More and more Saudi fragrance brands are beginning to build a name for themselves, earn some international recognition, and branch out. Arabian Oud, Ibrahim Al Qurashi and Abdul Samad Qurashi all have international presence now, and are appearing on social media much more frequently. However, there are some other Saudi brands that can still be called, for want of a better word, hidden gems, creating original, Middle Eastern-style fragrances.
One such brand is Mansam or Mansam World. Mansam are a Saudi based brand, and a relatively new one at that. Launching in 2022, they have a flagship store in Riyadh which just so happened to win an international interior design award!
Who are Mansam?
Mansam are a luxury fragrance brand who pride themselves on using raw ingredients. Rather than focusing on trends, they base their fragrance blends on the philosophy of the 9th century polymath named Al Kindi – who approached fragrances as a psychological tool.
Their whole brand is focused on storytelling, with several collections centred on emotions – each fragrance has it’s own audio description on the website. What this means, is they’re not just another dupe house. No shade to dupe houses, they serve a purpose, but when I hear about a Middle Eastern fragrance brand, I want to smell something that embodies the specific area of the Middle East that the brand is from.
That’s what Mansam claim to do, they create original blends, rooted in Saudi heritage, with a touch of modernity. Of course, this could all be marketing fluff, so what matters is most is the juice. Can it live up to that level of hype?
Mansam – Al Hawa Ghallab
Al Hawa Ghallab (translated to ‘Love Always Wins’) is part of the Qanun collection – Amber and Spices. Interestingly, they have something called the Mansam Galaxy, which seems to cut across collections in themes that are tied to emotions. This one is in the Desire branch of the Galaxy, which resembles an Arabian version of yggdrasil, the Norse mythological tree, except, of course, it’s a date palm instead.
Official fragrance notes of Mansam – Al Hawa Ghallab
Juniper, Mandarin, Neroli, Saffron, Jasmine, Davana, Rose, Amber, Oudh Cambodia.
What does Al Hawa Ghallab actually smell like?
Upon initial spray, I’m hit with a creamy, slightly boozy scent which reminds me a little bit of custard creams – not at all what I was expecting! However, once this settled onto my skin, the smokiness and the richness of those familiar spicier Saudi notes started to burst through.
At that point, I was actually taken back to memories of the mid-90s. Throughout my childhood, people I knew would return from visits to Saudi for Hajj or Umrah, having picked up perfume oils (or attars) on their travels. The smell was always distinctive, unlike anything I’d ever smelt at the time, and that’s what I always assumed Saudi would smell like. It’s clean, but not like the soapy, sanitised, disinfectant style clean here in the West, it’s a luxurious, velvety clean.
And it’s that vibe that makes Al Hawa Ghallab feel like a distinctly ‘Saudi’ scent, very much unique from Emirati, Qatari and Omani brands. And yes, there is a subtle, but noticeable, difference in styles across the Gulf nations, which a trained nose can pick up on.
Back to this fragrance though, and to my nose, it’s a clean, woody, slightly smoky fragrance with undertones of gentle florals. Mansam claim this contains Cambodian Oud, but it doesn’t have any of the animalic qualities that typically come with it. The blend of floral notes prevent the Cambodian oud from becoming overpowering and making this into just another oud fragrance.
As is common in Saudi fragrances, there’s also a subtle hint of saffron. I don’t usually enjoy saffron in a fragrance, but I found that the blend of saffron, combined with rose, which becomes more and more prominent throughout the day, gives Al Hawa Ghallab that feeling of musk-like cleanliness.
Longevity and sillage of Al Hawa Ghallab
I love this fragrance, and I love how it develops throughout the day, progressively becoming more powdery and smokier as the day goes on. I’d say that it’s a bit of a car-filler – my driving instructor felt the need to roll down the windows during my lesson – but that sillage drops away after a few hours. For longevity, I was easily able to smell this radiating from my skin and clothes at the end of the day.
What emotion did Mansam – Al Hawa Ghallab evoke in me?
Since Al Hawa Ghallab is on the Desire branch of Mansam’s Galaxy tree, I was expecting something a bit more ‘seductive’ and mysterious perhaps. In my opinion, this is actually a much more comforting scent. It’s like being wrapped in a warm, cosy blanket, wearing a cashmere sweater, on a crisp winter’s evening. And that warmth it brings, means this will definitely become a winter staple for me.
Mansam have an opportunity to set themselves apart from other Middle Eastern brands. As part of the drive to capture global markets, fragrances are being developed to suit the tastes of westerners, including duping popular french fragrances. If Mansam keep producing original and authentic fragrances like Al Hawa Ghallab, and stay true to their founding mission, they could fill a gap left behind by the likes of Arabian Oud.
How much does Mansam Al Hawa Ghallab cost?
Mansam’s fragrances come in a 100ml bottle, and Al Hawa Ghallab will set you back £170. For the time being, their website only ships to Saudi and the UAE, but they are looking to expand their shipping globally at some point.
By Lima
