Dubai - Ajyal The Spirit of Dubai 2023

This is an early contender for worst release of 2024. Yes, it dropped in December of 2023, but I'm still ranking it in 2024 as well.

From the very first moments I'm underwhelmed. "Dubai - Ajyal | Nabeel" opens with a blast of sweet-fresh candied apple, tropical fruit (melon type) and an omnipresent feeling of (slightly aquatic) muskiness. It smells *a lot* like cheapie designer/niche trash - think Kajal or better yet, think Ambassador for Men. It could basically be Gisada Ambassador without the overwhelming Sauvage aspects. But even the Gisada is better blended.

I'm a little bit lost as to what their inspiration was here as the only place where this scent smells as much as decent is in the vial. In the vial, I get vibes of that Ambassador DNA mixed perhaps with mild hints of the Solstis and/or Météore DNA. In the initial drydown, that mint brings a very slight bitterness which I'd relate to a scent like Xerjoff's "XJ 1861 Renaissance | XerJoff". While the musky-fruity type profile remains throughout, the on-skin blending of this scent when you smell it up-close is beyond embarrassing for a niche fragrance retailing at €255/50ml. Even Kilian produces better fresh fragrances than this (and that's saying something).

Ajyal from the UAE Nabeel Arab House of Haute Luxury Niche Perfumery is part of the First Generation of The Spirit Of Dubai Exclusive Line; It is a Oriental Citrus Aromatic Fruity Floral Green Aquatic Musky Unisex perfume. This fragrance was launched in 2023.
A complex but refreshing fragrance, very tasty, pleasurable and an excellent option for heat and with a very good performance.

At first contact, Ajyal presents a refreshing burst of spicy and slightly sour with a top including grapefruit, bergamot, lemon and the freshness of marine notes. An invigorating aroma reminiscent of rain (petrichor) is intricately intertwined with black pepper, lemon, mint and green notes. The sweetness of apple and pear zest, with plum and rhubarb lends a very tasty fruity balance to this delicious fragrance.

As the fragrance evolves, the heart notes reveal themselves, revealing a floral bouquet of lily, jasmine and heliotrope. The oriental accord of fruity osmanthus with amber wood, and a relaxing combination of lavender and magnolia and a touch of bitterness from freesia, creates a mesmerizing aura. The heart also features the exotic notes of gourmet loukhoum, sweet immortelle with cherry blossom and ylang, transporting you to a splendid succulent garden in full bloom.

Heading towards the base, the notes are rich and warm, leaving a lasting impression. The no-overkill sweetness of brown sugar is masterfully blended with earthy patchouli, cedar wood, and creamy notes of vanilla. The rich scent of amber, tonka bean and musk form a captivating end to this sensory journey. A multifaceted perfume: citrus and fresh, fruity and sweet, spicy and bitter, floral and aquatic, aromatic and musky.

The "Dubai - Ajyal | Nabeel" had long been high on my wish list, but when the fragrance was compared to "Erba Pura | XerJoff," my interest faded slightly... what a mistake, because what on earth does this fragrance have in common with "Erba Pura | XerJoff"? One almost loses faith; when there are fruits in a fragrance, most people automatically associate it with "Erba Pura | XerJoff" or "Accento | XerJoff."

Well, let’s first look at "Dubai - Ajyal | Nabeel" before I delve into the clear differences from other fruity fragrances:

- The opening is overwhelming and probably the biggest challenge of the fragrance; you have to like fruity, sweet openings. There are few fragrances that manage to smell so pleasant overall, even though nearly 13 ingredients are used just in the opening. It is so well blended that individual ingredients are hardly noticeable; rather, you perceive a sweet, ripe fruit basket, and individual notes are more detectable to a trained nose; such as pear, bergamot, a little apple, a hint of mint, etc.

- After that, the fragrance takes on a floral facet that balances out this initial sweetness very well, along with woody accords that tone down this "Dubai sweetness" a bit and round it off nicely; before the fragrance then transitions into a sweet-fresh, slightly woody-amber drydown.

- Overall, a truly oriental Freshie with good longevity and projection; certainly not like a "Dubai - Meydan (Eau de Parfum) | Nabeel," but for summer, the performance is quite good!

Now, as you can see, we do get a fruit basket here, but this is by no means as synthetic as in "Erba Pura | XerJoff" and is much fresher. Additionally, it combines floral aspects; and I think I know why most people associate it either with "Erba Pura | XerJoff" (due to fruitiness) or with "Accento | XerJoff" (florality in the heart note); but the fragrance, even when considered in its individual phases, bears no resemblance to either of those fragrances, absolutely none.

Now for a brief comparison to the mentioned fragrances so far:

- "Erba Pura | XerJoff" is a matured fruit compote that comes across as very synthetic. Individual notes are hardly perceptible, and the fragrance culminates in a rather synthetic, strong musk note. The only commonality; both utilize fruits; but here "Dubai - Ajyal | Nabeel" has a much more voluminous and natural composition, and does not transform in the drydown into a simple musk base. Additionally, in "Dubai - Ajyal | Nabeel," individual notes like pear, fresh mint, bergamot, and apple can be detected; and yes, this fruitiness is fresh, not "ripe" like in "Erba Pura | XerJoff." How similar are the fragrances in percentage? At most 5%.

- The comparison with "Accento | XerJoff" is even more utopian: "Accento | XerJoff" has a bit of pineapple in the opening, that's it. As mentioned above, the only comparable aspect of the fragrance is the floral heart note, but only as a "basic idea." This floral heart note is completely differently composed and is more in the background of the fruity sweetness in "Dubai - Ajyal | Nabeel"; in "Accento | XerJoff," this floral side, along with the slight pineapple, is in the foreground and almost has a "clean vibe," whereas "Dubai - Ajyal | Nabeel" retains an oriental, sweet, floral, fresh-fruity DNA.

- And anyone who compares the fragrance to God of Fire is far from reality :) The God of Fire is very mango-dominated, clearly fresh, but the mango is the main actor, and it then becomes slightly creamy-woody, with 0 floral aspects. I don't know...

In this sense, dear Parfumos; please don't always rely on these comparisons and test the fragrances independently. Everyone perceives fragrances differently, and it may well be that the fragrances smell similar to others, but so many factors come into play; you don't know how experienced the reviewer is, how many fragrances they have under their nose, whether the reviewer can identify individual ingredients at all and how they interact; whether they even tested the fragrances simultaneously. These comparisons are therefore not always meaningful.

In the end, what counts is your own experience, and there are so many passionate decant colleagues here at Parfumo who make this possible :) In that sense, go for it, I hope this contribution helps a bit.

First off: Don't stone me, this is my first review =)

To get straight to the point: For me, yes, but with reservations as I'm not sure if the two fragrances can really be compared 1 to 1.

I had been searching for a scent that goes in the direction of Accento because I really like the DNA (Floral, Fruity, Fresh) but I don't like Accento on myself at all. Then, last week, I happened to come across this release from Nabeel. First impression in the perfume shop: "Hmmm, delicious but not love at first sniff." However, since I found it interesting, I got a small sample.

So the next morning, I just sprayed it on and let myself be surprised:

In the opening, I get an extremely delicious mix of various fruits, from which I can mainly smell pear, wonderfully supported by a hint of mint in the background. This blend is not at any point overpowering or disturbing, but very elegant and almost calming for me.

This opening seamlessly transitions into a still fruity heart note, to which many different flowers now join, making the fragrance very floral. At this point, I must say it is very difficult for me to pick out individual components as the entire scent is, in my opinion, extremely well balanced. I never get just one impression in my nose but it constantly shifts between fruity and floral notes.
As a result, I perceive the perfume for a long time until it ultimately fades into a delicate creamy and slightly warming drydown that is only detectable close to the skin.

The scent is absolutely unisex for me and, in my opinion, fits every occasion and every season, although it will probably shine the most in spring and early summer.

For the presentation, I can only give 10/10 points. The bottle itself is already a small work of art and extremely well designed, and the sprayer does not disappoint either. Additionally, it comes with a travel case and is packaged in a high-quality box. There is absolutely nothing to criticize here.

In summary, for me, this is my new favorite for spring or just in between for feeling good. I find the price/performance ratio here quite justified.

Dubai - Ajyal was my absolute favorite fragrance last summer. I was actually looking for a fresh, citrusy summer scent last July, but I immediately changed my mind when I got to test this highly complex, oriental fragrance.

The scent starts off very fruity with citrus nuances and an oriental sweetness. Individual notes are quite hard to describe here, as many fragrance notes are perfectly blended together, creating a perfect, non-synthetic collection of fruits. Nevertheless, I believe I can perceive the candied apple and pear. One note that I definitely notice is petrichor, which really reminds me of the smell of rain on a hot summer day and gives the scent a slightly "green" appearance.

As it develops, the oriental sweetness gradually recedes into the background, and floral notes join the fruity ones. Again, due to the complexity, it's difficult to speak of individual notes. However, I find that the floral notes here are perfectly unisex and never come across as feminine.

The scent ends in the drydown with a combination of still fruity and slightly fresh notes, musk, and a hint of woodiness from sandalwood and cedarwood.

Although the fragrance is dominated by fruitiness, it never comes across as synthetic or overly sweet, as is the case with "Erba Pura | XerJoff," for example. For me, the scent has little to do with "Erba Pura | XerJoff," as the various notes in Ajyal create a highly complex, non-synthetic fragrance composition that cannot be compared to any scent I know.

Even on hot summer days, the fragrance is very wearable, as it never appears too intensely sweet, and you are continuously "cooled down" by a light freshness. Even at 32°C, the fragrance never bothered me despite its strong sillage and did not cause any headaches. The scent accompanies me throughout the entire day. So for me, a longevity of 10h+.

In conclusion, Ajyal is the perfect summer fragrance for anyone looking for a creative and complex summer scent and who has no problem with sweet-fruity fragrances.

In that sense: Feel free to test it yourself and thank you for reading!