Swiss Arabian – Sawalef – Al Mulook

Like the other bakhoors, this sample also comes from my friend Povilas, who sent me a generous selection of samples from his collection.

This bakhoor is an “oudh muattar”—agarwood chips soaked in a perfume oil (attar).

Swiss Arabian describes the scent profile of Al Mulook as follows:

Al Mulook is extremely intense in scent. I always place just a fragment of a chip on my incense warmer, yet shortly after, the fragrance fills the entire room.

My first association with the scent was a perfume by Yves Rocher that my mother had about 20 years ago: 8e Jour. Besides that, the fragrance reminds me of Vijayshree – Nag Darshan.
It is a very heavy, dense scent. As with Darshan, I detect an aspect that reminds me of stereotypical men’s perfume, which could be explained by the “moss” note. Patchouli, vetiver, and leather likely contribute to this as well. Of these three, I mainly smell patchouli, and, as with Darshan, a spicy, cinnamon-like note is present.
The second main aspect of Al Mulook is floral and perhaps slightly powdery, though without any particular flowers standing out to me.
After a while, the fragrance seems to become sweeter, and the spicy aspect of the composition intensifies. But it’s not just cinnamon; the scent also reminds me of spices like clove or allspice.
I notice the agarwood most clearly when the perfume has largely evaporated, and I allow the now dry-appearing wood chip a bit more heat.

At times, the scent comes across as somewhat old-fashioned, though not quite in a “granny perfume” way. It smells like a “wealthy, elderly lady at the opera.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if Al Mulook is popular; the fragrance certainly has something to offer. However, for my taste, it’s simply too much like a perfume.