Kemi / Al Kimiya
Kemi / Al Kimiya
153 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Frankincense and blackcurrant stake their territorial claims immediately, whilst lemon and apricot swirl beneath them like secondary combatants. The herbaceous notes skew this decisively savoury, almost green, transforming what could have been a cheerful fruit cocktail into something austere and questioning.
Russian leather emerges with unexpected authority, its slightly smoky, acrid character anchoring the fruitiness that's beginning to fade. Jasmine and iris arrive with a powdery insistence, creating an almost soapy-floral veil that sits uneasily atop the leather's earthiness—the contrast feels deliberately jarring rather than harmonious.
Amber and bourbon vanilla provide some warmth, but the musk remains restrained, never quite softening the fragrance's fundamental austerity. Cedar lingers faintly, adding a desiccated, woody dryness that prevents this from ever becoming conventionally comforting.
Luna arrives as a disorienting collision between a spice bazaar and an orchard at dusk. The blackcurrant and mango opening suggests something fruity-forward, but herbaceous notes and frankincense immediately subvert that expectation, introducing a dusty, almost medicinal quality that prevents this from becoming a simple fruity fragrance. There's a peculiar tension here—the spice accord (88%) manifests not as warmth but as a peppery sharpness that cuts through the stone fruit, whilst the lemon and mandarin add a citric bristle rather than brightness.
What emerges is fundamentally uncompromising: a fragrance that refuses to settle into comfort. The Russian leather in the heart is particularly intriguing, introducing an animalic, slightly acrid quality that clashes beautifully with the jasmine and iris. The iris especially reads as slightly soapy, almost powdery, creating an unexpected discord with the leather's earthiness. This is not a fragrance that flatters indiscriminately.
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3.9/5 (147)