Here’s a fun exercise in futility: look for a list of fragrance notes for Al Sharquiah perfume oil.

Al Rehab, “one of Saudi Arabia’s leading perfume manufacturers,” came to my attention by way of a 3mL sample vial that tagged along in a box of Aoud Queen Roses, sourced from Yemen (Quick plug for Yemen Shop—love ya!). The sample blew my mind and stole my heart with its dense beauty, and lead to my acquiring three other fragrances from the house— Al Sharquiah included.

The notes, as you’ll have discovered if you took my exercise in futility challenge, are no-where listed, and the fragrance described simply as a “rich and pleasant Citrusy Scent”. Normally this description wouldn’t inspire an un-sniffed bottle purchase—which this was—but being so pleased with the others in the line, I took the leap.

Much like French-styled Middle-Eastern frangrances offer a new twist on time-honored classics, what we have here can easly be classed as a Middle-Eastern-styled American fragrance. Browsing through the catalog of Al-Rehab fragrances will quickly tell you that there’s a market for American-smelling perfumes that aren’t quite American.

Al Sharquiah is very sweet; syrupy sweet, with a dense peach so ripe it’s almost decaying. It’s also bombastically citrus—think neon lights in Vegas. There’s a delicate, girlish floral back-drop—not a single note specifically stands out. Lasting power is astonishing, and the sillage is mid-to wide-range—which is a little unusual in most perfume oils.

Sound like a hot mess?

In theory, yes. In execution, it works. A bright, sweet floral citrus over a warm, creamy, velvety base—not gourmand in the slightest. If Theorema gained 100lbs and lounged all day on throw-pillows and silks smoking a hookah, this is what she would smell like.

It’s been keeping my spirits up for hours, and my customers like it, too. 🙂

Above image: “Odalisca” by Ignace Spiridon