Reviews of Arabie (2000)
by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

Notes: cedar, sandalwood resin, candied mandarin peel, dried figs, dates, nutmeg, cumin, clove, Bayleaf, balsamic resins, Siamese benzoin

I recently revisited the Serge Lutens monster Arabie and found it to be as loud and uncouth as before - and thats not a good thing.

For someone who subscribes to the great perfumer E. Roudnitska's perfume design style (delicate balance, natural smelling, little of candied this and candied that, minimal use of the powerful synthetics) Arabie is a total nightmare making the rounds under the 'Smell of Arabia' label. Its a powerful concoction of uber sweet fruit and spices with lots candied mandarin peel, figs and dates that conjures images of some arabian desserts that I used to enjoy..enjoy to eat that is. Arabie is also infected with a cough syrup note aromachemical which pierces nostrils in the first half of this nightmarish show. And its unrelentless...imagine a dense cloud of spicy sweetness wafting off your skin with little to no change in balance or evolution for 8-10 hours. It doesn't matter how much you spray - Arabie will eat you up.

Way back in the early 2000s Arabie might have won over some fans due to its uniqueness in the western world and maybe some shock value. But in todays perfume world with its Etat Libres and other perfume outfits which actually are putting out coherently structured but weirdly unique perfumes Arabie just comes off as the Atari Jaguar of the perfume world...something which may have made some noise early on but is ultimately viewed technically as an embarrassment when compared to many more worthy orientals. Off the top of my head, try some of the Guerlain classics (too many to mention) which balance scent density with proper structure or Acier Aluminiums fruity-spicy vanilla show or Lutens own Chergui/Ambre Sultan combo. And please try some true perfumes from the arab world...my friends from that area laugh at this aberration.

Rating: 4.0/10.0

ARABIE made me smile, the way a child usually does when presented with a large plate of dates, dried fruits, marzipans, and other variety of spiced and candied desserts. It smells so enticing I'm not sure if I should sniff it or lick it! In texture it feels dense and syrupy, almost sticky-chewy. And just when I thought I had it figured as a gourmand scent, it presents me with deep dark woodsy accords. Honestly, I'm not sure how or even when to wear such a fragrance but as far as olfactory art goes, Arabie is simply delightful as it conjures up a merry image of a party in full swing, under the shade of heavily brocaded tents in some distant exotic land.

The opening of Arabie strikes me as a dense, dark, date-laden dessert, spicy, but not especially sweet. The key words here are ‘dark’ and ‘date-laden’. This opening feels rather unwearable to me. However, as it develops the darkness fades and the date dominance recedes. Here it becomes quite pleasant smelling, a possibly wearable gourmand. Certainly not for me, but perhaps for someone else.

Love at first sight.

The first time I tried Arabie, I was just wandering about in Liberty's. Not really thinking of buying any new perfume, but just in quest of raising up my spirit with lovely smells.

It was instantaneous. I never smelled anything like that. The contact with my skin and what it revealed awoke a deep and inner sensation. A mix of sensual and sexual pulsions that almost turned into obsession.
For a week of so, I couldn't think about anything else than the smell of it and the emotions it had brought to my mind. I had to go back and buy it, I couldn't help it.

Arabie is a real invitation to travel. The spices transport you immediately to a hot yet dry country. North Africa. All of the sudden, came back to my mind images of kasbha, red houses, sun, oasis, palm trees, donkeys, medina, desert and souk.
It was so powerful I couldn't help smelling myself. The power of dried dates is the first note my nose felt in love with.

However, after a while, this perfume evolves into something very complex. Some would think of Christmas. I personally think of Ras el Honout. A secret combination of the best spicies often used in couscous or tagines and believed to be an aphrodisiac.

The risk of addiction is high, so you should try to wear it only on occasions and not daily as you might not enjoy the best of it and it's originality might fall into a routine that would kills all aromas.

It's so unconventional that it makes it be ahead of its time.

Whether you like it or dislike it, Arabie just won't leave you indifferent. A must from Serge Lutens' house.

I must agree with Brielle87, Arabie *is* all things wonderful. Very sweet without being cloying, wonderfully deep and rich with fruits, spices and a little wood. I couldn't stop smelling myself. It's such a beautiful, perfect balance. In one sense I do understand why this would be a challenge for some people but at the same time I can't believe anybody could not love this. Highly recommended.

When I first ordered a small sample of Arabie, a couple of years ago, I originally disliked it. It was extremely strong, with the composition coming across as both overwhelming and very over the top. However, these qualities soon compelled me to revisit it by dabbing more onto my wrist every so often.

Once I half-finished the sample vial, I ended up giving the rest away – I still wasn’t completely convinced by it. However, I couldn't completely forget about Arabie as time went by. It was only several months later that, while sampling other fragrances in department stores, I suddenly felt the need to give it another try. And then another. And then another…

Arabie is a real tough cookie and, even by Serge Lutens’ standards, also very ‘off the wall’ (but in a wonderful way). Put simply, it requires more perseverance and patience than most of the challenging niche scents currently on the market. As I already mentioned, it wasn’t easy falling in love with it – in fact it was almost a constant struggle. But now that perseverance has fully paid off, I am finally able to appreciate it for what it is – an extremely potent, tenacious and complex fruity gourmand.

Although some would claim Arabie to be unwearable, I consider it to be just as versatile as any other revered scent once that moment of revelation arrives (if it ever does). Its resinous nature also enables Arabie to be worn effectively well during the warmer months. It may be very sweet but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s strictly a cold weather scent.

Yes, it does smell like a spicy fruitcake and, yes, its pungent and dark fruitiness does remind me somewhat of Christmas. However, if nothing else, its aroma certainly does conjure up images of North Africa and the Middle East (quite a remarkable feat since there is no oud, whatsoever, in the composition).

Arabie is brash, blatantly unapologetic and totally unconventional. It’s definitely one of the best creations from this house.

[Original submission date: 21 July 2008]

I have to agree with moltening on this. At first it is overpowering. But the sweetnesss isn.t that nauseating sugar sweetness. It is of dried fruits. It reminds me of the filling of a particular Naan that I like that has dried fruits and coconut.

After the initial shock, the typical Lutens spices come into play. Surprisingly, I can't stop smelling myself. My body runs warm and the heat makes the scent almost glow. Amazing lasting power and sillage too.

Arabie is all things wonderful, sweet, spicy, syrupy, and exotic all mixed up in one gorgeous cocktail. This scent starts off very sweet, and candy like; much like one of my favorite treats "Fruits confits" (candied fruits). If you have ever had theses french delights, you understand the comparison. Then it goes into a delicious woody, sandalwood, rich, candy feel. It lasts forever and keeps growing warmer, more ceder-like and exotic as it wears. I do not think everyone will love this, but for the lucky ones who do; this is a top pick from the Lutens' line. I know others have mentioned a marzipan like note; I adore marzipan and could eat it forever, but I cannot detect the note.

Like many people, I originally disliked Arabie.

Yes, it's sweet AND cloying.

Yes, it will overwhelm you with a medicinal stew of dried fruits.

But guess what -- Arabie is perfectly wearable and works wonderfully on me. Give this one a few chances.

Oh horrible horrible stuff on my skin. My chemistry is all wrong for this and turns it into a scrubber! The opening is MARZIPAN LIKE WHOA! and something sharp that stabs the sinuses, and from there is gets sweeter and sweeter until it hits unbearable screaming sugar and honey overload. I can only handle ten to fifteen minutes of it before it has to go.

I tested Arabie (bottle bought blind, but hey, its a Lutens) 3 times over 20 hours. I must have felt the same way Trebor felt initially, except that good money had been paid already. Almost too cloying and medicinal. Didn't get the fruitcake and the dates (and my wife bakes professionally) accords mentioned by more experienced reviewers.

Then suddenly, almost exactly an hour after, i understood why patience is a good virtue. Arabie revealed its soul. All mentioned notes began to perform beautifully, both solo and in symphony. I noticed that this transformation occurred when the oily sheen on my wrist (from application) disappeared.

Long story short, Arabie is beautiful, sublime. A good introduction to its genre. Strong yes, but nicely strong. Transporting and evocative. Good sillage and longevity. Arabie will always be in my wardrobe.

Overly sweet and cloying with an odd medicinal accord of over-ripe sugar dates and fig with bitter notes of tonka bean. Too rich for my blood!

It`s Christmas Eve on a bottle. Loads of dried fruits and spices. It actually smells a lot like thick spicy soup made of dried plums and raisins.

Extremely dense and aromatic, has a wonderfully luminous musky drydown - it really does smell *solar* to me after few hours of application.
Ultra strong with sensational lasting power. Sillage is shockingly good and satisfying.

Wonderful treat for all year round use, but definitely at its best during the December.
Arabie is terrific, 100% satisfying oriental fragrance. I possibly couldn`t ask for more.

A fruitcake for your wrist. This one smells like the Christmas holidays: Sweet, spicy, rich. I can see it being overwhelming for some people, but the right attitude can carry this beautifully. However, it IS a gourmand. Very foody.

Dates. Oversweet, sticky dried dates... so loud, so high. Top note is nothing but only and clearly dates that you can almost feel the taste on your teeth. After ten or twenty minutes rises a curry like spice scent. At the base there is amber musk and woods. The sweetness of dates stay there somehow. But at the base notes it can be confused with mapple syrup.
The scent looks like a weird suit designed by a good designer, as an adaptation of the long dresses arabic men wear. you can see it on the stage and congratulate the designer for the creative work but never wear it and never congratulate any friend for wearing it.

One of my favorites, unabashedly foody, with all the sweet, rich, dried fruits you can imagine without the "ick" factor of, say, fruitcake. Exotic and comforting at the same time, soft and round and full...lovely.

The opening is all Garam Masala-a blast of it. Then in march the chick peas. At this point Serge has almost cooked up one of my favorite Indian dishes in perfume form. Just add tomato and a little jalapeno and you have Chana Masala! Yay! or Nay! Depending on whether you want to smell like a very delicious vegetarian peasant dish or not. I'm a big gourmand fan, but this doesn't suit me at all. Still, as always, lots of points for creativity and fun. Although I can't wear many SLs they are infinitely more fun to sniff than the latest 'Curious' flanker! ( I wish there was a way to rate by different aspects of a scent: creativity, wearability etc....Arabie would definitely get a thumbs up for creativity, a neutral for wearability, etc..)

Aromas of the souk, of the medina — heavy woods and dark dried fruit notes — especially dates — provide the full-bodied, arid, and exotic opening of Arabie. As heavy and deep as the notes are, there is an airiness, a gossamer smokiness, a light crystalline sweetness wrapped around the deep, thick fruit and wood notes. There is an enticingly exotic gourmand complexity here that is further expanded by the middle's abundance of dark and medium spices. I feel that I have been transported back to North Africa: I’m reliving those luscious aromas of the dried fruits and spice offerings on those stifling hot day in the medinas — the heart notes of Arabie capture those aromas perfectly.

In the base, the myrrh, tonka, and labdanum notes that had been wispying around the heavier notes intensify and join the gradually waning gourmand, wood, and spice notes, but the fragrance remains quite linear because of the tenacity of the deep notes. This linearity is always fine with me when the accords are this absorbing.

Arabie is nostalgic and powerful, and I like to spray it on the back of my hand, simply to revel in its aromas and to remind me of North Africa and the Middle East. I also have learned to wear it with enthusiasm. I originally purchased a decant each of Arabie and Ambre Sultan. Ambre Sultan was my number one favorite at the time. When it came time to purchase a full bottle, I bypassed Ambre Sultan and chose Arabie without hesitation: it is the one that, through use, I have grown into.

Unique, unmistakable (a friend of mine wears this sometimes and you can just tell from the other side of the room), cloying and heavy. Feels like someone just doused a plum pudding with even more syrup, thinking it wasn't sweet enough, and decided to shove it under my nose. Just smelling it gives me a toothache. It's something I wouldn't mind having a spoonful with some ice cream for dessert, but do I want to smell like this all day? I think not.

Serge Lutens Arabie. Very exotic, a real Oriental and probably the way perfumes smelled in the ancient world. I was interested to try it for that reason. It is not my style: I’m not a fan of foody scents. Smells like Christmas fruit cake with dried fruit and spices. So I am glad to have sampled it, and out of respect for an interesting venture I give it a neutral rating.

Unnecessarily complicated -- too much going on with these spices -- it's trying too hard. A mess basically, but not altogether unpleasant if in the mood.

Kaern

Ponderous honey/boozy fruitcake on me -- or maybe it's baklava. At any rate, far too sweet and gooey for me to enjoy.

This perfume is original and unique, yet it is too incredibly heavy to wear. To me it smells like a very heady mix of black pepper, amber and woods. It instantly gives me a headache.

The bright bay and orange topnote was initally offputting to my nose, but the spices soon take over. My husband says it smells like his Papaw at this point, so I make him wear it. It dries out and he begins comment that he feels like he smells like a rich man. He will wear it to the black tie event this Christmas. I like it on him. Not an every day scent for my darling art lover, but it is quite enchanting.

I can appreciate this scent in private, but I cannot wear it. To me, this opulent scent is simply too... magical... to be worn on a regular basis. It's meant for the people inside 1001 Arabian Nights, not for a jeans and tee shirt wearing girl like me.

From the bottle, Arabie smells innocuous enough. Ambery, medicinal, a little heady. When you put it on skin, though, it opens up into a warm and complex mix of spices and woods and dried fruits. Even though I've never been to anywhere in the Middle East, this perfume immediately conjured up a romanticized image of Arabia.

I admit the first time I tried it I was shocked and taken aback, because of the force and presence of this perfume. But after several days, I realized I couldn't stop thinking about it. It is truly a masterful creation, but it's definitely not for everyone. (Well, at least not for me.) But this doesn't negate the fact that Arabie is truly a wonderful and invoking scent.

"Grandma, I don't like fruitcake."
"Go ahead, try some."
"No, the citron is gross."
"Try some."
"But the sultanas are too sweet."
"Try some."
"But the spices are funny."
"Try some."
"But it's gooey, and too rich."
"Try some."
"It smells funny."
"Try some."
"Okay, I tried it, Grandma."
"And?"
"I hated it."
"Oh."

Un Lys was the first Lutens scent I sampled, and much to my suprise, Arabie is crafted by the same perfumer! They are really nothing alike yet each is a remarkable creation! This Arabie is heavily wooded with cedar, mandarine bark & sandalwood. Russian leather and dried fruits notes give this fragrance it's warm and 'boozy' character. It is somewhat dense - which does bring about a fruitcake association. Aside from that, I also detect what can only be described as a scalded milk note. I wouldn't say burnt, just scalded, on the brink of burning. It is not offensive, merely present. A unisex blend for sure, with excellent sillage and staying power. Personally, I would consider wearing it for a winter holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Quality perfumery!

When this is first applied, it smells incredibly synthetic, like burnt plastic. That ruins it for me, although the scent does mellow into something that's more wearable after a few hours. Lasting power is good.

These reviews remind me of the story of the three blind men describing an elephant relying solely on touch. I don't mean that the reviewers - respected BNers all! - are blind (sensorily - I think I just made up a word) but that they seem to be experiencing different aspects of the same fragrance.

With Carl999 I ".. do very much like these heavy, rich opulent spicy niche fragrances", but with Julius Caesar I find that "This is a very dry fragrance....The predominant note to me is nutmeg, and some dried fruits, figs, orange peel" and for me, an opening note of licorice.

Go figure. This is from a sample - I've had it on for only an hour - don't think I'm headed for the vault looking for things to pawn to ransom this one.

I have enjoyed Arabie the 2-3 times I've worn it, and I would consider adding it to my collection except for one thing: at the end of the day, I have a yellow mess on my alabaster skin where I applied Arabie. I don't love this fragrance enough to work around that issue (and the only other fragrance I can think of that left its mark with colour was the turqoise Sui Dreams).

I'm sorry everyone - I do very much like these heavy, rich opulent spicey niche fragrances, but I just can't stand this one! It reeks of honey, rum, and an overly prominent, sweet synthetic candies-fruits note. It smells like a gut-wrenching blend of rum and raisin ice-cream, cheap, sweet super-market teenage girls' body spray, burnt sugar-cane, synthetic vanilla, candies fruit, synthetic raspberry, sweet sythetic citrus blossoms and bourbon.

It does have fabulous sillage, and is very long lasting.

However, it does NOT remind me of a souk, nor a typically arabic perfume. Having spent a lot of time in Egypt and Tunisia when I was a little boy, I know firt-hand and very well the redolence of a souk. To boot, it lacks the oilyness, otto of rose, jasmin absolute and sheer volume of frankincense and/or opopponax to bear and resemblence to an arab-style perfume.

Furthermore, I strongly disagree with the Canadian - I just do not see the aridness in this...It sheer sweetness, overrides it, if there was any...Not happy with this fragrance...

P.S. I thought I might add that typical souks, laden with DRY spices and DRY herbs, leather, animal droppings and slow-cooking spicey goat, generally smell like dry powdered herbs and spices, with a very animalic miasma permeating the sneeze inducing spiceyness, not to mention the human stench! Arabie smells NEITHER ARABIC, NOR SOUK-LIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Spice-o-rama. This is a very dry fragrance, that smells very much like a spice merchant's booth in the souk, or the spice section of your local arab or pakistani grocery. The predominant note to me is nutmeg, and some dried fruits, figs, orange peel, etc. I like it alot but I think you need to be alot more burly than me to wear this. Definitely for rrrrreal mans. I suspect it works best in humid weather, not because it isn't long lasting (it's quite strong, has major sillage and last a long time) but because it's so arid.

Arabie was my first Serge Lutens fragrance and it remains my favorite. It's not a gourmand and it isn't an oriental. Actually, I don't know what it is, but it is the best, rich hippie scent that I've ever worn. Syrupy, yes. Perhaps it's the scent of a fruit cake, but a fruitcake from Ladurée.

but I dont wear it ;Iburn it on a candel
special terracotta burner,just for home
when i comme back from egyptian travel
to remember the Cairo souk !!!
on my skin its a little bit too much!!!

On my skin, the clove and anise/licorice is overwhelming. I am a huge fan of Lutens, but I just can't wear this one.

Fig Newtons or poppyseed roll from heaven... but only for a four-hour visit. I wish it lasted longer and stronger on me, as Ambre Sultan does.

Arabie is a weird one. I don't find it very sweet or gourmand-y, in fact, less so than I expected. Instead, it's very spicy, weirdly spicy, like Chypre Rouge. Yeah, Chypre Rouge is definitely the closest to it I have ever smelled. They share a certain "sour" spiciness, like the scent of an oriental food store, balanced by a hint of gourmandy sweetness. I can't say I enjoy it immensely, but it's too odd to part with.

It is by Serge Lutens, so I have come to expect it to be sweet, with a strong presence of benzion. Many spices, well-blended, and lots of dried and candied fruits. Figs, dates, nutmeg, cumin, and cardamom feature prominently. However, I get a strong association with rum-raisin cake. There is a buttery background that pushes this too fragrance too far into gourmand territory. I prefer Ambre Sultan, because its sweetness is anchored to the resin and tempered by the dryness bay and oregano.

Many years ago, I went to Morocco. I loved the spice market--it was exotic and the smell of the spices in the hot sun was intoxicating. I was not dressed correctly for the culture--or the direct sun-- and a veiled woman offered me a djallabah. While I was putting it on, she asked me to tea, and we had dates, pastry, and a type of mint tea I had never had before. Arabie put me right back into that afternoon--dates, spicy tea, and a wonderful melding of labdanum and rich, full aromas of fruits.
I've never had luck wearing SL fragrances, except for this one. On me, it doesn't last long, but worth the extra spritz. Great in-bed fragrance for winter, too.

I saw her in the kasbah between the spice merchants' cries and the smell of fresh fig cakes. Her eyes read me the verses of a lovedrunk troubadour and her hands fed me the sweet meat of fleshy dates. I drank her wine and she devoured me like an iftar at Ramadan's end.

Utterly fabulous! Love at first sniff with this one. Big, heavy, delicious spicy, ambery, fruity oriental heaven. This is to orientals what motorhead is to rock music. If your going to to it, do it properly! The ultimate oriental.

I love Arabie. It smacks everybody in the face and announces your presence. It's one of the more original scents from SL IMO. Even though I didn't like it at first, I quickly grew fond of its unique qualities. Fruity, sweet, and spicy: it's my new fall scent for the holidays!

There are so few Lutens scents I can actually wear, and Arabie just makes the cut. When I first put it on it smells almost unbearably strong, but it quickly dries down to a sultry mix of spices and dried fruits and just a hint of tobacco, I think ... I find myself falling in love with it. Thankfully it does not contain the B.O. note somes Lutens fragrances do which renders them unwearable for me, even if I can see that they are brilliantly composed. Arabie I really like and it may be full-bottle-worthy for me. It definitely transports me to places I have never been, and I think I will appreciate it even more in fall and winter.

The light golden brown of the sun shining through a sliced dry fig placed next to a raisin (which is, itself, situated next to an ashtray). This oriental fruitcake makes one happy to be human. I thank You!

Even the faintest whiff of Arabie sends me to places I haven’t visited since I was a little girl of 3 or 4 years old, back to the Muslim quarter in ancient Jerusalem. My parents used to take me there almost every Saturday. Arabie smells just like the Muslim market over 26 years ago - spices such as saffron, coriander, cardamon, cinnamon... Sweet confections (Rahat Loukum) and the famous refreshing scents of Tamarhindi drink that were sold by merchants
carrying a copper barrel on their back (with little taps, the glasses they had were actually made of glass, so they will wait for you to finish the drink before continuing their merchant-trail). Scents of straw mats, Persian carpets, handmade mattresses, copper lamps, ropes... All somewhat dusty and desert smelling, enclosed between tall ancient stone wall, and cool underneath the arches, protected from the heat of sun and human temprament alike... The abundant tactile and sensual distractions will confuse the warrior and soothe the poliltician… Tangy green almonds with salt sold at the exit by young boys sitting on rolls of rubber tubes…As well as the famous long oval sesame-drizzled fluffy bagels with Za’atar (a herb mixture based on wild hyssop and thyme). Those bagels and the cliché olive-tree camels and a few blue glassblown vessels at the Jaffa Gate only scrape the surface of these memories...

Arabie is sweet, heavy, and quite lovely. I don't get curry or the like--this is mulled wine and dried fruit to me. It isn't my idea of an Arabian market, which would have a lot of different scents coming from all directions (some pretty, some not). This seems far more planned, a fragrance that starts at one point and doesn't diverge from the path at hand; but the trip is enchanting nonetheless. I daresay my rating could go up at any moment. Apply lightly.

Lots of spices and dried fruits. Sweet and gourmand. It kind of smells like a real chai tea (not that syrupy goo Starbucks serves) with some dates or figs, or something sweet and earthy. I definitely pick up a tea note in this too. Like many niche scents, I like it but cannot see where or when I would wear it, and so will not be buying a bottle for myself. Still, it's one of the better gourmand scents I have experienced.

Very very gourmand. I got a lot of dates and other dried fruits with spices with this one. I used to make a date and walnut cake - and one of the things to do in the recipe was to chop dates and soak them in a tablespoon of warm water and then mix them with walnuts before adding them to the cake batter. Arabie reminds me of that mixture - nutty, dry-fruity and just really sweet and gourmand. This is a very intense perfume that should be tested before you buy it. Thankfully - it works wonders on me.

This is glorious. It's probably the scent that I think about the most and am drawn to sniff the most. This winter, it's on my scarf so that I can have regular hits of it. I can understand how the richness can be off-putting to some, but for me its entirely absorbing. It's Christmas at its most decadent and expensive - a blockbuster of a fragrance.

complex, elegant, it takes a while to get use to it but after 3-4 weeks you should love it. very original as well, at least among commoners - this will get you noticed

A relative of mine - she always teases me a little bit about my perfume craze - asked me, when I had put rabie on: "How is this one called? Chicken tikka?" And yes, there is a strong note of curcuma, curry and saffron in this scent, that tends to overlap the more subtle notes like nuts and figs in it; but after a while, when Arabie has dried down a little bit and the smokey notes give way to the sweeter ones (opoponax e.g.?), it turns out to be an amazing elegant wear. But I do prefer Sables by Annick Goutal, which cover a quite similar spectre of notes, but to me seems the more virile one.

This definitely has the 'wow!' factor. Coffee, hazelnuts, cinnamon and other spices all expertly blended. Sweet, but not sicky. It reminds me of sitting in a warm coffee shop at Christmas time when it's cold outside. I agree that the opportunities for wearing this are limited, but it's a perfect self-indulgence fragrance.

Smells like a spice market in some faraway lands. A wonderful blend of many spices on top of leather. Truly an artisinal scent that I cannot see myself wearing casually.

Arabie is basically the quintessential oriental. It’s a VERY thick and spicy oriental. It’s also got dry and almost candied fruit notes that make it smell like some sort of exotic dessert. It’s amazing on the coldest winter days. I will say that is unbelievably strong. Arabie is the only fragrance that can give me a horrible headache with more than two sprays. If you’re looking for the ultimate oriental, then this might be for you.

Incredibly complex no doubt, but unfortunately equally incredibly nauseating to me. This is just to much for me to handle, Arabie triggers a sensory overload for me, like walking around in giant spice market all day when wearing this. Like the most overtly spicy offerings from Diptyque, Villoresi and CdG this is just too foody for me. If i get the craving for a christmas fruit cake I eat one, don't wear one!
Jokes aside it is a masterfull blend, but to me an aqquired taste that definitely should be sampled first. Go for Ambre Sultan instead if you need to order any SL online with no testing opportunity.

This is an incredibly interesting fragrance; fascinating to smell because it transports you to somewhere steamy and sensual. It smells hot, exotic, somewhat food-like, and powerful. I could have loved this fragrance had it not been for the sharp clove aroma that upstages every other note. It's not that I don't like the smell of clove in many fragrances - it's that in Arabie the clove doesn't blend into the other notes as it melts into my skin. It makes me smell like clove cigarettes, which I despise. Arabie was really close to being wonderful, but just didn't get there on my skin.

Stunning. Bold. In your face and yet so multi-faceted.
Definitely not for the faint of heart or for those who wish to be discreet and well-behaved.
It is, still, impeccably crafted. Almost architectural in its pyramid....
No perfume has cast a spell quite like this on me lately!

I love this scent, although I can see how it's not for everyone. It starts off with a strong curry element that almost scared me away, but the Barneys saleswomen insisted on spraying it on my skin. She was right, because it developed into such a complex blend of gourmand smells and exotic delights. I think this wears very well on a man. As time goes on, new notes appear that continue to waft to your nose and bring a smile.

I adore this fantastic concoction that smells like a holiday fruitcake....only the tiniest bit need be applied.....strong stuff but invariably delicious, warm & soothing. Probably my favorite oriental fragrance ever!

Arabie smells like a souk: heat, dust, smoke, loads of spices, dried and candied fruit, nuts...
Don't be afraid to wear it on a hot weather, it gets even better!

A multi-layered masterpiece. The deepest, most complex oriental I've ever experinced. Simply Exquisite.

Probably one of the most ingeniously crafted and superbly developing scents I've experienced. All the sweet and more subtle essences of the Holidays, yet wearable anytime. Must be tried to really appreciate.