How to Choose

Buying fragrance you can't smell is difficult. Here is how to narrow eight down to one without guessing.

Start with the base, not the opening

The first ten minutes of any fragrance are the least useful part. Top notes are bright, volatile and gone quickly. What you'll actually live with is the base — the oud, musk, amber, vanilla or sandalwood underneath. If you know you like warm and woody, start with Sahm, Dunes, Al-Badr or Bakhur. If you prefer clean and soft, look at Purity or Senses.

The eight, briefly

• Sahm — dark, woody, oud and leather. The loudest of the collection.
• Al-Badr — iris and cedar over vetiver and tonka. Elegant rather than heavy.
• Dunes — incense, pepper and leather. Dry, smoky, cold-weather.
• Bakhur — saffron, rose and incense. The most traditionally Arabian.
• Signature — praline, vanilla and amber. Warm and gourmand without being sweet.
• Queen — cherry, amber and coffee. Rich and confident.
• Senses — pear, vanilla and rose. Soft, fruited, close.
• Purity — white florals over cashmere musk. The quietest of the eight.

Give it a day

Wear a fragrance for a full day before deciding — on skin, not on paper, and not layered with anything else. Skin chemistry changes a fragrance more than most people expect, which is why a scent that works beautifully on someone else can read completely differently on you.

How much to apply

Two sprays is plenty for most of these; the woody compositions need less than you think. If you can still smell your own fragrance strongly after an hour, you have probably applied too much — you stop noticing your own scent long before other people do.