Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
08/06/2023
PetitePinup
26 Reviews
PetitePinup
2
A gourmand message
Last month I've been eagerly reconnecting with all the summer fragrances I bought last sunny season. With weeks of heatwaves they've been put to the test much better than the previous warm weather - cough: supposedly warm weather months. Oh boy what a good difference a year made for many of them. Despite that fact that I couldn't help myself and dove into my meagre savings again for some 'must haves' (after testing) and the occasional blind buy.
I follow a few Middle Eastern women on Youtube and one fragrance kept popping up as the ultimate Arab summer fragrance : spicy, but without Oudh.
And so it happened that Khaltaat Al Arabia Royal Blends ended up on my summer shelf.
Let's see what it has to say.
The first one to pop up after letting Khaltaat come out to play is a loudmouthed pineapple. You can notice cinnamon in the background, but he seems shy initially.
However, after a mere two minutes the pineapple is either exhausted from its heavy display at the start, or cinnamon has found some courage. No matter what, by taking a backseat and letting the cinnamon in the spotlight, pineapple gives way to a lovely blend of the two.
The notes in this pyramid seem to be in somewhat of a hurry. No leasurely stroll in the Souk, but pounding footsteps eating up the pavement towards the palace... this must be some message !
If that's truly the case, we'll know soon. What we've seen sofar is indeed a lovely start for a sunny day.
The cinnamon-pineapple mixture had just shown what they can do as a team, when a new companion shows its face: an aromatic note. Aromatic isn't much interested in sharing, and with each second that passes he not just shows more of his balsamic self, but pushes the fruity opening further and further away until she's barely noticeable. Cinnamon keeps hanging on by the seat of his spicy pants, but the battle for frontrunner is obviously lost.
If balsamic thought he would be the one in the lead forever now, he'd obviously discounted the fact the race isn't done yet, nor that vanilla would be putting in the effort. But she does.
Never to overpower, but as a staunch supporter of every note. The result by now is a balance of all that went before. Soft pineapple, warm spicy cinnamon, a slight medicinal woody green accent and a sugary vanilla holding everything up.
This part of the journey obviously takes much longer with none of the players getting the upper hand. They're joined, and if you've ever tried a race, bound to another's leg, you know 'fast' and 'alone' are two adjectives not in play.
Luckily there are great things about teamwork: there is balance, and a wonderful smoothness to the whole. You get to enjoy that for a little longer than the snap-snap flow from opening to heart, but apparently Khaltaat still wants this message out...fast!
Amber joins the team we've seen so far about ten minutes in, hand in hand with a soft-spoken coumarin that merely emphasises the warmth of the scent and on some days can give a touch of light vannilic coconut. It breaks up the earlier teamwork, but creates a new blend, a new voice.
By this time it slowly becomes obvious what the fragrance is all about.
It isn't writing its story, its message in capitals. No, despite the loud pineapple in the opening, Khaltaat Al Arabia Royal Blends is relatively demure. Strong voices like cinnamon, balsamic notes or Amber and Patchouli – who must have missed his bus – didn't end up becoming one big scream that will be noticed by everyone around you.
Instead it is exactly what most of us want from a summer fragrance: a scent bubble that is there, but remains a whisper for everyone further away than arm length. Nor will others be forced to smell you an hour after you've left.
That results in a fragrance that overall remains sweet, with a little spiciness from the leftover cinnamon and a hint of coconut-pineapple.
Khaltaat isn't the typical summer scent everyone in the West expects. No citrus, or soft spoken roses, no white floral bouquets. Instead Lattafa has created a warm weather fragrance that sends a clear message that gourmand(ish) isn't only for winter.
I comprehend and condone. With one minor caveat: this Royal Blends shines in summer, but too much Gold will blind you. Do not overspray, nor wear when temperatures get truly high. Otherwise the race to get your sweet message out might stumble you hard (nausea), while possibly choking everyone passing by.
I follow a few Middle Eastern women on Youtube and one fragrance kept popping up as the ultimate Arab summer fragrance : spicy, but without Oudh.
And so it happened that Khaltaat Al Arabia Royal Blends ended up on my summer shelf.
Let's see what it has to say.
The first one to pop up after letting Khaltaat come out to play is a loudmouthed pineapple. You can notice cinnamon in the background, but he seems shy initially.
However, after a mere two minutes the pineapple is either exhausted from its heavy display at the start, or cinnamon has found some courage. No matter what, by taking a backseat and letting the cinnamon in the spotlight, pineapple gives way to a lovely blend of the two.
The notes in this pyramid seem to be in somewhat of a hurry. No leasurely stroll in the Souk, but pounding footsteps eating up the pavement towards the palace... this must be some message !
If that's truly the case, we'll know soon. What we've seen sofar is indeed a lovely start for a sunny day.
The cinnamon-pineapple mixture had just shown what they can do as a team, when a new companion shows its face: an aromatic note. Aromatic isn't much interested in sharing, and with each second that passes he not just shows more of his balsamic self, but pushes the fruity opening further and further away until she's barely noticeable. Cinnamon keeps hanging on by the seat of his spicy pants, but the battle for frontrunner is obviously lost.
If balsamic thought he would be the one in the lead forever now, he'd obviously discounted the fact the race isn't done yet, nor that vanilla would be putting in the effort. But she does.
Never to overpower, but as a staunch supporter of every note. The result by now is a balance of all that went before. Soft pineapple, warm spicy cinnamon, a slight medicinal woody green accent and a sugary vanilla holding everything up.
This part of the journey obviously takes much longer with none of the players getting the upper hand. They're joined, and if you've ever tried a race, bound to another's leg, you know 'fast' and 'alone' are two adjectives not in play.
Luckily there are great things about teamwork: there is balance, and a wonderful smoothness to the whole. You get to enjoy that for a little longer than the snap-snap flow from opening to heart, but apparently Khaltaat still wants this message out...fast!
Amber joins the team we've seen so far about ten minutes in, hand in hand with a soft-spoken coumarin that merely emphasises the warmth of the scent and on some days can give a touch of light vannilic coconut. It breaks up the earlier teamwork, but creates a new blend, a new voice.
By this time it slowly becomes obvious what the fragrance is all about.
It isn't writing its story, its message in capitals. No, despite the loud pineapple in the opening, Khaltaat Al Arabia Royal Blends is relatively demure. Strong voices like cinnamon, balsamic notes or Amber and Patchouli – who must have missed his bus – didn't end up becoming one big scream that will be noticed by everyone around you.
Instead it is exactly what most of us want from a summer fragrance: a scent bubble that is there, but remains a whisper for everyone further away than arm length. Nor will others be forced to smell you an hour after you've left.
That results in a fragrance that overall remains sweet, with a little spiciness from the leftover cinnamon and a hint of coconut-pineapple.
Khaltaat isn't the typical summer scent everyone in the West expects. No citrus, or soft spoken roses, no white floral bouquets. Instead Lattafa has created a warm weather fragrance that sends a clear message that gourmand(ish) isn't only for winter.
I comprehend and condone. With one minor caveat: this Royal Blends shines in summer, but too much Gold will blind you. Do not overspray, nor wear when temperatures get truly high. Otherwise the race to get your sweet message out might stumble you hard (nausea), while possibly choking everyone passing by.
CognoSenti45
AmiAbroad
Amazon1975
