Forty Thieves

I feel long overdue to sample the latest Fort & Manle release, Forty Thieves, which I’ve had on my radar for months, given how much I like two of the Melbourne house’s other resinous perfumes, Amber Absolutely and Suleyman Le Magnifique, and so I’m inclined to compare Forty Thieves to these two previous releases, both of which I love. Forty Thieves is resin-dominant, somewhat animalic but also slightly sweet, a palpably-strong blend of its signature resins—incense, labdanum, amber, and balsam—and they’re blended well enough that I cannot really detect any in particular that strongly but it leans a little more to labdanum on my skin. Honey makes it even creamier, though, further making the blend feel complete. The other key players are the fresh bergamot, petitgrain, pink pepper that give a bright and pungent opening with a dry down that incorporates rose, albeit only slightly, along with orange blossom, vanilla, woods, and even the slightest touch of oud, perhaps, though I might simply be inserting that. It’s really not an oud-heavy fragrance on my skin and most of the darkness in it I attribute to the nuances in the various resins in the mix. Amber Absolutely is a boozy, fruity amber, while Suleyman Le Magnifique is a cinnamon amber, to summarize them succinctly, but Forty Thieves is a more animalic-leaning blended amber with the fresh opening and rose dry rendering it somewhat different from the other two. It’s never particularly easy testing off of a dabber from Luckyscent, the only US boutique that sells the Fort & Manle, but with richer fragrance like this, it’s manageable. It performs on par with the other resinous fragrances, with good longevity and projection, but the main selling point of this fragrance is the quality of the composition in terms of nuance, complexity, and completeness. Forty Thieves retails for $190 for 50ml and like all previous releases, the bottle is ornate and mostly opaque, really among my favorite bottle types as far as art. Overall, I love this one and it’s right in my wheelhouse, category-wise, so it’s on the proverbial list for a bottle. 8 out of 10

This is just exquisite! Using my sample again today (third day in a row) because I want to experience all the nuances of this amazing fragrance. Other reviewers have described the scent very well, so I won't go into that. I will say this, however: “Forty Thieves” is everything I wanted “L'Air du Desert Marocain” to be, but “L'Air” didn't live up to my hopes. This is heavenly — bright and oh-so-fresh, yet dusky and mysterious at the same time. Definitely going to buy a full bottle. EDIT: Finally got my bottle. It was a serious splurge for me, but WORTH EVERY PENNY. One spray and I'm in perfume heaven! “Forty Thieves” transports me to a place and time I'm not sure even exists. Wearing this I can easily imagine myself as Scheherazade sitting on a luxurious Persian carpet in the king's chamber, telling fascinating stories every evening for a thousand and one nights. Or maybe I'm the hero from one of her tales — Sinbad the Sailor or The Thief of Baghdad. Either way, the fragrance perfuming the air is THIS, a genie in a bottle — pure magic! (By the way, the bottle itself is a work of art.)

Wow. I am continually impressed by this brand. And they have such adorable names for their Fragrances. It makes me want to learn more and smell more. This one was so interesting! The Incense, combined with the first experiences of rose and (labdanum i am guessing) have a triangular effect of smelling powdery to me, which I usually am not fond of, but I like it in this. As the top note starts to fade, the smell transforms in to what smells like nag champa incense to me, which of course I adore. It is still developing and morphing into its final act. Reading the base notes, I know it's going to be good. Ok it took a long time to get to the base...it is amazing. Dry wood and a whisper. Bravo. Highly recommend.

Notes: Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Labdanum, Amber, Rose, Honey, Orange Blossom, Amber, Sandalwood, Oud and Vanilla Love this one, so far all the fragrances I have tried from this house are all unique and this no exception. This is based on Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves and Rasei has done justice and made this magical potion. Opens with Bergamot and Pink Pepper but the Bergamot note is short lived, the drydown is to die for. Amber, Oud, Incense and Sandalwood take you on a journey just like the fable.

I love it — a sweet incense amber scent. Oud is dialed back, i don’t detect it and was able to wear this on an unseasonably warm, late winter day. I gardened in it for 5 hours, lightly projecting, and Forty Thieves felt warm and resiny. Forty Thieves is similar to others on the market but this is mixed well and feels natural. Some interesting spices, I smell pink pepper and a watery papyrus. Good performance too.