THE SPIRIT OF DUBAI
Turath
2019
Dried Fruits
Damask Rose
Strawberry
Apple
Candied Fruits
Spicy Notes
Peach
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Coffee
Pineapple
Coconut
blackcurrant
Cumin
Pepper
Bergamot
Pink Pepper
Sweet Orange
Oud
Rose
Sandalwood
Cedarwod
Saffron
Amyris
Jasmine
Violet
Iris
Cypriol
Coriander
lily-of-the-valley
Smoke
Incense
Vanilla
Leather
Ambergris
Labdanum
Sandalwood
White Musk
Guaiac Wood
Amber
Peru Balsam
Patchouli
Vetiver
Tolu Balsam
Civet
Moss
Oakmoss
Turath is my first time trying a fragrance from The Spirit In Dubai. It definitely has interesting facets, but there’s also parts to it that didn’t work well for me and I ended up more on the unimpressed side in conclusion.
As many others have stated about Turath; it’s a lot. A lot of notes, a lot to handle for your nose, a lot of contrast and frankly, that sums up the experience pretty well. Some parts of the composition stand out positively, but others are harsh or come across as cheap (especially given Turath’s price point). The final combination is not as luxurious as I wanted it to be. I enjoyed a chunk of the wear, but also grew tired of it after some hours.
You get a lot of fruitiness from the opening. But instead of bright, juicy fruits, I get more of an old, overripe fruit jam with blackcurrant and something akin to plum to my nose as the direction it leans into. The plum facet is probably a connection I make because of the leather, saffron side that it’s often paired with and I’d argue that saffron is the biggest stand out note in Turath.
What I don’t love is the persistent edge of something medicinal, almost mentholated or like a cough syrup. It’s like a medicinal honey or beeswax scent that smells familiar and disruptive. I think I got a similar tinge in Mendittorosa Rituale or BDK Tabac Rose. Also in Meo Fusciuni Little Song or Unique’e Luxury Beverly Hills Exclusive, but in those two, I find it much more fitting and better executed.
At its core there’s a wood-rose-saffron-oud here, but no matter how many notes The Spirit Of Dubai lists for Turath, it smells pretty conventional and average on the surface. I can’t name a direct reference of the top of my head, but I’ve smelled similar scents (at much lower prices) multiple times and you could easily see this scent profile in a Montale or Terenzi fragrance.
When I smell my skin up close and focus in on the scent, I find most of the beauty in Turath. The bit of acidity that is in there, some bergamot, some creamier texture… all mostly hidden and I have to look for them, but when I find them, they are really nice. Some others have remarked on this and I fully agree: some aspects, especially the saffron (and to me, that medicinal honeyed vibe) are way too prominent and they pull Turath in a more one-dimensional and generic direction than it seems to want to be.
While I find Turath solid, I don’t think it’s nearly as special as some of the hype surrounding it and it feels to me like people are giving it extra credit because it lists an abundance of notes (to the point where the note breakdown becomes meaningless).
