Reviews of Aqaba (1998)
by Miriam Mirani - Aqaba

This is how Le Maroc pour Elle should have smelt (even though it came out a few years later)! I'm still not sure if Aqaba is for me but it's a lovely fruity rose-incense fragrance. It does walk a thin line between smelling modern and old-fashioned but that doesn't stop me from admiring it for what it is.

Nice!

Upon first sniff I thought, "Wow, this is too MATURE for me." Then I cackled a bit and reminded myself that I'm 42 years old. So I dabbed on a drop from my sample. And then I dabbed it again. Before long I was wearing it again, and again. Wearing Aqaba, for me, is a fantasy of playing the part of The Queen of Sheba with all the excess of Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, Vivien Leigh as Blanche Du Bois, Lauren Bacall as Vivian Sternwood. Opulence, mystique, intelligence. The key player in a dangerous game. Mirani's website lists Aqaba's notes as Eqyptian jasmine, Bulgarian rose, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, damask rose, frankincense, peach, tea leaves, white cedarwood, and oak moss. As it blends into my skin the basenotes are almost chocolatey; lush and tempting. Aqaba is deeply beautiful, and incomparably elegant. It gives off the air of having been created especially for someone very powerful, and exceptional. This has dramatic sillage, and outstanding lasting-power. If you are a fan of Biagiotti's Venezia, Chanel Coco, MPG George Sand, EL Cinnabar, and/or deep, incense fragrances, you will probably want to swim in Aqaba.

a deep brocade sweetness, bejewelled with spice. Put it on before bed and await the dreams! The scent is extremely long lasting and lingers til morning....
Aqaba notes
Eqyptian jasmine, Bulgarian rose, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, damask rose, frankincense, peach, tea leaves, white cedarwood, oak moss

It seems cliche to say, but there's nothing quite like Aqaba. When I purchased this a few years ago, I was looking for something heady and "dark", and while this is not exactly what I consider to be a dark scent (a term that is entirely subjective, of course), it's potency and sheer exoticness (is that even a word?) made it an almost instant favorite of mine.

The scent is not overwhelming, but you certainly don't need much to notice it. Lasts a long time on me. Spicy sweet goodness is the term that comes to mind. The Fendi Asja comparison Artisankey is a good one, although I feel that Aqaba is in a class of it's own in terms of quality, clarity of scent, and uniqueness.

I also purchased the body line of Aqaba at the same time, and foudn it to be more of a complementary experience, and not a straight fragrance on identical fragrance layering. The lotion seemed to go bad quickly, and I would avoid it in the future, but the massage oil and shower gel especially are quite nice and worth checking out.

Aqaba seems energetic, kinetic, makes me think of bright, hot, desert days. I see spice markets under the brilliant sun, with striped, Berber weave blankets strung up like walls to keep out the blowing sand. Aqaba's color is bright, cherry-red. I find it strong, hot, spicy, and flowery. It gets me with its initial burst of all-out spice and while it takes some time to mellow on my skin, some days that burst of power is just what I want.

Interestingly, Aqaba reminds me of Fendi's Asja- only Asja I see as a crystalline winter's eve. A storm has just passed and there is a fading salmon glow in the west as one, single star begins to peek out of the twilight. Inside, the rich browns of a leather sofa and the jewel-toned Oriental rugs are bathed in the soft glow of firelight. Asja's color is also red, but these are the deep tones of Bordeaux and the glowing coals of spent embers. While Asja's burst is still spicy, it mellows more quickly on me and has plumier tones.

They are so similar on my skin, yet evoke such differently strong emotions- one is a sun-baked day, the other a glowing evening. Both are really quite delicious.