Established way back in 1979, Rasasi Perfumes is a household name in the Gulf region. This family business was spearheaded by the very enterprising Abdul Razzak Kalsekar who is still overseeing the business today, along with his six sons.

I spent an afternoon in their City Centre Deira branch last Friday morning, and was in awe with the very beautiful, spacious interiors of the store. The store takes cues from simplistic yet classy Parisian design. On the one end is a selection of oud chips, and an array of long-necked glass bottles with interesting perfume potions that can be mixed together and customized.

 

My eyes caught sight of the absolutely stunning enamel bottles that were on display. Each look like a work of art, and I was quite certain they’d cost a fortune. To my surprise, most of these retail for under AED 200!

Infact, the Rasasi range starts from as low as AED 35 and can go up to as high as AED 150,000. Don’t let this prim and posh storefront scare you away. Rasasi Perfumes really does have a scent to fit every budget… and every nose!

 

Rasasi’s Folklory Wardi

 

I am not a fan of overly floral scents, and was therefore rather skeptical on trying out the Folklory Wardi.

Wardi is Arabic for rose, and can also refer to the color pink.

The enamel bottle looks ultra feminine with a curled pink petal top and stone embellishments.

 

Even the box pays tribute to the floral connotation as it fans out as a surprise when opened.

 

Scent Breakdown:

Top: Orange Flower, Bulgarian Rose
Middle: Bulgarian Rose , Jasmine, Lily of the Valley & violet
Base: Patchouli, Musk, Vanilla, Dry Amber

On first spritz, I found the scent to be overly sweet and peachy. It must be the vanilla. A few seconds later, I get whiffs of the zesty freshness of orange flower and a hint of spicy amber. What resides on is the delicate mix of heady Bulgarian rose with a sweetness of vanilla and a musky undertone of patchouli.

I thought I had grown out of vanilla scents, and then I get this gorgeous bottle. Folky Wardi is a sophisticated, grown-up vanilla. A beautiful amalgamation of Western sweet and Eastern woodiness.

This scent is light and feminine enough to be worn on a daily basis, yet mysterious enough to take you from day to night.

 

Apart from the gorgeous bottle that looks like a showpiece on my vanity shelf, this scent lingers on for a good 4 hours on me.

And can you guess the retail price of this 30 ml bottle? A mere AED 125! Buy one, and get a few more for your girlfriends I say!

Folklory also comes in a green edition called Folklory Akhdar. If you are not too keen on sweeter scents, this is a spicier alternative featuring cardamom, saffron, tobacco and oud. Click here for more details.

 

5 Reasons to Love the Rasasi Folklory Wardi Perfume

• The bottle design is a work of art!
• The unique scent is a very clever mix of East and West, sweet and spicy.
• The scent lingers on for a good 4 hours after application.
• It only costs AED 125!
• Would be perfect for gifting.

 

Where to Buy Rasasi Perfumes

Rasasi Perfumes currently owns and operates 165 elegantly-designed stores in leading malls and prime market locations across the GCC (UAE, KSA, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar) and their products are exported to more than 60 countries across the globe. For more information, visit http://www.rasasi.com