11/22/2022

Elysium
858 Reviews

Elysium
Top Review
9
La Lumière Vient De l’Occident
Shuhrah is a Muslim name of Urdu origin with multiple meanings, including fame and reputation. Anyone who doesn’t know me yet cannot know that I’m Italian, Lombard. In my dialect, the adjective “sciur” for men and “sciura” for women, which is pronounced in the same way as Shuhrah, means a wealthy person, rich, well-off, with a title of respect such as the boss or employer. Absurd. In some ways, the two adjectives have almost the same meaning in the two languages.
That said, while its pyramid and olfactory accords contain notes I recognise, its blue colour confuses me and deceives me into thinking it is just another fresh and aquatic blue. But no. Shuhrah is full of unexpected subtleties, among which a soapy floral stands out alongside leathery, smoky, musky and creamy smears. A perfume that I could describe as skanky, both rude and kind if there is such an oxymoron. Warning: the fragrance is extremely rich in smoky notes. If you are not fond of smoky, resinous, and burnt accords, Shuhrah may not be for you, and you should definitely avoid blind buying.
What does Shuhrah pour Homme smell like? An unexpected pristine soapiness. My long-held desire finally came true. A distinctive Arabic with soapy rose, smooth suede, and tamed oud. And smoke, a lot of smoke, like a cloud of smoke rising from a bonfire. The first thing that comes to my nose is the rose, a verdant one with sweet and leafy nuances. The rose is soapy and slightly metallic, with a veil of fruity apricot and dewy freesia surrounding it, and the whole sits on a bed made of tomato leaves. It is a creepy opening, something not familiar or present in Occidental design fragrances. And the rose, which is generous here, does not have a feminine slant or any powderiness. Instead, it is like smelling a bunch of dried roses left for many hours in an old lounge where smoking is allowed inside. The smell of roses, ashes, and wet butts is the outcome—a clean, light opening ready to burst.
The fragrance twists the heart and shows a smoky facet like an ashtray full of butts. Not present in the pyramid, I catch an overdose of smokiness from frankincense or olibanum. Not the fat and waxy church resins, but something like the smoke from a meditative burning cone. Of the two kinds of wood, dry cedar is the one I feel most, whereas the creaminess of the sandal is imperceptible on my skin but exudes from the sprayer. If I put my nose close to the wrist, I catch a pinch of creaminess. However, the omnipresent rose, which is now drier like dehydrated roses, is not alone, and a floral inflexion of white jasmine oozes from this Arabic creation.
The dry-down is where Shuhrah shines. In addition to the notes listed, I catch a precise nuance of tobacco and rose in the background. Imagine a potpourri of rose petals and tobacco leaves. Both musk and oakmoss are muted on my skin. Instead, the hints of suede and smoky oud stand out. The leather is neither raw nor black but a smooth suede. The oud is not rude, animalistic or obnoxious but supports the base notes with a veil of smokiness.
Shuhrah is not versatile; a bit too complex and cumbersome. The smokiness is prominent, however, more on the fumy incense and not like Arabi Cana ’s cigarette smoke. It lends itself well to evening and nighttime events, not safe for everyday use because of its attitude. I would avoid wearing it to work, as it is too intoxicating and might annoy other colleagues. The good news is that I get a wondrous and unique scent. The bad news is that I don’t get such a monstrous sillage, and I’m not exaggerating. I have no idea why everyone is praising the beastly performance of this fragrance as it is just as moderate as other fragrances. I sprayed twice on my neck, the back of my head, and twice on my wrists. And then I got outside for some commitments. Well, no one stopped me or told me how good my scent was. Perhaps, my batch has been reformulated. Weird anough, I catch some hints of smikiness the day after from clothes I was wearing the day before. Never mind, I don’t find it sweet at all, i.e., it has a bit of floral sweetness but is not overwhelming.
I base my opinion and review on a bottle I have owned since November 2022 (Sep 2022 batch).
-Elysium
That said, while its pyramid and olfactory accords contain notes I recognise, its blue colour confuses me and deceives me into thinking it is just another fresh and aquatic blue. But no. Shuhrah is full of unexpected subtleties, among which a soapy floral stands out alongside leathery, smoky, musky and creamy smears. A perfume that I could describe as skanky, both rude and kind if there is such an oxymoron. Warning: the fragrance is extremely rich in smoky notes. If you are not fond of smoky, resinous, and burnt accords, Shuhrah may not be for you, and you should definitely avoid blind buying.
What does Shuhrah pour Homme smell like? An unexpected pristine soapiness. My long-held desire finally came true. A distinctive Arabic with soapy rose, smooth suede, and tamed oud. And smoke, a lot of smoke, like a cloud of smoke rising from a bonfire. The first thing that comes to my nose is the rose, a verdant one with sweet and leafy nuances. The rose is soapy and slightly metallic, with a veil of fruity apricot and dewy freesia surrounding it, and the whole sits on a bed made of tomato leaves. It is a creepy opening, something not familiar or present in Occidental design fragrances. And the rose, which is generous here, does not have a feminine slant or any powderiness. Instead, it is like smelling a bunch of dried roses left for many hours in an old lounge where smoking is allowed inside. The smell of roses, ashes, and wet butts is the outcome—a clean, light opening ready to burst.
The fragrance twists the heart and shows a smoky facet like an ashtray full of butts. Not present in the pyramid, I catch an overdose of smokiness from frankincense or olibanum. Not the fat and waxy church resins, but something like the smoke from a meditative burning cone. Of the two kinds of wood, dry cedar is the one I feel most, whereas the creaminess of the sandal is imperceptible on my skin but exudes from the sprayer. If I put my nose close to the wrist, I catch a pinch of creaminess. However, the omnipresent rose, which is now drier like dehydrated roses, is not alone, and a floral inflexion of white jasmine oozes from this Arabic creation.
The dry-down is where Shuhrah shines. In addition to the notes listed, I catch a precise nuance of tobacco and rose in the background. Imagine a potpourri of rose petals and tobacco leaves. Both musk and oakmoss are muted on my skin. Instead, the hints of suede and smoky oud stand out. The leather is neither raw nor black but a smooth suede. The oud is not rude, animalistic or obnoxious but supports the base notes with a veil of smokiness.
Shuhrah is not versatile; a bit too complex and cumbersome. The smokiness is prominent, however, more on the fumy incense and not like Arabi Cana ’s cigarette smoke. It lends itself well to evening and nighttime events, not safe for everyday use because of its attitude. I would avoid wearing it to work, as it is too intoxicating and might annoy other colleagues. The good news is that I get a wondrous and unique scent. The bad news is that I don’t get such a monstrous sillage, and I’m not exaggerating. I have no idea why everyone is praising the beastly performance of this fragrance as it is just as moderate as other fragrances. I sprayed twice on my neck, the back of my head, and twice on my wrists. And then I got outside for some commitments. Well, no one stopped me or told me how good my scent was. Perhaps, my batch has been reformulated. Weird anough, I catch some hints of smikiness the day after from clothes I was wearing the day before. Never mind, I don’t find it sweet at all, i.e., it has a bit of floral sweetness but is not overwhelming.
I base my opinion and review on a bottle I have owned since November 2022 (Sep 2022 batch).
-Elysium
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