Sheikh Al Faransi
Abdul Karim Al Faransi

Sheikh al Faransi is a bestial blend of ambergris, oud, and amber that is intensely evocative of the sea, mountains, earth, and rot. It opens on a note of sweet varnishy decay, like a mixture of mold on an apple and mildewy furniture left to fester in an abandoned mansion. Something about the blend seems on the verge of collapse, which introduces the thrill of uncertainty. Slowly the halitosis stink of grey-brown ambergris begins to peek out through the woody rot, bringing with it its unique alchemy of sea air, silt, and horsehair. It is met with a light dusting of icing sugar, likely an amber and sandalwood sweetener placed there to offset the suggestive saltiness of the ambergris.

For the longest time, the perfume lingers in a midsection of sea salt and sweet powdered amber. But the drydown is pure ambergris in the fullness of its mammalian splendor. It is gorgeous, and 180° removed from its rotting, feral, damply-fruited start. For a mukhallat, it is decidedly non-linear and exciting to wear. Recommended to those who are looking for a wild ride.

Excellent example of an eastern Attar created with the finesse of French Perfumery. Spicy florals, resinous honeyed Ambergris with a slight touch of oceanic sea foam. The ambergris really ties the whole composition together because the drydown is all Oud. The Oud itself has a rather floral characteristic and veers away from pungency often associated with cheaper ingredients. Judging this on price alone this the top quality Oud perfumery you can get under $50 usd. Great projection. Great sillage and excellent versatility. You won't have to worry about scaring anyone away with your Oud and ambergris Attar. This is a beautiful ride from start to finish. If you want Oud on a budget this is it.

Structurally, Sheikh Al Faransi is not hard to describe: potent, salty ambergris is woven into a floral-oud skeleton. But the joy here is not in the intricacy of the structure but in its balance and depth.

The shimmering ambergris note, in particular, is profoundly satisfying.

The star of Al Faransi's Privée collection is a powerhouse, in reviews people often leave the discussion on performance of longevity and sillage at the end but I really feel this is something I need to bring up at the beginning, this beautiful concotion is robust and incredibly potent.
It has such a pronounced sillage; I was chased down at a supermarket by the bakery lady for a couple of aisles to compliment me and ask me what I'm wearing.

Rich velvety honey with authentic amber notes very beautifully blended however I wouldn't really classify this as a purely sweet scent its really more complex than that. There's a note of dark chocolate, there's no sweetnes from the chocolate note but its a very smooth raw cocoa nibs like chocolate note that also has a sort of leathery aspect to it, all this is grounded by a mysterious beutifull Oud (agarwood) and a dry sandalwood base.

There's an element of exotic mystery to it with an undeniable sweetness, it's a rather masculine scent due to the leather and wood notes but I think some women can definitely pull it off. It's a head turner and it's like nothing I've ever smelled before and as I mentioned previously this is an absolute performance powerhouse.
Abdul Karim Al Faransi is a dedicated genius and I highly respect his commitment to only using authentic natural ingredients, I really can't wait to see how his house evolves.