Full Al-Rehab

Desirability: Full bottle

Whereas Serge Lutens' A La Nuit is creamy, heavy indole-laden jasmine, Al-Rehab's Full is on the other end of the spectrum, being all about freshly picked jasmine buds, nothing dirty, just pure jasmine, jasmine and some more jasmine. If you are looking for something more exciting than a jasmine soliflore, this isn't it. However if you have been searching for a green, mildly sweet and realistic jasmine, Full is definitely worth a try, especially with its super affordable price-tag all over the internet.

It has moderate projection and good longevity on my skin ( I bought the perfume oil in a rollerball). I love jasmine, having grown up with the blooms poking their heads through the window grille of my bedroom to say hello and scenting the whole house with their beauty. Serge Lutens' A La Nuit has been the stand alone jasmine in my wardrobe for many years but it's now joined by a more youthful and innocent sibling. Both jasmine and equally beautiful, but different. 

Choco Musk Al-Rehab

Source: Fragrantica

My brother told me I smell like a cake and he is right I do smell like a chocolate cake, one that is guaranteed to break your no-carb diet or your daily caloric intake if it were edible. Linear and sweet milk chocolate of good quality with non-existent musk or other notes, I put my Montale Chocolate Greedy up for sale after I met Choco Musk and if you were thinking of buying the Montale I would advise to try the Al-Rehab first as it's a fantastic dupe at an unbeatable price on many online stores. Or you could buy my Montale. 

It's been a while since I wore Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Amour de Cacao but I remember comparing it with Chocolate Greedy and finding Amour de Cacao not as thick or sugary as Chocolate Greedy but still satisfying your chocolate craving. There's the briefest of citrus at the opening of Amour de Cacao that along with the chocolate made me think of Terry's chocolate oranges but the citrus was fleeting on me. I wound up with the Montale instead of the Comptoir Sud Pacifique because it came as a free gift along with my purchase of Aoud Queen Roses and I figured one straight-up milk chocolate in my wardrobe was enough.   

I bought the perfume oil version of Choco Musk in a roller ball bottle although an eau de parfum in a spray bottle is available. With regards to the perfume oil, it's projection and longevity are superb and only a little dab on the skin is required for one to smell like a walking confection but I will reassure you that it is not at all sickly sweet. I tried using the roller ball on fabric but it doesn't stick on so I rubbed some on my wrist before transferring on to my top which worked. 

Roses Al-Rehab

Source: Fragrantica

I had two failed attempts at getting my Al-Rehab scents and almost gave up after the second order placed became a non event so to speak. A kind fragrant friend pointed me towards a different source and voila! I am now the proud owner of Roses and a few other Al-Rehab perfume oils.

It opens with a rather shrilly green citrus similar to the opening of Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose, which I dislike, not being able to get past the screechy citruses to find the roses. I was rather crestfallen that the Al-Rehab would suffer the same fate as my bottle of Tea Rose and hide in the depths of my closet till swapped or sold.

Thankfully the roses came in and boy did they show up en masse. Fresh roses, still tinged a pale green at the tips of the opening buds, that shoo the pesky citrus to the background where it hovers waiting to steal the limelight again. The scent stays that way for the end of its pretty impressive lifetime, a lemony (geranium?) rose soliflore. 

True to its name with amazing village and longevity, Al-Rehab's Roses is well worth its price-tag and more. However I prefer my roses to be softer and more velvety and Roses is a bit too strident for my tastes.