Oriental Civet & Fruity-Sweet Rose-Oud Candy... Strange? Yes, but still beautiful!
Sometimes I feel that reviews are largely influenced by the initial ones. I just can't explain it any other way sometimes. I hope that everyone evaluates the scent subjectively for themselves and doesn't let themselves be too influenced, because with Dubai - Fakhama it would indeed be sad to present it so negatively; because this is definitely not what this fragrance is!
Let's get into it:
- Dubai - Fakhama opens beautifully fruity, sweet; yes, the dried fruits come through strongly and create a really lovely bubble of an oriental dessert. After this fruity-sweet start, a beautiful rose joins in, which is nicely sweetened by the Oud - which does not smell animalic or fecal at all. Rose, Oud, and the sweetness of the fruits share the space quite well, although the fruity aspect fades a bit after a while.
- The rose then takes over a bit and blends with a lovely spicy saffron note; velvety, yet intense. A slight earthiness from the cypriol adds to the background, balancing this fruity sweetness. In the drydown, a slightly animalic civet comes in, giving the fragrance a nice twist; yes, in this form it is already unique and somehow exciting; it is also well balanced with the amber and caramel.
- The longevity and sillage are definitely above average; you can't really complain about that, typical of SoD.
Overall, and you can hear it for yourself, we have a beautiful rose-oud here that is quite intriguingly designed, yet very wearable in everyday life. It is not a fragrance that challenges you massively, but can really be worn well by anyone; and still brings something special. The fruity sweetness at the beginning, the beautiful rose-oud-saffron combo in the heart, and the slightly animalic drydown with civet.
Yes, maybe one would have expected more edges and corners, or perhaps another typical rose-oud constellation, but let's be honest, we somehow complain about everything. Viewed in isolation, it is simply a beautiful fragrance that deserves much more attention; at least from my perspective.
