Ayala Moriel- Musk Malabi & Sandal Ale

The two new perfumes from Ayala Moriel, Musk Malabi and Sandal Ale, offer somewhat unusual pairings of gourmand elements with classic perfumery notes. Like all Ayala Moriel perfumes, these are all natural fragrances and you can tell- they smell alive once you put them on skin. Both have an impressive longevity even when applied sparingly from a sample, and very low sillage.

Sandal Ale is a weird one. The first minute or two are disorienting: booze and wood polish, but no perfume as we know it. But it's the tension between raw wood, apricots preserved in cognac, and old-fashioned ginger ale that captures your attention and causes the age-old wrist-to-nose compulsion. It's fascinating to follow the development and catch the exact moment when Santal Ale moves from weird to delicious.
Notes: Amyris, Elderflower , Green Cognac , Marigold, Australian Sandalwood

Musk Malabi is a treat for musk-heads. Inspired by a Middle Eastern dessert, a pudding flavored with rosewater syrup, this is a dirty vegetal musk enveloped in neroli and lots of sweet red rose. If you think of the rosy facet in MKK and amplify it considerably while replacing the civet with the muskiest musk, you'll have an idea of the charm woven into this Musk Malabi. I want to bathe in this stuff. Or eat it.
Notes: Atlas Cedarwood, Bitter Orange, Blood Orange Cardamom, Coriander, Musk Notes Myrrh, Neroli (Tunisia), Orange Blossom Absolute Rose Absolute (Bulgaria), Rose Absolute (Turkey).

Santal Ale and Musk Malabi are available from ayalamoriel.com, where you can purchase samples and bottles in various sizes (a 4ml mini EDP of either is $48). Samples for this review were sent by the perfumer.

Photo by Dario Robleto.