Dhaher Bin Dhaher

Tola Perfumes is the company of perfumer Dhaher Bin Dhaher, who was introduced to perfumery by his mother. She not only blended oils but made bukhoor, which is perfumed agarwood incense. She and Dhaher’s older sister both inspired him to create his own perfume line. Wanting to be able to be launched on an international level, he wanted to create perfumes that were not just typical Arabian scents. The company was started in 2010, and in 2013 he launched the perfumes. The name comes from the unit of measure currently used primarily for precious gems and oils, and is the weight equivalent of a rupee.

"Belly Dancer AU4" by Skyler Thacmis

I was not familiar with Tola Perfumes until I received a sample set of all six fragrances: Anbar, Gulbadan, Masha, Misqaal, Shahzada, and Misk Begum. I smelled them all on paper, then on skin, and as I smelled and wore them, I realized something about perfume. Just like trying a cuisine from another land can both excite and confuse our taste buds, so can a perfume from another land excite and confuse our sense of smell. Perfumistas who have heretofore restricted themselves to American and European fragrances will have a unique experience smelling these perfumes. Even though I have spent time with real oud and other exotic perfume ingredients, I was still surprised, taken aback, and delighted with the perfume journeys I went on with Tola.

I am choosy about amber perfumes, and Anbar instantly stood out to me as a good one. It opens like a fruity, ambery jam and just swells with all the dark, sweet notes I love. I associate this kind of smell with absolute coziness and comfort. This is familiar, but still has facets of complexity I enjoy.

Notes: apple, plum, strawberry, orange, carnation, orris, jasmine, cinnamon, cedar, patchouli, Siam benzoin, labdanum, incense, tonka bean, vanilla, white musk and ambergris

Gulbadan is a real adventure in olfactory oddness. Opening with rather green, soapy notes, the oud pushes its way past the other ingredients to say “Look at me!” Real oud can have a barnyard aroma that is largely missing from commercial synthetic ouds, and that oddly manure-like quality is present in this perfume, fighting to the forefront against all the fruits and flowers. I’m not thrilled with the soapy aspect of the fragrance but do like that oud, and as it dries down the fragrant florals manage to get a word in edgewise.

Notes: lemon, lime, green leaves, peach, plum, apple, pineapple, star anise, orchid, ylang-ylang, geranium, lilac, rose, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, orris root, french orange flower, cedar, patchouli, sandalwood, agarwood (oud), styrax, vetiver, oakmoss, white musk, ambergris and vanilla.

Coffee is an intriguing note to add in perfume. Masha uses coffee in a way that reminds me of the spiced coffee I have had from the Middle East, and it is quite unique. This would be a good scent to wear in autumn or winter, when your clothes and scarves can capture something yummy and perk up your step.

Notes: peach, pineapple, plum, strawberry, raspberry, apple, grapefruit, orange, lemon, bergamot, lime, pink pepper, black pepper, birch, artemisia, coffee, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, lily-of-the-valley, rose, orris, jasmine and magnolia, leather, agarwood (oud), vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, cedar, olibanum, labdanum, civet, castoreum, tonka bean and vanilla.

Misk Begum is the cleanest and lightest of the scents, and also the newest. It's a nice musky floral, and the least exotic of the line. I think it will do well with thse who enjoy a clean floral, although it has a little too much soap factor for my skin. Nicely done, though.

Notes: grapefruit, orange, rose, jasmine, lily of the valley, orris, orchid, heliotrope, freesia, white musk, sandalwood, ambergris

Misqaal didn’t impress me much on paper but on skin it really bloomed. It’s a fun, fruity, spicy concoction that would be great for summer evenings. The oud in this one was used with a restrained hand; too much would have made the perfume too animalic for its playful nature.

Notes: pineapple, plum, raspberry, grapefruit, mandarin orange, bergamot, lemon, pink pepper, nutmeg, star anise, coriander, honey, fir, juniper, cinnamon, wormwood, geranium, heliotrope, lily-of-the-valley, jasmine, rose, orris, french orange flower, orchid, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, agarwood (oud), cypriol oil or nagarmotha, incense, labdanum, Siam benzoin, tonka bean, vanilla, white musk, castoreum, leather and ambergris.

Shahzadah was a big winner on paper: a great woody patchouli sweetened up with a bit of honey. On skin it was drier than I was expecting, just didn’t quite live up to what I wanted. It does have a good oud note and is made very well, but not a standout for me.

Notes: grapefruit, lime, orange, raspberry, plum, pink pepper, rose, geranium, lily-of-the-valley, jasmine, cedar, sandalwood, patchouli, agarwood (oud), guaiac wood, cypriol oil or nagarmotha, olibanum, white musk, ambergris, vanilla and honey.

"Prayer Rugs" by Afra Bin Dhaher

 

The notes lists for all of these perfumes are quite elaborate. Maybe I’m just not finding the nuances completely, but ultimately, they are nicely done scents that seem a bit overproduced, like a great pop song backed by too many strings. As one who has smelled and enjoyed a few, they do have a lot of the aura of Middle-Eastern fragrances, but that’s fine. More people worldwide should smell these creations, and experience the transportive nature of scents from another place. Our noses need to be shaken up once in a while.

My samples were provided by the delightful Josie at Osswald. The Tola line is available from Osswald’s website.

Tama Blough, Managing Editor

Thanks to the generosity of Osswald, we have a draw for one US reader of a full set of samples. Let us know which of these appeals to you most, and where you live. Draw Ends July 11, 2014.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.