As 2018 comes to a close, I feel compelled to write about my most-worn fragrance of the year, Malik Al Taif.

Now, if you keep up with happenings in the perfume world, and you’re doing the math, you might doubt my sincerity. Malik Al Taif was only released on October 28th. But it is still, by far, my most-worn scent of 2018, surpassing even my BAE, Encens Mythique d’Orient.

Part of this is because, to be honest, I have enough bottles of perfume to wear a different scent every day of the year. I like to mix it up. The main reason, though, is that I’ve ravenously worn Malik Al Taif during some part of nearly every day since I received the bottle in November.

CONFESSIONS

I’m not going to “review” the scent, because I want to write from the heart. I will tell you how it smells to me, and how I experience wearing it. But, if you’re looking for an unbiased, critical appraisal of this perfume, you’ll have to look elsewhere. For me, this is personal — a love letter.

It’s not “personal” in the sense that I have any stake in the fragrance, or anything to gain from the writing. I have never met, nor had any correspondence with Russian Adam, the perfume’s creator, or anyone associated with him. I bought my sample pack and bottle, at full retail price, from Luckyscent, same as anyone else.

It is personal because I have feelings for this perfume. It beckons to me, I answer. It sings to me, and I dance.

CONFESSIONS, PART 2

My other confession is — and this stings a little — when I first received the sample pack, I didn’t fully appreciate Malik Al Taif. I didn’t even like it that much. I was underwhelmed. My foolish expectations clouded my judgement.

I love rose perfumes, and I love “big” perfumes. Some of the scents that I wear often are Frederic Malle’s Une Rose, La Fille de Berlin, Jean Patou’s Joy, Rossy de Palma Eau de Protection, Jul et Mad’s Nin-Shar, the new Maison Lancôme line… the roses in my perfume stable are unapologetically big and bold, in-your-face Divas.

Malik Al Taif is not a Diva. She is a radiant Goddess.

Being accustomed to such loud, lush rose perfumes, when I read about Russian Adam using only the very finest and purest rose oil, at a stunning 40% concentration, I was expecting Malik Al Taif to be the rosiest rose of all.

So, when I tried one spray from the sample pack, and I found something perfectly balanced, profoundly natural, and not at all bombastic, I wasn’t ready. When Malik Al Taif didn’t club me over the head with red rose overload, I put it back in the sample box.

The story almost ended there, as a missed connection. I tried each of the remaining fragrances, was too busy to write about them and not enthralled enough to break my “no-buy November” pledge, so I agreed to send them along to a friend. Luckily, I was too busy to make it to the post office before I went on vacation, so I took them along with me to the Florida Keys, with the thought that I might mail them from there.

I like to take full bottles on vacation with me, and what I had happened to take were two rose perfumes that I wanted to get a better feel for — D.S. & Durga Rose Atlantic, and Robert Piguet’s Calypso, along with a new bottle of Andy Tauer’s Rose body oil. (I told you I love roses).

I wore these happily for a few days, and then I started itching for something different. The Areej Le Doré sample set, still in my bag because I had flaked out on mailing it, was calling to me. I chose to wear Malik Al Taif simply because my friend doesn’t really like rose, so I figured she wouldn’t care if there wasn’t much of it left.

DISCOVERY

Unlike the first “test” wearing, this time I put on six big sprays, because, why not? And then my husband and I went out exploring. We were on Key West, and our first stop of the morning was Higgs Beach. We happened upon the Key West Garden Club, a little bit of Eden right next to the ocean, and they happened to be having their annual plant sale that day. My husband teased me about not being able to buy plants and take them back to Ohio on the plane (that poor man has suffered through countless trips to the garden store). I still wanted to look…. and I recommend a stop at the gardens to anyone who is visiting Key West. It’s beautiful, tranquil, and admission is free.

As we walked through the beautiful gardens and among all the flowering plants for sale, the most gorgeous scent seemed to be following me…. my husband and I talked about the possibility of moving to Key West, and joining the garden club, and I dreamed of all the wonderful, fragrant plants that I could grow. I wanted to keep the smell of these gardens with me always.

From there, we drove to Stock Island to visit the Key West Botanical Garden. Again, the most beautiful smell seemed to be trailing behind me. Sitting on a bench in the middle of a dense hardwood forest, where there were no flowering plants around, I realized that this magical smell was coming from me. What I was smelling was Malik Al Taif. I was in love. When worn in sufficient quantities, and out in nature where it can breathe, I’m not exaggerating when I say that something stirred deep within me.

I tried to place an order for a full bottle right there and then, on the bench in the middle of the forest. Unfortunately, cell phone data service was not sufficient, so I had to wait until we got back to the hotel. Walking the forest, sitting at lunch, riding in the car, I felt a strange mixture of serenity and ecstasy each time the fragrance rose up to meet my nose.

Over the rest of our vacation, I drained the sample. I huffed my skin. I turned into the breezes and inhaled deeply, marveling at the glorious smell of it. I could taste it — custardy rose, and see flashes of its golden glow.

MALIK AL TAIF – THE SCENT

When I first spray Malik Al Taif on my skin, the opening is pure Earthy umami. I smell wild mushrooms, raw beeswax, a bit of artichoke, and floating on top of it all is a lemony saffron-rose butter. I am struck every single time by its intensely natural aroma, and how it delights all my senses. It is simply delectable, so rich and dense, and seemingly edible.

There is a rose-syrup quality to the first hour of Malik Al Taif, although it’s not sweetness that gives that feeling. It’s density, viscosity. There is no sugariness or fruitiness, in fact the rose is pretty savory, and has a vegetal meatiness early on. A touch of lemon in the rose brightens it, and there is a bit of honeyed sweetness, but the overall effect is thick, and ever-so rich. Not heavy, but enveloping. Maybe “rose gravy” would be a better description.

In the heart of Malik Al Taif, the four types of oud in its composition become more apparent, as does the Siberian wild deer musk absolute. These elements are perfectly balanced, leathery animalism that make the rose come alive. At this point, I feel all the vibrations of the Earth, the moving of the tides, the footsteps of animals, the swaying of plants, our incredible plane of existence.

In the later stages of wearing Malik Al Taif, a wonderful, creamy vanillic benzoin joins the buttery, honeyed rose, and the overall effect is like a decadent rose custard. A swirling base of sandalwood and musk ground the scent and add to its silky texture and unctuous mouth-feel (somehow, I can’t help describing Malik Al Taif in terms of all my senses, as that is how I experience it). Always rich and creamy, and never too sweet, Malik Al Taif has a golden hue and just the right amount of sheen.

This velvety rose custard scent lasts for hours and hours, with different facets coming to the surface – musk, sandalwood, honey, lemon, almond, hay, leather, smoked saffron…. It is decidedly NOT a gourmand, and yet, it is the most sumptuous, delicious fragrance I have ever worn.

THE FEELING OF MALIK AL TAIF

There is something profound about Malik Al Taif that resonates inside me. It vibrates at the perfect frequency to awaken and soothe my third chakra. At this point, right in the solar plexus, the upper and lower energies of the body converge and circulate. The breath is controlled here. It is our power center, where the fire and energy of our physical, mental, and spiritual health are produced and regulated. Too much or too little, and there is imbalance. For me, Malik Al Taif has a powerful balancing effect, its vibrations are simultaneously calming and uplifting. It centers me, completely. When I am wearing it, I can see, hear, feel, and taste its luminous, golden energy.

When I got home from Key West, I had my full collection at hand. I wore other scents to work, but in the middle of the day, I found myself craving not just the scent, but the feeling of wearing Malik Al Taif. I have a relatively stressful job, and at times I would long for the way that it soothes my nerves. At other times, when I was tired, I would think of its energizing vibration. Each afternoon, I would come home, shower, and apply Malik Al Taif. Each time, I felt more safe and well once I was inside its rosy, golden cocoon.

In the two months that I’ve been wearing it, I’ve experienced this over and over again. a feeling of calmness and wellness that penetrates to my core when wearing Malik Al Taif. I still sometimes have that feeling, deep in my abdomen, that I need to smell it. It’s a sense of unease, that is lifted when I spray it on my skin.

I’ve had perfume crushes and I’ve had perfume loves that lasted for decades. I’ve had perfumes that conjured up colors, tastes, visions, and sensations. I’ve had fragrances that I identified as “comfort scents,” but never before have I experienced a perfume that brings me such a profound sense of calmness and well-being. I am definitely saving up for a back-up bottle, because Malik Al Taif is a limited-release fragrance, and at this point I can’t imagine living without it.

MALIK AL TAIF DETAILS & FINAL THOUGHTS

I’ve chosen to write about Malik Al Taif purely out of my love for the scent. Since this is such a personal and totally biased expression of admiration and adoration for the perfume, I feel compelled again to say that I have no sort of relationship or agreement with the perfumer, I purchased the fragrance myself at full-price for my personal collection, and I will not receive any compensation of any type for anything that I’ve written here.

I also feel compelled to say that all of the usual caveats apply — your mileage may vary, don’t take my word for it, you just had to be there, etc., etc… I feel like there are not words adequate to express everything that I experience when wearing this perfume. I also fully realize that, because it feels so perfect for me, it may be less so for other people. It’s something that you really have to try for yourself. If you do, be sure to apply it generously and let it breathe before making up your mind. I almost missed out on the beautiful experience of wearing this scent because I came to it initially with the wrong expectations, and I didn’t give it a chance to show its true nature.

Malik Al Taif can be worn by men and women. I found its longevity to be about 16 hours, and its projection is low-to-moderate but very solid. It has a delightful progression that holds my attention and is perfectly balanced at all times.

Perfumer’s listed notes are Royal Taif rose, Indian rose, Indian oud, saffron and deer musk absolute, Mysore sandalwood, amber resin, and Siam benzoin.

For more information about Malik Al Taif, see the Areej Le Doré website. Scents from Areej Le Doré, including samples, are also available from Luckyscent in the U.S.