Dehn el Oud Mubarak Swiss Arabian

Dehn el Oud Mubarak is one of those fragrances that can truly delight anyone. Whether experienced, inexperienced, oud enthusiasts, or rather skeptical and unsure. A true masterpiece of oud artistry, and at an affordable price, in beautiful packaging and with considerable performance, but what exactly is in it and where does the enthusiasm come from?

First of all: Dehn el Oud Mubarak is not a pure oud oil; instead, as my friendly Swiss Arabian advisor Ammar (shoutout to him) tells me, it is a gel that has been added to the oud oil. We get 6ml here for about 30 euros, which may sound like a small amount at first, but is absolutely typical for oils and more than sufficient, as only a few drops are needed and the scent is not mixed with alcohol. This fragrance is applied with a glass stick that is located in the cap. The oil then runs down after unscrewing, and traditionally one waits for a drop to form and fall onto the skin, or one simply rubs a little oil directly onto the skin if one is less patient.

Unlike many others, I unfortunately cannot perceive any menthol, no cooling notes or freshness. Instead, the scent starts off slightly sweet, woody, but not as intense as one might think. It then slowly transforms into something leathery-woody, always remaining friendly, pleasant, and clean, and then in the dry down, it shifts to a drier, woodier direction, where it stays until it slowly fades away after about 12 hours. A slight animalic note is definitely noticeable here, but it is significantly subtler and friendlier than with its somewhat more intense and acquired taste brother, Dehn el Oud Shaheen. Overall, the Mubarak is in many ways a bit softer, more pleasant, and beginner-friendly, and while the performance is somewhat less intense, it is still completely sufficient and impressive for this little drop of oil that you apply.

Overall, a wonderful complete package with great oud, a wonderful price/performance ratio, a really beautiful bottle, and great performance. For the inexperienced, it is a wonderful opportunity to step into the world of oud without having to sell a kidney or being scared off by extremely strong animalic notes. By the way, I can definitely confirm the so-called erotic effect mentioned by my predecessor, despite the fact that the person I share my bed with was very skeptical about perfume and especially Arabic scents until I showed her the Swiss Arabian ouds, and she was completely amazed. Nevertheless, a bit of caution is advised: the Mubarak is quite potent and unusual for someone who is not familiar with this type of fragrance and should be enjoyed with care. A certain willingness to experiment is important; however, anyone who wants to test oud and is already familiar with fragrances like The Night by Frederic Malle or Taif Aoud by Roja should definitely find satisfaction here. At this price, I even give an extremely rare blind buy recommendation.