Al-Nuaim
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The bergamot emerges first with characteristic citric brightness, immediately backed by cool violet and the creamy gardenia-rose pairing that establishes the fragrance's powdery disposition. Rosewood adds an unexpected woody greenness, preventing the opening from settling into predictable floral sweetness.
The carnation assumes centre stage, its clove-tinged spice mingling with the heavier florals—particularly jasmine's creamy indolence and narcissus's almost soapy aldehydic character. Here the composition reveals its complexity: lilac brings herbaceous coolness whilst the ylang ylang deepens into something faintly animalic, supported by orris root's violet-powered elegance and the faint salty mineral quality emerging from the base.
Cedar and sandalwood coalesce into a warm, slightly chalky woody envelope, whilst the brine note adds an arresting saline quality that prevents the base from becoming simply powdery-sweet. Musk and amber provide gentle persistence, leaving behind a softly-scented skin scent that smells of vintage linen and faded florals rather than fragrance.
Aseel White is a study in restraint masquerading as abundance. Daltroff has orchestrated a floral arrangement so densely populated that it borders on suffocating—carnation, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, and narcissus all competing for dominance—yet the composition never tips into cloying excess. Instead, there's an almost archaeological quality to it, as though you're experiencing florals through a veil of decades. The gardenia and violet in the opening suggest a certain formality, a powdered elegance that feels decidedly vintage without descending into mere nostalgia.
What distinguishes Aseel White is the peculiar presence of "rancidness" listed among the heart notes. Rather than spoilage, this likely denotes a slightly animalic, fermented quality that prevents the florals from becoming purely decorative. The ylang ylang brings a fleshy, almost indolic undertone that wrestles with the sharper green aspects of rosewood and the cool dustiness of orris root and iris. Beneath this floral sprawl sits a sophisticated woody-ambered foundation: cedar and sandalwood provide structure whilst the brine note adds an unexpected mineral saltiness, as though sea air has infiltrated a grand Edwardian garden.
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