Khôl de Bahreïn Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777 for women and men

Khôl de Bahreïn Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777 for women and men

main accords
amber
powdery
balsamic
woody
violet
iris
sweet
animalic
musky

Perfume rating 4.04 out of 5 with 786 votes

Khôl de Bahreïn by Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777 is a Amber Woody fragrance for women and men. Khôl de Bahreïn was launched in 2013. The nose behind this fragrance is Stéphane Humbert Lucas. Top notes are Resins, Sweet Notes and Violet; middle notes are Iris, Ambergris and Sandalwood; base notes are Peru Balsam and Musk.

Read about this perfume in other languages: Deutsch, Español, Français, Čeština, Italiano, Русский, Polski, Português, Ελληνικά, 汉语, Nederlands, Srpski, Română, العربية, Українська, Монгол, עברית.

Pros

Pros

15
0
Warmth and luxury in fragrance
9
0
Perfect for fall weather
9
1
Easy to wear
8
0
Blend of iris, violet, tolu and peru balsam
8
0
Smooth amber aroma
5
0
Swoonworthy iris perfume
3
0
Exotic sweet confection
3
0
Pronounced sillage, projection and longevity
Cons

Cons

7
0
Not suitable for those who do not like powdery scents
5
3
Not suitable for hot summer days
3
0
May not be worth the price for some consumers
3
3
May come across as too sweet for some individuals
2
3
Can be overly powdery and makeup-like
2
4
Powdery cake bomb feel
0
7
May remind some individuals of sweat or pheromones
1
10
Too similar to baby powder or Johnson and Johnson products

Note: The pros and cons listed on this page have been generated using the artificial intelligence system, which analyzes product reviews submitted by our members. While we strive to provide accurate and helpful information, we cannot guarantee the complete accuracy or reliability of the AI-generated pros and cons. Please read the full reviews and consider your own needs and preferences before making a purchasing decision.

Fragram Photos
Perfume Pyramid

Top Notes

Resins
Sweet Notes
Violet

Middle Notes

Iris
Ambergris
Sandalwood

Base Notes

Peru Balsam
Musk

Become a member of this online perfume community and you will be able to add your own reviews.

All Reviews By Date

honeyedflora

It smells a lot like Shalimar and Jicky to me. I smell a lot of lavender in this.

AlAmmari

Bought it because Bahrain is where I am from, but I do like it it has the a bit fresh powdery vibes thought leans a little bit more feminine. Preforms really well in-terms of sillage and longevity.

Lex11180

I have a decant of this, and initially sprayed it on a tester strip. I rarely get much of a positive reaction with fragrances I try these days, but this one really got my attention. It's a bit more feminine than anything I've worn before, but the sweet powdery nature of it really made me think of sherbet sweets and it made me really happy to smell it.

Just smelling on the strip was enough to get me looking at obtaining a full bottle for myself, but I felt I should probably wear it properly spraying on skin. Spraying it on I immediately get flown into the sky, into plumes of sweet powdery clouds gathering around me. It goes even more feminine off me this time around vs on paper but again I'm fine with it in this case as I really like how it smells.

But then I decided to smell close to my skin. I push my nose up towards my arm, my face flying through sweet clouds of powdery iris and fluffy musks. I break through the clouds and my nose reaches my arm. I inhale a big load of the juice on my arm, and to my dismay I smell something intensely spicy, like spices you'd find in a curry. Coriander seeds, fenugreek, it's all there. I'm devastated.

One of my hates in perfumery is when a fragrance contains spices that make me smell like the spice rack I have in the kitchen. I may enjoy a good gourmand that makes me smell like baked goods, a cocktail, coffee etc. But for me anything that goes in the direction of curry is just a no go. This perfume has taken me on such a rollercoaster, and I'm so sad to learn that the end of the ride leaves me plunging into the ground in a fiery inferno.

As someone who always has compulsions of smelling my skin with whatever I wear, no matter how good that silage is, I can't rationalise something that close up on skin smells like I've just ground some spices ready to make dinner.

MrMarkuson

Fantastic fragrance, this the one I like the most from the 777 collection, balsamic, powdery floral, sweet, ambery perfume, brillant work, the name reflect exactly what you smell, oriental warm cosmetic.
It's probably more for women but I have no problem to wearing it.
Stephane Humbert Lucas bottles are beautiful and very high quality.
Some people say it's musky and not powdery, smell Orris givco or Alpha ionone and you gonna change your mind quickly.

SophiaViolette

The first spray is a big entrance, and you think “luxe, opulence, oriental femininity”. I smell candied resins, violet, spicy warm amber. I picture Cleopatra dressed in gold, sensual and powerful.
One spray is way enough or a few drops on the pulse, and behind the ears or shoulders.
The projection and sillage is a beast!

After a few minutes, the florals open up. It becomes powdery and very feminine. Suddenly it’s like Cleopatra has undressed and is entering inside her bath of milk and iris.
There are definitely animalistic notes and a hint lactonic/powdery that plays with the iris, ambergris and musk. Gorgeous.
I like how the sandalwood, balsamic notes and the ambergris are the core of the perfume, making it warm and woody to balance the powdered violet and iris.

_____

Projection, sillage, longevity : 10/10
Originality, presentation : 8.5/10
Quality, value : 8/10

9/10

The Real Lee M

Powdery, a bit nutty, slight fruity nuance. Not sure if there is helitrope in this one. The smell reminds me of latex gloves or makeup. Dull and linear composition. I do not detect ambergris. I do not have much experience with feminine leaning perfumes. The closest comparison that comes to mind is Malle's Dan tes Bras. It's not as powdery and it's more airy, but I get a similar vibe.

VioletIrisRose

It took going back to 2014 to find one of the most refined incense fragrances ever. It's not an overdose of anything. It's not sour, sharp, or anything I've heard about modern incense. After several years of oud all over the place, Khol de Bahrein is a nice change. I still like cleaner ouds, but it's almost overdone. I miss olibanum as a focus note, but not hidden underneath raging patchouli and barnyard oud. It deserves a starring role as it is here.

All these comparisons to very sweet scents - this not even close to Loukoum, Tiente de Neige, Elixir Charnel, any of these sweet potions! I have a few or tried some of these and while they rate a 7.5 to 10 on the sweet scale, Khol de Bahrein only rates about a 5 dto 6 on the drydown and a 4 upon the initial spray.

I find this scent relaxing and calming. It takes about 2 minute to settle on my slightly dry skin. The resins take over and slowly diffuse outward along with the violet leaf. Each note has it's time but they play well together, too. Two sprays for work, and another spray after work keeps this going for about 12-14 hours. It sits fairly close to the skin, about arms-length.

Overall, it's beautiful!

BostonScentGuy

A lovely and unique ambery orris root scent. Ionones and an orris accord blend with what smells like mixed resins and gums. It is sweetened with what feels like the burnt-caramel smell of ethyl maltol (used judiciously). It's preceded in the top notes with a shimmery, metallic, ozonic smell...like a really well-blended or lightly used bit of calone or something with a similar effect. The sweet caramel mixed with the ozonic top create a really interesting and well-measured contrast. Lasts and melds with the skin long into its drydown.

Aland2020

Wearing two sprays of this stuff, one on the wrist, one on the center of my neck, and it's almost too much. This is a powerhouse perfume, and a masterpiece at that. A little will do 'ya, there's no need to apply this like you would a designer department store "perfume". And I know, it's niche, and I know it's pricy but take a look at my wardrobe, I have perfumes that run along every price point of the spectrum. I've paid $300+ for perfumes, and I've paid $3.99. Trust me when I say this is worth every penny.

I say it's a masterpiece because of the way it's beautifully blended. I get a strong iris note, or more of a root and earthy smell of the iris (is that what orris root is?) and then I also get the sweetness and balsamic resins. If "Amber" had a smell, I'd picture something just like this. There's something mineral, iridescent, translucent and yet deep. If you stare (or smell, in this sense) too long, you could get lost in it, in the best way possible. I feel the same way about Tom Ford's Rive d'Ambre, although these are absolutely not dupes of one another. Just similar in the way they use an imaginary accord like Amber and give it life. I'm not sure if it's just due to the quality ingredients used or the perfumer's themselves just really know what they're doing but these two Amber fragrances are like works of art to me. I used to think people who spoke about perfumes this way were just being pretentious. They either smell good or they don't, and that's all that mattered. I'm beginning to see how there's so much more, there's a deeper level to this hobby and even to enjoying the smells themselves. Maybe my nose is getting more sophisticated, maybe I'm just getting more pretentious, but either way I'm gonna put on my Khol de Bahrein and smell divine.

Stinky whiskey Buttons

I was a bit confused when i smelld this and expected powder ans sweetness, so menny in the coments seem to think off it this way. Well Its not

This is musky not powdery, and Its a airy musk that have very Beutyfull Ambergris helping to give this a real lift, the botom notes are balsamic and a hint off vanilla, extremly well done perfume here, the iris is very delicat and tamed and is like a Silk vail thin and elusive, in the air you can get a wiff off something almost cosmetic this is The iris and Sandalwood working some magic.

Like every Humbert perfume this is imaginativ and polished craftmanship, Its perfectly unisex and a musky little gem

ceeceelee

This is like a beautiful piece of shimmering lingerie floating around you, somehow going powdery and creamy at the same time. The resins, violet and iris giving it that powdery sweet effect, then Peru Balsam, a deep, smooth vanilla and sandalwood, a tamed Australian sandalwood without that stringent thing going on ~ sweeping in to make this an airy, slightly creamy luscious confection. Somehow the sweet never runs away, I'm assuming bc of the ambergris, giving it enough salty to ground everything. A reviewer below said this was an Arabian Nights fantasy of a perfume, and that's a great way of describing it.

Edit: I just read this perfumers biography on Lucky Scents, what a talented person. A lot of people claim to have synesthesia, the ability to see color with scent, not a lot really do. His proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Anywhoo ~ can't wait for mine to get here, and I think I going to go broke testing the rest of his fragrances. Next up: Rose de Petra.

La Place Rouge

The scent is not powdery, it is musky. Extremely well done, in contrast to resins. And here I have an issue as I perceive these resins as a kind of spice like fenugreek + coriander seeds. So the general impression is a very well perfumed fine lady next to a dish of curry. Tell me if I am wrong...

Rgpick

I like this one but don't think I'd ever really wear it. As others have said, it is very powdery. There's some sandalwood coming through that helps try to balance things out, but in the end I mostly get the scent of powder. For me, it's just not my style though I highly recommend it to those that enjoy fragrances like that because it is a quality fragrance all around...just not my particular style.

Skinterpreter

Perfume-masterpiece, in my opinion. :) I've got a brand new bottle of this and have been testing it today. It's so nice, sweet and powdery but with a little twist to it. :) If you know Teint de Neige (Villoresi) and Iris (L'Erbolario), this one is very similar to them but at the same time it's also like a "darker, more mysterious" version of them with some nice spice to it, with some oriental, balsamic notes. To my nose and based on the perfumes I own, the best way to describe this (although of course, not totally correct) is the combination of Teint de Neige/Iris and Obsession by Calvin Klein (that one is quite spicy, has cinammon feel to it). Teint de Neige and Iris are sweet and fluffy, very comforting, Khôl de Bahreïn is like sweet "cosmetic gourmand" with a hint of spiciness...the longevity is 7+ also lasts some time after shower, the sillage seems to be quite good, too, not to mention the beautiful bottle and packaging. Overall, I love this powdery perfume creation. ❤️💋

Bubbles1964

Iris and violet with just the right amount of resins and sweet notes to makes everything feel balanced. There’s powder here, but on me it’s light and nothing like baby wipes. I would file this in the extremely easy to wear, smooth amber catergory.

Wore this for several hours, and got two compliments so it projects even though I could no longer tell after the first hour. Unfortunately I can’t buy everything I love.

Digi3573

I am a huge fan of this house and I have to disagree with the negitive reviews . I actually really enjoy this fragrance . Alot of ambers all start to smell the same after a while and I think the voilet and iris note in this really make it unique . Performance is great too

angel6

I tried last night, and for me smells very much like Guerlain Oriental Brulant that I have, so I don't need it.

Kaylovely

It smells like Johnson and Johnson. Like a baby powder for the goddess. Not for me. I'd say this is perfect for children you don't want to wash daily.
Update: I like Clara Penhaligons more than this one. Both are beautiful, I've since experienced more Iris and powderiness. Orris, violet, etc.. can be hit or miss. I think the balsamic dry down of this reminded me of sweat. It could be a pheromone kind've thing.

Djedi

As mentioned, it's a powder bomb with a decent amount or resin and iris. The amber is there but it's not sickenly sweet or sticky, it's almost dry, a more semi-sweet amber if you will. It smells chic and modern, however you will have to love powdery and oriental notes in order to appreciate this one. I personally enjoy powdery notes very much but I found the blending of amber, purple florals and resins in here not really my ''style'' I guess. It's unisex, slightly more feminine leaning I'd say, though men who enjoy powdery ambers could easily pull it off I think. All in all a well made powdery resinous semi-sweet amber fragrance. Performance is good.

7/10

kristenboris1997

Absolute heaven. Definite powder bomb with the iris and vanilla plus sandalwood. There is a sharpish note that I don't know but overall, it is just gorgeous. I love it to bits and it dries to a cozy vanilla. Not huge projection but lasts quite a while. If I wear it to bed it is a beautiful vanilla powder in the morning. I think the unusual note could be the ambergris; not amber as someone else noted, that isn't listed intg he notes.

cocofluff

Amber powder bomb that explodes in the air and is swept away on a breeze. I barely detect sweet notes, they just round the fragrance. Iris smooths as well. Well done but I'm not into amber rn. -

Cherry_Darling

High quality amber, to me this is an Ambre 114 with an added candied quality, and a twist of animalic. The ambergris usually piques my nostrils a bit, it's definitely musty. But overall a very nice, high quality scent. Not getting any distinct iris or violets it blends in well, giving it a powdery undertone. Cozy, comforting, sweet, not a wow factor scent, but very enjoyable.

** 100+ niche samples up for swap UK - get in touch **

bintTapputi

Quite simply, Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777 makes art. Fleeting art that hovers in the air enticing memory and emotion. Fleeting and faint. Of the perfumes I have tried from the house so far, there is some kind of amber/resin base that carries throughout the perfumes I've tried. The DNA of SHL777. It is a fabulous foundation that gives a sense of uniqueness and mysteriousness to otherwise regular run of the mill notes. While this perfume is not what I would typically be attracted to, it is 'vintage esque' and powdery as well as a creamy amber which often feels so overused at this point that I immediately lose interest.... here it hardly disengages me for a moment. It's absolutely perfected in what it is. The only downside here and with the others I have tried is longevity and projection, my weak nose and absorbent skin mourns the fleeting and faint nature of this gorgeous scent. 8/10

Eyviab

Absolutely beautiful amber but it’s in the same vein as many other amber eccentric scents like AG Ambre Fétiche or SL Ambre Sultan etc... I love but can live without!

Maziar.A

Scent: 9/10

Quality: 9/10

Originality: 6/10

Sillage: 8/10

Projection: 8/10

Longevity: 8/10

Price VS Size: 8/10

SweetBriar

Baby Powder and Amber- that is it right there

Emorandeira

Mmmmmm...LOVE at first sniff! Probably in my top ten of perfumes!!

I find here a gorgeus iris mixed with different resins which give yo the fragance a very balsámic and creamy vibe. I think It is very close to Velvet amber skin by d&g but half price.

The longevity is very good but the sillage is just moderate. It is a very subtle scent but It is noticeable for a long time.

I have yo speak Aldo about the packaging. This is something about i usually dont caer because for me what really martes is the content. But on this case the bottle is orecious and the box very elegant so i want just to mention It.

Scent: 10
Longevity: 9
Sillage: 7
Quality/price: 7
Versatility: 8
Originality: 8
Global: 9

Le Chypriote

What a fantastic opening! Sweet and salty resins, flowers, with a creamy dry-down of sandalwood and musk.

Unisex but leaning more on the feminine side, I can see any confident individual wearing this on a night out in celebration of life!

shushkin

I wasn't sure if this would be anymore than a like on the opening. It has grown on me. It's warm and comforting.
I don't find it impressive enough to call it the scent of 2013. It's not really unique. Definitely a crowd pleaser.
Looking at the list of notes you would be forgiven for imagining it to be an oriental/gourmand.
Fortunately the iris and violet just about prevent that. It would be in danger of a sweetness overload and probably be cloying.
For most of its timeline it's a warm resinous scent and finally you can pick out the amber gris and sandalwood. I can pick out the balsam without any problems. I'm sure my skin amps it up.
It definitely gets better and better on me after an hour.
I get good longevity and sillage in 20 degree temps.
A lovely cosy scent for cool weather days. Definitely comforting.

I tried this again a few days after writing the above. Now I'm getting occasional wafts of vintage Guerlain l heure bleu! I am convinced your diet and medication all affects your chemistry and so any fragrance. Even your state of health will make a difference.

ailimeavolokin

This is my oriental perfection. Such a beautiful, balsamic, woody, powdery fragrance, hot and dry.

tessture

Delicious resin powder. I rather love but it’s too powdery for me to want a full bottle, as I really don't like wearing powdery fragrances. This one is gorgeous though.

AndySmellsGreat

GORGEOUS!

SIMPLY like the sweetest Musk Candy stick - fresh not powdery as such because of the florals - very natural.

High quality oriental, very feminine but very wearable for men.

A novelty for me - sadly can't imagine wearing it for an occasion...

Jean B Grenouille

“…and if I were to choose a home,

I would say:

My home is your love.

And if I were to forget you,

my heart would forget me.

And if I lost my way,

I would live in your eyes.”

Farouk Goweedah


My hypnotic fascination with Khôl de Bahreïn is grounded in the marriage between its Orient-informed inspirations and its cosmopolitan sensibilities and contemporary execution. Yet, mysteriously, it remains as intangible and far away as a mirage of distant shores in the middle of a desert. Khôl de Bahreïn tempts with promises of sweet delight simultaneously examining the smell of beauty as well as the beauty of taste.

Straight up there are intensely sweet and smoky resins dipped in creamy golden-ambered warmth. Enter a lipstick-like iris, the diva of the show - rich, soft and buttery, underscored by a briny and iced ambergris, which works to prevent the balsamic wrapper from melting the waxy and powdery protagonist. There is a clever and very peculiar balance at work here between the hot and the cold - a joyous and rather unique give and take between do-not-touch and go-ahead-and-eat-me. As the composition settles there is a thoroughly intriguing juxtaposition of the contrasting sensations of the warm complexion of perfectly groomed facial skin enriched by make up on one hand and that of sweet and chilled, toffeed and orange zest infused baklava with just a sprinkling of crushed almondy pistachio on the other.

It is precisely because I imagine Khôl de Bahreïn being worn by a very particular type of woman that I claim it for myself and this is where the circle to Goweedah’s poem closes for me.

rbalkris

A gorgeous Floriental with the SHL signature all over it. So many wonderful reviews below here so I will keep this one brief. The central notes are that of violet and iris which are blended with tolu and peru balsam, sandalwood, ambergris, and musk. The resulting bright sweet juice is an Arabian nights fantasy come true with pronounced sillage, projection and longevity. A bit feminine leaning, the fragrance exudes warmth, luxury and is simply beautifully blended with natural ingredients. An exotic sweet confection of the highest order!

AveParfum

Swoon-worthy iris perfume. A very pretty fragrance and also very delicious. At first it smells like iris with traces of violet. It's odd at first because there is something that smells like rock candy, but it's a bit synthetic, almost metalic in a way. Luckily the notes really start to melt into one another as the fragrance takes on a ton of peru balsam, which I love adding to my home-made lotion bars and lip balms because of its sweet, vanilla-choccolate aroma, similar to cocoa butter. The fragrance starts to smell like white chocolate. It gives me flashbacks to Iris Ganache but a little sweeter and without any patch or suede.

In the drydown, it starts to smell very arabian, reminding me of Montale's Red Aoud, another perfume with a strong white chocolate note. I swear that rose is missing from the pyramid here because it doesn't smell like iris and violet could be the only florals in such an arabian-style fragrance. In this stage I also pick up sandalwood. At no point do I notice any ambergris, one of my favorite notes, and one which is featured in a couple of my perfumes. I have also smelled the natural thing on its own. No trace of it here, so I have to assume it's synthetic ambergris, but whatever. It's a gorgeous perfume!

I know that a lot of people like myself are always seeking those waxy lipstick and powder perfumes, but this does not fit that bill for me because it's mostly gourmand and arabian. I had hopes of waxy lipstick but the base is white chocolate and more white chocolate, which is great since white chocolate is one of my favorite notes.

I like Kohl de Bahrein because I like sweet vanillas sometimes, and it's along those lines but a lot more elegant due to all of the iris. At times I wish there was some leather, but there are other nice perfumes on the market that do the iris/violet/leather combo, so this one stays lighter and unique. The overall vibe is very chic, like French perfume with an Arabian twist. Love it.

rschmidt65

This is very well done and probably beautiful for those who like this kind of thing. It reminded me of Shalimar and Unum's Opus 1114. It's amber-y, powder-y and ambergis-y

mohsen95

5/10

LoriAlyse83

JTD nailed it. This is a luscious cosmetic gourmand that sublimely developes over the course of the day. Sweet but not nauseatingly so. It has exceptional staying power and is sooo intoxicating. Compliments galore! A serious contender to my beloved signature. ❤

lovescents999

I couldn't wear this fragrance in the summer time, too hot and humid here in NC for this powdery cake bomb! Today, on this cool and bright fall day, it's a different story. Khôl de Bahreïn reminds me of the dessert, Turkish Delight, heavy on the powdered sugar, rose water with a bit of crashed iris candies. I inhale it deeply, enjoying the resins, ambergris and sandalwood, and while it dries down, it becomes less gourmand with the musk and peru balsam taking over. The scent is sweet but in a good way, balsamic and very creamy, sometimes becoming an old school lipstick and makeup powder, only to be rerouted to a more sultry amber scent.

The longevity is fantastic! I smell it on my clothes and my hair even the next day. Sillage is pretty good, but it doesn't overwhelm anyone with the powdery notes.

cezarmac

Stephane Humbert Lucas is definitely one of the best perfumery house from nowadays.I can say that because its line is not that vast.I've tried them all,profusely.Each one had its singularity,dna and quality.Niche is the best word to match it up.
This one isn't an exception.We have all those notes attached with a quality seal. Extracted resins from rare Eastern trees,salty natural ambergris,luxury powder nuances from iris/violet flower and astonishing sandalwood gives an woody/creamy feeling.
Everything looks perfect,everything looks magic.But guess what?!?!Like the Brazilian soccer team,each member is out of this world,description is almost unfair.However,chained together the result is out of control,like every member was trying to caught more eyes,every ego popping higher than its limit.
On the one hand a dark masculine vibe,enhanced by a cozy balmy sensation,by the other hand a powdery grandma feeling dragged by a loud cloying note of chocolate.
The team have won by 1x0,nothing convinced though.
10 for its quality,5 for the scent.

Pianomelody

Dark and sweet floral-resin! Nice perfume,very charismatic. After a few minutes I feel something dusty/ acid in the background, a inkling of fresh makeup but solid thanks to the very evident resins. Scent of contrasts between the ancient and the modern,the sillage is great and very good longevity. Recommend you try...I like and I think I'll buy !! beautiful!

Sillage: 8.5/10
Longevity: 8./10
Scent: 8.5/10

Overall: 8.5/10

emily7

jtd described it perfectly.
Just want to add one thing; the name - Khol de Bahrein - is a beautiful name for a perfume, but it doesn't fit this particular fragrance. First impression was underwhelming and let me tell you why - I expected something darker and much sweeter, with heavier basenotes. I see other reviewers had the same issue.
This exquisit creation smells so French and for its quite different (soft iris, warm amber and musk yet fragile, with tender gourmand notes, ambergris keeping it from becoming too frivolously sweetish) character I unfairly misjudged it as inferior.
Luckily, I gave it another chance and it grew on me as soon as I realized what it is - a tender, classy oriental with a gourmand touch, just what I was looking for.

jtd

A gourmand-cosmetic perfume might not sound like the ideal hybrid fragrance, but Khol de Bahrein is convincing. It is a candied floriental of middle-eastern extraction with iris, violet and heliotropin dipped in amber and incense. The range of resins and flowers is calibrated to create an image of sweets ranging from dragées to nougat and pistachio baclava to orange blossom cakes.

The amber-incense heart is melodic and lightly smoky, less a campfire, more the burnt edges of a cake. Heliotropin’s marzipan aroma hints at vanilla around every corner but you never come eye to eye with it. The buttery aspects of the flowers become embedded in the resin so that scent and texture become linked. The contrasting tones converge elegantly and create a perfume that has a distinctive ‘feel’ for lack of a better word, powdery and oily at the same time like the feeling of pollen on your fingers.

Khol de Bahrein is thick and matte yet light, like the powder of a compact that can be applied lightly or heavily for different effect. The list of notes is like the ingredients in a recipe. They tell you about flavors, or in this case aromas, but give little indications about the texture of the end product. The long arc could allow it to be mistaken for a linear perfume, but on close inspection there is a slow, steady progression, an olfactory inertia that gives the perfume an optimistic and luxurious sense of endless heartnotes. The fugue-like progression of candied notes brings Khol close to loukoum, but it cleverly avoids the cloying sweetness or fly-in-amber inescapability of the loukoum perfumes.

Khol de Bahrein could be compared to Shalimar. It has iris and vanillic amber but it lacks Shalimar’s harp-strumming melodrama and heavy velvet stage curtains. A better comparison is Jicky, little less dense than Shalimar but still forceful. Kohl de Bahrein avoids Jicky’s overt animalism but the sweet leather base gives it a comparable shadowy quality. Like Jacques Guerlain, Stephane Humbert Lucas defines the oriental perfume as a near-gourmand experience.

from scenthurdle.com

SumoTigerCat

I agree with Shenandoah in that I, too was expecting a darker, more mysterious scent in Khol de Bahrein. The first few times I wore KdB, I was surprised and actually not crazy about the scent. So I pushed my nice sized decant to the rear of my decants.

Last evening, I wore it again. This time, I understood its' appeal and really enjoyed wearing it.

Now, you may think me crazy, but it reminds me a lot of Shalimar Parfum Initial!! All evening I kept thinking, what does this remind me of??? Then it hit me. Yup. Shalimar Parfum Initial. Maybe it is the sweet and powdery aspects of both. Tonka/caramel in SPI = the "sweet notes" and resins of KdB? I dunno. But, crazy or not, I stand by my comparison.

To me, both are lovely scents. One pricey, one not. I'm glad to have my decant of this. When I run out, for a very similar feel, you know what I'll be wearing. ;)

Shenandoah

When I first heard the name 'Khol de Bahrein,' I must admit that I was expecting a darker, more mysterious scent with notes of smoke and resins. Even after I read the notes, I was anticipating a resinous amber with hints of sandalwood. Instead, this is an iris-violet powder bomb of epic proportions on my skin. It reminds me of a less candied Meteorites. Fans of makeup-scented perfumes will most likely love this fragrance, but as I am generally not a fan of powdery scents, this one is not for me.

goldeneraglamour

Wow, what a lovely scent! So smooth, luxe, and sweet. There are so many facets to this linear yet complex fragrance.

It does evoke cosmetics while retaining this vanillic almond-y gourmand feel, like loukhoum. I'd probably place this in the same category as French Kiss and Lipstick On, which also contain both accords. This one seems to be nuttier though.

It is also kind of like Ombre Mercure in a way, has a similar warm, luxe, exotic feel. OM is one of my absolute favorite scents, it has nearly all my fave notes but lacks one very critical one: heliotrope. Heliotrope can evoke makeup, almonds, or vanilla. Here in Khol de Bahrein it (or a resin that appears to be like it) takes on all 3 characteristics. Almost like OM with almond but no sandalwood (which has turned off some people). If OM disappointed you for this reason, please give this a try!

KdB, I'd say, is more vanillic than floral, powdery makeup-esque but not waxy. Has a Teint de Neige/Jivago Sweet Dreams feel too: heliotrope with classic white Dove soap. I also think of Rochas Tocade and Tonatto Dama when I smell it, and more distantly, Calligraphy Rose.

But the number one perfume it reminds me of is none other than Guerlain Oriental Brulant. I compared the two, the drydowns are nearly identical to my nose. They do differ in opening notes. OB is spicier and fruitier, while KdB is smoother and nuttier. But they both, overall, smell like pure Guerlinade to me!

Along with Ombre Mercure and Calligraphy Rose, KdB is one of my most favorite Guerlain scents that Guerlain never made lol.

At this time, however, I don't think I'd buy a full bottle of it. Ombre Mercure and Jivago Sweet Dreams are my perfect makeup and Dove soap scents, respectively.

All in all, this is a very fascinating scent, because it takes all of my favorite accords in perfumery and combines them into one perfume, thus reminding me of so many others that I like or love.

If I ever develop a lemming for Oriental Brulant (or more generally speaking, a scent that's Guerlinade from start to finish), I'd choose this. It's cheaper too!

pravda48

Since there are no reviews here I feel obligated...

I got a sample of this in an eBay lot bid of marked LuckyScent 1ml's. I blind test most samples, and all I thought of this was, "very vintage labdanum-based amber, too heavy for my taste. Almost has a styrax heaviness underneath and the powdery vintage vibe I associate with it". More than 30mins in now there is a definite sweetness rising below that, and a powdered iris edge too. Still, a heavy vintage powdered amber (which I guess is actually a heavy ambergris compound, but since both are lab creations it makes sense I often confuse a heavy amber for an ambergris) dominates, and that's simply not my cup o' tea. Sillage seems mod-heavy, longevity yet to be determined but it appears potent.

[10.2.14]

 
Perfume Encyclopedia
Perfumes: 89,599
Fragrance Reviews: 1,699,734
Perfume lovers: 1,184,382
Online right now: 2,590
Register
Perfume Reviews
Gritti
Super Nova
by Sadeast22
Pacifica
Flower Moon
by laviegourmand
New Reviews
Article Comments
Classic Men's Scents by Murphington
Guess Iconic by Urth2Leesha72
Most Popular Perfumes
Most Popular Brands
Jump to the top

Fragrantica in your language:
| Deutsch | Español | Français | Čeština | Italiano | Русский | Polski | Português | Ελληνικά | 汉语 | Nederlands | Srpski | Română | العربية | Українська | Монгол | עברית |

Copyrights © 2006-2022 Fragrantica.com perfumes magazine - All Rights Reserved - do not copy anything without prior written permission. Please read the Terms of Service and Privacy policy.
Fragrantica® Inc, United States