Shiyaaka Snow

شياكة Snow

Khadlaj 2025

I went ahead and let this one sit on the shelf for about a month before I really got into it because I didn’t enjoy it in the beginning and felt that it needed a little time to mature which it did. The blending of this fragrance seemed to really turn a new leaf. It’s a great gym scent for me. I also feel that watching some reviews on this and hearing the term baby wipe made me come into it expecting that smell and maybe that’s why I kinda did but after a month, I didn’t get any more of that.

I convinced myself this was going to be my sort of thing: a casual everyday smell to just feel clean. On first wear, I wasn’t disappointed - It was exactly the clean shower gel/washed clothes vibe which is mentioned in most reviews.

For anyone in the uk, imagine a base of Sudocreme, combined with Dove soap (the white bar specifically, not gel), plus some manly spices to make it more… Well, manly.

Those spices are definitely stronger in the beginning compared to an hour or so later, when it becomes a more smooth, slightly warm, sandalwood skin scent.

Occasionally, in the air I get associations with Silver Mountain Water but this comes and goes.

I was genuinely enjoying wearing Snow, until on my third day wearing it I smelled it up close and got hit with the smell of latex balloons/gloves. It is one of those things where once you smell it, you can’t unsmell it. Which is a shame as up until that point I really enjoyed it. In its defence I have heard the same said about Meteore so maybe that’s what it’s supposed to smell like.

For the same purpose of purely smelling clean I think alternatives like Prada L’Homme and Amouage Reflection Man are better alternatives - albeit considerably more expensive.

Definitely sample as I did, even though it’s relatively cheap I don’t think it’s a guaranteed love for everyone. That said, I bet to most people around you, when it’s in the air, it just smells clean. Which is good :)

I got this fragrance last week and I must say I have not been disappointed. The opening starts off with a burst of citrus, a pleasant blend of Mandarin orange and Bergamot along with the spices.

After a few minutes is when the citrus goes and the spices and neroli become more prominent, a very clean and soapy smell. Some people have told me that they do get baby wipe associations with this fragrance but in the best way possible. The perfect way to describe Shiyaaka Snow is that it's like a freshly laundered, white t-shirt that was just ironed.

I know as the years have went on, these clone houses have gotten really really good at creating fragrances that smell super expensive, refined and elegant. This one right here is the tip of the mountain in that reguard.

I've never been so blown away by a Middle Eastern clone fragrance. This smells like a work of art that would cost $400-500.

It opens with your typical bright citruses, blended to perfection. Not super sweet, not super rindy/zingy/tart, just perfectly refreshing.

The mid brings on the neroli which plays a big part in the soft, almost powdery feel to this DNA. Clean and elegant yet reserved. The pink pepper in the background gives it a little bit of a spiced texture. Not super crazy, very subtle, but there. I can't really pick up the nutmeg note.

The drydown smoothly reveales the Indonesian vetiver, continuing the fresh clean euphoric evolution of this fragrance journey. A tiny bit of cardamom helps give it a tiny bit of spice, but much like the pepper in the mid, it is very subtle.

All in all this fuckin blew my socks off. It is so uplifting and elegant. It just screams LUXURY. It launched itself to the top of my NEXT FRAG TO COP list.
Easy 10/10

Overall, a nice, easy-to-wear fragrance. Nothing groundbreaking, but definitely mass-appealing and versatile.
Projection and longevity aren’t the best on this fragrance. I would say it gives you about one hour of moderate projection before it becomes a skin scent for the next four. By six hours, it has basically vanished.
I can see what people mean by the baby wipes smell, but I don’t really mind it. I can’t compare it to Meteor, as I’m yet to smell it, but overall it’s a nice throw-on, especially for the price.