So Yas by Yas

Arabian Nights Three:

The last one in the trio of samples I've got from Sense Dubai. I am looking forward to trying So Yas. Its main accords are woody, oud, powdery and warm spicy. Like all the other arabian scents, I will give this a revisit in the summer time too. 

On skin, in the cold weather of January the 10th, So Yas opens with a sweet and lightly floral note that soon transform into a woody and oud-y fragrance. Sandalwood gives it a creaminess that I so much enjoy and the scent is absolutely endearing. What a treasure. If not my beloved Taj already in my collection, I would dearly consider adding So Yas to my collection too. 

Something about it is very easy and I imagine it being the perfect first arabian fragrance to try if you have a Western nose. It is delicately spicy with the richness and depth of oud that is of the highest quality. I also detect the tiniest hint of a juicy cherry. It must be the cinnamon, which isn't stated on Fragrantica, but on Sense Dubai.

After complete oxidation, the cherry note is quite prominent, however, it doesn't make So Yas a fruity fragrance, but brings the perfect amount of juicy sweetness to it. So Yas is ever evolving and changes every now and again until it lands on a warm, seductive fragrance, mysteriously Eastern, but not too intimidating for Western noses; and a sliiightly sour, but mostly juicy cherry makes your mouth water. Honestly, So Yas is what I expected Rouge Smoking from BDK to smell like, but we all know what I think of Rouge Smoking...

I really love it and I only wish they made this in smaller bottles. Having two 100 ml bottles of potent juice is just too much.

Oud Aquilaria by Oman Luxury

 

Arabian Nights Two:

From the house of Oman Luxury I only know Overdose. When visiting Sense Dubai in Warsaw, Nina helped me find the perfect fragrance for me. I said I liked citruses, spices and deep fragrances too, so naturally she presented me Overdose. 

As you might remember, I went with Taj from the house of Yas, but with my order, I received three samples. One was Al Malaki and another was from the house of Oman Luxury, namely Oud Aquilaria.

Oud Aquilaria isn't a fragrance I would reach for myself. The main accords are Aromatic, Warm Spicy, Fruity, Rose and Oud. You already know my stance on rose, but the mix of all the other accords sound very strange to me. Needless to say, I am both excited and frightened. 

Oud Aquilaria opens with a strange combination of a multum of notes. Aromatic and sweet, but also spicy and ambery. Strangely light, both synthetic and gourmand. After dry down, I cannot describe the fragrance other than being fresh like cucumber with a hint of sweetness from tomato. Has my review suddenly become a salad recipe? I usually don't mind aromatic fragrances, but the combination of an aromatic with this type of spicy fruitiness is not done well. In fact, I would actually call this fragrance bad.

I am surprised to see an apple note, but when done badly, I guess it alludes to cucumber. I am looking at all the other notes and I cannot fathom how this could go so poorly. I wouldn't even think there was rose in this scent if it wasn't stated in the notes.

I honestly think I should leave this review for now and revisit Oud Aquilaria when it becomes warmer or at the peak of summer. Considering how differently my Taj performs in Polish melting heat and in the Danish cold winter, it wouldn't be just to judge Oud Aquilaria solely on a rainy, cold January day.

Al Malaki by Yas

 

Arabian Nights One:

I could not pass having Taj by Yas in my collection though the price tag was one of the highest I've ever had to argue with. In the summer time, Taj was an absolute dream enamouring everyone who got a whiff of me. Now, in the colder weather, Taj is less fruity and the pepper note is actually detectable. To read my full review, please revisit my take on Taj, but I wanted to mention how different the scents perform depending on weather - even more than other fragrances. So I will definitely revisit Al Malaki, So Yas and Oud Aquilaria in the summertime too. 

I think I'm going to start off with Al Malaki, a scent that has only two notes stated on Fragrantica - Oud and incense. I am already intimidated.

From first spray, Al Malaki takes me by surprise. It is light, somewhat fresh, and spicy; needless to say, nothing like I imagined it to be. I was expecting a heavy oud too strong for my nose. It reminds me a lot of Whispered Myths by Imaginary Authors, but without the sweet undertone of cantaloupe melon. 

I have to say that Al Malaki isn't my cup of coffee, it isn't a fragrance I would wear, but I am blown away by the quality. It is so smooth, so rich, so elegant and you just know this is a quality you won't find in any ol' perfume. The fragrance is surprisingly not overpowering; despite two generous sprays, it remains welcoming and light. Al Malaki is definitely unisex, but I would love to smell it on a man (I did spray my boyfriend) and it is an absolute dream.

Looking for a clean oud fragrance? Look no further, Al Malaki is thee light oud scent! I am so happy that I stumbled upon Sense Dubai in Warsaw last summer. My take on quality fragrances has reached new levels after experiencing the juices in that store full of art.

Angel's Share by Kilian

Angel's Share has been fairly hyped up, if not been one of the most hyped fragrances in my feed. And I have to agree, it does sound delicious, but it is not the first time that fragcom has steered me wrong. Safe to say that I've gotten fragrance trust issues...

Yes, yes and yes. Angel's Share is sweet, boozy and ambery. Is it good? Yeah, from first spray I do understand the appeal, but I am not blown away. For some reason, I've remembered it having a cardamom note, but it doesn't, and the so called spicy accord isn't there either. Well, at least enough for me to call it a spicy fragrance. There is a subtle accord from a beautiful cognac note without harsh ethanol. It is very subdued compared to how people have described it. Maybe I sprayed too little, but I always test samples how I would wear them as a full bottle. That being said, I really do enjoy Angel's Share, but I cannot justify it being 1500DKK. Some fragrances are so good that I gladly become stingy for a while to afford them, this is not it.

After dry down, the fragrance is mostly gone, close to skin, but I can still smell it around me.

It is in moments like this that I have a suspicion that over a year later, my nose is still compromised by Covid.

~

I left my review of Angel's Share back in 2022. Suddenly, I lost track of time and Christmas season swept me off my feet.

I am revisiting the scent again and my take is this. The first spray reveals a sweet and warm praline. There is a delicate hint of something spicy, I think it is supposed to be the cinnamon, but it isn't blatantly obvious. I get a slight hint of cognac too, but nothing about Angel's Share is straight forward. I do like the fragrance, but I am quite underwhelmed, though the notes sound devine.

It is warm, cozy and rich in amber, but next to my BTF by Maison Margiela and MOAT by Imaginary Authors, Angel's Share fades in comparison.