Hayat

Hayat is an arid and parched earthy and woody fragrance. Quite fragrant but devoid of anything sweet and wet. The bitter orange comes strongly at you in the beginning. It is the smell of the bitter orange rind rather than the fruit itself. Lavender is also evident; however, I detect it by its cool and medicinal amell rather than by its sweet floral aspect. The oud falls on the woody side of the spectrum rather than the skanky, resinous, and fungal side if it. The cinnamon adds to the dry feel of Hayat. It smells dusty, dry, and fragrant rather than sweet. Amber and cardamon are listed as notes. I don’t smell them distinctively. That’s sad because Hayat would benefit from their sweetness. Sometimes I smell cedar and sometimes I don’t, and when I do it is quite light. I don’t get any patchouli at all. Overall Hayat is a sober and torrid woody fragrance. I own it. Compared to other Kemi fragrances I own, it is my least favorite. I don’t love it but I like it. I find it more suitable for cool fall and winter nights. When I wear it I get the sensation I’m wearing a dry wool/linen coat in a very cool night. This is a self-reflective perfume that you might appreciate for its artistic qualities.

Welcome to the jungle... This is a woody spicy fragrance with some aromatic nuances (lavender and bitter orange). These nuances on top are the responsible, in my opinion, to make this juice very special, this together with a little skanky Oud take this composition into a challenging but intriguing universe. To my nose this is wet, dark, very woody and sweet&sour. It gets less interesting in the dry-down, where top notes (which provide this sour effect) disappear somehow and the wood loses some of its natural feeling, but still nice, easier now to wear and in my skin very long lasting. So the jungle effect is transformed into a more furniture-like aroma, elegant aroma, but no so special. Originality: medium (opening is more original than dry-down) Scent: 7.5/10 Performance: high Would I buy it: No (if retail price..., I found it cheaper and it is now part of my collection)

A helpful perfumisto at The Scent Bar in Los Angeles showed me this one, and because I bought some fragrance I got a sample! He told me that this is what a quality oud-based scent smells like. (I really wasn't sure. I thought oud was either cough medicine or a rotting log.) The top notes, at first, repelled me... No, I didn't care for it. And then, amazingly, it changed into a truly marvelous scent... A lovely, deep, complex wood. So *this* is oud! Ah, I can see why it is prized now! The development of this one is the most radical and pronounced of any scent I think I have ever smelled. Truly amazing! Finally, an oud I like! $400/bottle. ------------ I wore some of the sample and a female cop asked me what it was I was wearing. I told her and she wrote it down. I'll be very sorry to see my sample go away.

@iobhai, such an honest assessment of this scent , yet so out of leftfield compared to many other reviews. We went from an epic masterpiece, 10/10 , the gold standard for such scents to a torture chamber experience. Well, of course as we all know, tastes vary and experiences too. At times the weather or air conditions play a huge role in how we judge a perfume. Give it another shot under different conditions and see what you think. For me , although not one my faves by any means, this scent is actually quite appealling in it's own right. Quite similar to Amouage Jubilation for men. Just a little less boozy in overall effect, with everything else almost identical to my nose. Overall a more wearable scent compared to Jubilation.

Finally got my hands on a partial of this after blowing through a decant. This is a big love for me. Tom Ford Oud Wood DNA done how it should have always been done actually having some oud to it. It's sour its pungent it's gorgeous. The oud to me is not fecal but has some barnyard elements. Reminds me of a horsey leather like a good hindi oud. The mixture with the sparkling opening and the cardamon is a love for me. I have wore this out alot for cocktails and events and always garners compliments. To me the sillage is very Tom Ford Oud Wood but up close you get the oud for your personal enjoyment. Stunning honestly my favorite Xerjoff / Kemi by a mile ( I know those are fighting words lol ) with Tempest a close second.

This is the king not oud wood!!!!! a refined version a moore potent an waerable oud wood the oud in this is off the chart what a gem 10/10 my new signature happy to find this badboy!. Panty Dropper King Compliment off the roof.this is the kind of fragrance that play tricks like aventus you think its not there bammm it come back boom compliment after 8 to 12h you think its gone but still fill up the room wow! just wow scent 10/10 quality 11/10 uniqueness 7/10 silage 9/10 longivity 12h ++++ compliment factor 10/10 Botle worthy for me !!! i will buy this over oud wood, and farr better then rd amber aoud i dont even see the comparaison!

its funny how much my opinion on this fragrance changed overtime after revisiting it again after almost a year. Im ashamed at myself for not realizing how amazing this fragrance really is. the spiciness, woodiness of it is just addicting to me. the aoud has a bit of stink, but its well rounded and creates a solid base for the overall composition. the use of cardamom, cedar and saffron are wonderfully executed, invoking a feeling of relaxation and excitement for whats to come. top 3 Kemi for sure, and arguably the best one out of said house. with that being said, im on the hunt for a full bottle. 9/10

Absolutely amazing what a perfumer can make from oud! Apart from the fact that the oud quality is very good in this fragrance (and it’s enough of it in the scent), the whole is the perfect interaction between the ingredients. Woody-balmy, decent floral and spicy, it remains tender all the time. The scent is subtile in the sense that it closely interacts with the skin odor (whether you like the oriental oud fragrances). Therefore, much depends specially in this case from your skin. For my impression, in spite of being tender, the fragrance is good suitable for men and women.

The most beloved in the exquisite Kemi line of fragrances is this resplendent spice laden Oriental fougere that radiates life (Hayat in Arabic). The perfume opens with notes of a beautiful lavender, orange peel and saffron and moves to a heart of amber, cardamom and cinnamon. It finally settles into a woody powdery base of Oud, patchouli, cypriol and cedar. Beautifully blended, unisex, with moderate to strong sillage and projection and long lasting, this is the stuff of Arabian nights fantasies. Exquisite !

This composition from Kemi is simply divine!!!! I am in a wood shed, freshly cut woods. There are hanging baskets of wild flowers, and someone threw their orange peels on the dirt floor. Outside, there are pine trees. The rain has stopped, and now the sun is peeking through the still clouds and I am alone, with my day dreams. This is one of the best oud based perfumes I have yet smelled. The sillage and longevity are very good. This wonderful perfume goes to the top of my FB list. Do try it.

Excellent, classy fragrance that can be worn on most occasions. Sillage is average, not a beast mode for sure, but that makes it so wearable. The saffron and lavender in the mix gives it a nice touch.

AHHH where should I start. I don't believe in "signature fragrances". But this is my signature fragrance It makes me remember Jerusalem. Al-Aqsa mosque. My favorite fragrance without doubt. 15/10

Its amazing how it seems to disappear into your skin and you think its gone. But people around you still smell it. This is a highly underrated fragrance. So nice, i had to review it twice.

The best Oud fragrance of all time. This is REAL OUD. Buy it now, becuase when the hype train gets rolling, expect the price to double. A niche version of Tom Ford Oud Wood.

very longlasting but not beast mode avarage sillage and projection.

Nagyon erős, téli Fűszeres illat. Nyáron nem fujhato.

Hayat meaning "life" arabic is supposed to be a unity of all elements of life but I don't see how can it be successful in doing so by just being an upright woody scent. Now do not get me wrong, this is a dark mysterious cedar heavy scent which reminds me of Oud Wood more than anything else. If there ever was an intense version of oud wood, this would be it. Oh! but wait, there is an actual oud wood intense and i heard it smells nothing like its "not so intense" version. Hayat opens with bitterness (no i don't get any orange) with woods with lavender in background. Now this is practically what you are going to get through out. It may sound boring (and it kind of is) but this is a serious, mature, sophisticated and intriguing scent.

I've worn TF Oud Wood for years so I was excited to try this. This does resemble it just add real skanky oud and tun the volume waaay up. I like this a lot but be forewarned that the Oud here is real. Real strong, and real skanky. This feels earthy and somewhat barnyard. Tom Ford uses Agarwood Arpur (synthetic) in their formula and it's much easier to wear in the United States. I love the cinnamon, lavender, saffron and papyrus here as well. Some of my favorites notes in perfumery. My only criticism is these notes are fighting a losing battle with the oud. But otherwise this is great juice. Scent 7.5/10 Performance 7.5/10

This is a very pleasant scent, but perhaps one that has been replicated too often. Comparisons to Tom Ford's Oud Wood and Xerjoff Zafar will be made. The oud is very good and dominates the fragrance, the other ingredients are very well blended and balanced. Some may find it fairly linear. Longevity is very good, projection is good for the first hour or so and then it sits fairly close to the skin. If you like Oud Wood but longevity is a problem, this is the one for you. Lovers of natural oud will enjoy this. Not a masterpiece, but a very decent oud offering from the house at a reasonable price.

I really like this one. Its deep and multi-dimensional thanks for the real oud it contains. I have to tell that this is one of tne of the best ouds I have ever smelled! I have a small sample of it, so I will only use for spacial occasions as the price is insane! Quality is there and everything speaks for its value but still 350 EUR for 100 ml :(