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.

Perfume-masterpiece, in my opinion. :) I've got a brand new bottle of this and have been testing it today. It's so nice, sweet and powdery but with a little twist to it. :) If you know Teint de Neige (Villoresi) and Iris (L'Erbolario), this one is very similar to them but at the same time it's also like a "darker, more mysterious" version of them with some nice spice to it, with some oriental, balsamic notes. To my nose and based on the perfumes I own, the best way to describe this (although of course, not totally correct) is the combination of Teint de Neige/Iris and Obsession by Calvin Klein (that one is quite spicy, has cinammon feel to it). Teint de Neige and Iris are sweet and fluffy, very comforting, Khôl de Bahreïn is like sweet "cosmetic gourmand" with a hint of spiciness...the longevity is 7+ also lasts some time after shower, the sillage seems to be quite good, too, not to mention the beautiful bottle and packaging. Overall, I love this powdery perfume creation. ❤️💋

This is like a beautiful piece of shimmering lingerie floating around you, somehow going powdery and creamy at the same time. The resins, violet and iris giving it that powdery sweet effect, then Peru Balsam, a deep, smooth vanilla and sandalwood, a tamed Australian sandalwood without that stringent thing going on ~ sweeping in to make this an airy, slightly creamy luscious confection. Somehow the sweet never runs away, I'm assuming bc of the ambergris, giving it enough salty to ground everything. A reviewer below said this was an Arabian Nights fantasy of a perfume, and that's a great way of describing it. Edit: I just read this perfumers biography on Lucky Scents, what a talented person. A lot of people claim to have synesthesia, the ability to see color with scent, not a lot really do. His proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Anywhoo ~ can't wait for mine to get here, and I think I going to go broke testing the rest of his fragrances. Next up: Rose de Petra.

Quite simply, Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777 makes art. Fleeting art that hovers in the air enticing memory and emotion. Fleeting and faint. Of the perfumes I have tried from the house so far, there is some kind of amber/resin base that carries throughout the perfumes I've tried. The DNA of SHL777. It is a fabulous foundation that gives a sense of uniqueness and mysteriousness to otherwise regular run of the mill notes. While this perfume is not what I would typically be attracted to, it is 'vintage esque' and powdery as well as a creamy amber which often feels so overused at this point that I immediately lose interest.... here it hardly disengages me for a moment. It's absolutely perfected in what it is. The only downside here and with the others I have tried is longevity and projection, my weak nose and absorbent skin mourns the fleeting and faint nature of this gorgeous scent. 8/10

The first spray is a big entrance, and you think “luxe, opulence, oriental femininity”. I smell candied resins, violet, spicy warm amber. I picture Cleopatra dressed in gold, sensual and powerful. One spray is way enough or a few drops on the pulse, and behind the ears or shoulders. The projection and sillage is a beast! After a few minutes, the florals open up. It becomes powdery and very feminine. Suddenly it’s like Cleopatra has undressed and is entering inside her bath of milk and iris. There are definitely animalistic notes and a hint lactonic/powdery that plays with the iris, ambergris and musk. Gorgeous. I like how the sandalwood, balsamic notes and the ambergris are the core of the perfume, making it warm and woody to balance the powdered violet and iris. _____ Projection, sillage, longevity : 10/10 Originality, presentation : 8.5/10 Quality, value : 8/10 9/10

I agree with Shenandoah in that I, too was expecting a darker, more mysterious scent in Khol de Bahrein. The first few times I wore KdB, I was surprised and actually not crazy about the scent. So I pushed my nice sized decant to the rear of my decants. Last evening, I wore it again. This time, I understood its' appeal and really enjoyed wearing it. Now, you may think me crazy, but it reminds me a lot of Shalimar Parfum Initial!! All evening I kept thinking, what does this remind me of??? Then it hit me. Yup. Shalimar Parfum Initial. Maybe it is the sweet and powdery aspects of both. Tonka/caramel in SPI = the "sweet notes" and resins of KdB? I dunno. But, crazy or not, I stand by my comparison. To me, both are lovely scents. One pricey, one not. I'm glad to have my decant of this. When I run out, for a very similar feel, you know what I'll be wearing. ;)

I couldn't wear this fragrance in the summer time, too hot and humid here in NC for this powdery cake bomb! Today, on this cool and bright fall day, it's a different story. Khôl de Bahreïn reminds me of the dessert, Turkish Delight, heavy on the powdered sugar, rose water with a bit of crashed iris candies. I inhale it deeply, enjoying the resins, ambergris and sandalwood, and while it dries down, it becomes less gourmand with the musk and peru balsam taking over. The scent is sweet but in a good way, balsamic and very creamy, sometimes becoming an old school lipstick and makeup powder, only to be rerouted to a more sultry amber scent. The longevity is fantastic! I smell it on my clothes and my hair even the next day. Sillage is pretty good, but it doesn't overwhelm anyone with the powdery notes.

jtd described it perfectly. Just want to add one thing; the name - Khol de Bahrein - is a beautiful name for a perfume, but it doesn't fit this particular fragrance. First impression was underwhelming and let me tell you why - I expected something darker and much sweeter, with heavier basenotes. I see other reviewers had the same issue. This exquisit creation smells so French and for its quite different (soft iris, warm amber and musk yet fragile, with tender gourmand notes, ambergris keeping it from becoming too frivolously sweetish) character I unfairly misjudged it as inferior. Luckily, I gave it another chance and it grew on me as soon as I realized what it is - a tender, classy oriental with a gourmand touch, just what I was looking for.

It's nothing like Shalimar, and it's not at all powdery. The opening is a big KABOOM of opulence, although it's more eccentric old-money than showy modern flare. It's almost boozy, and has a rich, fumey note than smells somewhere between davana and amyl nitrate. This quickly abates, and you embark on a journey of unctuous orris and resins with a sweetened, ozonic violet flower singing at the top. The real magic is the peru balsam and ambergris, which bring the darkness to stop this being too make-up-like. It's a ride, and one for the more experienced perfume lover I suspect. I think I love it, time will tell. Update: wore it again today, absolute masterpiece. In the dry down I feel it's a cousin of Hasu-no-Hana.

Mmmmmm...LOVE at first sniff! Probably in my top ten of perfumes!! I find here a gorgeus iris mixed with different resins which give yo the fragance a very balsámic and creamy vibe. I think It is very close to Velvet amber skin by d&g but half price. The longevity is very good but the sillage is just moderate. It is a very subtle scent but It is noticeable for a long time. I have yo speak Aldo about the packaging. This is something about i usually dont caer because for me what really martes is the content. But on this case the bottle is orecious and the box very elegant so i want just to mention It. Scent: 10 Longevity: 9 Sillage: 7 Quality/price: 7 Versatility: 8 Originality: 8 Global: 9

Fantastic fragrance, this the one I like the most from the 777 collection, balsamic, powdery floral, sweet, ambery perfume, brillant work, the name reflect exactly what you smell, oriental warm cosmetic. It's probably more for women but I have no problem to wearing it. Stephane Humbert Lucas bottles are beautiful and very high quality. Some people say it's musky and not powdery, smell Orris givco or Alpha ionone and you gonna change your mind quickly. If you like powdery, ambery, floral fragrance you should try L'Heure Bleue from Guerlain, it's a more westernised kind of "makeup fragrance" that I like a lot.

Absolute heaven. Definite powder bomb with the iris and vanilla plus sandalwood. There is a sharpish note that I don't know but overall, it is just gorgeous. I love it to bits and it dries to a cozy vanilla. Not huge projection but lasts quite a while. If I wear it to bed it is a beautiful vanilla powder in the morning. I think the unusual note could be the ambergris; not amber as someone else noted, that isn't listed intg he notes.

Dark and sweet floral-resin! Nice perfume,very charismatic. After a few minutes I feel something dusty/ acid in the background, a inkling of fresh makeup but solid thanks to the very evident resins. Scent of contrasts between the ancient and the modern,the sillage is great and very good longevity. Recommend you try...I like and I think I'll buy !! beautiful! Sillage: 8.5/10 Longevity: 8./10 Scent: 8.5/10 Overall: 8.5/10

Iris and violet with just the right amount of resins and sweet notes to makes everything feel balanced. There’s powder here, but on me it’s light and nothing like baby wipes. I would file this in the extremely easy to wear, smooth amber catergory. Wore this for several hours, and got two compliments so it projects even though I could no longer tell after the first hour. Unfortunately I can’t buy everything I love.

Serious stuff. This doesnt even belong in the realm of perfume business. This is almost a portal:) Have to say the whole 777 collection is majestic. Thos particular gem is extroverted Shalimar cousin. Once you get pass the sweet and heavy opening you fall deep in another dimension...

What a fantastic opening! Sweet and salty resins, flowers, with a creamy dry-down of sandalwood and musk. Unisex but leaning more on the feminine side, I can see any confident individual wearing this on a night out in celebration of life!