Boit inutile porte fruit précieux : A woman’s inroad into Middle Eastern olfactory gems

The first bottle of a Middle Eastern fragrance I ever purchased was due to a wave of YouTube hype somehow finding its way to sweep over me. Perhaps you’ve been able to take an accurate guess at what it might have been… not to worry, I will reveal the mystery perfume at the end of this write-up. That bottle of rich, opulent, long-lasting, fiercely performing perfume blew my mind away. So long had I associated middle eastern perfumes with the oud my muslim companions always seemed to have wafting around them… so long had I been so very wrong. But the bottle that arrived by Royalmail on the very last day of 2021 changed everything- another man’s ordinary treasure became my hidden gem.

2022 was the year of the perfume for me. As the year began, enchanted by this new and wonderful discovery, I found myself buying more bottles than I had space for, slipping deeper into this lifelong weakness for a unique scent, the work of a parfumeur’s loving hands. And by the closing chapters of 2022, I had gone through all the stages that mark the beginning of a lifelong endeavour to becoming un nez. My goal is not to get there, alas, I believe I never will. No, my aim is to have a lifetime’s worth of enjoyment in making this not-so-perilous journey. And to think, that this journey began due to a Middle Eastern fragrance.

Now, onto the meat of the main, I will in seven (7) concise points, try to present my case on why Middle Eastern fragrances are not only worth your attention, but can be, and are, probable gems.

1. One cannot ignore the competitive cost of a heavy, 100ml flacon of long-lasting, well performing, eau de parfum.
2. One cannot ignore the rich history behind parfumerie in the Arab World. As is quoted of the Prophet Muhammad in the Hadith, “In this world, women and perfume have been made dear to me…” Parfumerie has been an important component of the Middle East’s history, racines that we experience in scent and are transported to the 6th century.
3. One cannot help but appreciate the variety on offer- powdery fragrances of violet, musk, iris and cedar, smoky fragrances of cinnamon, tobacco leaf and incense, sweet fragrances of brown sugar, grenadine and saffron… there are so many unique combinations that offer an interesting variety of fragrances- there is something for everybody really.
4. One cannot help but be enchanted by the refinement of these masterful fragrances. Smooth openings that transition into well projected mid notes and settle into a long lasting dry-down.
5. One cannot deny performance often unmatched by occidental compatriots.
6. One cannot brush aside the availability of inspired-by fragrances, clones and sister-dupes of scents our budgets may never give allowance for.
7. One would be remiss if one does not confess that there is a dearth of reviews on many middle eastern fragrances on the market. Fragrances that are waiting for your nose and your thoughts to be made available to other fragrance lovers.

Enfin, what was that one fragrance that shifted my focus from owning less than 5 bottles, to building and carefully curating a fragrance collection? A gold star to you sir/madam, if you guessed correctly- Rasasi’s La Yuqawam Jasmine Wisp. Perhaps I shall tell you the story of how my love for scents actually began… but on another day, in another write-up. Happy April’s Fool 🎈