Sheikh A was my first ever purchase from Hind Al Oud, and talk about jumping in at the deep end. However, it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with it, and become obsessed with the fragrance and with the Hind Al Oud brand. In the year or two following my original purchase, I’ve bought bakhoor, body mist and fragrance oil in Sheikh A, as well as a host of other fragrances from Hind Al Oud too.
Coincidentally, Sheikh A was also the first fragrance ever created by this house, and it continues to be highly popular in the Middle East. I can see why, it’s a powerful scent that exudes pure luxury, yet is also fantastic for layering. The bottle it comes in is a marvel in itself, like a jewel that refracts light and simply dazzles wherever you store it.
Who are Hind Al Oud?
Hind Al Oud is an Emirati fragrance brand, part of the Mohamed Hilal Group. Mohamed Hilal is actually a person, and he’s created several fragrance brands within this group, with a range of different styles and price points to cater to a wide variety of tastes and budget.
Hind Al Oud as a brand is cultured and sophisticated, elegant and bold. Having spoken with the staff in their other-worldly Dubai Mall branch, they advised that their fragrances all contain 40% perfume oil. For context, a typical Eau de Parfum contains around 15 to 20%.
The higher the concentration of perfume oil, the longer lasting a fragrance should be, and the Hind Al Oud range lives up to that, particularly Sheikh A – it really lingers on the skin and your clothes.
Hind Al Oud Sheikh A
Sheikh A has been through a bit of an evolution. Having initially been called Sheikh Abdullah, the change to Sheikh A is meant to signify a more modern and contemporary version of Sheikh Abdullah. This fascinates me, because Sheikh A is a strong, animalic oud, so I’d be curious to smell the original.
Just something to bear in mind, I wouldn’t recommend spraying Sheikh A directly onto white clothing, particularly anything light or delicate, as it will likely leave a stain.
Official fragrance notes of Hind Al Oud Sheikh A
Spices
Agarwood
Ambergris
What does Sheikh A by Hind Al Oud actually smell like?
Sheikh A is a fragrance that boldly embraces the raw, untamed spirit of oud. It’s not a tame, watered down, westernised interpretation; it’s a fragrance designed for those who appreciate the depth and complexity of pure oud. Prepare to be challenged, intrigued, and ultimately captivated. Oh, and from speaking with Hind Al Oud, I can confirm this is not just an oud accord, they’ve used real oud in this fragrance.
Immediately upon spraying, you get a sense of its raw power. It’s dark, deep and smells like dehn (pure) Hindi oud, with a touch of spice to it. The scent is incredibly animalic, almost barnyard, and earthy. Indian oud is known for its fecal, barnyard scent, and this is the exact vibe of Sheikh A.
The obvious questions are “why buy it if it smells fecal?” and “does it really smell like it sounds?”
The answer to the second question is honestly yes and no, there’s a distinct manure-esque aroma, but at the same time, it doesn’t smell like that at all. I’m sure that sounds cryptic, but such is the mystery of oud. And why buy it? Well, over time, when sprayed on the skin, the scent develops into something much smoother – balsamic, resinous, sweeter, with musky warm notes, yet retaining its woody nature. Put simply, it’s divine.
It also reacts to your unique skin chemistry – on my husband’s skin, it also develops downwards, but on him it smells far woodier, and retains its earthiness. I’d say that once it’s developed on the skin, Shiekh A smells much like a typical pure oud oil, you’d struggle to imagine that this came from a spray perfume.
To summarise, Sheikh A smells like pure luxury and is a wonderful example of oud being executed to perfection.
Longevity and sillage
Not only does it smell like pure luxury, it also lasts long and lingers on your clothes for days after, as my laundry basket will attest to. It gives a nice scent bubble, particularly when sprayed on both my clothes and skin, mainly the pulse points. This bubble is fairly strong through the day, and whilst it does weaken a bit, it still smells strong by the end of the day.
Whilst we should know by now that heat helps fragrances to project, even in the bitterly cold British winter here in Manchester, I get wafts of this coming from behind my ears as the wind breezes past me. This tells me that Sheikh A has fantastic projection.
Does this projection last all day long though? Not quite, it tends to gradually get less loud as the day progresses, however you’ll still retain that scent bubble. If you want it to project for longer, apply a pure oud oil onto your pulse points before spraying Sheikh A. You’ll leave a trail everywhere you go.
It’s also so potent, that if you apply it to your skin, as it develops, the scent easily transfers onto your clothes and even other areas of the skin too – if you apply it your neck, and touch it with your fingers, your hands will smell like it too!
What are the pros and cons of Hind Al Oud Sheikh A
Pros:
You’ll love this if you:
- Are a fan of pure ouds (dehn oud)
- Want a long lasting dehn oud fragrance
- Want a high quality fragrance with oud (not oud accord)
- Love layering your fragrances and want a woody and oudy base
- Are adventurous with fragrances and are open to trying something new
- Are a fan of resinous fragrances
- Love beautiful, unique bottles for your collection
Cons:
- If you prefer oud accords over pure ouds, you won’t like this
- It’s not the cheapest oud on the market
- It’s not readily available in the UK and the West
- It will smell like body odour during a hot summer, as do most pure ouds
How much does Sheikh A by Hind Al Oud cost and where can I buy it from?
Sheikh A comes in a 50ml bottle and cost me 740 AED which converts to around £163. It’s not cheap but I’d happily repurchase it over and over and over again. It is now a staple of my collection.
Sadly, at the time of writing, Hind Al Oud fragrances can only be purchased in the Middle East, in places like Dubai. That being said, you can find eBay sellers who will ship to the UK, but the prices are massively inflated.
