Sultanate of Oman
Roja Dove (2016)
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8 User Reviews
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About Sultanate of Oman by Roja Dove
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For thousands of years, the Sultanate of Oman has been celebrated for producing the world’s finest Frankincense. I dedicate this creation to His Majesty The Sultan and the fragrant legend that grows in his kingdom
Fragrance notes.
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Reviews of Sultanate of Oman by Roja Dove
There are 8 reviews of Sultanate of Oman by Roja Dove.
Roja Dove's Sultanate of Oman is a lesson in luxury and imagination, proving that the most exquisite ingredients and the highest artistry of perfumery can still only aspire to what it is not. In this case, Roja Dove's fragrance is an impression of, or homage to, the Sultanate of Oman and what this middle eastern country conjures among the global imaginary: famed frankincense, for one, but also the entirety of the Arab market, known just as much for its sand and sweat as it is for its cardamom and saffron.
The problem is that at Sultanate of Oman's price point, what you're paying for is a lot of hype, along with what I suppose is artistry and quality. For some that's enough to make this full bottle worthy, but for me I would expect that this fragrance "in dedication to the legend [of frankincense] that grows in his [the sultan's] kingdom" would more closely approximate the cultural and aesthetic ways perfume has been historically used in this region. That's to say, Sultanate of Oman is missing all of the mystical, religious, purificatory connotations of incense, and it's also missing the dirtier, funkier, "old world," consequences of moving one's body throughout the day in one of the hottest regions of the world.
Sultanate of Oman smells expensive and good. It also smells ostentatious, and I'm not quite sure when I'd wear this perfume, probably too worried that the people around me would think I have money to burn or that, at the very least, I'm inappropriately scented for the occasion, even among the most wine-drinking bourgeoisie!
Nonetheless, if I close my eyes and smell Sultanate of Oman, forgetting that it's named what it's named, I like what I smell. The effervescent opening is sparkly, pungent, and delicious, working its way to a fruity-sweet middle that's created by the rose, jasmine, and raspberry. This "feminine exuberance" is undergirded by a smokiness that, as I mentioned, doesn't smell like incense burning, but rather smells like cigarettes in an ashtray. This accord, which is invariably sexy, lasts into the base, where fuzzy woods also appear and refuse to disappear for 10+ hours.
Like my opinion of Creed's Aventus, sometimes a little self-respect and good taste (what I like and how, more importantly, I want to smell in the world) is enough to say no to even the most attractive and well-crafted fragrances.
The problem is that at Sultanate of Oman's price point, what you're paying for is a lot of hype, along with what I suppose is artistry and quality. For some that's enough to make this full bottle worthy, but for me I would expect that this fragrance "in dedication to the legend [of frankincense] that grows in his [the sultan's] kingdom" would more closely approximate the cultural and aesthetic ways perfume has been historically used in this region. That's to say, Sultanate of Oman is missing all of the mystical, religious, purificatory connotations of incense, and it's also missing the dirtier, funkier, "old world," consequences of moving one's body throughout the day in one of the hottest regions of the world.
Sultanate of Oman smells expensive and good. It also smells ostentatious, and I'm not quite sure when I'd wear this perfume, probably too worried that the people around me would think I have money to burn or that, at the very least, I'm inappropriately scented for the occasion, even among the most wine-drinking bourgeoisie!
Nonetheless, if I close my eyes and smell Sultanate of Oman, forgetting that it's named what it's named, I like what I smell. The effervescent opening is sparkly, pungent, and delicious, working its way to a fruity-sweet middle that's created by the rose, jasmine, and raspberry. This "feminine exuberance" is undergirded by a smokiness that, as I mentioned, doesn't smell like incense burning, but rather smells like cigarettes in an ashtray. This accord, which is invariably sexy, lasts into the base, where fuzzy woods also appear and refuse to disappear for 10+ hours.
Like my opinion of Creed's Aventus, sometimes a little self-respect and good taste (what I like and how, more importantly, I want to smell in the world) is enough to say no to even the most attractive and well-crafted fragrances.
An incense creation in its core. Initially a floral opening greets me, with a dark-ish violet and a good jasmine note, although a dark rose is taking over soon ans the lead. touches of grapefruit and orange instill the occasional blip of brightness, whilst a raspberry note mentioned in the pyramid but I don't get it on me.
The incense is complex and the result of many components interacting with one another. Frankincense is at the centre, a rich incense with some elemi in the background. and a slightly camphoric undertone of medicinal brandy tincture at times. Some oud oil is evident too, but not as a main player, which is unusual. The incense is given added depth by a smoother and dark saffron, birch, orris, all characteristic cardamom,and less convincing touch of oakmoss, which all add their own individual shades of spiciness to the mix.
The other group of ingredients that is pressing is a group of wood impressions, with sandalwood being the dormant one. Other woods I get are a good oak impression with cedar, and, more towards the end, some guaiac too. With time the incense cluster and the wood cluster merge, and result is a rather unique overall fragrance.
I get moderate sillage, good projection, and nine hours of longevity on my skin.
A high quality autumnal incense especially for evenings, blended well and with a creative spark. 3.75/5
The incense is complex and the result of many components interacting with one another. Frankincense is at the centre, a rich incense with some elemi in the background. and a slightly camphoric undertone of medicinal brandy tincture at times. Some oud oil is evident too, but not as a main player, which is unusual. The incense is given added depth by a smoother and dark saffron, birch, orris, all characteristic cardamom,and less convincing touch of oakmoss, which all add their own individual shades of spiciness to the mix.
The other group of ingredients that is pressing is a group of wood impressions, with sandalwood being the dormant one. Other woods I get are a good oak impression with cedar, and, more towards the end, some guaiac too. With time the incense cluster and the wood cluster merge, and result is a rather unique overall fragrance.
I get moderate sillage, good projection, and nine hours of longevity on my skin.
A high quality autumnal incense especially for evenings, blended well and with a creative spark. 3.75/5
Grabs me right from the start with an unusual juicy fresh citrus sitting in the middle of a barnyard...this already thrills me as I love these kind of combos and anything animalic...smells of exquisite blending and ingredients...nice touches of flowers and spice...to my nose , cutting through everything , is one of the creamiest , luxurious , and intense sandalwood notes I've ever smelled...awesome foundational accord of resin and oud...also noticed a nice petroly leather note for a while...masterpiece in my eyes...only. negative thing about this fragrance is the price...
A very rich, resinous member of the Gulf Collection by Roja Dove. Woods, spices, damp florals, fragrant citrus, juicy raspberry, and oakmoss meet the inimitable agarwood (thick and indolic) to create a truly expressive, thought-provoking picture of this amazing country in the Middle East.
The panoply of accords are meant to paint an image of Oman's people and activities that can be imagined without too much effort, given the ferris wheel of notes that hit you individually and in tandem with others throughout the scent's lifecycle. SoO is a genuine ode to Arabic culture that is both full of historical interest and contemporary flair. Roja truly has created another masterpiece to honor the Gulf region. :-)
The panoply of accords are meant to paint an image of Oman's people and activities that can be imagined without too much effort, given the ferris wheel of notes that hit you individually and in tandem with others throughout the scent's lifecycle. SoO is a genuine ode to Arabic culture that is both full of historical interest and contemporary flair. Roja truly has created another masterpiece to honor the Gulf region. :-)
Sultanate of Oman is another rose/oud entry (aren't they all?) in the Roja Parfums collection of 2016-17 of which I'm quite fond. It is quite heavy on woods and saffron, sweetened by raspberry, brightened by citrus, and sitting over a resinous base.
It's most similar to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the use of raspberry but it's a bit sharper and more resinous. Like most of the collection, it appeals to the sweet-loving side of the wearer, so while it's not overall as sweet as, say, Kuwait, it's still quite enjoyably sweet to my nose. Apart from that, it's woody with tinges of citrus and other non-rose florals, but it's a pretty safe rose/oud to wear.
At $555 for 50ml, the pricing is steep so I'm not sure I'd ever really consider making a move on a full bottle at retail price for this. The collection is really quite excellent, a variety of rose/oud fragrances that have varying merits, but given the abundance of rose/oud fragrances in the market, this collection should appeal only to a select few, and I'd be surprised to find owners of say, more than two. Still, it's impossible to the deny the quality and the power of these juices, which are very impressive.
8 out of 10
It's most similar to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the use of raspberry but it's a bit sharper and more resinous. Like most of the collection, it appeals to the sweet-loving side of the wearer, so while it's not overall as sweet as, say, Kuwait, it's still quite enjoyably sweet to my nose. Apart from that, it's woody with tinges of citrus and other non-rose florals, but it's a pretty safe rose/oud to wear.
At $555 for 50ml, the pricing is steep so I'm not sure I'd ever really consider making a move on a full bottle at retail price for this. The collection is really quite excellent, a variety of rose/oud fragrances that have varying merits, but given the abundance of rose/oud fragrances in the market, this collection should appeal only to a select few, and I'd be surprised to find owners of say, more than two. Still, it's impossible to the deny the quality and the power of these juices, which are very impressive.
8 out of 10
After comparing SOO and UAE side by side, I've found that I enjoy this one much more! There is some rose, but not overwhelming like in UAE. SOO will run through a nice depth of its notes over the course of a few hours, while UAE stays linear with the rose for the most part. There is also just a tiny bit of "stank" and animalistic thing going in this after the initial spray, which goes well with the floral and helps cut through it a bit.
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