AIUla

This is such a unique and gorgeous fragrance. It keeps morphing into something new every time you sniff. It starts out with a plum/cherry note and light citrus with spices you'd smell in Christmas desserts ‐‐ mainly cardamom. The plum/cherry, cardamom, and saffron scent is always there, but sometimes the tobacco comes to the forefront. I could swear that I smelled cedar for a moment at the beginning. Then, it was heavy on the vanilla and saffron. Even though I normally think of spicy fragrances as being most appropriate for cold weather, the sweet fruity notes in this one make it medium-weight rather than heavy. So, it was fine wearing it in 90-F-degree weatther today. The fruity note reminds me a lot of the cherry scent in YSL's Black Opium Over Red. I tried making a sauce from cherries, cardamom, and safron, and the scent it gave off was fairly close to the way this fragrance smells. I'm kind of obsessed.

Thank you Penhaligons for offering free samples on your website, i only had to pay shipping! This fragrance smells great, Penhaligons is my favorite house. I dont care if people say their fragrances smell like another/uninspired or if they smell designer. What Penhaligons is doing is releasing amazing, likeable, unique fragrances, that smell refined, quality, upscale! And this is another release that is all of those things. The opening has such a juicy plum, with such an aromatic depth, and the right amount of sweetness that is really unique to my nose. This to me is right down the middle unisex, however as a man i think on my skin the spice quality comes through enough to lean it masculine. I love the trade routes collection, and this one seems like a good choice for a signature scent to someone that like the sweet and spicy profile, you will definitely stand out from the crowd.

I bought this in Dubai a few years ago and we got off to a rough start. Back home it was still winter, and AlUla felt too dark on me. Too much incense ( not sure if its listed like that) too much tobacco, almost masculine. Into the cupboard it went, and a second try months later (still cold outside) didn’t change my mind. Then today, in the middle of summer, I revisited it on a whim. Completely different perfume. The warmth brings out the plum and vanilla and everything falls into place. Rich but glowing, and it makes sense for a scent born in the desert. If AlUla feels too heavy on you, wait for warm skin and a summer evening. That’s where it comes alive. A delightful evening perfume, and I’m so glad I didn’t let it go.

Al Ula is nice. You'll immediately recognize the plum at the opening. The spiciness of the opening with the sweet plum. The plum seems more prominent on the clothes than on the skin. On skin I get a prominent incense along with the spiciness too. As the scent and notes develop, there a creaminess to it which probably comes from the vanilla. I feel overall Al Ula is quite well done. It's projectivity on clothes is very good. Folks around you definitely smell it. You'll get very good whiffs of it everywhere you go. Longetivity is more than half a day. Quite impressed with this 2024 Penhaligon's release. 7.5/10

The first time I smelled AlUla, I let out an immediate “O hell no.” Trying it a second time a couple months later I wondered WHAT THE HELL WAS WRONG WITH ME. This fragrance is something. Opulent magnificence. A warm, permeating veil on the skin. A soft, resinous amber, expertly accented by plum, and perfected by sweet tobacco and spiky black pepper. A masterful spice blend. I’m obsessed with it presently. Just The Thing for this shivery New England cold snap. And a very good stand-in if Sana Jardin proves to have closed up shop and I can never smell my beloved Tiger By Her Side again.

I bought this as a blind buy, im a huge fan of Penhaligons, my absolute favourites being Halfetti and Changing Constance. Having read the reviews I was expecting something very subtle, but wow, it has all the traits I love about Halfetti but much milder in comparison and lighter which is perfect for the summer months as a great alternative. It settles to something more powdery and vanilla, with the plumb lingering. Love this!

Is it just me, or does Penhaligon's not get the love it deserves? They put out some amazing, well crafted fragrances and AlUla is no exception. Probably my favorite combination of plum + tobacco-- A common fragrance marriage that my nose has a tendency to struggle with. I find they are either too spicy or too sweet. AlUla finds the common ground. Such a beautiful and intoxicating fragrance.

One of the best. I visit Al-Ula frequently and it is really Al-Ula ish. If a local invites you to drink arabian coffee in their home you’d relate! I couldn’t notice the plum and tobacco. Charming and generous. Spicy to the bone and aromatic like a real journey in Arabia. Bold and peaceful simultaneously.

I dont think the plum will be for everyone, but it's not too much in my opinion. The vanilla dry down however is the best I have smelled on any perfume, I got a sample and immediately bought a full bottle. You can often get samples straight from penhaligon for free. My signature scent.

Gorgeous, gorgeous scent. Opens up with a sharp note, cutting through the spiciness, developing on the skin into a mouthwatering, juicy plum. Sweet, juicy and captivating - in my opinion, this was made to perform in the warmth of summer!

Absolutely stunning scent - the plum is tart and spicy, dries down beautifully. After getting through my sample I've had to treat myself to a full bottle. Another beautiful creation from Penhaligon's.

This is absolutely stunning plum vanilla saffron, I’m completely addicted and quite frankly this is a masterpiece of the highest order.

Thought it was nice at first, but after few months testing, I’m getting to know more about the beauty and love this for sure now!

I was expecting this to be shit like The Dandy but it’s actually a pretty nice plum and tobacco fragrance, 7/10

Really beautiful sent, reminds me of a gentler and rounder version of Costum National's Soul.

10/10 - very unique Absolutely my favorite from Penhaligon’s

Very on the nose fragrance from Penhaligons, definitely smelled this combination before in a couple of guises. Although the fruity accord is immediately apparent the shining olibanum in this fragrance is so prominent throughout it's basically a massive incense accord,flanked by a heavy plummy, jammy, cherry syrup. While the woody aspect gets more prominent in the drydown it's at it's core a sweet, spicy, peppery incense and personally I love that. Comparisons here to Plum Japonais are obvious but for me it doesn't smell like that despite being able to describe both perfumes in an almost identical way. For me the instant reminders came in the for of Harry Sherwood's Cosmic Incense and Homme by Costume National. Yes I like this but the fruity accord kinda cheapens it or seems a bit naive, childlike almost as if my oh so serious fragrance sensibilities can't quite take it seriously because it's not quite incensey enough to be a serious perfume. That's my hang up though, it's fun, powerful and smells nice.

1.5 ml sample As most of the others have said, somewhere between Cairo with plum and Plum Japonais. As part of the dry down the plum turned a bit more winey. That being said my biggest qualm was the longevity, barely lasted an hour. Overall money would be better spent on Cairo IMO Update: Gave it a second chance and Wow what a difference. It appears that this is one that you need to apply more liberally (5-6 spritzes in my case); Its longer lasting than Juniper Sling or Endymion but not as potent as say Halfeti or one of the Portraits scents. In addition to the plum/winey notes before, the incense notes are coming off as more "clean" which might be the metallic notes and im definitely identifiny the smell of tumeric in the "cat pee" now. However I've managed to get compliments from several girls at the office with this one. Definitely gonna have to keep this on the radar and maybe score a few more samples.

I had my doubts coming into this, as I am not so big on fruity/vanilla notes in scents, but AlUla proved me wrong! The Frankincense and Tobacco add that church back-of-house incense room impression that I am nostalgic for. The pepper adds a nice kick to the vanilla and plum. It’s sweet and warm, not cloying, genuinely something I would wear if I didn’t take its price point and amount into account. Honestly, I think it works as a summer fragrance too, something to really shimmer and bake under the sun as the scent melts harmoniously into the surrounding heat.

Very comforting. You can feel the spicy, dry incense in the back of the throat and sweet, dried plum complements the amber bitterness. Cardamom adds spice and the saffron is warm and realistic. I also get a soapy osmanthus. An aromatic aspect from light vetiver and a hint of earthy patchouli balance the smoky vanilla. Yes, this can be nice for summer eves too - when in mood for warmth with warmth as there is the fresh spicy/aromatic touch, I prefer it for cooler months tho. Moderate sillage, strong longevity, a little goes a long way.