Really like the idea, i also love to experiment with the oils i have.A blend of my own composition. Kalimantan oud, Sumba oud, Civet oil and Bergamont. It was my partner who suggested the bergamont as the other ingredients were washing each other out. Once I added the bergamont everything came together and now I can smell all of them! Amazing how this works.
Modern wearability, with a traditional structure. Lots of Hindi Oud, Ambergris & Musk yet the composition doesn’t feel overly animalic, barnyard or heavy-muddy. It sings off the skin revealing its complexity in layers; dark Oud resin, Rose-floral, honeyed sweetness, leathery with a gorgeous slightly animalic powdery woody finish.Ghaliya Banu Hashim from An Najwa
Subtle velvety rose shining through with musk and bold hindi oud in the background.
The thing I love about this is that I can feel there is camphor without It being too camphorous. It just imparts a soothing coolness to the blend. This, in my opinion, makes the whole composition quite harmonious.
You have musk along with hindi ouds that are the ‘HOT’ elements, there is frankincense and camphor are ‘COLD’ elements and then there is ambergris which just binds the whole thing together.
Beautiful indeed. @An Najwa
Well done brother! It must be exciting to see this blend transform before your eyes. It sounds like a lovely attar. The simpler the better, let the materials be the star. Bergamot on its own is a beautiful material, I can see why your wife suggested it!A blend of my own composition. Kalimantan oud, Sumba oud, Civet oil and Bergamont. It was my partner who suggested the bergamont as the other ingredients were washing each other out. Once I added the bergamont everything came together and now I can smell all of them! Amazing how this works.
If you’re anything like me, soon enough you’ll be unable to wear any attar that doesn’t contain a beautifully Musky base 😂Yusa Aromatics - o no sentaku
I was able to smell this lovely - to be released and still aging - attar right through the protective film.
It was such a lovely flowery scent as I applied it. I think that mixing its ingredients somehow brings out the rose more/better?
There's something sharp/animalic in it which is said to be musk. Will this become less sharp as it ages? It's interesting but I'm not very used to musk. Perhaps I just need time! 🙂
Now, many hours later, it's such a lovely scent! I might grab a bottle when it's released.
It is very good fun that's for sure.Well done brother! It must be exciting to see this blend transform before your eyes. It sounds like a lovely attar. The simpler the better, let the materials be the star. Bergamot on its own is a beautiful material, I can see why your wife suggested it!
Blending has always interested me, but I’ve yet to go beyond my Musk macerations & a simple attar of Taif Rose + a Frankincense EO from The Oud Lab. Mind you, that simple attar I made with those two materials is probably the most energetic, revitalising blend I’ve smelt. I know it’s sacrilege, but I’m considering recreating it with a touch of a particularly soapy laundry musk to understand how French perfumers use synthetic musks to give compositions lift & diffusion.
Bergamot is one of the earliest blenders in perfumery. Good tip 👌🏼A blend of my own composition. Kalimantan oud, Sumba oud, Civet oil and Bergamont. It was my partner who suggested the bergamont as the other ingredients were washing each other out. Once I added the bergamont everything came together and now I can smell all of them! Amazing how this works.
I think we care more about your knowledge dear brother, then the opinion from "organizations" like IFRA.Bergamot is one of the earliest blenders in perfumery. Good tip 👌🏼
Beware of adding too much though. It's phototoxic and might cause irritation for some.
As per some organizations now (IFRA), They limited the use of bergamot to less than 0.5% if I remember correctly. Try and see and all the best.
I personally test it on my own skin in the sun if it's a personal blend.I think we care more about your knowledge dear brother, then the opinion from "organizations" like IFRA.
Agreed on all accountsModern wearability, with a traditional structure. Lots of Hindi Oud, Ambergris & Musk yet the composition doesn’t feel overly animalic, barnyard or heavy-muddy. It sings off the skin revealing its complexity in layers; dark Oud resin, Rose-floral, honeyed sweetness, leathery with a gorgeous slightly animalic powdery woody finish.
I didn’t consider the camphor as an integral component, but smelling it off the dipstick right now I understand the reference. The Camphor & Frankincense seem to shine a light through the darker materials, illuminating them similar to how a classical French perfumer would use Aldehydes to give a lightness & deft touch to an opaque formula.
I don’t understand much about the art form of blending, but what I do know is An Najwa is one of the best in our community.
A wonderful review, it sounds like something I’d enjoy very much. Rose, Musk, Oud (obviously) are my favourite materials & JK’s attars are very well blended. I love his aesthetic, inspired by Arabian materials honouring the tradition while simultaneously creating via a ‘Western’ nose & the influences he draws from his background. He described this style when discussing his Ghaliyahs in a podcast with Taesik Yun.Sheba - Rising Phoenix Perfumery
A sample I ordered in my latest buy from Rising Phoenix. I got some insane stuff this time I can’t wait to talk about on here and thanks @RisingPhoenix for being generous with your samples. I’ve got to say, the more I buy from JK the more willing he is to show me increasingly cooler stuff. Unreleased stuff, stuff that allegedly will not be released (at least on his Etsy/website), stuff that I would never think to try on my own.
Sheba attar is a rose-forward Middle Eastern style attar with a rose bouquet of 3 different types of roses, oud, animalic musks and the whole attar is suspended in sandalwood.
It comes out of the vial blazing… tons of rose. Spicy and zesty rose contrasted on the backdrop of oud. The animalics warm everything up and the furry civet can be detected from pretty early on in the wear.
Over time, the zesty facets of the rose settle and we’re left with more of that bitter and spicy taif rose.
It’s really “all about that rose” and showing off the beauty of the Taif rose. As JK tends to do, he stretches this rose out by blending it with other ingredients to make it smell even larger than it is. I think he was successful in doing that - the stuff smells awsome
This attar has some real kick to it… a little dab will do you haha. However, as with all naturals, it doesn’t last forever…. Gives you an excuse to swipe some sandalwood or another attar once this one has dissipated.
A wonderful review, it sounds like something I’d enjoy very much. Rose, Musk, Oud (obviously) are my favourite materials & JK’s attars are very well blended. I love his aesthetic, inspired by Arabic materials honouring the tradition while simultaneously creating via a ‘Western’ nose & the influences he draws from his background. He described this style when discussing his Ghaliyahs in a podcast with Taesik Yun.
I own his ‘Sheikh Khalifa 2017’ attar & it’s one of my favourites. Similar to how you described ‘Sheba’, it’s a huge Taif Rose with all the high quality nuances of that profile you’d expect; citrus, mint, ginger spiciness, a pure sparkling pink rosiness.
The spicy warm Saffron in the heart links perfectly to the resinous leather musky Hindi Oud in the base. I’d like your description of Sheba being suspended in Sandalwood, Sheikh Khalifa has a similar effect. The Mysore fills in the gaps, rounding off the sharp edges, making the composition sing. Wonderful stuff.
Happy to hear that Sharma JiGhaliya Banu Hashim from An Najwa
Subtle velvety rose shining through with musk and bold hindi oud in the background.
The thing I love about this is that I can feel there is camphor without It being too camphorous. It just imparts a soothing coolness to the blend. This, in my opinion, makes the whole composition quite harmonious.
You have musk along with hindi ouds that are the ‘HOT’ elements, there is frankincense and camphor are ‘COLD’ elements and then there is ambergris which just binds the whole thing together.
Beautiful indeed. @An Najwa
Truly honoured by your words dearest brother! ❤️Modern wearability, with a traditional structure. Lots of Hindi Oud, Ambergris & Musk yet the composition doesn’t feel overly animalic, barnyard or heavy-muddy. It sings off the skin revealing its complexity in layers; dark Oud resin, Rose-floral, honeyed sweetness, leathery with a gorgeous slightly animalic powdery woody finish.
I didn’t consider the camphor as an integral component, but smelling it off the dipstick right now I understand the reference. The Camphor & Frankincense seem to shine a light through the darker materials, illuminating them similar to how a classical French perfumer would use Aldehydes to give a lightness & deft touch to an opaque formula.
I don’t understand much about the art form of blending, but what I do know is An Najwa is one of the best in our community.