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 :(

The lavender and patchouli create an earthy minty aroma at first and then the lavender is more aromatic, especially since it's blended with cardamom and cinnamon. Then there is the bitter smoky part made by cypriol and Oud. The dry down is pretty linear and mostly smoky and woody. 7/10

It is ... TF Oud Wood with quality up to the roof. huge projection - huge sillage - +12 hours on my skin The way I see it, Kemi - Hayat is all that TF Oud Wood could have been ...and is not. Cheers

@ANDREWSILVA The whole Kemi line had been discontinued :(

I will keep this short this smells like a freshly mulched garden.Personally I like that smell but care not for it as a perfume.High quality and long lasting if mulch is your cup of tea.

Awful harsh synthetic replication of oud. This just smells like aggressive chemicals. The opening smells ok but it quickly descends into scratchy headache territory.

Opens up with sweetened tolerable fecal notes (designed to make us think of genuine oud, but the fecality is different than the undiluted agar- ,cambotian or loathian oud, IMO it's rather ambergris,not sure if it's natural or artificial) mixed with some baby powder.The exact smell hanging in the air after changing the dipers of a baby in the nursing room, accompanied by some light & airy lavandel and by a faint hint of cardamom.I couldn't get cinnamon, bitter orange, nagarmotha or patchouli at all.But this sweet and teasing changed diper smell lingers for the following 10-12 hours continuously.And after the dry-down you start to sense a synthetic molecule, which I couldn't pinpoint yet, but very similar to the chemical compound you that you perceive after the drydown of Sospiro Accento, Nasomatto Black Afgano, Boucheron Oud and Zeromolecule Geco .The question is would you adore it so much that you could spend 300€ for a 100ml bottle in order to smell like semi-synthetic baby poo.I certainly do know that I would never ever feel like it at all.

to me this is Khasab Al Oud intense

I can't stand arabic scents! Too overwhelming & annoying for my surroundings! Not my cup of tea👎

it smells like dog shit or that rly stinky tree that u sometimes walk by outside exactly that

They destroyed Oud 🪵 Wood. I mean in the bad way. They made it stink as a diarrhea

Recall Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones. You have to relax through the confrontational and jarring introduction to really involve yourself with obsession-inspiring thirst trap at the solid, stable core. If I noticed Hayat warmed on someone's skin, I would have a hard time controlling myself; the sort of composition that doubles as a drug, spurs an urge to sink one's teeth into flesh and drag your tongue all over the wearer. This is pretty much barbarian Jason Momoa in a bottle. The strong sour tingle opening is aggressively antiseptic, an interesting counterpoint to the true oud note (similar to what you find in 'Ilm from this line). Take in that naturalistic excreted note for the few moments and regard the transition into grass. Minutes later, bitter orange and lavender coalesce with spice, oud and cedar into a form that truly illustrates the concept of olfactory Al-Kemi. The drydown sent my mind into matters of the flesh this morning, the sorts of things I haven't thought about in years. Spray it on, wait 30 minutes for it to develop. I got such an intense high from this, I have to take a week off from it before I can do it again. Hayat deserves a stand-alone 1 day trial to enjoy it; if you enjoy woody fragrances, this may turn out to be a favorite. I sniffed this 6 months ago, recoiled, and put it away. Curiosity as to why I had such a strong reaction brought me back (and iobhai's hilarious, memorable description below). I tested this too soon after trying another, and that set me on a false path. Impossible to simply sniff it, you won't understand it at all. It's an hours-long trip and when it peaks, it's one of the greatest fragrance trips out there. I got so turned on by this I bought some lacy trifles this afternoon so I can go hunting for the right person, spray it on them, and then devour them.

This is TF oud wood improved and with a real oud not synthetic. After a week of wearing this and comparing it to TF oud wood I can say do not waste your money on the TF instead get Hayat as it has better performance and a hint of real oud. Hayat has real oud but not skanky, its kind of earthy. TF oud wood 7.5/10 Hayat kemi 9/10 Update The dry down after 3 hours similar to the dry down of Jovoy private label; Hayat dry down is fresher for sure and it feels better quality of blending and ingredient. Patchouli is very interesting! Another update I was browsing internet trying to find 50ml bottle and I found this description about Hayat on Harrods website "An earthy base of patchouli supports sweet top notes of cardamom and cinnamon" I think that very simple and accurate description. I believe oud is just a hint in the middle but real. The main player is Patchouli.

After brief (Third) testing to be certain, this was rapidly purchased and is proudly worn amongst the numerous high quality favourites in my collection. Without hesitation, this for me is the top of the list of the present Al Kimiya fragrances available. The more I smelled it, the more I became seduced by it's magic. To my delicate nose it is worth every penny paid for it, in it's beautifully presented white box with superb inner black details that you will never want to throw away long after the bottle is empty. A great discovery and I eagerly look forward to more creations from this brand.

To my nose,i would like to say the smell is like dried dung in 15 minutes :) When the smell is dry down you can feel how special and quality notes are used. This fragrance is luxurious, masculine and wet oud. I beleive that the most people will not like this smell. It's not a safe blind buy. Basima bir sey gelmeyecekse eger ilk 15 dakikasini tezek kokusuna benzettigimi soylemek istiyorum :) oturdukca kokularin ne kadar ozel ve kaliteli kullanildigi farkediliyor. Luks, maskulen ve islak oud baskin bir koku. Genel begeniye uygun degil hatta cogu kisinin sevmeyecegini dusunuyorum.

Hi, I bought as a blind buy, I agree its how OUD should smell, and if I just bought it to sniff occasionally its amazing - but sadly it just doesn't work with me. Bought for £300. Have sprayed 8-10 times (100ml bottle) All packaging, like brand new - bought from Fortnum and Masons (ultra exclusive London site). Ideally I would like cash, however I'm open to swapping. I do like Tom Ford, but I'm open to many. Or if you have a few, or lots of samples. PS - sorry to post this here, I;m new and not even sure if allowed... : )

so this stuff starts very bitter skanky oud on top. I don't hate it, but wifey told me I smell like poop. If you like eastern oud you will enjoy. It's obviously made with great ingredients and projects and lasts forever. However, as a previous reviewer stated, the dry down turns just woods and spices and is nothing special. First hour is very unique and special, but that's the part regular folk most likely won't like, then it won't offend anyone.

dewy, bitter, heavy, herbal oud smell. like you are in a middle eastern country during a cold winter night. this is not appropriate during summer months. I feel this perfume performs better on men than women. it is acidic on my skin which i don't like. you can easily detect the cardamon, cypriol oil, saffron, cinnamon. For sure it smells expensive. Yes on men this is a good heavy one. but on me NO!

really amazing Oud scent i am not a big fan of Oud base fragrances but i felt in love with first sniff of HAYAT open with spices cardamom and followe by cedar and all the time Oud is there . it is has a very nice luxury packing and bottle love it . luxry oud fragrance for special occation to me . smell 9/10 sillage 8.5/10 lasting 9/10

I have Kemi on one arm and Kemi Hayat on the other arm. I'm indifferent on Kemi Kemi, but Kemi Hayat goes to the back of your nasal cavity and hits a nerve. It's a feeling of euphoria. I will definitely have to go into further detail on this one, but I've said this is awesome to myself maybe 10 times in a matter of half an hour.

This is a fantastic woody, spicy fragrance. It does at times come across as linear but when it does you're not listening carefully enough. It performs exceptionally well. The comparisons to Tom Ford's Oud Wood are misleading. If you are looking for a masculine fragrance that smells great you need to try this.

Comet, Ajax anyone? Kidding.. or am I? Kinda resembles Santal des Indes from Amouroud. The Amouroud has more woods, where the Hayat has real oud making it skanky. Both are lovely in the drydown but the Amouroud is an overall easier wear. The Hayat is for the brave. I'm brave..

Scent - oud & cedarwood. Season/Time of Day - I prefer to use this one in the colder months, during the day. Projection - I did get noticed, I didn't get a compliment. Longevity - I get 12hrs consistently.

I didn’t get any oud . It’s just saffron, cardamom, and earthy vibe from patchouli.in some fragrance patchouli develop in woody notes . It’s not worth the price tag.

Starts off very similar to TF Oud Wood. After a couple of hours, drydown reminding me of JPG KokoRico. Nice Sillage so far in the first 3-4 hours.

Does anyone know why no Hayat is found anywhere?