Skip to main content

Mukhallat Al Sheyokh by Arabian Oud

Image
By
Stunning.....but confusion reigns !

Arabian Oud has fast become a favorite source to get my Oud fix. There is, however, a dearth of information regarding these fragrances and what is available is immensely confusing. Shabby for a prestige house IMHO.

This Mukhallat is a case in point. Their UK website lists the notes as follows :

Top : Egyptian Jasmine
Heart : Bulgarian Rose, Vanilla
Base : White Oud, Plant Amber


On their Middle Eastern site (assuming it's the main site)
their notes are listed as :

Top : Galbanum, Shepherd's Needle, Lemon
Heart : Clove, Cinnamon, Lavender, Rose, Jasmine
Base : Vanilla, Vetiver, Musk, Amber, Cedar, Patchouli, Sandal

These sound like 2 different fragrances, albeit with similarities. There is also discrepancy regarding the name. The packaging I have lists it as "SHIOUKH", while the U.K. site spells it "SHIYOUKH". To complicate it further, the main site deciphers it as "SHEYOKH". Tres bizarre, non?

It's a case of " a rose by any other name would smell as sweet", because upon application, an immensely deep and beautiful rose starts to bloom. I'm going by what's listed on my bottle and it continues to blossom for hours. It's a phenomenal rendition of the note. I don't experience much in the way of lemon apart from a short lived freshness.

Shepherd's Needle is a composite flower and since I've never heard of it, I'm uncertain how it's suppose to smell. There is definitely oud here, albeit a light version and I suppose that's how "White Oud" materializes. A touch of spice leads to an immensely pleasing drydown consisting of Amber, Cedar and a lovely Sandalwood that smells like the real thing.

A caramel-like Van-Amber plays an important role, but the star of this fragrance is undoubtedly the exquisite rose that is majestically Arabic and glorious.

Barring all the confusion, Mukhallat Al Shioukh easily falls into my top 5, all time favorite fragrances. It is truly outstanding in its genre.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

By
Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...
4 comments
Read more

Black Suede by Avon

By
Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...
1 comment
Read more

Paco Rabanne Pour Homme

By
I am reviewing the original Paco Rabanne Pour Homme ( circa 1973 ) thanks to a generous basenoter who sent it to me recently in a swap. He also sent me the current formulation in order for me to do a side by side comparison. The side by side resulted in what I had already imagined would be the case. Not that the newer formula is terrible by any means. The original version simply is better by being deeper and a bit more masculine. No......you shouldn't go to ebay searching for the vintage formula and paying stupid prices. It's simply a notch or two better than the current and noticeable by comparing the two in real time. Rabanne Pour Homme opens with a slight shimmer in conjunction with lavender, spices and a subtle woodiness. It's an old school introduction, however a good one. The lavender takes about 5 minutes to raise its volume and evolve into a soapy rendition. I dislike when a boatload of soapy lavender takes over a composition, but here it doesn't go over t...
2 comments
Read more