Description
Saat Safa is perfume for both women and men composed of oud and amber. It is presented in various concentrations and shapes:
1. Concentrated alcohol-free oil, attar, in a beautiful, 15ml frost glass bottle, with gold colored ornate trimming shaped like a rose wreath
2. Eau de parfum spray containing alcohol in 35ml bottle or in 12ml bottle with roll-on applicator (the bottle is the same)
3. Concentrated alcohol-free oil, attar, in 3ml roll-on bottle
4. Air freshener
5. Perfumed crème (solid perfume), 10gr
6. Scented tapestry and furnishing spray, 500ml
Purchase Saat Safa EDP, 12ml (2)
Purchase Saat Safa perfume oil, 3ml (3)
All Sheikh Perfumes Store products
Алвыч – :
I’m usually not a fan of Arabic perfumes, because I don’t like oud. I used to have the attar (oil) of Saat Safa years ago, and I decided to get the EDP version this time. It’s honestly really good! The attar is incredibly strong and a little hard to wear, but this one’s lovely.
It reminds me of Rose Anonyme by Atelier Cologne, but it’s not as dry.
I got it for 8,90€ (35ml)… big perfume houses could easily take this composition and sell it for 30x the price.
Kachok – :
My 1st Al Rehab fail. So sad. In my nose fhis smelt like car air fresher + burnt tyre.
I can detect citrus so strong at the beginning, middle, even at its last breath.
Wertonn – :
This a long the line of amber oud by rasasi and many more old school rose oud
Amber combos that has that hony texture and smell …to me they r ok
But for mature ladies andcthey r a bit boering so….its good quality i also had
Amber oud by rasasi andvi gave it
To my mother in law she realy liked it
And it was better on her matured skin.
It is good quality, this rose is jammier
Then the rasasi one and a bit more earthy
Wich makes this better imho.
Not my taste but its very good.
Enjoy
inusia10 – :
I can see how a PP compared this to Stella Sheer, which I dearly miss. However, this disappears ridiculously fast on my skin and doesn’t project at all. I might try sticking some in a fragrance locket because the rose in this is lovely.
Nibbler88 – :
This is my favourite of all the Al-Rehabs I tried so far, which is not much. I tried Randa, Zidan, White Full and Saat Safa. Saat Safa is what really worked for me. It is a floral sweet oud. More floral, less oud. It takes about 15 -20 mins to settle down, when you apply it, it is everywhere and you begin to think you really made a mistake by buying this (though since it is cheap you will not hate yourself yet). But then give it some time and it is a very gentle rose scent. The rose is balanced with oud and i get an incense like whiff now and again, which could be jasmine in the perfume. Somehow jasmine always turns into an incense stick like version on me. This one has very little jasmine, so I still get more rose oud and occasional incense like whiffs.
nikol88 – :
This doesn’t remind me of a particular perfume but it does smell lovely to me. My husband hates it but my son likes it so 2/3 is a win 🙂
This is so green! It is fresh, somewhat sharp but also very mossy and there is a fertile, sweetish soil smell to it also. It is definitely not sweet in the usual sense but I smell sweetness in the greenness. Also, it reminds me of the earth but in a nice way. Not a stinky or dirty smell.
I like this a lot but it doesn’t last on me and has no sillage on me – bummer 🙁
amamtedge – :
I’m not sure if I have a bad bottle or if it’s my nose, but I smell absolutely nothing reminiscent of EL Knowing, Chanel No. 5, Coco Chanel or any other perfume for that matter. What I do smell is Deep Woods Off bug spray and I simply cannot wear it. With that said, Saat Safa does have the quality, projection and longevity I’ve come to expect from Al-Rehab. Although I’m disappointed that this one didn’t work for me, at the ridiculously low price point, I’m only out a few dollars.
acsen – :
So happy I got this little gem today. Bought a few of the oils and this one really impressed me the most so far.
Saat Safa by Al Rehab is a rather strong and long lasting attar. This fragrance to me seems overall to give off a very clean and soapy feeling with a delicate, sweet Oud and floral elements that are beautifully blended and balanced. I am finding this fragrance to be quite beautiful.
For a 6ml rollerball of concentrated oil that will last longer than a full size bottle of perfume, and for under five dollars, you can not beat the price.This has a niche quality feel to it also. Well done!
stxxt22 – :
Saat Saafa is like a rich, dark rose with lots of woods/moss. It’s spicy, deep, and I can visualize a dark, velvety red rose while wearing this.
You have to give it a few minutes, though. This was my first attar with oud listed and I thought I had made a huge mistake when I first opened and sniffed it. Smelled like bad plastic and chemicals mixed with some kind of incense. After applying a bit I waited 5 minutes for that weird smell to go away, then along came almost the exact smell of a rosier Knowing by Estee Lauder! At least that’s what it reminds me of…
It’s a really beautiful dark woody scent, but to me, the star is the deep luscious, spicy rose. Just wait a few minutes.
This is very long lasting and strong.
Some have mentioned this is masculine, but I don’t think so… I asked my husband for his opinion and he thought it was a lady’s perfume that smelled “kind of like incense and flowers.”
бамбучча – :
I love this scent! I had reservations about this smelling it from the roll on bottle, but it blossoms beautifully on my skin! It is potent! It gives me a Chanel no.5 vibe, but it is much more masculine and spicy, but it definitely satiates my Chanel cravings! Where Chanel is powdery and soft, this demands more attention with spice and oud. It is quite lovely and lasts forever on my wrists!
Apply carefully!! I made the mistake of rubbing this on like I would any other roll on perfume and cleared my house out, lol! I loved the smell, but you will knock someone out with the strength of this scent!
A beautiful cold weather evening scent, this makes me feel like royalty 🙂
isika – :
A slightly soapy but also warm rose with a classic vintage feel, really beautiful. I layer this with Coco by Chanel and it really brings forward the rose.
tntcvp – :
It’s funny: what struck my nose at first was the exoticness of this blend… but after a heavier application I find myself more clearly “seeing” the structure. This, to my nose, is an aromatic fougère along the lines of Pino Sylvestre and classic Aramis re-interpreted to middle-eastern taste. I can smell oakmoss and coumarin in the base (modified by musk, amber, and a leathery oudh with a touch of patchouli), lavender in the heart modified by soapy aldehydes, rose, clove-y carnation, and jasmine; at the top is a sparkling zap of bergamot. Very interesting. ‘Aseel’ by this same house is yet another of these “middle-eastern aromatic fougères”, but the blending of ‘Saat Safa’ far outshines the former. I would assume that this type of fragrance is marketed toward men, but I would honestly LOVE to smell this on a confident woman.
Sillage starts out quite heavy: it radiates in a cloud around me for the first 3-4 hours, falling to a soft moderate and finally leaving a sensuous and warm musky trail at the end of its beyond-12-hour lifespan.
MAXимус – :
I put a moderate amount of this on my wrists and forearms (from the 6 ml oil roller) and minutes later, my fiancé asked me if I’d sprayed perfume, because it was really strong. Then it kept getting stronger and stronger. I had to wash it off several times, and it’s still going strong, several hours later. It’s dried down to a spicy musk, reminiscent of several Agent Provocateur scents. I smell the dryer sheet musk of Maitresse, and I’m sure I smelled some Ylang ylang, too, at least before I scrubbed. I also smell the rose and vetiver/oakmoss/Chypre accord from Agent Provocateur’s signature. I smell some of the magnolia and fresh spices in Eau Emotionnelle..
Though I scrubbed, this is in no way a “scrubber.” I will simply apply much less, next time around.
irisha187 – :
I agree with Loca del Tó, this perfume does not take long to me, I wonder by what miracle when reading other reviews, it was held as a copy.
Or he must put on his clothes, which can really say what to do ……
I have the bottle which is shown on this page, not the roll’on
amause – :
Heather62, would you please review Of Course?, I’d love to know a little more about that attar. Thanks a lot!
FStein – :
I love this. This is one of the most beautiful green roses I’ve ever smelled. So fresh and clean but exotic and distinctively foreign. This makes me feel like Ayesha the immortal Arabian beauty. But a man could wear this too because of it greenness and woodiness. This is luxurious and a bit camphory/medicinal because of the oud notes without being unsettling for the Western noses. It’s a pity it doesn’t last longer than 30 minutes on my skin. I love it and went through a bottle of this attar in less than a week because of continuous re application. I won’t repurchase because of the poor longevity but would love suggestions on something similar but more long lasting
TutExoxybub – :
I am in love with Saat Safa. Beautiful rose oud.
I am blown away by how lovely this is. If you like Knowing, Aromatics, or Paloma Picasso, you will love this. I hope I am never without this – My grangirls loved it!!
It is very long lasting and totally suits me. I also like Of Course by Al Rehab which is not listed on this site but it wonderful, too,.
If you are in the mood to try a new Al Rehab, please give Of Course a try. It is very clean, long lasting, lovely. Hard to describe but it layers well with other things. Not as girly as Saat Safa but I have had all my friends sample both Saat Safa and Of Course and every single one of them loved Of Course.
I ordered a 6 pack of this on Ebay for like $19 with free shipping. But my girlfriends have seriously cut into my Of Course 6 pack. I think I have 2 left now!!
Update:
Took this with me on a trip and a guy friend hated it so much that he tried to throw it in the trash!!!
srt – :
The scent is cosy, warm and comforting to me. I smell beeswax and something like the incense used in the catholic churches. I have the solid perfume version of Saat Safa
mellabeno – :
This opens with a strong, unpleasant citronella scent, then quiets down a bit, remaining sweet and herbal and green. Thankfully, it dries down further to a faint rose with oud and smooth amber. This smells just like camping to me.
Update: I gave this to my sweetheart, and they’ll put it on in the morning and by the time I meet them in the evening, I can smell this on them and recognize it immediately. I’m totally in love!
Jostik – :
I’m about 95% sure this is the scent used in the Sheraton Bahrain Hotel. I loved that smell when I stayed there, and walked around the lobby breathing deeply 🙂 This is the Middle East in a bottle to me.
It might be because of this connection though that I see this more as a home fragrance than a personal one despite how lovely it is. Either way I’m glad I have it.
клыч – :
I find these very potent attars become more wearable for me if I dilute them at a ratio of 1 to 10 parts jojoba oil. The fragrance is the same but it’s easier to control the strength.
kolyan79 – :
Been wearing this all afternoon. Wasn’t too sure at first, because I caught a whiff of what I thought was sandalwood, and I just don’t enjoy obvious sandalwood. Now, I’m loving it – no sandalwood that I can detect – it’s a beautiful fragrance, and I can’r believe it only costs what it does; it smells like a top drawer product.
I feel like a glamorous and sexy woman, and even though I’m in the middle of making bread, and a casserole for dinner, I feel like I could be wearing a diaphanous long silk dress, and not jeans.
So glad I sent for this one and hope that they carry on selling it for a long time.
DeteloashSeal – :
This is a very beautiful, near clone of Coco Chanel. The same spicy clove like opening, rich rosy floral. Very clean smell. This is strong! Not as linear as the other Al-Rehab Oudhs, it changes. After a few hours it softens to a softer sweet floral Amber musk.
I know it’s unisex and i actually appreciate Coco Chanel more. I’m surprised it doesn’t contain cloves.
I love all these oils so far. Just a quick roll behind the ears and that’s it! I’ts very strong.
Projection: BIG across a room
Longevity: Long, several hours on a hot day
mi7ha – :
My 6 ml rollerball of Saat Safa perfume oil arrived yesterday, and it has already made an impression. This is a strange one.
Saat Safa is a perfume with a personality disorder, and I mean that in the best possible way. Nothing negative about it. It expresses two completely opposite things at once. At least on my skin.
It smells clean, a bit herbal green and soapy – and at the same time it smells dirty, like sweaty male armpit. I think we can blame the oud, It does that sometimes. Smell sweaty and “private”. The strange thing is that it sort of works. It sounds gross, but it smells fascinating in a weird way.
The drydown is very pleasant (and tamer than the first impression of the scent): Smooth, slightly woody with a warm ambery feel to it. The saffron gives it a nice leathery tinge.
A good fall scent, I would say. Perfect for snuggling under a warm blanket, while drinking tea and reading a good book.
Sillage and longevity is fabulous. Don’t put too much on. A little goes a long way with this one. 🙂
EDIT: I didn’t get much of the rose everyone speaks of when I first tried this perfume oil, but the second time I put it on it was there. I could smell it from quite early in the perfumes development and all the way to the drydown. At first it was rather dense and musky, but it became softer and very pleasant after a while. Lovely!
Mepoh507Bessinepome – :
It opens with a medicinal note that makes my stomach lurch a little. Although this does fades, it then retains a metallic, blood type of smell. Around this comes spicy lilies even though there is no lily note listed. The oud note is (unfortunately) not obvious enough for me, nor is the rose, but the amber is quite nicely pronounced. If I were blindfolded and didn’t know the exact notes, I would guess it was a lily and amber fragrance with aldahydes. It’s certainly fresh and clean smelling and reminds me of an exotic soap, so is no way dark or smokey. Because of the aldehyde smell, it reminds me a little of Amouage ‘Dia’ for women.
More feminine that masculine.
Pretty, clean and western smelling.
79114604552 – :
This is for the 6ml attar oil.
This is my kind of fresh and clean! My opinion only but I’m getting a lot of citrus in this and yes oud too. It’s nice and bright and dandy for summer. I really cant understand some of the opinions about the fragrance notes here. I don’t sense anything unpleasant here at all! Yes it’s woody. Astringent? Sure a little. Unisex? Definitely! But it works well on me and I’m a chick! Yes I said chick!
The western nose is so weak these days. I should know I was one of them but now I am so drawn to these wondrous oud rich scents I don’t know how I lived without them! I stopped wearing perfume for a long time as the ones I can afford are getting so sweet and cloying. Of course there are also the yucky reformulations of my favorites. True chypre and rich oriental perfumes are (IMO) things of the past. In the American and European market anyway.
Saat Safa lasts a good long time and more importantly it has good projection.
cialis online – :
Does not smell nothing like Dior oud ispahan night and day different bought it after reading some reviews… these people must be on durgs.
pet-pso – :
Well well well. Is it just me but this is rose all the way? I get an oud’ish beginning which fades away and turns into a floral. And then stays that way. This is like Stella McCartney Sheer, rosy. The sillage is great, and longevity really good, but I am sad to say I was looking for something more oriental. When I get on my floral mode I will wear this. I am still happy I tried, this is a quality perfume with a price that is literally nothing.
BalandinE – :
Not for the likes of everyone. Starts off with a huge medicinal blast of oud a la Montale but after that is where it gets interesting. The notes come and go, hides and reappears and there is a nice minty rose and jasmine that I like it very much. But then there is this stinky note which I assume is what many people say resembles leather oud, whatever that is it just reminds me of when I accidentally step on some dog poop and when I get home the entire house stinks of it. This note becomes more prominent when you sniff it up close so my advice is to avoid getting too close to people. I must clarify I have the oil version, the EDP I believe, should be better at masking this note.
Update
Mein Gott! Do I suffer from olfactory fatigue! I accidentally spilled some of this oil (a lot) on my desk when I was trying to decant some for a friend. Holy shmucks! I quickly cleaned up and salvaged whatever was left but man! The smell filled the entire house!! And just when I thought nobody was going to find out, my family members upon returning home immediately complained that it was too strong.
alexus2309 – :
I also agree with Sam, these oils surprised me with their quality!
Its no surprise that two of my favourite reviewers(Angela Agiannidou/Sam ldh) agree with each other .
As they say, great minds think alike!
Gron62 – :
I agree with Sam idh, these oils are of excellent quality for the price and deeply aromatic, I just got my Fadeitak today from Swiss Arabian and it is a dream! Paying over the top for mainly silly adverts means nothing to me. These products speak for themselves.
astrabel – :
i buy 10 different parfumes from al-rehab n not a single things r dissapointng, all the perfumes are amazing n suit for me. one of those are saat safa, even this the most “oud” from all the others but its still good n doesnt smell cheap, i know that for sure coz my fams runs the oud factory here so i know what the real fancy oud smells
latuza – :
Absolutely adore this smell, very warm and really strong. Agree with Cairo Rose the smell is rich and exotic.
chainufandins – :
I just bought Saat Safa along with a few other Al-Rehab perfume oils, and this one is just incredible. There is a spiciness that mixes so beautifully with the rose notes. It’s a very inviting scent, and I think you could get away with it any time of the year if your heart so desires. Perfect night fragrance.
I find this scent to actually be very clean and fresh on top with warmth and spice and earthiness just beneath the surface. As always with Al-Rehab, this scent has enormous range and long lasting power. People could smell this on me ten hours after applying, then showering! I think this might just be a new favorite.
alewski75954 – :
I Can’t never wear oud, somehow its strong and smell like floor cleaner. So I’m pass for this one.
spoon – :
A lovely, rich and complex scent.
Initially it’s powdery and woody, with a hint of citrus but it’s a lovely combination.
I find it warm spicy with some floral notes kicked in.
There is a dark rose like note that is creeping up and it’s tied in with the jasmine. I like the fact that to my nose the rose smells dark.
There is also saffron in the background and it goes very well with the other notes.
It really smells like an expensive perfume and to my nose it is beautifully blended.
There is some amber in there but it takes time to come out.
I have never smelled anything like this kind of perfume before, it is pretty exotic and rich as I’ve mentioned before.
For the price I am surprised at how good and expensive this perfume oil smells.
ETA:
This has now become my favourite Al-Rehab perfume. I love it so much and cannot get enough of it!
Saat Safa is the only perfume I’d wear continuously for days on end.
I even gave a bottle to the guy I am going out with as he liked the smell, both on me and as it is and he claims that it is great on him!
Exiniakat – :
While Aroosah is a light, powder-green scent, Saat Safa is much deeper, greener, and earthy- more like a forest than a small garden. The oud stings a bit at the beginning- it’s unpleasant, but if you wait for the drydown, you get an elegant, rich scent that is unisex, leaning toward feminine. Worth trying!
Mangust732 – :
i can’t decide if i like or dislike this one é:é. It’s strange. I have the bottle…i sniff the bottle…than everytime i choose something else to wear…then i want to sniff again the bottle….maybe i like it but i don’t think it’s good to wear….still confused…!!Anyway it’s a very inetersting scent.
i know my review is not that helpful but i really don’t know what to think about it !!
pressmania – :
Mmmmmm powdery, green rose and oud. These are the notes I am getting the most of when it is dry. It starts off mossy and woody though. This is my second al rehab and I have to say, they are sillage monsters and also last a loooong time. Plus they smell impressive too. Very impressive.
hostingfai – :
On my skin, Saat Safa starts out with a Johnson’s Baby Lotion vibe, which is weirdly pleasant. Also the Band-aid note is there, which is common in perfumes with oud and saffron.
As it develops, the amber appears, adding a little spice, and also a wonderful rose heart note. Fortunately, the moss comes in next, preventing it from being either too sweet or too spicy. Very well balanced.
I love Saat Safa and while it is considered unisex, I don’t feel it is too masculine and would be comfortable wearing this to the office if applied lightly. Lasts 4-5 hours with moderate sillage.
kogl65 – :
This is one I will come back to again and again. Warm, spicy, with the oud and rose–it’s perfect for me. I see that is considered masculine, but I am to pull it off well.
UnKinddd – :
oh wow. wow, wow wow wow. the oud in this is almost gourmand. it’s DELICIOUS.
fenix77759 – :
Deliciously strong, radically inexpensive, longevity and sillage monster… When I read the reviews, I was sure people weren’t REALLY smelling the bandage smell… But… Yep… Initial blast of Attar de Band-Aid! I can only think that the mold responsible for the resin has some sort of high energy small organic scent molecule. Luckily the oud-y bandage note receeds to revel in a wickedly murky and dark rose cloud surrounded by an array heady spices, warm, lush, but also a bit hot and biting. The Al-Rehab scents in general are remarkably dense and deeply layered… The mid point seems to include cassia and perhaps a eugenol isolate. I’d like to suggest pink pepper, but I don’t think so… Someone suggested that it might be carnation though. I don’t have isolated carnation in my kit, so I’ll have to opt out of an opinion the.
The spiced rose heart seems to last forever as the darker and moody woods, amber and musk slowly creep into the foreground. Lots of others have mentioned that the amber is sweet, but I don’t think it is set enough to make this a “safe” unisex option for most women.
The almost criminally low costs on this line mean trying a new scent, particularly in the CPO form is barely more expensive than buying a tiny sample of a typical fragrance. I have away my bottle of Cobra already because the tuberose was heftier than I could cope with… Saat Safa though?Tough… IIt’s MINE! 🙂
kostyan1977 – :
@ Bodda89
Thanks a lot for your comment – much appreciated.
I have never smelled any specific Oud -Colognes / Oils (or the ones you mentioned) but it all seemingly makes sense now. In fact, “bandage”, as you said, is a much more accurate description of the smell than my initial thought of *hospitals*.
I’m a little surprised and feel kinda ignorant now. I have in the past, smelled fragrances which (I have been told) contain Oud as a note but none of them smelled like this.
I genuinely believe I have been confusing Oud with something else for a long time and consequently that now makes me feel a little silly. Damn.
karpiatnik – :
@Fogwalker
The hospital smell is the oud oud oil has an initial blast of a smell like bandage it’s almost identical to bandage some fragrances are very well blended so that top note of oud keeps hidden but in Arabic perfumes oud oil is used in huge quantities so this aspect will always reveal
among the fragrances that will reveal this bandagy smell
1- montal musk aoud
2- dior oud ispahan
3- tom ford oud wood
and those are the ones i recall
l1pton17 – :
Dazed ‘n’ Confused.
For the longest time now, I have been wanting to branch-out and experiment with some of the Al-Rehab fragrances.
As well as being intrugued by their certain mystique, I guess the main reason I wanted to explore Al-Rehab is that they’re inexpensive.
After reading so many reviews about their fragrances, they (Al-Rehab) seem to include some of the *notes* that I see other (more expensive) colognes contain that have yet to grace my novice nose….colognes that I can ill afford to buy.
I decided to opt for this fragrance first. I bought the EDP 35ml spray and as expected, it’s a powerful little number.
When I initially sprayed it on my wrist, the first thing that sprang to my mind was hospitals. A HUGE blast of hospitals.
After reading some of the reviews, I notice that I’m not alone in thinking this.
Can someone please offer me an explanation about what this *hospital / medicinal* smell might be? I have no idea; excuse my ignorance here.
One hour later (i.e. right now as I type this review) the hospital smell is still quite strong but has lessened somewhat and clings warmly to my wrists. It’s not a cold / clinical smell at all, it’s very warm and addictive.
As well as this hospital smell I can smell moss. Dark, warm moss which works really well with the aforementioned note.
I can also smell a sharp slither of greenery cutting through the warmth of the moss and reaching the very top notes of the amalgamation as it settles on my skin.
I’m struggling to find rose in here and I am also searching for the musk element but it seems to be playing hide-and-seek. Every few minutes I keep thinking that I get a faint whiff of it (musk) then it disappears as quick as it arrived.
I’m quite captivated by this fragrance and as a *blind-buy* I am very impressed with its boldness and (to me, at least) mystery.
Do I like it? I sure do. As it’s settling down it’s changing into something more mellow and seductive and much less hospital-like. I can only imagine what the next hour will bring.
Thanks to all the other reviewers for pricking my curiosity and convincing me to buy this fragrance.
I now need to know where the *hospital* came from 🙂
lyudvik – :
delicious, lasts forever!!!!!!
Beeklymaymnfczyz – :
I don’t know about this one yet even after 2 wearings… it’s a big, BOLD fragrance without a doubt. An evening application was still strong the next morning and even nicer because it had warmed and mellowed on my skin.
But so bitter and medicinal! I love Diesel’s Fuel for Life Femme’s camphor notes, the other most medicinal scent I own, but Saat Safa takes the prize for Most Different/Most Challenging in comparison.
I get no similarities to Knowing or Paloma Picasso as others have mentioned, nor to anything else I own or have ever sniffed except perhaps Jovan’s Intense Oud which is both sweeter and less bitter.
On me: woody, damp green forest floor where leaves and branches are decomposing. No florals, no fruits, just dark woods and resins. A very challenging fragrance.
But you know what? As drugstore classics put it so succinctly above, it is indeed “addicting”. I cannot stop sniffing my wrist. And that’s saying something!
lider – :
WOW! its very nice ,oil roll-on is more STRONG and long lasting than edp spray its so inexpensive.but very best quality
bobear636 – :
As I live in Dubai, UAE, I have had more of a chance than most to see the Al Rehab fragrances in their local cultural setting. I am altogether aware that the vast majority of people who buy Al Rehab perfumes in the West will have had them supplied from online retailers, but I would like to share with you something about purchasing these fragrances here before I give my short review.
For a start, buying an Al Rehab fragrance in Dubai will mean in all likelihood that you will need to visit the Perfume Souk area in the city near to the famous Gold Souk of Dubai. This is because Al Rehab is not stocked in any of the major or minor retail outlets and – unlike Rasasi, Arabian Oud, Swiss Arabian or the other local brands – does not have an outlet based in a mall. This also means that you will have to take a route through one of the older parts of the city, by the side of the Creek, along past the shops selling all sorts of knick-knacks, past the Asian cyclists carrying stacks of cardboard on the backs of bikes, past the East Africans trading with Afghans, past the shwarma and juice stalls, until you come to the Perfume Souk area. Here you find the Al Rehab shop at the end of a busy, crowded, furiously neon-lit street….
Now when you enter this shop, you will truly wonder how it is that some of these fragrances are so well recognised as being very credible dupes of some of the fragrances from the most admired houses internationally. Creed? Montale?…..Surely not. The Al Rehab shop is staffed by some very friendly elderly local Arab gentlemen. Very nice, and a Salaam Aleikum and a few words of Arabic goes a long way. But yet, the shop. My, my, my….More like a hardware store than a fragrance shop, it is not unusual for your total to be worked out on the back of an envelope and change to be plucked out of wooden drawer. Last time I went there I wondered if I could pick up a hammer and a box of masonry nails while I was at it!…Suffice to say that this is nothing like the image of sparkling, shiny Dubai portrayed around the world. Yet, there is charm in this as well – and most definitely value for money if this is a consideration at all. (As an aside, buying these 6 ml CPO vials costs me 4 UAE dirhams each, about $1.10, ie they are practically giving the stuff away.) So what are their fragrances actually like…..
Saat Safa is a delicious oriental woody fragrance which is a delightful and modest entry into the world of Arabian ouds. More masculine than unisex, the rose that filters through gives a classic combination so characteristic of regional perfumery. There are literally hundreds of fragrances in the Middle East that use these notes in some shape or form, but the vast majority will smell quite alien to a Western nose as some note or another may be amped up. Also, the characteristic ‘medicinal’ or ‘barnyard’ vibe from many ouds may turn some people away. Not so with Saat Safa. They get the blend just right here and some of the other notes – moss, patchouli and amber – seem to make it much more acceptable to those not familiar with Arabian fragrances. The projection here is good without being oppressive and the longevity is as much as you could ask for.
All said, Al Rehab Saat Safa is for me a Highly Recommended Buy, especially for those who are a bit daunted by ouds but still interested and don’t want to make big spends on the acclaimed niche or top-tier designer oud fragrances.
Having smelled a lot of oud, I would seriously recommend this little gem to test your appetite for oud….
Melok894Diobtetty – :
Wore this today for the first time. Quite strong oud at first but then is much mellower. After 10 mins reminds me of one of my favourites, Aramis 900.with a little more rose.
I think this is more masculine, quite unique and very good lasting power for something so inexpensive.
I bought the edp spray and might experiment with some of the other concentrations. I like this very much for the wintertime during the day.
My rating .Lasting power 4hrs +
Fragrance quality 8 out of 10
Excellent for price..
xit574JeomiWogkig – :
this is strong and animalistic when first sprayed, it stays that way for at least a 1/2 hour if not longer. when it dries it is still strong, but toned down. then it becomes a very spicy and warm long lasting floral. i sprayed this on at 7 am in the morning and at 3 pm it was still quite prominent. price is very inexpensive for the quality. this perfume is very good in cold weather.
davaite – :
I just got the concentrated oil roller last night, and I just had to try it. I was interested in Oud fragrances, so I was wanting to kind of ease into it buy getting something that sort of featured Oud without being straight Oud. When I globbed it on after my shower, my first thoughts were, “Whew…I have messed UP…” My neck was burning where I applied it, so I had to wipe some