Akabir Blend for Men
Abdul Samad Al Qurashi

This one comes across as a Western/Arabic hybrid, it features (to my nose) lavender and tonka yielding the fresh early noughties fougere style of Amouage Ciel Homme. Later in the progression a dried fruit style dahn al oud is added to the mix as a minor component, subtle but adding some dirty human warmth. I didn't really perceive the listed vetiver in any meaningful way, but that could just be me. It smells good, but I find it feels a bit muddled with what it's trying to say as a composition. So overall a neutral rating, but as one of the lower priced oils not a bad effort.

This is a blend of ingredients that should appeal to noses accustomed to western styles with notes of vetiver and citrus over a base of aged oud and fruity woods. Although there are no floral ingredients, there is something in this that comes across as such, perhaps a bit of rose. The opening is the most interesting part because there is a very unusual grassy-earthy note that I don't recognize and as much as I want to attribute it to an herb or spice, it actually smells like vetiver - although I'm hesitant to pin it as such. It even smells a bit waxy in a very pleasing way but unfortunately that part is short-lived. The citrus note is pungent and smells like orange zest with a touch of limes, reminding in a way of Al Andalus by Amouage. It then evolves into a more obvious and warm rose and I detect some musk in there, with a slightly powdery side reminiscent of that powdery musk in Helmut Lang edc. The base is a sweet woody oriental that reminds me of Micallef's more current creations with ambery woody bases. The longevity is surprisingly good but the sillage tapers off rapidly from a bright and striking start to a quieter woody base making me feel like I need to reapply even though I know I'm radiating well enough. (I should note that I am only applying a single swipe of the applicator wand and rubbing between my wrists.) While I won't deny that there's any aged oud in this, it's very minimal as this is meant to be an introductory blend for those not used to more robust oud attars. The delicate touch of oud in this does give the blend a resinous finish and a slight woodiness in the drydown. For what it is, this is a good blend and suitable for those looking to ease into explorations of eastern-style creations, one that would be readily accepted by western noses and not challenging. To recap: citrus/vetiver top > rose/musk heart > sweet woody oriental base.