Rawaa Al Haramain 2018

Rawaa is said to be a popular girl's name in oriental regions, attributed with various meanings. According to Dr. Google, however, it should not be associated with water, but with the adjectives "magnificent and wonderful."

I find everything that has an oriental charm, sounds pleasant, and descends from it to be wonderful. Be it fragrances, dishes, names, and not to forget all the countries of the Orient. I fondly remember various trips to Turkey in my youth, the benevolent exploratory land that serves as the gateway to the Orient. Memet, our friend from Bodrum at the time, used to refer to veiled women as "closed woman." When I think back on it, I can't help but smile lightly. This young man would never have imagined considering one of our western culture's girls as a future wife. It must have seemed grotesque to him how carefree we explored the depths of the Aegean in our skimpy bikinis. Who knows what became of the dreams of that young man.

Rawaa tastes graceful and feminine. A very beautiful gourmand opening that reminds me of almond pastries and Turkish coffee. The sensual girl with deep black eyes and dramatic eyeliner, whose expression hints at an abyssal depth, however, remains hidden from us in the western world. Quite mysterious, this Rawaa! Despite the magnificent heart notes reminiscent of jasmine and iris that surely make many fragrance hearts beat faster, these flowers present a slightly too high hurdle for me and claim the scent a tad too strongly, so that our encounter remains nothing more than a fleeting scent flirt. The base also has a gourmand quality, but I can only perceive it, alongside the floral veil, in a rather hazy manner. But behold, after a few well-tempered hours of being, the floral veil has nearly faded, and a magnificent tonka bean emerges in the ethereal sandalwood-vanilla bed. A successful gourmand fragrance for flower lovers who appreciate the oriental flair.

As a musical incentive, the song Aisha from 1996 comes to mind. Do you remember?

Yeah Khaled, you rocked that!

Comme si j'n'existais pas
Elle est passée à côté de moi
Sans un regard, reine de Saba
J'ai dit Aïcha, prends, tout est pour toi
Voici les perles, les bijoux
Aussi l'or autour de ton cou
Les fruits bien mûrs au goût de miel
Ma vie, Aïcha, si tu m'aimes
J'irai où ton souffle nous mènent
Dans les pays d'ivoire et d'ébène
J'effacerai tes larmes, tes peines
Rien n'est trop beau pour une si belle, oh-oh

Aïcha, Aïcha, écoute-moi
Aïcha, Aïcha, t'en vas pas
Aïcha, Aïcha, regarde-moi, oh-oh
Aïcha, Aïcha, réponds-moi

In loving memory of my dad, with whom I was able to explore Turkey, sailing, enjoying the legendary nightly anchor drink, singing patriotic songs, and shedding many tears of emotion. So much of you I carry within me. Han di liab Papa, bisch dr Bescht!