MAJDA BEKKALI
Tulaytulah Obscur
2024
PERFUMER
Camille Chemardin
cherry blossom
caraway
cinnamon
blackcurrant
davana
almond
heliotrope
labdanum
benzoin
woody notes
leather
vanilla
‘Tulaytulah is the name of Toledo in Arabic and Hebrew. Known as the City of Three Cultures, it was part of the Al Andalus region from the 8th to the 15th century. It was a radiant economic and cultural centre, whose incredible heritage (churches, mosques, synagogues, palaces and fortresses) show the world the refinement and taste of the people who lived in Al-Andalus, in peace and harmony despite their differences. Tulaytulah by Majda Bekkali was launched in 2016. Majda describes it as her “message of peace to the world”: if people were able to live together in peace in Al Andalus, then surely we can too … Today, the fragrance is one of the brand’s bestsellers, with its inimitable notes of cherry blossom, almond, cypress, leather and vanilla. Tulaytulah Obscur – Majda Bekkali’s new perfume Majda continues the story of Tulaytulah with a new chapter: Tulaytulah Obscur. After four years of creation, numerous changes to the composition and even the perfumer, the new fragrance is finally ready. Cherry blossom, cumin and cinnamon take flight. Blackcurrant, almonds, heliotrope, labdanum absolute and davana essence settle in at the heart. Then follows a trail of leather, vanilla, benzoin resinoid and precious wood essences.’ – AusLiebeZumDuft
From the first moment, I thought that Tulaytylah Obscur smelled somehwat familiar, but it’s one of the denser, heavier takes on this style. The scent of almond and cinnamon, mixed with leather. Sweet, but rugged. Quite a statement maker. And in the end, it deviates from what I’m used to enough to keep it interesting.
To my nose, there’s quite a fruity, slick aspect to this leathery vibe; perhaps due to the blackcurrant and cherry blossom. I was reminded of the plum-tobacco fragrances like Plum in Cognac. In general, I can see it appeal to that audience, or even that of the less refined, attention-grabbing Argos Triumph Of Bacchus.
A bit too sweet and too loud for my taste, but I do like that fruity tinge and I do also enjoy the perceived quality of the almond here. Almond as a scent often smells similar, but in the details some feel more bitter and metallic, some feel lighter. Here, it’s a thick, prominent almond cloud that I think complements the whole fragrance well. It doesn’t get too powdery, sharp or dry on my skin (as heliotrope can have the tendency to do).
After the initial punch of the opening settles in and I’m used to the sweetness, a slightly more greenish and crisp edge reveals itself; it reminded me of fig in the drydown. Not to the point where it takes away from the more mass appealing sweet vibe, but just enough to keep it from feeling like a more juvenile loud scent. The balance is there. At times the leather felt quite overpowering, but during my wear, there were also moments where I was less focused on it. I’m not a true leather fragrance lover, so I would’ve preferred it toned down a bit.
Overall, enjoyable. Even for a non-leather lover like myself, it’s a solid pick. There’s a lot of familiarity here, but I’ve tried many many fragrances in this general direction, and it’s not in a way that it feels overly generic. While it won’t make my wishlist and it definitely doesn’t dethrone Mon Nom Est Rouge as my favorite from the brand, there’s enough happening and enough quality to make this a release that’s worth trying out.