Azalai

I love oranges. Where I live in Northern California we produce the vast majority of orange fruit in the United States, which means you cannot take a drive anywhere without running into an orange orchard. When the orchards are in bloom the aroma is enough to make your knees buckle underneath you. The flowers are pollinated in the spring months where they will spend the summer and most of the fall producing orange fruit that is typically ready for harvest in the winter. I have many wonderful memories of being bundled up against the fall and winter wind chills, strolling through orange orchards, and finding ripe owaris, Valencias, and bloods bursting with oils and juice. Azalai effortlessly transports me there. Curiously though, Azalai has a lot more to do with acacia than with orange but Hemmendorff is clearly a nose that truly understands how things “smell”. The very obvious orange citrus opening perfectly links to crystalline fruit and a hay-like and floral saffron before going to an acacia accord that is beautifully honeyed and smells of orange blossom. It’s such an effortless, obvious, and beautiful movement. Surrounding these notes are smooth amberic balsams and a creamy lactonic quality that creates supple comfort and a cool dusty feeling. The latter might be the velvione according to the brand’s description, an aromachem I am completely unfamiliar with so I cannot say either way. Floral and citrusy, woody and creamy, pleasantly sweet yet a bit bitter boozy - the balance to this perfume is superb. Azalai is a perfume about smart choices. It strikes as being quite minimalist in that there does not seem to be much to it, but the choices made as to which materials to use are without misstep; as if the formula was created, and then Hemmendorff said “now subtract one material” or asked “which material is unnecessary” - removing anything unnecessary or extra. It is seamless, well thought out, tells a story through good performance, and smells great. Excellent work.

Beguiling bittersweet amber, with arabesques of incense and fruity hookah smoke. My favourite of the Stora Skuggan suite. It’s akin to my favourite Swedish saffron, Byredo’s Black Saffron, but while BlackSaff imagines a sexy nightclub, Azalai imagines a dusky palace from an unplaceable era. This is the first orange I’ve come across that truly reads bloody to me – tart, deep, ruddy. Everything about Azalai feels roseate, like it’s been filtered through stained glass. It’s more candied fruit bazaar than spice market, but the saffron creates a rich, leathery heart and partners beautifully with the blood orange. While the first breath was a bit metallic (maybe that’s where the mint is hiding?) it quickly sunsets into six hours of honeyed dates and apricots. Pure indulgence. No wonder it costs what it does. Mental Snapshot: A hazy, languorous eve at the height of your reign. Your adoring court titters about your dais, while peacocks preen in the half-light and golden-collared tigers loll at your feet. You recline on a tapestry pouf to be handfed peeled grapes by your thralls. “What’s an email?” You ask your seneschal. “Is that like a eunuch?” tl;dr: pure resplendence 🦚🕌

I love this so much. The scent is so good and it changes character several times and all of them are pleasant. The dried fruit notes and incense should really be top notes because I mostly smell them in the opening. As it dries down it gets a smell that shares some similarites with something I smelled from Lush. It is very pleasant. The projection is not large, it is a very safe and mild scent in that sense. It is also very unique 10/10 scent although I suspect i might use up a bottle in no time. It lasts a long time. I am now 7 hours later and I can still smell it although it is a skin scent. If I had a work meeting in a small room I don't think I would bother anyone. It is pleasant and work safe. Maybe it leans a little bit feminine on the drydown. But I sprayed it on my beard and I just been smelling like I just had a pleasant conditioner on it. The opening reminds me of Camel by Zoologist. It is very different, but I think whatever they use as "dried fruits" is probably the same. Someone else here said they could only smell dried fruits in the drydown, but for me it is mostly in the opening. Although it is there all the time.

Okay I have fallen in love with this very quickly today. The notes (especially saffron) are beautiful. But it’s how this has made me feel. After a very long and stressful 10 days or so I’ve felt very calm wearing this. What I love about it is it’s not too loud and in everyone’s face. (Not that I mind crazy spicy perfumes, after all Desert Suave is my signature) (ps this is nothing like Desert Suave) and it’s not a tame perfume. It’s just perfect for a day where you want to smell amazing and enjoy keep smelling your skin. (The amount of times today I’ve just had to get a sniff!!) I am absolutely in love with this and it’s my first from the brand so now I have to get the discovery set. Edit - To say I’ve worn this several times over the past few weeks. This has become my go to if I need something relaxing at night.

Azalai is a heady mix of airy saffron and church incense given levity with a burst of blood orange and sweetened up with dried fruits which give a nod to Thanksgiving and Christmas cake. This would be a great winter warmer for Bon Fire Night, great projection that would cut through the cold dark nights. It starts of bold and firmly unisex but leans further feminine as it dries down. It is reminiscent in its spiced fruitiness of Parfum 1 by Fugazzi, another favourite. This is the first fragrance I have smelled from this house but the combination of notes, coupled with stellar performance has piqued my intrigue in Stora Skuggan.

As the person below me wrote, this was love at first sniff. I smell the orange, saffron, and a sugary sweetness combined with the fruits. It’s just gorgeous. I immediately bought full bottles of this and Thumbsucker, which grew on me. As it dries down the incense and Amber start making their presence known. I do wish that this perfume lasted a bit longer on my skin. However, it’s unique and smells so so good. Definitely worth seeking out samples from this house. While not all were full bottle loves for me, you can smell the artistry from this house. I cannot wait until Azalai arrives!

This is a very sophisticated scent that makes me think of an effortlessly stylish and rich woman with great hair (or man, though it leans unisex to feminine) that arrives to her destination in a chauffered car. You want to hate her for her magnetic presence, but she's so friendly and welcoming you really can't. Main notes or impressions I get - blood orange that gets more bright and juicy as it dries down, saffron, slightly herbal, incensey amber, mint. Despite the incense amber I get, this stays fairly bright and never feels heavy or cloying. Definitely full bottle worthy for me!

WOW. This smells like my grandmothers kitchen as she's making saffron buns with raisins for christmas. A very cozy and warming scent that I wish I knew of sooner. Definitely more saffron than oranges but that doesn't bother me at all. For me this borders into a gourmand territory in some ways, the sweetness of it makes me think of saffron fudge and melted butter. I do not get the medicinal notes at all, just sweet, sexy and spicy goodness. Would definitely buy a whole bottle if I could (so much for being a fragrance nerd in college lol).

This is SO sexy on a man. This is my boyfriend's signature scent and I loveee smelling it on him. Something about it with his body chemistry makes it smell so sweet and warm, like you're nestling your head into a hot biker's neck, dressed head to toe in leather, who just rode his motorcycle through an open field with clear skies. Beautifully deep and sensual without making me feel nauseous. This shines on cold days and nights in, would be suffocating on a hot day.

This perfume starts off with ripe, sweet citrus and a spicy dried fruit paste. It gradually gains sharpness and projects a light incense smoke. I don't know what acacia smells like, but to me this scent reminds me of the smell of slightly moist tobacco leaves, with a little boozy amber. There is a slight rounded sweetness in the base, perhaps it is a famous velvione musk, which is described as smelling the skin of newborn's scalp.

I love love... loved this perfume. Really, it was like I found THE evening scent I was looking for. That ended the day I accidentally smashed a tester in my purse when traveling in like 40 degrees heat, and everything I owned at that time got somehow soaked in this. If anyone here is interested, I can sell or trade almost a full bottle of this, as I cannot smell it anymore, and I wish someone else could be happy they can have it.

Azalai, what a beauty. Opens with some sweet fruits, with a warm and cosy but subtle amber. Bit of spices, cardamom. In the dry down it’s a more more smokey incense, it’s the most prominent note but isn’t harsh or attacking. Amber takes a bigger place here, also the saffron comes in. Cardamom remains. Lasts about 9 hours for me, with pretty good projection. A bit steep for 30 ml, but I think it’s worth it. Love it!

this is a beautiful fruity pink red orange warm sunset in a bottle. it reminds me of some lush bathbomb too. it is 2015 tumblr. its a house song - kygo remix. i dont have anything like this in my collection, yet its a familiar scent. i love it. the blood orange is perfeeecttttttttttt. alas i have no idea where i would wear this or when id be in the mood to give off the vibe it does. its a very extroverted smell lol

Strong dried fruits on top that give plum, apricot, dark berries, etc. Blood orange may be a little lost on my nose in combo with the other fruits. Dry down is very, very rich. Smoke and sap. An animalic musk plus saffron embrace a middle-of-the-nose-bridge spicy sensation, I can see this being where people are picking up some powder. I appreciate the dry down telling a story. Very pleasant on a rainy day.

Azalai takes me on a journey through time and space. It is much more of a feeling, an experience, than a just a scent. It is divine. Mysterious. Spicy and warm. The saffron, dried fruits and amber feel precious and luxurious. It is sort of gourmandish, but in an elegant and... historical way. No contemporary, overly sweet teenage vibe here. I only have s sample, but crave a full bottle.

This was love at first sniff for me, and I can't help myself from smelling it all the time. It's spicy and sweet yet not overpoweringly so in either way, making it fit very well into the unisex category in my opinion. The bottle is gorgeous and they offer refills rather than demanding you to buy a new bottle each time it runs out which should be industry standard at this point.

Absolutely captivating, which is unusual for me since I usually dislike fruity fragrances on myself. Wearing something bright, but warm coloured, feels perfect for our cool summer and early warm fall.

This smells INCREDIBLE. The warmth and the spices are amazing, all I look for in a perfume. I would just say that I smell more the saffron and the amber rather than the oranges.

Super friendly, yet intriguing. Very high quality. Aromatic feel. Beautiful layers. Everyday signature scent for me. Can’t get tired of this. Just so well done.

Like a mysterious and intriguing stranger under the night sky. Definitely a night scent for me. So warm and golden and special. Feels amazing to wear.

soooo wonderful and punchy. like the comment before me, i also wish the mint was more prominent. such a complete scent.

For a woman who knows who she is, a woman who knows what she wants. Interesting, alluring, and confident.

This is a beautiful piece of perfumery! 9.5/10

Saffron; plenty of it, and unmistakable from the very first seconds. Although leather isn’t listed, I’m convinced it’s present in some form; or perhaps this house has a subtle, signature DNA where balsamic, smoky, leathery facets quietly reside. After reading the official description, I started to think that this leather association might stem from the following note: “luxurious musk velvione (a material described as pressing the nose to the skin of a newborn’s scalp)”. This fragrance is extremely appealing. I may have smelled many scents in this vein, but this one has taken the front seat for me. There’s something irresistibly attractive about it.... What else do I perceive? The warmth of dried fruit notes; warm, but not super sweet but sweet; more human, skin-like, almost intimate. Powdery soft musk. There’s something reminiscent of the milky softness of a kitten’s fur; deeply comforting and instinctive. There’s also citrus, but of the gentlest kind: soft, rounded, never sharp or jarring. And finally, a dry, hay-like nuance that feels warm and textural rather than herbal. ....... I held off on writing this review for a while, wondering whether this warm, syrupy richness might start to wear on me over time; and unfortunately, it did. Quite a bit. As much as I enjoy the incense-laced, spicy date-like dried fruits and can genuinely appreciate them on a cold winter day, even in the middle of snowfall, it feels like a scent that gradually moves away from love. What once felt indulgent and comforting now risks becoming a little too much for me. But... in the end; it is a truly beautiful blend. Tag(s): sweet, saffron-leather, sensual, warm, kitten fur, dried fruits, musky, powdery

Oh I've been *pining* for a juice that captures the scent of mulled wine and this might just be exactly what I was looking for. By far one of my favourite parts of the colder season. Warm, dry, rich, spicy and fruity - this feels like the kind of pure indulgence that you get at the market as an antidote to the sad grey chill that seeps into your bones as the nights get longer and daylight becomes a fleeting thing. It's been said before but the tart blood orange in the opening is beautifully executed and slightly reminiscent how it smells in essential oils. The incense serves as a nice backdrop to the fruity amber of it all and gradually makes it feel more cold and resinous after a few hours. I dont smell the mint but other people have told me they do - though more as a freshness in the texture than as a distinct scent.

🍷 Dried Fruit House Party 🍁 Imagine an autumn house party where the host of the evening is a thick, sticky bowl of stewed dried fruit. Syrupy, dense, and absolutely refusing to leave the dance floor. But guests keep popping into the room. Right at the door, Mr. Mint and Blood Orange drop by to bring a quick blast of fresh air, cause a brief scene, and dip after five minutes. Right after, Mr. Saffron sits down at the table with his dry, slightly textured vibe, while Ms. Incense smiles from the corner, blowing faint smoke rings. All these characters swirl around the host, lifting up that sweetness and creating a brilliant crowd, but it's the dried plums and dates running the party until sunrise. Pure autumn magic. TikTok: @the.scent.files

Giving this a fair shake even though I don't like mint. In this case, the mint is merely a supporting character, providing a spicy edge to the leading cast. It smells a bit like a greenhouse, that leathery note somehow evoking the unique smell of being in a greenhouse when the irrigation just came on. It's water fresh out of a hose and tumbling over green leaves and herbs. Smokiness emerges throughout the drydown. Unique and classy. I'm shocked that I like this more than other Stora Skuggan scents I thought I would love.

What a journey. The opening – all juicy, incredibly fresh and lush orange spiced with mint. It slowly morphs into dried fruit – the kind that is getting a bit bitter already but at the same time still has a lot of moisture in it, like raisins halfway through the drying process. Or maybe it's a different fruit? Incredibly warm, it clings to my skin for hours. I wore it twice, and I don't think I will wear it more – but it was a very pleasant acquaintance.

At first spray, this is like a glass of blood orange juice. Bittersweet, tart, mottled citrus. The dried fruit joins in. Pithy, dark, boozy like sangria. A pulverized mint leaf plays in the background. The drydown maintains the fruit, but reveals a smooth and powdery wood. This is an art piece. It's outstanding. I'm not a fan of the dry down personally, but it's absolutely worth trying.

i really enjoy this it reminds me of similar saffron woody fragrances like tiger from zoologist but this was more rich less spicy and focused in on the dried fruits. this is like a weird gourmand for people who want to smell like raisins and spices sitting in the bottom of a kitchen pantry in the best way possible

If there is a fragrance that captures the essence of Christmas day it might be this. Dark, traditional pagan Christmas... Stora Skuggan fragrances on whole read like scenes from dark fantasy films/novels. This is Jack Skellington when he's dressed up and trying to impersonate Sandy Klaws.

A beautiful work of art. And the story matches the frangrance's development so well. For those who enjoy ambery-dried-fruit-orientals, this is a must-try. Were I one of you, this would be love.

This is a classic spicy/ ambers incense profile found in similar perfumes like Spice Must Flow from eldo. Nice balance and round but just not for me

so warm and sweet, but not in an excessive way. i just feel enveloped by it and feel as like i'm in a lazy summer afternoon, eating sweet fruit.

Beautiful, bright, sweet, like a warm field full of herbs and wildflowers. Their most feminine and bright smell in my opinion. Enchanting.

Quiet confidence, artistic energy. This is for someone who doesn’t follow trends he creates his own lane.

This for me marks the moment that I thought Stora Skuggan decided they want to make bestselling products at the cost of their artistry, but only the release of Hexensalbe has confirmed that thought. The story behind the fragrance is interesting, the notes on paper look like a hell of a desert ride, and the bottle is as always beautiful, but the scent is unfortunately a disappointment. It took me some wears to realise that what I'm wearing isn't anything thought-provoking and inspiring, and not that every fragrance has to be like that, but Stora have proven with every release prior that fragrances can and even should be like that. What I was wearing was a well put together amber with a slightly metallic-minty opening and a theme focusing on dried fruits, with an overpowering musk in the base. And that's it. This could've been released by any other niche house like Liquides Imaginaries, or even a pseudo nich designer line and no one would bat an eye. If You like the bottle, and need a simple, well put together amber in Your collection then give it a try! If You're looking for a real desert fragrance that goes in this direction, then try Tauer's LDDM. If You're looking for a new take on that theme, then Azalai is unfortunately not it.

When I tested this fragrance blind, the obvious animalic amber base hides a surprising twist of grape candy (think Jolly Ranchers or grape jelly), but the flavor is not nearly as sweet. The grape note lingers subtly behind the bold animalic-amber scent. As it dries down, I detect a hint of woodiness or perhaps something more earthy. Now that I’m looking at the notes, I would say the orange and acacia are only there by suggestion, if that. The mint and citrus bring in a bright balance. The sweetness from the dried fruit adds depth, creating a dark, intriguing body that plays beautifully with the incense. The animalistic aspect gives it all a funky edge, which I like, but the dried fruit, as much as I appreciate it and find it great, is not my favorite pick. Overall, the blend is quite lovely and captivating, but someone else out there will love this more than I.

This is a gorgeous scent. The amber really glistens like a heat mirage on the horizon, you get a giggle of that mint which adds a soft lightness to the heaviness of the salty amber like a heat hallucination of something refreshing. The blood orange makes this cocktail very sumptuous and bright. It starts off as a warm desert scent something beige and terracotta about it. But then the incense makes this mystical and earthen. Turquoise and lapis lazuli, like a deep watering hole oasis after a long barren desert excursion. I grew up in the desert my whole life and it brings something nostalgic to mind. Adobe homes, woven rugs, dust devils and Native American lore. This scent, I imagine, is what a desert priestess would wear.

another sweet amber and saffron scent. there's a distinctly powdery and waxy element to this coming from the incense and velvione, and powdery smells are not a favorite of mine. maybe it's because i was just enjoying some actual dried fruit, but the dried fruit note isn't very realistic to me. it's more of a dusty vaguely fruity aroma than a jammy fruit. i can't detect any citrus or mint. it kind of reminds me of blackbird's anemone, but i don't have that with me to directly compare at the moment, just that dried fruit and smoke combination definitely not the kind of scent i personally like, but if you want fruity incense dusted with powdered sugar, this may be for you

Inspired by the Arabian caravan routes, and smelling awfully close to scents like Serge Lutens Arabie, this is a tired and somewhat pedestrian offering from this usually exciting Swedish brand. The scent opens with dried fruits and saffron with a hint of mint and immediately begins to settle into its heavy synthetic musk (velvione) base with slight amber, incense and acacia. The unisex scent has moderate sillage and good longevity and like all offerings of this brand, a nice round stone bottle top. All in all, a safe oriental for westerners who have never been in these desert oasis waters before. Enjoy!

It's very fickle on me, you can feel the scent change every half hour or so, but the punchy accurate blood orange theme keeps coming back...luckily! Two strongest moments: directly after spraying it with strong combination of orange and mint and then about hour or two after spraying, when orange combines with incense and mint...non artificial, not piddling but its this great dome, cathedral of gothical importance and darkness combined with future era! (and sadly many moments in between when dried fruits make it smell a bit old and unpresent. Nonetheless - try it.

To me, having tried the other perfumes in Stora Skuggan's line, this is decomposable into Silphium + fruits, like eating overripe figs at mass. The fruit in the middle is too intense on my skin, as most fruit scents are, and clashes with the incense notes in a way that gives me a headache despite myself. On someone else who doesn't have this fruit/nausea problem, it might be gorgeous. This one strikes me as the most easily accessible of the line.

The opening is very resinous, which i loved. But the drydown reminds me of Lush - Lord of Misrule. Generally it smells like i could mix-up some other cheaper perfumes and get the same smell/vibe. Way overpriced for 30ml and such performance. Was not amazed by this house's perfumes in general, mostly because the price doesn't reflect the product.

This smells like a market in the middle east. It's pretty okay I guess I just dislike markets in the middle east! It has a citrucy hit to it which I don't mind.

this is such a nothingburger to me sadly

I am happy that some people love this perfume, but I honestly cannot for the same reasons why people love it. This, to me, reminds me too much of what my (iranian) dad smells like (and I always got a headache from his perfumes). The saffron in this is definitely noticeable, so are the impressions of dried fruit; everything else works very well for the concept of this perfume. But again, it's just way too much of a heavy old-iranian-dad-or-grandpa smell to me lol. Kinda fun how cultural differences can affect the perception of the perfume, though!

Azalai immediately hits with a rush of tart dried fruits and warm spices. Resinous fruity sweetness on a backdrop of thick velvety musk. The notes together create a texture that brings to mind shimmery sunset tones of reds, ambers and yellows, and an image of candied jewels glistening in the heat. This is a super unique and surreal perfume, but for me personally (I live in a hot country), it’s a sweaty and suffocating experience to wear it. My nervous system can’t cope!

A fuity sweet mess on my skin. Vanilla, amber, something honey-ish.... no thanks.

As much as I despise the experience of wearing this perfume, I have to assume that it’s not the scent, it’s me 😢 I’ve never thought that I had a particularly difficult personal musk to work with and the majority of scents that I’ve tested smell pretty much the same on me as they do straight out of the bottle, but this one genuinely is so horrific on my skin. I smell like sour rotting fruit and some sort of terrible Victorian medicine combined. I guess what I’m saying is if you feel like you have a temperamental or unique musk yourself, be careful with this one.