se qué, que me recuerda a Yvresse. ¿Será la rosa? 😄

Attar oils are really something else, I remember receiving this one, test it out and putting on the side, it was fall, not very hot but not cold either, so it was too strong, too punchy oud rose combo, I didn't like it at all! Now the weather is cold, I've learned more about attars and how different this perfumes are for us. I've some al rehab oils, some of them I've fell in love from the first sniff, Sultan and Silver, just wow. This one you can over do it a bit on the application, they are save. Now I'm trying to review the others, without going all nuts on the first impression and saying this stinks really bad, blah blah blah. Now The Review (my own opinion, on my skin): First of all, to me this one is more on the feminine side, and different from others you can over do it in the application and in that case this will become really strong and ugly, go very gentle, don't just rub it like crazy (or rub a bit on your hands, rub your hands together and apply on your body/clothes). If you don't over do it, you will get a piercing and sexual rose oud combo. This perfume to me, it's smells like a powerful sexual woman that knows what she wants with a piercing personality, this fragrance screams power and sex but not in a animalic way. A winter night fragrance, great longevity with somewhat good projection. But once again, most western noses are not used to this kind of smells so not for anyone and probably not a safe scent, still for the price, it's worth to try it out :)

Shaikhah Al-Rehab: is a Oriental...if you ever had- Israeli Cardamon coffee in Israel- this is how it;s smells. To me waking up scent from Jaffa Tel aviv where I used to buy my coffee :) Scent of israeli/ arab souq camel... The moment I put this on my wrist...its took me right away to Israel.. the other place was a Mount Nebo in Jordania...simply scent of middle east...the richness of - spices is incredible! While I was traveling to Jordania- near by Mount Nebo there was one bedouin making - cardamon black coffe for 1 jd- it's amust to try if you are in Holy Land...and this is how this fragrance smells. 100% Cardamon delight :) LOVE IT! - you willa s well if you like cardamon. The quality of this ioil reminds me Saffron from Jo Malone. Here is how its work on my skin: 1. Cardamon coffee- with saffron 2. After couple mionutes I feel rich orange skin melted in syrup. 3. Later...Richness of leather notes like Vince camuto jackets or good mexican leather shoes! 4. Dry down to me as ceder forest... covered with leather/musk and strong weth tree with moss and mushrooms. Absolute incredible silage and longevity. I washed my hand two times and after shower I still feel it. I have purchased mine for $5 -in Sound Vision Islamic Information center at Devon Ave - Chicago, IL. They have much more- of you like good quality of arabian oils - it's great place to discover them.

Rule of thumb for any al Rehab: Patience. Shaikhah has a very long dry down- about an hour. Because there is no alcohol in the roll-on, it really takes a while for the perfume to fully develop on your skin and become aerated, much like the process of letting a red wine breathe. I bought Shaikhah because I was after a woody, Middle Eastern style rose. I don't know if this is the end-all, be-all for me, but I am going to enjoy having this in my wardrobe. At first, I thought Shaikhah was unbearable. It's incredibly soapy and sickly sweet/medicinal right out of the bottle. Right as I was about to cast it off as a five dollar mistake, it changed! After about an hour on my skin, Shaikhah transforms into a very soft, dry, woody rose. There's a little touch of sweetness, and I can't say that you would know it's a rose right away. This is like the fragrance left behind on the hands after picking rose petals off the bush. Resinous, woody, dry. In the Western world, this falls more towards the feminine profile, but masculine people should be open to trying this, too. I don't get a huge sillage off of this, but the longevity is good. Also, the saffron doesn't come through for me, so I will seek it elsewhere.

Extremely medicinal & nearly overwhelming upon application (my 3ml oil rollerball was a gift from a lovely member) and that phase lasts a good 30 minutes before softening. Those 30 minutes are nearly unbearable and I nearly scrubbed my wrists but I resisted and was rewarded with a spiced rose that's very pleasant, indeed. The initial oud cloud is bitter and has a hint of mothballs, Vicks Vapo-Rub and Ben Gay Ointment, all familiar smells but definitely not perfumes. If these notes persisted Shaikhah would be truly unbearable but they do dissipate, thankfully, like garish wrapping paper on a very nice gift. Under the ugly wrapping is something you're grateful to receive. My advice is to apply a good 1/2 hour before encountering other people/leaving the house. The medicinal notes will have passed and you'll be rewarded with sweet, soft rose enhanced with the bitter bite of agarwood and cardamom's peculiar spice, all smoothed with an undercurrent of exotic resins. An odd one, to be sure, but my 2nd wearing has me thinking I like Shaikhah quite a lot.

Oil Version: A very strong oud, incense and green rose slightly in the background, but clearly detectable. Sweet and exotic, but dark. Absolutely different from everything you can find in the stores in Europe. And that is probably why I can ́t appreciate it at its best. I would say that if you are new to oud and Arabic perfumery this could be a very polarising scent. As soon as I smelled it from the little roller bottle I thought: "oh my god, this is nauseating". Now I am giving it time, it smells rather interisting, sultry and not like my first impression. The rose on it is just so gorgeous, the oud (which fades away a bit some minutes after the application) is prominent and I think that that is why the scent will probably grow on me. This is maybe prettier by night and during the colder months. Men can surely wear this as well!

Flowers and oud that lightly sweetened and with a touch of warm spices. I get oud, rose, saffron and perhaps a light white floral accord. Carnation, ambergris and musk are listed, but I basically get flowers, oud and resinous/middle eastern vibe in the dry-down. The oud is somewhat medicinal, but it is toned-down greatly by the rose and other floral accords. Shaikhah projects quite well, but not beastly, and lasted a solid 12-hours on my skin. This fragrances leans heavily on the feminine side and I would go no more than 2-sprays indoor, and 3-4 outdoors. It's got a nice kick to it! Since I'm a dude there is no way I would wear this fragrance nor am I going to rate it. Never mind, it's listed as unisex so I'm going to give it a like for les femmes - I certainly wouldn't mind smelling this one on the ladies.

Well this came as a surprise, as it's really very, very nice. For a £1.99 fragrance oil, this is remarkable. I'd jumped to conclusions. as it opens with a sharp 'n' sour oud note so immediately thought it to be masculine, but quickly it develops a clean and sophisticated dry-down. No way is this feminine, nor overly masculine - this is truly unisex. Don't be scared by the floral notes listed as they really take a back seat and let the oud and resins do the work. I can imagine it would suit a young, fit male entrepreneur who is handsome, clean-cut, rich but not flashy. I hope Zac Efron smells like this. It's not a scent for myself so I'm going to try it on my boyfriend's male skin and will update. I hope it magically turns him into Zac Efron.

hmmm... Saffron is the first note. VERY similar to Al-Rehab's Mukhallat Dubai, which comes off as a plasticy waxy rose. But this is a bit more floral, less green, less waxy. side by side... it makes dubai smell like a vinyl pool toy. This smells like a strange Oudhy spiced honey with a kind of cinnamon note similar to CK Eternity for women. Sillage: huge, be careful. Longevity: LONG, the rose stays on you into the next day.

This was my worst nightmare right out of the bottle as it initially projects a camphor-like tang on my skin. But after 1/2 hour it develops the saffron/rose/oudh notes transforming into a very refined scent which I quite like. To me it smells like an intimate party in a cosy, wood-panelled room where some very well-dressed, well-travelled aunties are having cardamom tea and Indian sweets.

I tried the oil version and it felt like a mysterious girl to me- warmth from the amber, hints of rose and a ton of spices. A unisex fragrance, yes. But also a nice bedtime oil to roll on pulse points.

Shaikhah is a beast mode fragrance! The warm spice and oud are so intense and long-lasting. It definitely makes a statement. Not for the faint of heart though!

Oudh-heavy, rich, deep, unusual, mysterious, lovely. Perfect for cold Winter weather, I'd say.

Not sure if it's the same as the roll-on. But working under that assumption, this definitely sticks to its name, shaikhah which can mean a woman of high status, but also means "old woman", and it definitely smells as such. Oud in a slightly feminine way that definitely reminds me of old Arabs. It's barely sweet at all, which makes this kind of scent very reserved and good enough for wanting to smell good without being obnoxious about it. Definitely very mature. Don't know if i like it but it's ok, not bad

i am trying the oil. i smell a smoky floral with something green. after about 15 minutes i get more florals coming forward. there's a lightness to this. i waited for it to change like others said, but it didn't change much. it's mostly a sort of white musk, rose and oud scent but i don't know. it's just ok but not all that great with my skin chemistry...it's by no means terrible but not great either.

This perfume confirms completely that I’m not a major rose fan, at least when it’s presented in this soapy format. In my nose all I can smell is the bitter soap note and it is so overwhelming I can no more dictate any other scents. It still smells luxorious and good quality but clearly soapy rose is not my cup of tea at all! Edit: I’m now beginning to like this scent, I don’t know if my nose has changed but it’s all about the dry down and not sniffing it too soon even the Rose doesn’t smell so harsh anymore

I have to concur with the previous reviewer who said this opens like burning tires. Very rubbery, chemical and although somewhat fascinating, still unpleasant. I keep sniffing it, because it's so bizarre, but I have to say I definitely do not like it. The drydown, by comparison, is a whole lot of nothing. White musk, saffron and carnation with just a hint of burnt tire and a weak and watery rose.

Vraiment très lourd, sans doute parce que je n'ai pas l'habitude de ces senteurs. bien pour un homme mais par temps très froid, importune sinon, cependant bien que je n'aime pas cette huile parfum, je dois admettre qu'elle a un certain charme, quelque chose d'oriental et précieux; pas de blind buy

I don't like it at all. It smells exactly like Oudh scented hand sanitizer from Hi Geen. I see it's unisex, but I think it's totally masculine. It would be sexy on men, and I would gladly sniff it on them :) but on myself or generally on women, I don't find it attractive at all.

I'm new to fragrance so I cannot tell you with confidence what ingredients I notice. However I will say... I'm a bit wary of spicy scents, for fear of smelling like cheap incense or a patchouli hippie caravan. This is not that. It's a strong scent, and long lasting, like most Al Rehab oils. If you're accustomed to European fragrances or have sensitive nose, the intensity of this oil may shock you, particularly out of the bottle. These oils must be applied delicately, or you will give yourself and your neighbors a headache. Shaikhah is absolutely my favorite Al Rehab oil I've tried, and it's become my signature scent. For the western world it will considered very unique. Most would agree it's better for cold weather and evenings because it's quite dark and warm. But it makes me feel sexy and exotic, and wearing it is a pleasure, so I use it day or night, winter or summer. --- 2022 EDIT I am so certain that the formula has changed. It smells like bitter, stringent chemicals now. No amber, no nice warm oud, rose and incense. I've bought it two times since my last review, hoping I just got an unlucky expired batch, but unfortunately I just can't find what I smelled before. It went up my favorite scent which I was often lovingly complimented on, to something my mother literally wrinkled her nose at - a chemical mess I had to pour down the drain. Real shame too, a nice spicy amber for a tiny price, I felt like a genius smelling rich on a budget, but, no more...

I am sorry to say that all I smell is a combination of barnyard and an automotive repair garage. I wish this would work for me, but alas...

Shaikhah is one of the myriad fragrances that Al-Rehab puts out, and therefore it seems it will always be shrouded in mystery. As far as I know, they don’t publish notes or much of anything else describing the fragrances themselves aside from the overt advertising campaigns. Fragrantica can be a tremendous help here when all you have to trust are the noses of total strangers on YouTube. Al-Rehab scents also don’t seem to garner a lot of individual reviews; they get “hauled” a lot, but that’s about it. I want this channel to be devoted mostly to individual, in-depth reviews of scents, and the seven Al-Rehabs that I’ve recently purchased aren’t any different. Sometimes it helps to know the Arabic word in the name of the perfume to give you some idea of what it might all be about. “Shaikhah” means “princess” or “female royal.” That’s certainly the impression that I get – rich, roseate, and full of oud. And amazingly, it maintains a kind of sparkle in the nose at the same time. In Western perfumery, we’re used to having the oud note covered up with thick, rich amber, because real oud isn’t something we’ve quite become accustomed to yet. We think it’s too “indolic.” But there’s no amber to be found here, or very little. Warning: guys who want something strictly masculine might not appreciate this. I found that the kind and the amount of rose used here can be a little off-putting unless you’re slightly adventurous. On first smell, I had the distinct impression that I’d wondered into my great-grandmother’s house and taken in the smell of her lingering rosewater and hard wooden floors. It can be a little ... well, how can one put this politely? “Grandma-ish.” It just so happens that these smells conjure warm personal memories for me, so I don’t find them unattractive, and even wish to sometimes smell like them. The first impression of “grandma” has since worn away a bit, but I suppose it’s the risk that you run when you’re sporting something that has noticeable amounts of rose in it. I now appreciate Shaikhah for what it is: a classic oud-based rose. To me, it’s a smell of a certain time and place: a Victorian dandy visiting the Middle East, perhaps with imperial ambitions. I’m glad this was one of the original seven Al-Rehab fragrances that I purchased. I would recommend it to anyone, especially those who want to jump right into a heavy, non-Western style oud to get their feet wet, or men who thought they might not have been previously interested in floral scents. (This is a review of the eau de parfum natural spray, not the attar.)

Fragrance Review For Shaikhah Al-Rehab Notes agarwood (oud), white musk, rose, jasmine, carnation, saffron, cardamom, ambergris resins My God what an amazing fragrance, a potpourri of spicy Oriental floral notes for the woman that enjoys her Oriental perfumes. It is an oud so the agarwood is the dominant accord. This also gives it a unisex appeal but I find it to be very feminine. The flowers are center stage with the oud and not put all the way in the back. The rose jasmine and carnation are gorgeously paired together. Even as such it's a rose, and wears like a very typical rose and oud frag. I love that however. There is a ginger note courtesy of cardamom. There's saffron, spices resins and musk to keep it in the realm of the Middle East, still very much an exotic Arabic scent. There is also a touch of incense. The ambergris surprised me because I can hardly smell it but it probably gives it yet another exotic touch. This is really miraculous. Each of the notes is allowed time to release their scent. The price is pretty cheap but trust me the fragrance is not. Smells like a Persian Queen, the Queen of Sheba. I recommend it. It's not a good blind buy however but if you do buy it without sampling it brace yourself for the spell and enchantment of Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Hmmm. I can’t believe no one compared this to Tom Ford Black Orchid! To me the similarities are blatant, especially in the beginning! I’m surprised there’s no patchouli here. Smells like chemical saffron and soap when sniffing straight from the cap. Unbearable. I’m not really sure what oud is supposed to smell like at this point, because I’m getting no oud whatsoever here. No rose either! I expected a fruity, jammy rose but all I smell here is soap. On the skin it’s harsh for the first hour or so, but then it becomes a VERY pleasant incense-y scent. I mostly get resins and saffron, which is very interesting as I never smelled saffron in a fragrance. It’s great, and it smells much more natural and realistic in the dry down. This is a 100$ dry down coming from a 2$ scent. But boy, does this take a loooong time to get there! This was my first perfume oil, and while I didn’t get what I expected ( but it seems like nobody does with these little bottles ) I will definitely but more.

I had a feeling I wouldn't be keen on this one, and I was right. At least at first impressions. But hey at £1.99 including postage for the rollerball from eBay it was worth a go. This is extremely strong. Apply very sparingly! To me the key note initially is toilet duck. This then dies down to an extremely musky smoky musty spicy scent. Very Arabian. Definitely unisex. After a few hours it then softens further to a very nice leather and spice scent. I gave it to my partner, it's nicer than the 3 mens Al-rehab rollerballs he bought already, which were all truly awful and I can't stand- they all smell like gone off Lynx body spray- Blue, Silver, Zidan. *EDIT* then I borrowed it back mwahaha! As I had an evil plan, . I mixed it 50/50 with Al Nourus which is a boring peachy watermelony rollerball, and the mix is amazing. It has removed the top notes of toilet duck from Shaikhah, and sweetened it up, and created a beautiful floral die down.

I thank those members who recommended this for my "Inspired by India" fragrance search. This is an amazing explosion of rose, oud, and ambergris in this tiny tube. It is a great, expensive smelling fragrance for this price! I love Oud so I knew I would like this right away. One needs to make it past the acrid, medicinal oud opening, it seems like it lasts forever but then it becomes beautiful as you smell the roses it softens the oud note, but the oud note is strong and dominates on my skin. There is also soft spices, a hint of saffron and of course the amazing ambergris. A tiny dab of the rollerball on the skin is all I need and as my body warms up during the day, the scent wafts up to my nose. It is so erotic and addicting! The sillage is a beast and it lasts until the last day!

The first accord that I noticed in this fragrance, aside from the oud, Taif rose, and amber, was mitti! I'm surprised that nobody else has picked up on it. This is one of my new favourites, within a split second of application. She is so unique, and distinctive. Edit, approximately one hour later: This frag is a chameleon! It changes from oud/rose/motto/saffron/amber, to animalic, indolic, red kasturi (deer musc)/sweet violet/wet orange blossom. It reminds me of Alberto V05 (the old school hairdressing pomade, in an aluminium tube). So far, I prefer this, when freshly applied! If it changes again, I will update this review further. Edit: I'm quite sure that what I had picked out as mitti, before, was the Ambroxan. This frag is absolutely heavy with it.

I am new to the whole describing my perception of a perfume so bear with me. I am an older woman in her 50's and a child of the late 60's 70's so this fragrance really hit a nostalgic memory from long ago. It opens with a STRONG oud note which initially knocked me out of my shoes. As the dry down continued the notes take on a more floral (rose?) musky scent. Masculine in a feminine sort of way. I am going to try layering it with white musk to see if it tones down the initial oud. A mature lovely LONGLASTING scent. A little dab will do ya.