Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
09/01/2023
PetitePinup
26 Reviews
PetitePinup
1
A safe bet Attar
Two summers ago I decided that Sultan - also by Al Haramain - shouldn't be my only Attar anymore. A few dupe perfume oils followed, but soon I ended up at Al Haramain again with their glorious array of oils. I now have several, mostly from Al Haramain, many in those "fancy" typical attar bottles, but this simply housed Badar remains among the better quality oils, and (imho) is also one of the nicer ones.
PACKAGING
Badar is one of the Al Haramain oils that comes in a cheaper packaging. A small square glass bottle with plastic silver coloured cap, encapsulated in a little carton box that looks remarkable like a mini pack of cigarettes. As a former smoker who still celebrates every single day she's "off the cancer sticks", I can appreciate the fact I'm getting something that makes me smell nice housed in something that reminds me of what used to make me stink. You don't buy Badar for the packaging, but for storage options they come in handy.
Note of warning: Badar comes with a roller ball. I hate those things for 3 reasons: they often scratch my skin, make it hard to get enough out, and it's highly unhygienic (Skin particles end up in the perfume). It's why I whipped out the ball immediately - very easily done - and can now add the oil without having to touch my skin or roll 5678 times in order to get enough.
SCENT PROFILE
Badar is predominantly a freshy floral, but has a few notes that make this oil a tad more interesting. What's very important, is that none of the notes come across as synthetic, something I've encountered quite a lot with more affordable perfume oils. They're all smooth (finally a patchouli I can stand!) and while most can be identified as individual scents Badar is overall a wonderfully balanced blend.
I recommend you wait until the oil has dried a bit and you can just see the sheen. That's the best way to experience the pyramid steps. The honey is one of the stronger opening & remaining notes without being indolic. Great! No-one wants to smell like urine, after all :). Badar opens with that honey, but as it does it is arm in arm with a limey bergamot and very soft note I can't entirely pinpoint, but seems closest to the boiled carroty scent of fresh iris. It's not a note I particularly enjoy and I'm happy it's soft. Bummer I don't get any of the orange, amber or a lavender, but hey: skin chemistry... The combination of notes as I do experience them, makes sure the honey doesn't overpower and the citruses stay out of toilet cleaner area.
As I'm writing this (I always apply a bit of the reviewed perfume on the top of my hand for memory purposes), the citrus disappears entirely, while the honey diminishes in strenght to make place for a rose. It's a soft, demure rose. Its soft pink petals have escaped the dew and she's fully in bloom, but not as out-there and intense as her red sultry sisters are already.
Together with a more-green-than-earthy patchouli and elegant earthy musk she shapes the heart. The honey seems to be barely there anymore as soon as the patch and musk pop up, only hints of it can be found far far away in the background.
It's in that moment I'm feeling the first stirrings of disappointment. So, this is it then? Where's the warm honey, the amber, the floral bouquet? It's as if in the early stages of the dry down most of the notes seem to almost disappear, only giving me an earthy greenness from the patchouli & musk with an even softer rose. And then suddenly : BAM! Major decadent rose blast. It's as if the skin first needed to "set a few things straight" with Badar and then let her shine.
For all intents and purposes Badar is a rose scent on a green musky bed. However, the honey only temporarily lost her passport and gets stronger once the oil has warmed up on my skin ( applying the oil on "heat points " is essential for it to develop properly). It's a shame the opening as a whole ( the honey citrus ) didn't last and the amber and lavender won't get any say at all (on my skin), or this oil would've been much more complex, and probably nicer imho. The possible iris note remains a part of the fragrance that I appreciate the least, but in the projection she's not that smellable. Overall this Al Haramain oil is a very comfy, sweet- earthy smelling hug that works for most occassions and could interest anyone from 18 to 108.
SPL
Badar, on me, is a typical perfume oil. This means that it doesn't have the strongest projection & sillage, in this case someone standing next to you will definitely smell it but at armlength it's not really noticeable anymore. You can, however, count on the scent to stay with you for a proper long time. My skin is very, very dry so she won't give me any more than 5hrs. But that's most likely also because I don't get any amber or cedar, and mostly musk. Strong amber or cedarwood fragrances tend to last on me for the whole day, some surpassing the 12hr mark easily, and musky ones simply don't.
I can get an infinitely longer wear out of this oil if I treat it more as a body lotion - as is actually quite common in the Middle East after a bath - instead of perfume. But that's a waste of money I don't have and it'll be too tricky with anything but simple black clothing. However, here's a tip: blend a few drops of Badar with a dollop of your non-scented bodylotion in the palm of your hand, moisturise, and then apply the pure Badar to the pulse points as normal. This will absolutely help you in maintaining the scent and smelling stronger as well.* Plus, it gives you a feeling of pampering and self care.
SEASON & SEXES
I consider Badar a yearround fragrance: it isn't strong enough to choke anyone out in the heat, and it seems just sweet and strong enough to hold up (as a safe office choice) in winter. But: spring is when she shines best. With that said, like all Attars (except one) I prefer her as a bedtime scent and as a base for layering. Don't worry though. Badar is perfectly capable of "Working alone" during the day or at a dinner party.
I know many consider floral accords to be a typical female aspect of fragrances. A shame, because rose in particular does well on men not afraid to rip such labels apart. No wonder oriental fragrance brands often add rose to any kind of perfume. With the strong influence of the musk and patchouli, and especially the possibility you could get amber, cedarwood and /or lavender this is - as it's being sold - an unisex oil to me. I imagine it will be a delightful date fragrance as well as office scent for men and women.
If you still fear that the oil potentially leans "too feminine" I have good news: these 15ml oils are incredibly cheap (I got mine for €7, - ), so a blind buy fail might be a risk you could take. If you take out the roller ball before you try it out you can even gift it to someone else it's not your kind of scent.
Badar might not have entered my Top 10 favourite fragrances, but in the realm of a 'DIY Spa Day', some bedtime pampering or an all-round safe bet it's surely a nice extra to have.
--------
NB* Warning: be very careful when considering this with regular perfumes. First there's the simple 'mixes less than satisfactory'. Secondly, and much more importantly: sensitive skin gets a nasty response much faster/more often from the alcohol content as well as the often used aromachemicals in edp's (you'll know if they're in the oil too: brands are legally obligated to mention the known allergens that end in -ol(e).)
PACKAGING
Badar is one of the Al Haramain oils that comes in a cheaper packaging. A small square glass bottle with plastic silver coloured cap, encapsulated in a little carton box that looks remarkable like a mini pack of cigarettes. As a former smoker who still celebrates every single day she's "off the cancer sticks", I can appreciate the fact I'm getting something that makes me smell nice housed in something that reminds me of what used to make me stink. You don't buy Badar for the packaging, but for storage options they come in handy.
Note of warning: Badar comes with a roller ball. I hate those things for 3 reasons: they often scratch my skin, make it hard to get enough out, and it's highly unhygienic (Skin particles end up in the perfume). It's why I whipped out the ball immediately - very easily done - and can now add the oil without having to touch my skin or roll 5678 times in order to get enough.
SCENT PROFILE
Badar is predominantly a freshy floral, but has a few notes that make this oil a tad more interesting. What's very important, is that none of the notes come across as synthetic, something I've encountered quite a lot with more affordable perfume oils. They're all smooth (finally a patchouli I can stand!) and while most can be identified as individual scents Badar is overall a wonderfully balanced blend.
I recommend you wait until the oil has dried a bit and you can just see the sheen. That's the best way to experience the pyramid steps. The honey is one of the stronger opening & remaining notes without being indolic. Great! No-one wants to smell like urine, after all :). Badar opens with that honey, but as it does it is arm in arm with a limey bergamot and very soft note I can't entirely pinpoint, but seems closest to the boiled carroty scent of fresh iris. It's not a note I particularly enjoy and I'm happy it's soft. Bummer I don't get any of the orange, amber or a lavender, but hey: skin chemistry... The combination of notes as I do experience them, makes sure the honey doesn't overpower and the citruses stay out of toilet cleaner area.
As I'm writing this (I always apply a bit of the reviewed perfume on the top of my hand for memory purposes), the citrus disappears entirely, while the honey diminishes in strenght to make place for a rose. It's a soft, demure rose. Its soft pink petals have escaped the dew and she's fully in bloom, but not as out-there and intense as her red sultry sisters are already.
Together with a more-green-than-earthy patchouli and elegant earthy musk she shapes the heart. The honey seems to be barely there anymore as soon as the patch and musk pop up, only hints of it can be found far far away in the background.
It's in that moment I'm feeling the first stirrings of disappointment. So, this is it then? Where's the warm honey, the amber, the floral bouquet? It's as if in the early stages of the dry down most of the notes seem to almost disappear, only giving me an earthy greenness from the patchouli & musk with an even softer rose. And then suddenly : BAM! Major decadent rose blast. It's as if the skin first needed to "set a few things straight" with Badar and then let her shine.
For all intents and purposes Badar is a rose scent on a green musky bed. However, the honey only temporarily lost her passport and gets stronger once the oil has warmed up on my skin ( applying the oil on "heat points " is essential for it to develop properly). It's a shame the opening as a whole ( the honey citrus ) didn't last and the amber and lavender won't get any say at all (on my skin), or this oil would've been much more complex, and probably nicer imho. The possible iris note remains a part of the fragrance that I appreciate the least, but in the projection she's not that smellable. Overall this Al Haramain oil is a very comfy, sweet- earthy smelling hug that works for most occassions and could interest anyone from 18 to 108.
SPL
Badar, on me, is a typical perfume oil. This means that it doesn't have the strongest projection & sillage, in this case someone standing next to you will definitely smell it but at armlength it's not really noticeable anymore. You can, however, count on the scent to stay with you for a proper long time. My skin is very, very dry so she won't give me any more than 5hrs. But that's most likely also because I don't get any amber or cedar, and mostly musk. Strong amber or cedarwood fragrances tend to last on me for the whole day, some surpassing the 12hr mark easily, and musky ones simply don't.
I can get an infinitely longer wear out of this oil if I treat it more as a body lotion - as is actually quite common in the Middle East after a bath - instead of perfume. But that's a waste of money I don't have and it'll be too tricky with anything but simple black clothing. However, here's a tip: blend a few drops of Badar with a dollop of your non-scented bodylotion in the palm of your hand, moisturise, and then apply the pure Badar to the pulse points as normal. This will absolutely help you in maintaining the scent and smelling stronger as well.* Plus, it gives you a feeling of pampering and self care.
SEASON & SEXES
I consider Badar a yearround fragrance: it isn't strong enough to choke anyone out in the heat, and it seems just sweet and strong enough to hold up (as a safe office choice) in winter. But: spring is when she shines best. With that said, like all Attars (except one) I prefer her as a bedtime scent and as a base for layering. Don't worry though. Badar is perfectly capable of "Working alone" during the day or at a dinner party.
I know many consider floral accords to be a typical female aspect of fragrances. A shame, because rose in particular does well on men not afraid to rip such labels apart. No wonder oriental fragrance brands often add rose to any kind of perfume. With the strong influence of the musk and patchouli, and especially the possibility you could get amber, cedarwood and /or lavender this is - as it's being sold - an unisex oil to me. I imagine it will be a delightful date fragrance as well as office scent for men and women.
If you still fear that the oil potentially leans "too feminine" I have good news: these 15ml oils are incredibly cheap (I got mine for €7, - ), so a blind buy fail might be a risk you could take. If you take out the roller ball before you try it out you can even gift it to someone else it's not your kind of scent.
Badar might not have entered my Top 10 favourite fragrances, but in the realm of a 'DIY Spa Day', some bedtime pampering or an all-round safe bet it's surely a nice extra to have.
--------
NB* Warning: be very careful when considering this with regular perfumes. First there's the simple 'mixes less than satisfactory'. Secondly, and much more importantly: sensitive skin gets a nasty response much faster/more often from the alcohol content as well as the often used aromachemicals in edp's (you'll know if they're in the oil too: brands are legally obligated to mention the known allergens that end in -ol(e).)
KimJong
Emorandeira
