Majestic
Arabian Oud’s ‘Majestic’ heckles me from the perimeter of my sweetness boundary. She knows I find her a tiny bit too sweet, but she lingers like a wicked vixen, on the boarder of my sweetness comfort-zone, as she knows I’m tantalised by her sweet seduction.
My tempestuous love-affair with ‘Majestic’ started 3 months ago. I first tried it in the Arabian Oud store on London’s Oxford Street, and initially ruled it out for being too sweet, so bought something else. But I kept the paper testing strip in my bag, then completely forgot about it and went to live/work in Finland for the next 2 months. I’d been given an apartment to stay in, so was acutely aware of the strange new smells about my temporary abode. One particular scent was emanating like a siren song. Every time I walked past where I kept my bag, I could smell something divine, which I’d never noticed before. I wondered if something had leaked in my bag, but it hadn’t. To cut a (weird carpet-sniffing) story short, I eventually discovered the paper testing strip containing ‘Majestic’ at the bottom of my bag – and there beheld the source of the (literally) majestic aroma. As I breathed it in, it occurred to me that this fragrance would have first been applied around 2/3 months ago. So astounded was I by this phenomenal longevity, that I ordered my own bottle as soon as I was back in the U.K. It took a full week to arrive, (which is the same time it would have taken me to have continuously flown to Dubai and back to collect it myself 12 times over) but it was worth the wait.
The heavy ‘Invictus’ style bottle comes in a large presentation box. It’s £127.50 for 100ml, but Arabian Oud often have sales offering huge discounts, so keep your eyes peeled for these. The sillage trails a meter around you and the longevity lasts for most of the day on skin and much longer on fabric. I would say it’s more on the feminine side, due to its rich and intoxicating blend of florals. Even with the muted oud, it’s more oriental in nature, rather than being a typically Arabian scent.
There’s a sweet, fruity, herbaceous and wine-like aroma from davana – an aromatic herb. Davana is the most interesting note used in ‘Majestic’. Once extracted as an oil, it is said to smell differently on each person and when inhaled, acts as an aphrodisiac. It has a strong and unique aroma, often described as smelling like ripe fruit. It’s warm, sweet, slightly citrusy with herbaceous and woody undertones. It’s this davana note which accounts for the sweetness which I was initially cautious of. I’m too fearful of vanilla nowadays, so anything sweet has me ready to attack. This dried fruit sweetness, mixed with the florals and oud reminds me of a lighter and more wearable version of Xerjoff’s ‘More Than Words’, (with a distant whisper of the dry-down from Armani Privé’s ‘Rose D’Arabie’.)
Arabian Oud officially describes ‘Majestic’ as: “This refined, complex blend transports you to oriental flower gardens with the sweet, light orange peel scent of bergamot and floral top notes of wild rose floating in the warm air. Sensuous oud, sandalwood and incense add earthy depth to this youthful, subtle scent.”
‘Majestic’ is the most western style, feminine and sweetest fragrance in my collection. It’s so sophisticated and complex that I feel grown-up and accomplished wearing it. It’s womanly, wise, confident, bold but breezy. I’m looking forward to it becoming my signature autumn/winter scent. I’m currently braving its boldness in the summer and I’m feeling slightly overdressed but outrageously majestic. Yaass kween werk!
TOP - Bergamot, Wild Rose
MIDDLE - Davana, Balsa Wood, Hyacinth
BASE - Incense, Sandalwood, Oud