Mukhallat Shams
Ajmal

A quality oud perfume can be reasonably priced. All of my reviews of Ajmal - when positive, of course - will begin this way. Mukhallat al Shams fits.

Ajmal has been doing this thing for nearly 80 years, which in itself is very noteworthy considering how few Westerners know of them. Originating in India in the early 1950s, they moved to Dubai in the 1970s and have been there since. They are the largest perfume house in the UAE, and they know what they’re doing.

Here we have a standard oud rose, and there is not much more to be said about it nor any comment to be made on novelty. The rose in the opening sparkles and glistens with some crystalline aldehydes, but immediately settles in for a long haul of oud and rose. The rose accord itself is a bit non-descriptive; it’s a woody damascone used with a heavy hand that cannot really convince you of naturalism but not so synthetic as to feel empty and off-putting. It’s handled well. Then there is the oud of a proper Indian variety: medicinal, fecal, barnyard animalic, leathery, deeply resinous woody, and all of the other characteristics we want and hope for out of a proper oud accord. This is going to smell achingly familiar to those well acquainted with brands like Montale in its simplicity and template following presentation, but what’s notable in Mukhallat is that it is noticeably smoother and less rustic than a Montale, and despite the proper presentation of oud and its naturally heavy and challenging characteristics, Ajmal keep it lightweight, breathable, diffusive, and full of space for it and your nose to move around. While wearing this I always get the impression - and a frustrating reminder for myself - that it wears like a cologne, and that I should be wearing this more often across seasons and occasions. But I, like most of us, associate this accord with cool weather and formal presentations - not warm weather or wear-it-for-the-hell-of-it applicabilities. But I can! You can! We should! The dry down reinforces this interpretation as it goes to an animalic musky and floral sandalwood aroma with the oud still wafting about and peeking its head out in brief little flitters. Mukhallat is a bit short on longevity, but there is nothing wrong with that either; again, a rose oud cologne - it doesn’t need to, nor do I necessarily want it to off-gas like warfare throughout the entirety of the day. In warm and humid weather the longevity noticeably increases by a significant margin.

Easy. Simple. Fun. Just plain good. It’s hopeless to not like Mukhallat. Sure it’s derivative, and sure there are better oud roses out there especially if you want to pay the premium. But you don’t have to; you can wear a good oud rose with abandon without guilt or concern since you got it for a very good price, and just have some good fun doing it.