Hayati Arabian Oud 2012

Today was Arabian Oud Day, with Kalemat and Hayati both ready to be tested. Both are beautiful and, in my opinion, representative of the way AO fragrances are composed, as well as the quality they stand for. I find them much more pleasant than, for example, most Rasasi perfumes. However, for such a comparison, I still know too few works from AO.

Hayati surprised me; at first, I wasn't sure whether Oud was even used. But it couldn't be any other way with that brand name. It turned out to be true, but this only became apparent much later in the fragrance development. The Oud is roughly categorized under woody notes at the top.

Bottle: I've never seen one live, but the one above looks majestically beautiful.
Sillage: doesn't skimp on Arabian allure.
Longevity: it doesn't care about IFF regulations, it just keeps going. 12 hours.

A balsamic-sweet Oud fragrance that you only recognize as such after a second or third look. It has enjoyed a bath in a mandarin pool with rose shampoo. And even after several hours, amber or patchouli often seem more tangible than the Oud. The scent reminds me of Cleopatra, just emerging from her golden pool.

No wonder this fragrance has already won a few perfume awards. It's a gentle citrus-floral-Oud combo!