Top Notes 
Grapefruit
White oud
Heart Notes 
Musk
Oriental spices
Base Notes 
Cambodian oud
Orange blossom
Woody notes01/15/2023
TheBark
17 Reviews
TheBark
3
Dark, Sultry Rose, Incense, And Juicy Black Currant, Distinguished by Ambrette & Musk Mallow
I've had T15 for well over a year now and am still smitten with it upon the first spray. That it has yet to be reviewed seems blasphemous, so, here goes. I purchased this some months after Taif Al Emarat's UAE, which is about as dark of a rose as one could possibly hope for. The description for T15 included Omani black rose and black currant, incense, patchouli, wooden notes, musk mallow, and ambrette. Having owned a few other fragrances from the brand, I knew the quality would be exceptional, although the scents themselves are somewhat derivative. That being said, I figured this would be like Portrait of a Lady, but it's quite different, actually.
The initial spray had me smiling and thinking wow. The black currant accord done here is so well done and blended with a dark rose, much darker than POAL, but not quite to UAE standards, that it creates a fascinating duality between lightness and dark in that the fruit is relatively bright, cheerful, and, as typically the case with TAE's other fragrances, is noticeable throughout the phases of the fragrance bit does a bit of shapeshifting as it enters the base notes, mellowing out. It's when you least expect it, those moments where you're moving around, that you'll catch whiffs of it still present.
It's here in the base notes where the fragrance really differs from others of its type, and, as noted concerning derivative works, here I cannot think of another fragrance quite like this. The fragrance's ambrette and musk mallow give it a unique feel I can't say I've experienced in nearly 25 years of this hobby. It's earthy, warm, somewhat dark, and makes me think of buckwheat pillows I've used before. The smell is earthy, musky, aromatic, and calming and acts almost like a pillow for the other notes to rest on.
Those familiar with, and like, Taif Al Emarat's UAE and T08 will surely enjoy this. I consider the three to be something of a "holy trinity" of dark rose fragrances, each different in their own way. In terms of light to dark, I'd put this at the lightest as it seems to be a bit more playful/youthful, followed by T08 and then UAE. All are exceptional fragrances and worth owning, imo, and the house continues to do an amazing job with reportedly all natural ingredients, substituting alcohol for sugar cane and water. Longevity is outstanding (I believe the % of essential oils used is 30% vs. 32% for the GCC Collection which UAE is from), and projection is very good for the first few hours.
Update: I noticed the notes on Taif Al Emarat's website completely changed, and believe this was done in error. At least as of April 15, 2023, the notes listed appear more in line with their latest release, T16, which I've tried. As much quality that goes into their product, packaging and bottles are far superior to that of stilted atomizers and twisting, leaking necks Boadicea the Victorious, their copywriting and website often leave something to be desired.
The initial spray had me smiling and thinking wow. The black currant accord done here is so well done and blended with a dark rose, much darker than POAL, but not quite to UAE standards, that it creates a fascinating duality between lightness and dark in that the fruit is relatively bright, cheerful, and, as typically the case with TAE's other fragrances, is noticeable throughout the phases of the fragrance bit does a bit of shapeshifting as it enters the base notes, mellowing out. It's when you least expect it, those moments where you're moving around, that you'll catch whiffs of it still present.
It's here in the base notes where the fragrance really differs from others of its type, and, as noted concerning derivative works, here I cannot think of another fragrance quite like this. The fragrance's ambrette and musk mallow give it a unique feel I can't say I've experienced in nearly 25 years of this hobby. It's earthy, warm, somewhat dark, and makes me think of buckwheat pillows I've used before. The smell is earthy, musky, aromatic, and calming and acts almost like a pillow for the other notes to rest on.
Those familiar with, and like, Taif Al Emarat's UAE and T08 will surely enjoy this. I consider the three to be something of a "holy trinity" of dark rose fragrances, each different in their own way. In terms of light to dark, I'd put this at the lightest as it seems to be a bit more playful/youthful, followed by T08 and then UAE. All are exceptional fragrances and worth owning, imo, and the house continues to do an amazing job with reportedly all natural ingredients, substituting alcohol for sugar cane and water. Longevity is outstanding (I believe the % of essential oils used is 30% vs. 32% for the GCC Collection which UAE is from), and projection is very good for the first few hours.
Update: I noticed the notes on Taif Al Emarat's website completely changed, and believe this was done in error. At least as of April 15, 2023, the notes listed appear more in line with their latest release, T16, which I've tried. As much quality that goes into their product, packaging and bottles are far superior to that of stilted atomizers and twisting, leaking necks Boadicea the Victorious, their copywriting and website often leave something to be desired.
Lukovic11
