Alf Lail o Lail Ajmal for women

Elderflowers' fabulous review, below, inspired me to review Alf Lail O Lail, which I have owned for quite a while but hardly ever worn, despite my love for Middle Eastern/Indian perfume styles.

It turns out that several years ago, I first heard of a marvelous mysterious Amber much beloved of Indians and lovers of Middle Eastern attars, called "Shamamatul Amber", also often called just "Shamama".
You KNOW I immediately hunted down the best quality of this purported magic potion, I searched with even greater avidity due to the mystery of its exact nature - no one reveals what exactly is in Shamamatul Amber beyond "herbals, essential oils, spices and Indian attars".

The result?

It turns out that the fabulous Shamama Magic Potion, this mysterious and highly prized Amber I had heard so much about is *indeed* a magic potion - the Magic Potion of Poo.

And, unfortunately, Ajmal's much loved and highly Shamamatul Amber-laden Alf Lail O Lail (A Thousand and One Nights) smells like a thousand and one soiled nappies sprinkled lavishly with flowers, woods and spices in an attempt to disguise the, ummm...perfume.

Not a fan, my apologies to other fans.

Pssst! Stranger! Want to experience barnyard oudh? Want a sleazy, commercial, suggestive oudh that announces itself like a purple-suited Peter Gabriel stepping out of a stretch limo in the video of his fine ditty, 'Steam'? Don't want to mortgage yourself for the privilege? Pick up a tester of this (usually called 'Ajmal 1001 Nights') on Ebay, and just trust me, 3ml of the oil will last you quite a while.

There must be, without doubt, far finer oudhs out there than this: natural distillates of terrifyingly rare trees infected with a weird aristocratic fungus, bottled in tiny quantities for Sufi masters or genuine sheikhs. But on my non-sheikh budget, I am unlikely to ever smell them, and although 1001 Nights gradually settles to a rather less in-your-face woody floral, it takes a long, long time to do so, via a sinewy animalic and medicinal descent that's very Arabic indeed.

Please bear in mind that by no means everyone will enjoy this, and even those accustomed to oudh notes in Western scents may find the opening to be pretty skanky. AFAIK 1001 Nights is marketed as a feminine scent, but it's not even slightly feminine to my nose – it makes M7 look cute and frilly – though it's an interesting one to layer under strong rose or white floral perfumes. You don't need more than a trace of it, and it takes an age to settle. Highly recommended as an attar experience for lovers of the extreme, whether you dare to wear it in public or not.

This fragrance is absolutely wonderful in the oil ( I can't comment on the spray version as I've never used it.) The "woodsy" notes in the pyramid are definitely strongly laced with Oud ... took a little time to get accustomed to in the beginning :o). It does soften a little with wear, becoming smooth and sleek as a piece of silk ... and it just lasts forever and ever. I have an open, empty bottle of this tucked away in a closet. Every last item inside is delicately fragranced with the lovliest rose/wood fragrance! Definitely a keeper ... 10/10 to Ajmal.

A wonderful fragrance. Every single time when I wear it surprise me. You need to be patient after apply it, because 30 - 40 minutes become fabulos. It smells earthy, smoky and if have to compare it with music, is like a romantic classic violine, intense and silky.
Don't apply to much, because the perfume, even spray, is very, very long lasting.