Khôl de Bahreïn

Swoon-worthy iris perfume. A very pretty fragrance and also very delicious. At first it smells like iris with traces of violet. It's odd at first because there is something that smells like rock candy, but it's a bit synthetic, almost metalic in a way. Luckily the notes really start to melt into one another as the fragrance takes on a ton of peru balsam, which I love adding to my home-made lotion bars and lip balms because of its sweet, vanilla-choccolate aroma, similar to cocoa butter. The fragrance starts to smell like white chocolate. It gives me flashbacks to Iris Ganache but a little sweeter and without any patch or suede. In the drydown, it starts to smell very arabian, reminding me of Montale's Red Aoud, another perfume with a strong white chocolate note. I swear that rose is missing from the pyramid here because it doesn't smell like iris and violet could be the only florals in such an arabian-style fragrance. In this stage I also pick up sandalwood. At no point do I notice any ambergris, one of my favorite notes, and one which is featured in a couple of my perfumes. I have also smelled the natural thing on its own. No trace of it here, so I have to assume it's synthetic ambergris, but whatever. It's a gorgeous perfume! I know that a lot of people like myself are always seeking those waxy lipstick and powder perfumes, but this does not fit that bill for me because it's mostly gourmand and arabian. I had hopes of waxy lipstick but the base is white chocolate and more white chocolate, which is great since white chocolate is one of my favorite notes. I like Kohl de Bahrein because I like sweet vanillas sometimes, and it's along those lines but a lot more elegant due to all of the iris. At times I wish there was some leather, but there are other nice perfumes on the market that do the iris/violet/leather combo, so this one stays lighter and unique. The overall vibe is very chic, like French perfume with an Arabian twist. Love it.

Wearing two sprays of this stuff, one on the wrist, one on the center of my neck, and it's almost too much. This is a powerhouse perfume, and a masterpiece at that. A little will do 'ya, there's no need to apply this like you would a designer department store "perfume". And I know, it's niche, and I know it's pricy but take a look at my wardrobe, I have perfumes that run along every price point of the spectrum. I've paid $300+ for perfumes, and I've paid $3.99. Trust me when I say this is worth every penny. I say it's a masterpiece because of the way it's beautifully blended. I get a strong iris note, or more of a root and earthy smell of the iris (is that what orris root is?) and then I also get the sweetness and balsamic resins. If "Amber" had a smell, I'd picture something just like this. There's something mineral, iridescent, translucent and yet deep. If you stare (or smell, in this sense) too long, you could get lost in it, in the best way possible. I feel the same way about Tom Ford's Rive d'Ambre, although these are absolutely not dupes of one another. Just similar in the way they use an imaginary accord like Amber and give it life. I'm not sure if it's just due to the quality ingredients used or the perfumer's themselves just really know what they're doing but these two Amber fragrances are like works of art to me. I used to think people who spoke about perfumes this way were just being pretentious. They either smell good or they don't, and that's all that mattered. I'm beginning to see how there's so much more, there's a deeper level to this hobby and even to enjoying the smells themselves. Maybe my nose is getting more sophisticated, maybe I'm just getting more pretentious, but either way I'm gonna put on my Khol de Bahrein and smell divine.

“...and if I were to choose a home, I would say: My home is your love. And if I were to forget you, my heart would forget me. And if I lost my way, I would live in your eyes.” Farouk Goweedah My hypnotic fascination with Khôl de Bahreïn is grounded in the marriage between its Orient-informed inspirations and its cosmopolitan sensibilities and contemporary execution. Yet, mysteriously, it remains as intangible and far away as a mirage of distant shores in the middle of a desert. Khôl de Bahreïn tempts with promises of sweet delight simultaneously examining the smell of beauty as well as the beauty of taste. Straight up there are intensely sweet and smoky resins dipped in creamy golden-ambered warmth. Enter a lipstick-like iris, the diva of the show - rich, soft and buttery, underscored by a briny and iced ambergris, which works to prevent the balsamic wrapper from melting the waxy and powdery protagonist. There is a clever and very peculiar balance at work here between the hot and the cold - a joyous and rather unique give and take between do-not-touch and go-ahead-and-eat-me. As the composition settles there is a thoroughly intriguing juxtaposition of the contrasting sensations of the warm complexion of perfectly groomed facial skin enriched by make up on one hand and that of sweet and chilled, toffeed and orange zest infused baklava with just a sprinkling of crushed almondy pistachio on the other. It is precisely because I imagine Khôl de Bahreïn being worn by a very particular type of woman that I claim it for myself and this is where the circle to Goweedah’s poem closes for me.

It took going back to 2014 to find one of the most refined incense fragrances ever. It's not an overdose of anything. It's not sour, sharp, or anything I've heard about modern incense. After several years of oud all over the place, Khol de Bahrein is a nice change. I still like cleaner ouds, but it's almost overdone. I miss olibanum as a focus note, but not hidden underneath raging patchouli and barnyard oud. It deserves a starring role as it is here. All these comparisons to very sweet scents - this not even close to Loukoum, Tiente de Neige, Elixir Charnel, any of these sweet potions! I have a few or tried some of these and while they rate a 7.5 to 10 on the sweet scale, Khol de Bahrein only rates about a 5 dto 6 on the drydown and a 4 upon the initial spray. I find this scent relaxing and calming. It takes about 2 minute to settle on my slightly dry skin. The resins take over and slowly diffuse outward along with the violet leaf. Each note has it's time but they play well together, too. Two sprays for work, and another spray after work keeps this going for about 12-14 hours. It sits fairly close to the skin, about arms-length. Overall, it's beautiful!

I wasn't sure if this would be anymore than a like on the opening. It has grown on me. It's warm and comforting. I don't find it impressive enough to call it the scent of 2013. It's not really unique. Definitely a crowd pleaser. Looking at the list of notes you would be forgiven for imagining it to be an oriental/gourmand. Fortunately the iris and violet just about prevent that. It would be in danger of a sweetness overload and probably be cloying. For most of its timeline it's a warm resinous scent and finally you can pick out the amber gris and sandalwood. I can pick out the balsam without any problems. I'm sure my skin amps it up. It definitely gets better and better on me after an hour. I get good longevity and sillage in 20 degree temps. A lovely cosy scent for cool weather days. Definitely comforting. I tried this again a few days after writing the above. Now I'm getting occasional wafts of vintage Guerlain l heure bleu! I am convinced your diet and medication all affects your chemistry and so any fragrance. Even your state of health will make a difference.