Mukha

Raydan Mukha. Discovered during a trip to Oman — properly, in a boutique inside the opera. A beautiful place. Yes, the opera... although I was hoping there wouldn’t be any drama. This was my absolute number one out of everything I had the chance to try. What sold me? The fact that someone finally remembered what tobacco actually smells like. Because let’s be honest — most “tobacco” fragrances are basically desserts with a fake cigar filter. Tobacco + sweetness + even more sweetness, just to make sure nobody accidentally experiences anything more complex than vanilla pudding. Oud + rose? Once bold, now a “Greatest Hits of Boredom” playlist. Tobacco + vanilla? A classic. The last wagon of the “too late to be original” train. No offense to fans: TF Tobacco Vanille, PDM Herod, Vanille Havane, Kilian Smoking Hot, Franck Boclet Tobacco, 1 Million Privé, Don Xerjoff, Mystery Tobacco, Tobacolor Dior... seriously — BORINGTM. For the record: the best “sweet tobacco” I know is Tabac Impérial by Versace. But even that is... well... meh. Although, as a Boss One fan, that honey note somehow works for me. And then Mukha walks in — dressed in white (well, actually gold, because the Arabic vibe demands it). Wait, what — did this idiot forget about Royal Tobacco by Amouage? Relax. RT is very good. Really. But let’s be honest — niche price, mainstream smell. Interesting composition, long-lasting, high quality... and completely predictable. Yes, you guessed it — sweet tobacco. Because that’s what sells. Mukha, on the other hand, does exactly what I was looking for. Simple. It shows TOBACCO. Not burnt. Not from a pipe. Fresh, moist, juicy tobacco — like leaves in the middle of the drying process. Green-brown, alive, breathing. Sweetness? Yeah, it’s there. But it’s the kind of sweetness that naturally comes from dried, not burnt tobacco. It stays in the background, not the main character of this soap opera. And it doesn’t need to be boosted. It just doesn’t. On top of that, a solid dose of Peru balsam (yes, performance is excellent — you can stop worrying), plus a mix of other notes I can sense but don’t have the skill to fully break down without Fragrantica cheat sheets. Final result? 100% Arabic fragrance. For the night. For winter. For a leather jacket. And definitely not for mainstream lovers. Mukha doesn’t try to please everyone. And that’s exactly why it’s better.