May I introduce Lady Vengeance (Juliette has a Gun) - nice to meet you!

Scents of Arabia has obviously its main focus on arabian perfume but now and then you will find some reviews on exceptional (at least for me) 'french' perfumes as well, like today.

Juliette has a Gun is a relatively new perfume label created by Romano Ricci in 2006 who has perfume in his genes as his great grandmother was the grand fashion dame Nina Ricci and his grandfather Robert Ricci who created the perfume legend "L'air du Temps".
For his label Romano choosed the grand parfumeur  Francis Kurkdjiian who created two of the six fragrances.
The whole concept from the name itself, the logo, the design, the marketing philosophy and finally the fragrances are inherently so consistent that I can't find a comparison which would convince me that way. A great job was done.

Juliette has a Gun was mainly inspired by Shakespear's Juliette but here is a modern Juliette with a gun in her hand who is indepentdent , self confident, at times dangerous and obtain whatever she needs but remain still feminine and romantic! Amazing are also the several fragrance names of this collection:
- Not a perfume
- Miss Charming
- Lady Vengeance
- Citizen Queen
- Calamity J.
- Midnight Oud
I came to the conclusion that the most names were perfectly choosed to describe the scent.

Interesting is also the fact how the fragrances are composed in a unique way uniting the familiar notes compositions like in Lady Vengeance: rose-patchouli-vanilla with a syntetic ingridient in this case Cetalox. Usually I don't like syntetic ingridients in perfumes but this one is giving exactly that kick what Juliette here actually is: a mix of the conventional and the modern Juliette! Further the Cetalox is not unpleasent in the nose like it actually sounds.
Lady Vengeance is actually the one I found for myself most suitable though I am not vengeful at all. I am using the gun just to bluff arround ;-)
As I already said the notes composition is familiar but this interpretation is very special. It gives you the right dose wearing it: you are not too young and not too old, not too provocative and not too shy...
You can wear it on your trip into the countryside almost tasting the scent like chocolate filled with strawberry cream or to a tango night wearing your bright red dress with compatible red lipstick and feeling ultra-feminine!

Here I have the same opinion like Romano by himself: for me a perfume doesn't have just to smell nice! While inhaling it, you have to have pictures in your head, the skin has to prickle!

The marketing strategy is also to approach the perfumery as an art, presenting these perfumes only through limited distribution such as concept stores or specialized perfumeries - precisely a niche perfume!

Juliette has a Gun offer a sample kit of all of the six fragrances on their website for just € 6,90 and free shipment all arround Europe!

Exploding Flowers - "Banafsaj" by Syed Junaid Alam

Syed Junaid Alam is one of the Bahraini perfume houses which are worth to be mentioned at all.

"It all began back in 1910, when Syed Junaid Alam, a true visionary and a focused entrepreneur was fascinated by the eternal romance between the region's people and the ideals of nobility, beauty and opulence. Later this fascination turned into his inspiration.

Initially drawn by the attraction of Bahrain's flourishing pearl industry, the founder of the company, Syed Junaid Alam discovered a treasure of traditional natural oils and production of some of the finest perfumes, oils, incense, accessories & selections of Oudh wood from different parts of Asia. And by 1910, he started his dealings in essential oils and traditional fragrances. Thus, was born Syed Junaid Alam W.L.L."

I discovered a perfumery of Syed Junaid Alam last year in Abu Dhabi first and was keen on the beautifull fragrances to very affordable prices. Though the perfume shop and its interior aren't comparable to the noble shops like Al Qurashi, Arabian Oud or Ajmal it is anyway worth visiting it and discovering what's behind the veil.
So it occured that I bought a few gifts for my family among them "Banafsaj" for my step-sister. Back home I noticed how wonderfull this fragrance actually is, so on my last journey to the Emirates I run into a Syed Junaid shop and bought it right away for myself this time.

This fragrance is a explosion of exotic flowers. Never before I experienced such a flower fragrance.

Top notes:  Rose
Heart notes: Jasmine, Rose
Base notes: Amber, Musk

Interesting is that this scent does not evolve from top to the base notes. It is from the beginning the same explosion what it remain at the end. It is a long lasting and powerfull scent, so it is advisable not to spray more than once or twice.
The other interesting thing is how the scent is composed, how the flowers are united with the amber and the musk to give it that ultra-exotic touch. The amber and the musk are like a coat keeping thousands of flowers present. The flowers which are mentioned actually are just the rose and the jasmine but I would swear that there is more than a yard of wild, purple orchids contained.

Aside the wonderfull fragrance, the bottle is quite amazing. The cap is created in form of a wild purple flower and on the bottle is beautifully tendriled.

Giveaway "Zahra" by Swiss Arabian

Zahra by Swiss Arabian is an ultra-feminine, fruity-floral, sweet fragrance. I would declare it as a soft-oriental perfume with a delightfull sweetness which is very present.
The ingridients are rose, jasmine, marigold, mimosa, saffron, red berries, oud, sandlewood, musk and vanilla.

Though the red berries are the only fruit which is mentioned, in my nose there are much more fruits, exotic, yellow fruits and the fruitiness predominates.

On the first sniff I liked it, but while I am wearing it I notice that it is just not me! So I have decided to give it to you :-) if you want.

I have applied it twice so it is almost full and I still have the package.

So the giveaway is about one bottle "Zahra" perfume oil 30ml!

The rules are the same like the last time.
You can participate when you blog about this giveaway and send me a link of your post here in the comments.

You have time untill March 27th when the winner will be draw by lots and announced here.

Mukhallat Ghoroob, Zahrat Al Khalije, Egyptian Jasmine by Arabian Oud

At Arabian Oud you can also get wonderfull oil perfumes decanted in sizes of 3, 6 or 12ml. And also these precious scents are beautifully presented in the same special bottles I mentioned in my last post about Al Qurashi and the same way keeping in big glass perfume bottles overdrawn with gold and hand painted flowers.

Mokhallat Ghoroob

Ghoroob actually means sunset and the title hit the mark. It is a warm, oriental, sunny scent which warms you like the setting sun. It is deep in its intensity and exotic through and through but not too heavy. When you close your eyes having this scent arround you, you can imagine the warmth and the color of the desert.

Top notes: Sandalwood, Istanbul rose
Heart notes: Saffron
Base notes: Vanilla

Actually there is much of sandalwood and it is  a little sweet but very comfortable.


Egyptian Jasmine

Everyone who loves Jasmine it is a very must because it is pure! This oil gives you a feeling being in the middle of Tunisia passing all the people's gardens in which you can always find a jasmin shrub.

This scent is created from only one ingridient. It is light with a touch of sweetness for an everyday use.

Zahrat al Khalije

means Khaleeji Flower but which flower is it actually?

Top notes: Lemon, Citrus
Heart notes: White Musk
Base notes: Corriender, Violet

This is a very unusual scent and the name doesn't fit in my opinion. Though it is a very interesting, exotic one.
The title sounds somehow very feminine to me. Opposite is the first sniff you get. It is very sharp and fresh like an aftershave. I have the feeling that there is also mint in the top notes.
After minutes it settles down and the sharpness disappears and what remain is an oriental but fresh mix.
Actually I don't know wheather to like it or not because there is definately something disturbing in it or is it just this feeling of aftershave?!

Al Hajar al Aswad Khaltat by Abdul Samad Al Qurashi

Al Qurashi is one of the most exquisit arabian perfume houses. Just the visit of their shop is inspiring, captivating and gives you a feeling being in a nostalgic royal surrounding. Everyone who has visited their shop know what I am talking about. The interior is very classy and what I love most are the big glass perfume bottles overdrawn with gold and hand painted flowers where the pure oil perfumes are waiting to be decanted.

Al Hajar al Aswad I found thanks to blogger friend Alice. And it was one of the moments which really happen rarely but which I soo love. The first sniff and you are captured.

First of all it is a light oriental and above all sensual and elegant scent. It is soapy but not too much. It is so well composed like a beautifull poem without being low-brow at all. It is very silent but deep.
The ingridients are: soft amber, oud, rose taifi and musk.
But the interesting thing is that all these ingridients already sound so heavy that I would not expect any of it apart from the musk. The musk is encasing all the notes from the beginning till the end. And the end is very far as it is a long lasting scent.

At moments it reminds me on Eau de Marveilles by Hermes but Hermes is loud, for my taste dissonant and posess an artificial weight which you can find in the most western oriental perfumes!

1 Tola(12ml) perfume oil = AED 800/USD 217 (when you buy 1tola you get 1 free)
100 ml Perfume Spray = AED 130/USD 35

Al Hamra by Arabian Oud

Al Hamra perfume oil is a fruity floral ultra light and smooth fragrance for women. It is one of the most famous arabian pefumes worldwide as it was in the nominees list at the FIFI Awards in 2006 for the best perfume in the world.

Top Notes: Apple Blossom
Heart Notes: Rose, Jasmine, Lilac
Base Notes: Himalayan Balsam Flower, Musk

It is a very smooth and fresh fragrance which I would recommend for a day use as it is light, gently sweet and close to skin.
In the beginning you smell the apple, green apples. Afterwards the apple scent is gonna minimized and mixed with all the flowers. The Himalayan Balsam Flower give it a cool touch and is damping the sweetness and the musk also,  very smoothly gives it the soft oriental touch in the background.

Wearing Al Hamra you have the feeling, walking bare-footed in the morning dew through an orchard  full of apple trees with the several flowers all arround.

The special about Al Hamra is not just the fragrance but its interesting package. The bud which is holding the precious flacon.
It's a very nice gift idea as well as a beautifull decoration for your home.

My new arabian perfumes

I have bought several arabian perfumes which are worth to be mentioned so you will find some reviews on them in the next days.

Here is my list:

- Kalemat/Arabian Oud
- Al Hamra/Arabian Oud
- Zahrat al Khaleej/Arabian Oud
- Ghourub/Arabian Oud
- Egyptian Jasmin/Arabian Oud
- Hajar al Aswad/Al Qurashi
- Zahra/Swiss Arabian
- Rakaan/Swiss Arabian
- Rose Gallery/Oud Gallery
- Banafsaj/Syed Junaid

Review on "Parfam" Exhibition

The perfume exhibition was a flop for myself. Not only that it was much smaller than advertised, it was also determinated for consumer not for trader.  It was promoted as the largest perfume exhibition in the region but actually there were about 20 exhibitors and the ones I most wished to visit did not even exhibit like Arabian Oud, Al Qurashi, Areej, Syed Junaid.
It was not well visited!

The stuff at the stands were sales assistances from the local perfumeries and since I came as a trader that was not adequat.


But the worst of all things was that I could not find any agreement with the suppliers concerning the prices. I was really shocked that in this business at this side of the world there are no wholesale prices like it is everywhere when you purchase at a manufacturer! They all offer the retail price with quantity discounts which are not higher than 10% generelly. This would mean that I would have to sell the same perfumes for an almost double price :-SSSS due to all costs which I would have as Germany is one of the countries with the highest taxes.
So my business plans are completely damped......

The arabian  perfume business is completely different in handling than the western. The difference is that the western perfume manufacturers don't sell their perfume in own shops but on wholesalers who sell it to the perfume shops. The arabian manufacturers produce and sell their own perfume only in their own shops. Maybe the rating spreads are not calculated high enough to sell it on wholesale prices but I don't think so.
It should have make me suspicious that there are barely online perfumeries with arabian perfumes.

Though here a view impressions: