Kajal
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The citrus trio erupts with urgent blackcurrant leading—almost cassis-like in its dark-fruit tartness—before mandarin and bergamot rush in, creating a cool, almost bracing opening that smells almost green with freshness. The first five minutes feel bright, unsweetened, almost austere against what's coming.
As the citrus gradually recedes, heliotrope surfaces with a creamy, almond-dusted sweetness that transforms the fragrance's character entirely—suddenly Almaz becomes warmer, more generous. Raspberry's tartness plays against this floral creaminess whilst Turkish rose adds a spiced, slightly honeyed dimension that prevents the sweetness from becoming cloying, creating a genuinely compelling mid-stage.
The base emerges with brown sugar's soft caramel tones melting into tonka bean's vanilla warmth, all anchored by Mysore sandalwood's precious wood-spice that prevents the composition from becoming a straightforward gourmand. The final hours are creamy, intimate, and decidedly skin-scent territory—a subtle musk-amber-vanilla veil rather than a projected cloud.
Almaz arrives as a fragrance caught between restraint and indulgence—a composition that refuses easy categorisation. Rania Jouaneh has crafted something genuinely unisex here, though not through the tired device of stripping away character. Instead, she's layered blackcurrant's dark, slightly tart personality with mandarin's brightness, allowing the Calabrian bergamot to act as a mediating force rather than dominating opener. This citrus trio possesses restraint; they're not the shrieking lemon-forward florals that assault. They're contemplative, almost introspective.
The heart reveals the fragrance's true nature: a heliotrope-led floral arrangement anchored by Turkish rose and iris that leans woody rather than powdery. The heliotrope provides an almost narcotic sweetness—almond-tinged, subtly creamy—while the raspberry adds a tart counterpoint, preventing the composition from veering into dessert territory. This is where Almaz becomes genuinely compelling: that tension between the fruit's natural acidity and the floral's honeyed warmth creates genuine complexity.
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3.8/5 (287)