Al-Kimiya Kemi Tempest Attar & Layla

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Kafkaesque

Al Kimiya logo via Essenza Nobile.

Al-Kimiya is the latest brand from Sergio Momo, the founder of Xerjoff, Casamorati, and Sospiro. In America, Luckyscent calls it Kemi, but that seems to be the exception to the rule. “Al-Kimiya” means “alchemy” in Arabic, and the house launched in 2014 with eight fragrances, each bearing a name derived from alchemical or Arabic traditions. (As a side note, “Al-Kimiya” is also the name of an unrelated collection from Parfums d’Orsay.) Out of Al-Kimiya or Kemi’s eight fragrances, four are eau de parfums, two are parfums, and two are attars or concentrated perfume oils (CPOs). Tempest is one of the attars, while Layla is one of the eau de parfums. I’ll take a look at each in turn.

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Al Haramain Obsessive Oudh & Arabian Treasure

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Kafkaesque

Arabian Treasure. Source: Arabian Treasures.

Al Haramain‘s Prestige Collection turns away from the extravagant and ornate orchestral symphonies of Middle Eastern attars to focus on quieter melodies that bear a more European aesthetic. Eau de parfums like Obsessive Oudh and Arabian Treasure are both soliflores that pay tribute to a characteristically Eastern ingredient — authentic, genuine agarwood and labdanum amber, respectively — but they do so in a quieter fashion, filtering the materials’ complex, animalic, or decadent qualities through a refined lens to create a very approachable scent. And, yet, the fragrances never give up their oriental roots completely, always maintaining a strong olfactory vestige or quality that nods to the company’s origins.

They may not be the edgiest or most complicated of scents, but they’re not meant to be. What they’re meant to be are highly polished orientals that clarify the ingredients and blend them seamlessly in a lighter, airier, softer bouquet to create an easy-to-wear, versatile, and high-quality scent. All of that is then packaged in a truly luxurious, chic manner. I’ll look at each fragrance in turn.

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Al Haramain Safwa Attar (The Premium Collection)

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Kafkaesque

A whirling vortex of potent spices accompanied by resinous, woody, aromatic, herbal and medicinal notes in a thick haze of darkened amber lightly diffused with creamy vanilla — that is the essence of Safwa from Al Haramain. It is a bold and challenging scent that I struggled with quite a bit at times, and I don’t think it will be for everyone.

Source: Al Haramain Exclusive.

Safwa is an attar or concentrated fragrance oil in Al Haramain Exclusive’s Premium Collection. The company describes the fragrance and its notes as follows:

Safwa captures the essence of luxury and elegance. The fragrance opens with the spicy top notes of cardamom, clove and cinnamon and gradually becomes a refreshing herbal scent with nuances of basil and geranium. In the heart the cold wind meets with the hot sun of the East, where cool mint competes with warm spices of clove and cedar wood that resonate with the tenderness of freesia. Safwa ends with subtle sensuality by the appearance of amber and vanilla, enhanced by the earthy note of patchouli. The fragrance is presented in a white crystal bottle with neutral patterns.

Top notes: Cinnamon, Cardamom, Geranium, Basil, Anethol, Artemisia, Clove
Middle notes: Mint, Clove, Cedar wood, Freesia
Base notes: Patchouli, Amber, Labdanum, Vetiver, Vanilla.

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Al Haramain Mukhallath Seufi Attar (The Exclusive Collection)

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Kafkaesque

Mukhallath Seufi via alharamainexclusive.com

Sumptuously extravagant, deeply complex, and powerfully nuclear, Mukhallath Seufi opens with a feast for the senses through an explosion of roses that dazzle like three-dimensional rubies adorned with spices and amber in an opulent oriental blend. Then, the fragrance journeys from the Orient to Europe, slowly turning into a rich chypre before ending up as a dark, smoky, more masculine vetiver leather. Mukhallath Seufi is a story told mainly in three parts, but with endless twists and turns along the way. Not all of them are as grandiose, stunning, or appealing, but that first part… Good lord! It blew my mind — and I say that as someone who is not a rose lover. If you loved Amouage‘s famous Homage attar or mourned its loss, you must try Mukhallath Seufi simply for its spectacular opening, even if the fragrance subsequently transitions away from it and onto other genres.

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