Which Khadlaj sample to try first
Khadlaj is a Sharjah perfume manufacturer with named lines from Karus to Island. Five Eau de Parfum samples, ordered by how often they are chosen, with a note map.
Khadlaj Perfumes was founded in 1997 and is based in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, where the house says it manufactures its own perfumes. It describes its range as a mix of rich oud compositions, floral pieces and contemporary fresh perfumes, organised in named lines such as Karus, Shiyaaka, Onyx, Island, Velvet, Empire and La Fede. FragranceGems lists five of them as 10 ml samples, all Eau de Parfum. With a catalogue this broad, a Khadlaj sample is the quickest way to learn which line suits you.
Khadlaj: five samples, ordered by how often they are chosen
We ordered the five by how often FragranceGems customers order each sample. The last two are ordered more rarely so far, which says little about the perfumes. Notes follow the FragranceGems record.
Karus Gold Absolu is the most chosen. It is a unisex Eau de Parfum filed under citrus, floral and gourmand: candied lemon, blackcurrant and bergamot on top, praline, magnolia and violet in the heart, musk and vetiver underneath. A sweet-sour fruit opening above praline is a combination people either like at once or not at all, so it suits a trial.
Shiyaaka Sky is listed for men and tagged citrus, floral and fresh. Lemon verbena, bergamot and mandarin open it, a green accord, neroli, orange blossom and geranium form the heart, and musk, ambroxan, sandalwood and vetiver rest underneath. It is the easiest of the five to follow on skin.
Onyx Silver is peppery and aromatic: black pepper, bergamot and ginger, then cardamom and petitgrain oil, over benzoin, labdanum, patchouli and tonka bean. FragranceGems files it under fresh, oriental and woody.
Island belongs to the line of that name and is the tropical one: pineapple, iris, ginger and cypress, then coconut and woody notes, then tonka bean, sandalwood, amber and ambergris. FragranceGems says the coconut gives a holiday feeling.
Island Dreams has the shortest list of the five: ginger and bergamot, grapefruit in the heart, and musk and ambroxan underneath. With so few notes, the character rests on how the citrus and the clean base behave on your skin.
The Khadlaj note map
Bergamot opens Karus Gold Absolu, Shiyaaka Sky, Onyx Silver and Island Dreams. Ginger appears in Onyx Silver, Island and Island Dreams, and musk in Karus Gold Absolu, Shiyaaka Sky and Island Dreams, where ambroxan joins it, as it does in Shiyaaka Sky. Tonka bean links Onyx Silver and Island, and sandalwood links Shiyaaka Sky and Island. The two samples with a gourmand streak are Karus Gold Absolu, through praline, and Island, through coconut. Follow the threads through bergamot, ginger, musk and tonka, or browse all Arabic perfume samples.
A simple way to read the house is to wear a sweet and a fresh one on the same day, one on each arm, and notice which you reach for again. Karus Gold Absolu against Shiyaaka Sky is the clearest pair, because their openings are so different while both end on musk. A good first trio is Karus Gold Absolu, Shiyaaka Sky and Onyx Silver, one from each of three lines. Island Dreams and Shiyaaka Sky are the ones to pull out in warm weather, as summer samples explains. Test each on a different day, following how to test perfume on skin, and see which sample size fits how many days you want.
From Khadlaj sample to bottle
If one of these lingers in your thoughts after several wearings, the bottle is the next step. Our vial is filled by FragranceGems from the original bottle and labelled by us; Khadlaj is not involved and it is not a brand sample. The first perfume in full size is at Khadlaj Karus Gold Absolu. The sample set page shows how to combine vials, and the FAQ covers filling and labels.
FAQ
Which Khadlaj sample should I try first?
Karus Gold Absolu. It is the Khadlaj sample FragranceGems customers order most, and its candied lemon, blackcurrant and bergamot over praline and violet show the sweet side of the house. Shiyaaka Sky is the fresh alternative.
What are the Khadlaj lines?
The house sorts its perfumes into named lines, among them Karus, Shiyaaka, Onyx, Island, Velvet, Empire and La Fede. Our five samples come from four of these: Karus, Shiyaaka, Onyx and Island.
Is Khadlaj Shiyaaka Sky only for men?
FragranceGems lists it for men, but lemon verbena, neroli and orange blossom wear easily on anyone. Judge it on your own skin, not by the label on the page.
