Sheikh Al Faransi

“Sheikh Al Faransi is a sumptuous fragrance well balanced around a precious Oud and an authentic ambergris. Sheikh Al Faransi is all about luxury and tradition of Middle Eastern perfumery. Powerful without being aggressive, Sheikh Al Faransi is robust, complex and unique, with a pronounced sillage.”

This is my first experience with Maison Anthony Marmin (previously branded as ‘Abdul Karim Faransi’ – a rebranding that came about after quitting certain suppliers to maintain high quality standards and to offer a clearer brand identity.)

This is a dense, dark brown exotic syrup. At first sniff, the sweetness is cinnamon-like, with a honey-drizzled grubby sensuality of ambergris, on a bed of amber and patchouli. Don’t worry about the oud. It’s Cambodian oud, so it’s non-faecal and doesn’t have that incense, burnt band-aid smell. ‘Sheikh Al Faransi’ is less about the oud and more about the honeyed velvety ambergris.

Just a tiny drop begins the Middle Eastern enchantment that keeps you coming back to smell it. It’s constantly developing and working with your body heat to offer a different nuance to inhale each time. From sweet gourmand honey, indulgent dark chocolate, dark resins, fermented fruit, spicy woods and the salty-sweet earthy allure of ambergris.

The longevity seems eternal – it’s such super quality and a masterpiece of perfumery from a tiny attar. This deep, sensual and rich fragrance leans slightly masculine, but that’s just how I like my fragrances. I can certainly pull this off as a woman, thanks to the honey and the dark chocolate.

It reminds me of Perris’s ‘Ambre Gris’ (which I also love) but this has an extra candied dried fruit sweetness with that unmistakable Arabian flare.

The price starts at $37.49 (about £31 including UK postage) for a 3ml bottle, which is fantastic value for its superior quality. That 3ml bottle will last you a long time as you only need a tiny dab on your pulse-points for it to project beautifully with your body heat. You may have noticed a spray bottle version listed on Fragrantica, but the spray version isn’t often made, with no future plans on the horizon. The spray version uses alcohol, so the attar is better since it’s purer.

‘Sheikh Al Faransi’ is a rich, animalic, sweet-treat that’s drizzled in velvety honey and sensual ambergris syrup.

TOP - Honey from Kashmir, Centifolia Rose from Grasse

MIDDLE - Hint of Saffron, Pleasant Oceanic Ambergris, Dark Chocolate

BASE - Oriental Amber, Sandalwood from Indonesia, Oud Cambodi