Aqaba Sands of Aqaba; Indult Isvaraya; Agallocha Tedallal Homme; Ajmal Aqhawan

Aqaba Sands of Aqaba: it’s a snout full of flowers at the start, plus some green leaves and a clean, soapy element, but once the scrubbed, flowery part of the parade has passed by, the earthier coriander and cardamom make a welcome appearance and transition without a hitch into an incense/tuberose base. For as pretty and flowery as it starts off, I was pleasantly surprised with its salty, spicy finish.

Indult Isvaraya: an easy crowd pleaser (but that assumes the crowd is comprised of patchouli fans), Indult Isvaraya is a mix of primarily three ingredients: patchouli, jasmine and plum. The plum introduces a dusky fruit note at the opening that immediately catches your attention, while Patchouli emphasizes the earthy qualities of the Jasmine flower as the perfume stretches out on the skin. Fans of incense fragrances would probably like Isvaraya quite a bit, but I would think it would strike a more traditional white-floral crowd as too heavy and rich for comfort. The patchouli utilized for this formula is exceptionally smooth — not a whiff of camphor for miles.

Agallocha Tedallal Homme: a fleeting whiff of citrus and herbs, then it’s down to the nitty-gritty of genuine Arabian perfumes for men: cinnamon, clove, rose and jasmin, underscored by a warm layer of rich woods, saffron, musk and incense resins. It’s a heady swirl, and you pretty much have to be a big ol’ drama queen to pull this off, otherwise you’re just a sack of sweet spices in a suit (it reminds me a bit of Imperial Opoponax, once the rose, clove and cinnamon take their exit). Would smell terrific on a woman — in fact, I’d prefer to smell it on a woman.

Ajmal Aqhawan: this one got to me in a roundabout way that I was not expecting. It’s sour and sharp, but blends so well into my skin that I’m beginning to doubt where it stops and I begin, or vice versa. I think what I like most about it is its willingness to forego the usual sweet spice and roses tapdance in lieu of a musky, earthier vibe. Musks are very popular in Arabian perfumes (the Prophet is said to have favored musks), and Aqhawan gets it right in that regard. As with most musks (unless you’re encountering the extremely dark type), there’s a bit of a soapy clean quality that emerges once the spices fall away and the musk is in full bloom. Usually, I’m against this experience, but I got a kick out of Ajmal Aqhwan’s sour beginning wrapped up by a clean finish — the opposite of what I was expecting.

Ajmal Aqhawan is my favorite of the four, but I can’t for the life of me tell you how you might find any to purchase — beyond traveling to Dubai in person, that is. I ordered my sample from The Perfumed Court, but they now appear to be sold out. Any other reference I found for it on the net turned out to be a dead end.