ALGHABRA
BOLSHOI OPERA FINALE

2021

Clementine
Orange Blossom
mandarin

White Blossom
Ylang-Ylang
Tuberose

Vanilla
Sandalwood

Alghabra is a brand that I discovered in 2020 and it’s a promising house. King Of Flowers was an instant favorite and still is my favorite anno 2024 (a cardamom bomb that transitions magically into a Casamorati Lira-esque vanilla), but Bolshoi Opera Finale is fun.

Inspired by the Moscow theater (Alghabra’s red bottles are inspired by Russian cultural heritage), it evokes yesteryear’s’ elegance. Bolshoi is mainly a fruity and sweet ylang-ylang fragrance. It opens really bright and citrussy. It smells ‘yellow’, though not like a lemon; it’s a fruit cocktail. It’s a tad sharp throughout, as if there’s an acidic powder at play, but it’s balanced with the smooth creamy white florals and a soothing vanilla and sandalwood base.

While it remains fresh, bright and slightly acidic, the high-end fades and the greenish, zesty floral kick makes room for the sweetness. Bolshoi grows ever sweeter with the vanilla taking center stage alongside the ylang ylang. As often with ylang-ylang, I get a connection to coconut or maybe even rice milk for the creamy element.

This is probably my favorite in a style that I was looking to add to my collection. It’s reminiscent of Lorga’s Musc Palawan, but easier to wear as it doesn’t have the intoxicating, indolic booziness in the florals and more vanilla. It’s very sweet and mass-appealing.