1001 NIghts
by Ajmal

I ordered this from www.arabianbazaar.com, along with two other (Al Haramain) fragrances. (These are alcohol-free perfume oils.) The descriptions on the website are vague, so I ordered rather blindly, based on a Basenote member's assurance of quality from this company. 1001 Nights (also listed as Alf Laila O Laila) is dominated by a woody note that reminds me of the wood in 10 Corso Como -- only in this case it is so forward as to obliterate all the other notes for the first few hours. This note by itself isn't terribly pleasant, to my nose (although I like Corso Como) -- it has a musty, slightly animalic character, like a wooden plank in a derelict building. After a few hours, though, the scent morphs into a smooth accord with florals (rose, I think) peeking through the wood, and it becomes suddenly soft and intriguing. And now, the next day, I can still detect a woody and slightly spicy note on my skin where I applied it. I'm sorry I can't provide a more detailed description of the actual notes, which in this formula may be unfamiliar to me. I need to give this a few more trials, but for now, because of the hours of dank wood smell, I'm giving this a neutral rating. I'd love to know what others think of this scent.