Al-Shairan

[silver_dollar]

The enemy of God, also named Iblis, He Who Despaired of the Mercy of God. Al-Shairan is the leader of the Jinn, a tempter who whispers false suggestions to men enticing them into evil and perfidious acts, and is the sworn enemy of all of Adam’s children. His scent is fiery, bright and thick with sweet sinfulness: clove, peach and orange with cinnamon, patchouli and dark incense notes.

 

 

In the imp: I'm getting the custard vibe I got from Bengal, but spicier. Maybe that's the cloves that's doing that?

 

On my skin: It really has a 'hot' bite. I can feel it in the back of my throat when I sniff my wrist. Probably the cinnamon. I'm not getting custard any more. I'm also not getting peach or orange.

 

Okay, now the orange is coming out, much better. I can also pick out the peach if I really try. I guess this is more of a winter scent, though, so maybe I'll save it for then.

 

It dries down to mainly patchouli. It's okay. I just wish the orange and peach had been a little stronger.

 

ETA lab description.

Edited June 26, 2006 by silver_dollar

[indicolite]

When I first dab it on my wrist, I get a smell...like oatmeal I must have eaten often. I think it is the peach and clove and cinnamon altogether, all three of which have shown up in our kitchen in the past. The spices and the fruit come together so wonderfully!

 

Bottle. 5 mL definitely. The smell of the enemy of God has a place in my perfumes-to-use-often, and I hope no one is offended. I was right to dream of this one.

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Peach, clove, orange

 

On me: Mmmm, this scent is so spicy. The cinnamon and clove immediately come to the forefront, with peach and orange hovering behind. The incense surrounds all of the notes of the blend, and surprisingly the patchouli plays a very small part.

 

This is a really fiery scent! It actually makes my hand itch a bit, but I don't mind. I can see myself wearing this when I want to feel powerful and self-confident.

 

Verdict: Definite keeper. I will definitely give this a few more tries before I decide whether it's bottleworthy. Nevertheless, I love this one!

 

Rating: 5/5

[MrsSoup67]

In the vial: All clove not sure if I can handle something so clovey.

 

On wet: Dentyne gum or red hots

 

Dry down: Powdered sugar and red hots so of nice

 

Overall: All I really get is clove and cinnamon. No incense or patchouli comes thru for me. In addition all that cinnamon and clove has given me a fiery rash wherever it touch me. Not for me but nice all in all.

[astridclaire]

All Big Red gum all the time.

 

I was really hoping I'd get some of the peach and clove. The Lab's description sounds so lovely. Oh well.

[kakiphony]

In the imp: Cinnamon with something murky and sweet underneath it.

 

Wet on the skin: Powerful cinnamon with sweet fruit underneath. It reminds me of potpourri.

 

Early dry down: Cinnamon is definitely dominant in this blend. The fruits are underneath it, but the cinnamon pins them down and makes them beg for mercy. If there's incense in this, it's all spice and not a bit of smoke. There's something bitter in there too which hits me at the back of throat, but I can't identify it. It almost tastes like myrrh against my sinuses.

 

Late dry down: As this dries down it becomes less potpourri and more like Big Red or some other cinnamon chewing gum. This is a common reaction of my skin to cinnamon. (See: Bengal.)

 

Conclusion: I actually liked this one better after I washed it off. Once it had been attacked with soap and water, it smelled like the inside of an incense shop.

[Rouge]

This is a unique scent, and perfectly invokes the dry, fiery nature of the legendary Djinn. It’s an arid, harsh perfume that gives a feeling of great heat without any of the comforting warmth that might be expected from such a spicy scent.

 

In the bottle – A dessicated and faintly acrid scent. There’s the dry heat of cinnamon but none of its round, spicy warmth. Very devilish, and appropriately so.

 

Wet on the skin – More dry heat. There’s a feeling of smoke and incense, with the barest hint of fruit.

 

Dry down – The peach note stays very much in the background as cinnamon continues to dominate for an hour or so before mellowing to allow incense notes to make their presence felt.

 

I shall wear this when I’m having the sort of day that makes me want to shoot fireballs at people. ;-)

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

after i tested this out and took notes.... i scanned a few other reviews just to see if i was really really off in left field... but no. others have gotten this, too:

 

cinnamon gum. dentyne (although probably misspelled), specifically.

 

sweeter, somehow, than Samhain, but with a dry-feeling gasping-for-air *something* that makes me feel yick.

[portalkat]

Aaah, Dentyne gum with a hint of peach. I always liked Dentyne so it isn't a bad thing Now that it has dried, it has softened quite a bit and the sharp spiciness is gone. I am starting to smell mostly peach and clove with the orange being very faint in the background. There is a hint of something soft and creamy, but the patchouli never does make an appearance. This is very pretty, but the clove is so strong that it obscures some of the softer notes. An imp here and there in the cooler months, but I don't think that I'll be ordering a full bottle.

[edenssixthday]

Al-Shairan smells golden and spicey. It’s a warm scent, perfect for wearing during fall/winter months. I didn’t identify the warm notes as peach and orange – I thought it was amber. The clove and cinnamon are a lovely way to top off the scent, and gives it some personality. This is a scent I’ll set aside for the spring/summer, but I’ll definitely pull it out again in the fall. It has a nice level of throw, and it lasts for hours and hours.

[kunoichi]

This is a well mixed medium scent that has a very faint touch of sweetness (the orange) behind it. This becomes an ever so slightly darker scent, probably because of the incense: the patchouli and dark incense keeps the sweetness of the clove, peach and orange firmly in the background. After a few hours this is more clove-heavy with a current of sweetness floating in the very back.

[sofiaviolet]

I just burned my nasal passages with cinnamon. It's way too strong for me, so I'll swap it.

[cindyrella]

Wow!

This is the perfect mix of Bengal and Alone. If I run out of Alone, this would be a good substitute.

It smells warm and spicy. I think there's cardamom in this, and cinnamon maybe. The fruits make this a bit sweet.

It has that Chai tea-scent I love in winter. It also reminds me of Blood Moon. It's a slightly foody and cosy spicy scent.

This will be on my next winter order!

[Finny]

Sweet lovely incense.

 

Mmm, this is beautiful. A light and lovely incense scent!

[Melantha]

Yummy! Oh, so yummy. I love fruity and spicy scents, and this fits the bill! And I love the association, too. This might be a big bottle purchase!

[wanderlustlover]

This is sharper scent in the bottle, but evocatively so without being off putting. On my skin I got the scent of a fresh air market bazaar, with heavy incense and the mingled scents of all the things which were sold. The clove, peach and cinnamon were strongest for the morning, but as the day wore on this one settled firmly into a gentle patchouli and cinnamon mixture. Not sure this one is a keeper, but I did like how it started at the very beginning.

[cassie]

In bottle: Oranges and cloves, like the cloved oranges that I use to scent my house at Christmastime.

On skin (wet): Lots of cinnamon, with a hint of the orange and clove. I don't smell any peach or patchouli yet.

Dry down: Cinnamon, with a hint of peach (almost the way peach schnapps smells to me).

 

In the bottle, I was really excited about this scent. However, most peach scents are too sweet and cloying for me, and this one was no exception. If it had stayed orangey on me, I might consider keeping it. Of course, my skin always, always amps up cinnamon as well. This one is going in my swap pile.

[supremegoddessofall]

Fortunately, if the orange is in there, I can't smell it. Cinnamon, clove, and incense are the predominant scents, which means this is another lovely spicy scent. Smidge of peach in the background. Yum! I just bought a bottle of this, so it looks like I made a good choice.

 

Score: 5 out of 5

[shadith]

I had high hopes for this, I love all the notes that are listed and the reviews sounded so great, but somehow it didn't work for me. From the first sniff on I have an aversion to it.

 

On closer inspection it's a very hot blend, I get the cinnamon, clove, peach and something dark underneath I can't define (which also is the smell that I don't like I guess).

 

The first time I tried it it was summer so I thought I'd give it one more try when it's cold outside (it feels like it's more for the colder months), but it didn't work. It feels so /wrong/ to me, I could never wear this.

[PilotKitten]

When I first apply this blend I can definitely pick out the spicy cinnamon and clove. There's a sour note to it though that isn't good at all. I'm thinking it's the incense because I've never gotten a sour note from any of the other's listed. Definitely "fiery" as described, with the cinnamon/clove combo being pictured as small flames licking around whatever's in it's path. After the drydown, this sour note still doesn't go away like I'd hoped. Ah well, off to the swap pile. (and now something in it is making my arm turn red and itch like crazy! >_< ) Ugh... get. It. Off.

[hologhost]

Cinnamon with a bit of orange. The clove is there, but it's buried. I'm near Seattle and this smells like Market Spice tea. Very warm and cozy. Good for Xmas. Maybe a bit too cinnamon for perfume for my taste, but nice.

[Faeried]

Sharp cinnamonish scent. Sorta reminds me of Satyr, but not quite as good.

It's not unpleasant, but it's not for me.

Edited November 9, 2006 by Venus Starfire

[The_Merf]

In the imp: I tried Chimera around the same time, so I was constantly comparing this one to that oil. This one is a bit darker in the imp--the peach and clove give it a kick.

 

Wet: The peach and patchouli make this a very quiet scent at first. The cinnamon is really a primus inter pares note instead of dominant like it is in so many other blends.

 

Drydown and wear: The spicy notes, cinnamon and clove make this a very dark blend in the end. I'm a fan, of course, as the peach gives it this sparkling edge that is very intriguing (and yet dangerous! LOL).

[outofrhyme]

In the bottle:

The cinnamon is really strong. I think I can also smell clove and orange, but it's hard to tell... the cinnamon really dominates. Has a sickly cloying smell.

 

Wet:

The cinnamon and clove are still really sharp. I don't smell the orange as much anymore.

 

Dry down:

I still smell the cinnamon, but the incense has really come out, and the cinnamon isn't as overpowering. It definitely smells "fiery" - the incense really helps to make it smell like something on fire (not in a nasty smoky/scorched way, but almost in a campfire way or something... or technically an incense way, but whatever).

 

Final thoughts:

I'm not sure yet what I think. It's a really nifty smell, and it works really well with the description, but the cinnamon still sticks out a lot and is too identifiably... cinnamon. It's only been about 15 minutes, though, so maybe the cinnamon will become less distinct. Either way, I think I'll hold on to it for awhile, but it's not an "everyday" scent for me.

 

Later: the cinnamon is coming down more and more by the minute, and whole thing is becoming much more balanced and tempered. I like it a lot more now.

[Dark Angel]

Unfortunately, this didn't really work for me. Someone mentioned a 'sour' note and I think I get that, too. 'Sour' isn't exactly the right word, but I'm at a loss to come up with a better one. There's something in this that just remains sharp and unpleasant on me. I don't think it's the spices, because I can kind of detect cinnamon & maybe a hint of clove under the sharpness. It might be the peach or the orange that's going really funky on me, although whatever it is doesn't smell fruity to my nose--more like a floral that doesn't work. But there are no florals listed in this. Anyway, my skin chemistry doesn't play well with this one.