Perfume Review: Agarscents Bazaar Al Manara

It is my pleasure to feature today a review written by a dear friend of mine and a fellow perfume lover and oud connossieur, Marian Williams. We have all fantasized about “the ideal perfume”. Who hasn't scoured department store counters, internet retailers, auction houses, elegant and exclusive fragrance boutiques and Grandma's basement hoping to find the scent that perfectly reflects who we are? My search ultimately led me to Agarscents Bazaar, an online retailer that specializes in Arabian musks, oils and perfumes. Sharif LaRache has created a line of Arabian Oils that are as mesmerizing as they are exotic, ranging in price from $25.00 - $900.00. “Al Manara” is a blend he created for me- the fragrance that brought me to the end of my search. AL Manara What does it mean to embody all things- when the yin and yang fuse, when heaven and earth are inseparable, when liquid flight soars us to darkest depths? Who made this rose- gazelle? swift panther? Now, a child, I rock in your cradle and daze into light. Falling back. Back to primal forests, to the day when earth ruptured and life joyed out. I want to gulp you in- devour your lush plushness, my blood aboil with molten gold. You are my skin when I was new- translucent, then, and fragilely sheer. You are the breath of my first kiss, the gasp of my last ascending breath. You are my grown heart. Come- rub my head. Entwine your petals in my limpid curls, yank me from my torpor so I may better see the light. I know you- the me I will be upon awakening. Notes: Orris, Rose Isphahan, Labdanum, Amber, Myrrh, Yellow Plum, Sandalwood Spicatum, Bulgarian Rose, Musk Mr. LaRache is about to release a new line of fragrances, including some that are more tailored to the Western market. Image (cover of Coelho's Zahir) source, Harper Collins.