Arabian Nights

As a goal, I believe that Bogart's house intended to bring the arabian nights warmth and grandeur from the caliphates and emirates, or at least, a scent to match our imagination about that theme. I don't think Bogart has been successful in that attempt. You clearly perceive two distinct phases in the perfume evolution: A smelly Arabian evening followed by a scented Arabian night. This fragrance deserves a more detailed note analysis for us to understand the "why" of its evolution in two separated phases: the smelly and the scented stages. HEAD and HEART ==> In the powerful opening, the blending is based on strong accords of cumin (probably caraway variety), petitgrain (bitter essential oil extracted from the orange tree green leaves) and cardamom. The strong and persistent petitgrain is the main responsible for the noted similarity mainly with Amouage Reflection Man and with Le Male in a lesser extent. However, when combined, the cumin and cardamom notes may develop a strong animalic scent. Cumin is a pungent bitter-sour spice note that sometimes (namely combined with cardamom) may be associated to the sweat scent or to the pee scent. Used with care, It can highlight the fragrance creation like no other. Nowadays is often used to render an intimate, animalic note in absence of a recognised animalic ingredient like civet or castoreum. Cardamom can be intensely sweet, resinous and aromatic. Combining this intense aromatic resinous note with an animalic one, amplifies the effect. It's like singing from a distance or close to the ear. You will certainly enjoy the melodious song sung from afar, but you may reject the song that has been screamed in your ear. I do belive that Bogart's aim has been to ensure this loud animalic accord would endure the entire evolution, but it resulted in a strong punch in your nose, all the way through the head and heart developpment, and only eased up during the sweeter bottom and drydown. This pungent scent effect makes Arabian Nights to be the most polarizing fragrance of the fragrance community. You do encounter fierce haters cursing this perfume, or people madly in love with it. More than half of the haters claim this perfume to smell like pee in the top and middle stages. More than half of the lovers are quite enthusiastic about the strong animalic accord. HEART ==> In the heart, one also perceives incense (yes, more incense amplifying the animalic effect), woods, floral accords and patchouli. BOTTOM ==> At the base we get white musk, oak moss, cedar and vetiver. At this stage, and during the dry down, there is a slight added sweetness that some people attribute to existing tonka or vanilla. When reaching the bottom stage, the fragrance twists from an aggressive scent into an almost alluring, enchanting and persistent aroma. The general feeling you get from the animalic side of this fragrance is a synthetic and unatural one, instead of a medicinal scent as it is usual in so many oriental fragrances with oud. The output is intense and full of incense and, when applied on your skin, the fragrance doesn't change much during its evolution. Mostly it revolves around the cumin/cardamom combo and added musk later on in the bottom phase. This perfume is not an easy one to please and a large voter base may be prodigal in "tens" and "zeros". If you seek an arabian dark oud note in Arabian Nights, you are just wasting your time. No oud is listed and there isn't any in the fragrance composition. The bottle is very pretty, and although bears the same Bogart visual identity, it looks and feels nicer and with better quality than the other Bogarts. Both projection and longevity are huge. In my opinion, Bogart has been able to launch a fragrance close to the niche segment, but let's respect the proper proportions. There are similarity allusions between Bogart's Arabian Nights and Amouage Reflection Man. That similarity exists, but Reflection Man is sweeter and less animalic. An Amouage lover will never admit such similarity, but the resemblance is obvious. No comparison is possible with "Arabian Nights" from Jesus del Pozo (an heavenly fragrance, that I will review shortly). Let's check the math for Bogart's Arabian Nights: - Scent opening: 5.0 (I like animalic notes as loud as in this fragrance) - Scent drydown: 8.5 (the drydown is actually quite nice) - Longevity: 9.5 (up to 12 hours - 3 sprays) - Sillage: 8.5 (up to 6~8 feet with almost 3 hours of projection - 3 sprays) - Uniqueness: 9.5 (It's almost unique. I took 0.5 due to the similarity with Amouage Reflection Man.) - Versatility: 4.0 (be very careful when choosing the places where you are going to wear this perfume; on your own at home it's a very good choice) - Wearability: 7.0 (adequate for cold weather, so during Winter and Fall; Use it in a warm day only when visiting your mother in law). - Compliments: 3.0 (actually some people like it all the way, and many enjoy the drydown) - Quality: 8.0 (a bit synthetic; good quality flask and sprayer) - Presentation: 9.0 (quite nice and better looking than the other Bogarts) - Price: 9.0 (100 ml non tester for 19 Euros) Average: 7.36 / 10.00 - between 7 and 8 = above average; Allways test it before buying. - between 8 and 9 = recomended; - bigger than 9 = don't miss it; Advice: DO NOT blind buy it! Actually have your eyes wide open (I mean nostrils) when testing it. Whenever you want to ride alone in a bus or train, apply 10 sprays of Bogart's Arabian Nights on a hot summer day. I only review the fragrances I like. With Bogart's Arabian Nights I am expressing an opinion about a fragrance that I still don't realize if I love or hate it. This duality makes me feel uncomfortable with this fragrance, or even disappointed.Two things I know for sure, is that Arabian Nights will never provoke any compliments and that my wife will never use it. Music: Rita Lee - "Lança Perfume" - either the portuguese version or the english version.

Just as Riviera Nights, Arabian Nights was also released in 2010 by Jacques Bogart and is part of the line called "nights", which aims to bottle the feeling of the nights from some particular place in the globe, transporting its user to a place of seduction and sensuality. In this creation, the aim was to bring the warmth and opulence of the Arabian nights, through a composition built by output notes of cardamom, caraway (from the family of cumin) and petitgrain (which is the essential oil extracted from orange green leaves). In the heart of the fragrance, incense, hardwoods, floral accord, and patchouli; at the base, white musk, moss, cedar, and vetiver. Some say that there is vanilla or tonka bean on the bottom too. As with Bogart Story Red, Arabian Nights has a more pungent scent, those who scare right off the bat. In the first one, the tone is medicinal, whereas, in this one, the nuance is more like something synthetic and plastic. The output is intense and full of incense and the fragrance doesn't change much during its evolution on the skin. Mostly revolves around the heart notes and, after a few hours, the musk begins to appear. Unlike Riviera Nights, this one isn't so easy to please. In addition, there are numerous comparisons between Arabian Nights and Reflection (niche scent from Amouage). They say that Reflection is even sweeter, but they are very similar. But the truth is that the elitists will never admit such similarity (if it is real), which is silly. And another note that I do is about the criticisms I've read regarding the name of the fragrance, because there's no OUD in the composition, so there's nothing of Arabic. Pure stupidity! The Arab perfumes became famous worldwide because of its exotic notes of spices and, mainly, high quality incense such as frankincense. The agarwood is not so old in perfumery and became a trend a few years back. So, in my opinion, the name was very well chosen for the proposal of the fragrance. The bottle of Arabian Nights keeps the same visual identity of the line and both projection and longevity are fantastic. Within the limited freedom of creativity of designer perfumes, Bogart was able to launch something very close to the niches, saved the proper proportions.

Ah, the house of Bogart did it again, didn’t they? This fragrance is the exact opposite and antithesis of what haute parfumerie is supposed to be. It is crude, in your face, synthetic to the core and loud as hell. Rest 100 % assured, you will leave NO ONE indifferent to what you are wearing with this little monster. People will either recoil in horror or be attracted to you and giving you compliments, it’s that polarizing. Today, I sprayed myself at noon, and at 7 pm, as I am writing, I still smell like the zoo. Think animal hides, feathers, musk secretions, you name it. This fragrance has the exact same character as the infamous Joop! Homme (which I happened to love), except the latter’s spicy-floral axis is here substituted by an animalic-spicy one, which makes it even more scandalous. Everything else, like the aggressive projection and dumbing longevity, is the same. Think Kouros, Lapidus pour Homme and Dali pour Homme. There you have it, a total eighties scent, which is strange to appear in our times, the trend being for bland scents with no character, AND virtually all potent ingredients being banned. With time, this scent may grow on you and you may stop caring about what anyone else thinks. However, maybe this isn’t an office-friendly scent, hence versatility is abysmal. About the only suitable occasion is a wild night at the club. Arabian Nights is indeed a nocturnal animal.

I've enjoyed reading the reviews here. I feel some sympathy for a new reader who is reading these reviews to get a feeling about Arabian Nights before purchasing. There are good reviews and bad reviews - and it is confusing. I will try to summarize in order to assist the new reader, as this fragrance is worth it : For the record, I also did not like this very much on my first try, but there was something in the various stages of the dry down that I found complex and sweet and I really liked it so I persevered. In fact the more I wear it, the more I like it. **Edit : This is now my favourite fragrance of all *** BUT.... for those reading the reviews below that (over)state the underwhelming scent when first sprayed, they are telling the truth. This is the one surprising factor of this fragrance. Not sure what the initial effect was meant to portray. For me, the initial smell can sometimes be a bit pungent and bitter : woody (leaves & bark) petitgrain and cardimon. These notes are listed as being in the mix, and I assume they are to tone down what is to follow. Because, just wait momentarily for the dry down, it is a wonderful scent indeed, really very beautiful. I get tonka bean sweetness with it's intensive balmy, warm, gourmand and intoxicating character of heavenly vanilla. If you enjoy vanilla, this is your juice !

I am a massive fan of fragrances that last and produce a scent bubble that continues to remind you that you are actually wearing a fragrance. It is perhaps for this reason that I am attracted to many fragrances that are either from the 80's/90's or that hark back to these 'apparently' old-school scent profiles that are unapologetically bombastic to the point of (again apparently) being offensive. The house of Bogart is a specialist in this type of release and are amongst my favourite cheapies. Arabian Nights is perhaps the best example of an aggressively loud, in your face fragrance, dense, dark and deeply unsubtle. It smells like curried fruit, thick and spicy, sweet, sweaty and woodsy and I LOVE it! Described earlier as a 'stinky' fragrance, Bogart aren't in the least bothered about smelling like bubble-gum or shower gel, Arabian Nights is not for fragrance snowflakes who are 'offended' by olfactory creativity, it is for seasoned fragrance collectors who have the confidence, experience and are brave enough to explore fragrance profiles that expand beyond the bland, dull and generic world of mass appeal. Arabian Nights is an oasis in a desert of fragrance mediocrity, smells far more expensive than it is and will turn heads wherever you wear it - possibly for the wrong reasons, which is all the more reason to buy it!