Nabeel
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Cardamom and frankincense arrive with immediate intensity, their resinous warmth fractured by bright bergamot and peach. The damask rose threads through like silk caught on something rough—gorgeous but distinctly uncomforted, whilst elemi resin adds a slightly bitter, almost medicinal edge that keeps this from ever feeling traditionally perfumed.
As the spice begins its slow retreat, saffron and ginger emerge with clarity, supported by sandalwood's creamy undercurrent. Gaiacwood introduces leather—not soft leather, but something with genuine grip—whilst coriander adds a savoury, almost culinary dimension that prevents the composition from drifting toward abstraction.
Oud and patchouli anchor everything into something darker and more grounded; Arabian coffee provides an unexpected savoury note that feels almost precious. Myrrh and honey wrap around the leather and musk, creating a smoky amber base that feels less like sweetness and more like incense smoke dissipating on fabric—persistent, slightly dusty, deeply satisfying.
Majalis is a fragrance that refuses subtlety, instead announcing itself with the confidence of someone entering a majlis—a gathering space where authority and tradition converge. Asghar Adam Ali has constructed something deliberately contradictory: a composition that feels both ancient and immediate, built on frankincense and cardamom that crackle with spice before those competing rose absolutes (Damask and Taif) soften the edges into something almost creamy. The interplay between green notes and osmanthus in the opening creates an unexpected freshness, a momentary breath of air before the fragrance's true character asserts itself.
What distinguishes Majalis is its unflinching embrace of oud and amber without resorting to the cloying sweetness that defines so many contemporary Middle Eastern fragrances. Instead, there's a deliberate scratchy quality—the gaiacwood and leather in the heart provide an almost rough texture against which saffron and ginger sparkle. This is a scent for someone uninterested in blending seamlessly; it's worn by those who recognise fragrance as a declaration rather than a whisper. The drydown pivots toward Arabian coffee and myrrh, grounding everything in something almost savoury, a quality reinforced by patchouli and oud that feel earned rather than gratuitous.
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3.9/5 (119)