Rawda

Judging from the notes, reviews, and bottle design, I thought Rawda would be a winner for sure. I love myrrh, nutmeg, cloves, and pretty much every note listed. However, Rawda is one of the only attars I've tried that did not work for me. I get no spiciness or myrrh. On my skin, Rawda smells like a disappointing medley of hide tanning chemicals and stale, flat beer. Oh well, not all scents blossom beautifully on everyone, but I'm glad to see there are some people who this smells good on.

Rawda is a mystery, just like one of my favourite songs by Axiom, Mystery Sound. The whole composition with the Myrrh prominent, nutmeg, cloves, saffron and cedar on the background evoke a sense of ancient mystery, a foreboding of a tragedy, an ancient crime of passion, a story of loss.. The magnigicent botlle itself makes a great statement to that. The myrrh lends a slightly sweet quality tempered by the spices that keep sweetness to check with jasmine giving a more round carnal sensation overall, amber picks through but it is not strong enough to take away the bitter romantic connotations this scent evokes. This is NOT a crowd pleaser, but I couldn't care less for that... Superb composition, and a must for those, like me, who love resins like myrrh.