Abu Dhabi- From the eyes of Gallivant

When we think of the United Arab Emirates, endless deserts is what may cross our minds. But does anyone actually know about the ancient rich history of the pearls of the Persian Gulf prior to transforming into an OPEC-rich country? The hot golden sand, dazzling bright light, and the desert breeze have seen it all, passing on the rich heirloom over the generations of this mainland based on an island of the Persian Gulf. Celebrating the dessert breeze, dryness, and spices and in the attempt of seeking an emotional echo of those era-defining perfumes from the late 80s and 1990s such as Bel Ami and Fahrenheit by the legendary Jean Louis-Sieuzac, founder of Gallivant, an independent perfume maker with a history of success, Nick Steward, launches the new Abu Dhabi edition in the Gallivant clan. To find out more, read Abu Dhabi- From the eyes of Gallivant.

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Nick reveals his desire to capture some of the romance, and the beautiful simplicity of the Arabic sand since he first read about Wilfred Thesinger’s Arabian Sands back in his university days.

The Unisex perfume, Abu Dhabi is hot, dry, and spicy. Precisely, an updated version of the traditional fougère construction. One of the major fragrance families, which also includes Floral, Oriental, Woody, Chypre, Gourmand, Fruity, and Citrus, is referred to as “fougère,” which is French for “fern-like.”

The scent opens with Cypress, Pink Pepper, Peppermint, Rosemary and Cistus. One of the Asian and neighboring countries of Abu Dhabi where Cypress is found in Iran, also familiar as Mediterranean or Persian Cypress. Surprisingly, the tradition of decorating Cypress and Pine trees for Christmas is supposed to have originated in ancient Iran, when people would gather in front of Cypress trees on January 1st as a symbol of their endurance to the cold and darkness.

Cypress

Additionally, it is renowned for its fragrant, incredibly strong wood, which was most famously utilized for the doors of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Rome. Before the discovery of stainless steel, distilleries used Cypress as staves to contain mash ferments to produce alcohol. One of the most crucial processes in making yeast bread is bulk fermentation, often known as the initial rise or primary fermentation. It starts as soon as the mixing is complete and continues until the dough is divided and pre-shaped. The name accurately describes the stage when the dough is fermenting in a sizable, single mass.

Pink pepper, a dried fruit (French: Baie Rose, “Pink Berry”) refers to three different species: the Euonymus Phellomanus, the traditional Baies rose plant, the Schinus Molle shrub, sometimes known as the Peruvian Peppertree, and the Schinus Terebinthifolia (the Brazilian Pepper). Typically imported from Madagascar is the Pink Peppercorn from the Euonymus Phellomanus, often known as the Baies Rose plant. They are hence costly as a result. Pink Peppercorns have a strong flavor and a hint of sweetness, but they lack the actual pepper’s intensity of flavor.

Salvia Rosmarinus, also called Rosemary, is a Mediterranean-native shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers. Rosemary oil is used to make aromatic body fragrances and to fill spaces with its aroma. Additionally, it is utilized in shampoos and cleaning products, as well as incense.

Now, the heart of this perfume is composed of Clary Sage, Saffron, Geranium, and Orris. The distinctive smell of Clary Sage has a distinct aroma from that of regular sage. It has a mild flowery, musky, fresh, herbal fragrance with amber undertones. It blends well with Citrus, Geranium, Lavender, Jasmine, Neroli, Rose, Thyme, Amber, Cedar, and Sandalwood. In order to support a leather chord, Saffron is frequently added to perfumes. Saffron has a potent aroma that is slightly rubbery, leathery, earthy, hay-like, and velvety.

The dry down, with its beautifully memorable sillage, evocative of the desert breeze, is constructed with Cedarwood, Patchouli, Leather notes, and Musks.

Do you remember the smell of your school pencil? That fragrance is actually Cedar, which is naturally also the wood used to make pencils. It obviously smells woody, but that would be oversimplifying it; it also has a freshness and undertones of Resin. Cedar will also take you back to an evergreen forest if you’ve ever gone through one. The strong oil, which is also used in aromatherapy for soothing and balancing, is produced mostly by steam distilling the leaf of trees grown in Virginia or the Atlas mountains of Morocco. This slow-growing tree’s use today raises certain environmental concerns because its roots and wood are occasionally used. For this reason, various synthetic Cedar-like notes are now included in many men’s and women’s scents to add depth and a “grounding” character.

Speaking of Leather notes and Patchouli in the perfume, although synthetic molecules are typically used to make leather fragrances, a comparable aroma can also be produced by mixing materials like Tobacco, Birch Tar, and Patchouli. Leather is adaptive and versatile, frequently having a fragrance that brings back fond memories.

Steward enlisted the help of a regular traveler to the Emirates, Lucas Sieuzac to create the Abu Dhabi fragrance. In his experience, Steward talks about how it is enjoyable working with Lucas taking a journey through philosophical aspects of perfumes and other matters and at the same time colored with easy-going humor.

He greatly enjoys Lucas’s lightness of being, his effortless precision, and his simplicity. Then again, his composition has a classic, rational quality to it that has a neo-vintage vibe and an old-school elegance that Steward associates with Emirati culture. Precise, elegant, simple, and straight to the point.

“This perfume symbolizes for me the fine line between modernity and tradition, which feels like a very Emirati characteristic. We’ve blended key ingredients of traditional Middle Eastern perfumery – spices like saffron, pink pepper, as well as balsamic accented cistus and leather – alongside the components of a modern fougère construction – such as rosemary, cypress, clary sage, geranium, and orris, on a bed of cedarwood, patchouli and musks.”

-says Lucas Sieuzac

The Los Angeles edition of the Gallivant family in 2020 was awarded the Best Niche Fragrance at the Pure Beauty Global Awards. Los Angeles is a modern flower scent. Woody, smokey, sultry, and chilled by a sea breeze.

Whereas, the Naples edition happens to be a citrus, woody, and incense-like fragrance. A reminiscence of Neapolitan decadence with charm, smoke and sea air with salt.

Tokyo was inspired by exploring the quiet back streets of Tokyo, this award-winning perfume is a playful tribute to kōdō, the Japanese Way of Fragrance. This smells zingy, peppery, and woody. Yuzu, Bergamot, Black Pepper, and Cardamom combine to create a zesty head that is energized by a touch of Wasabi. Hinoki, Cedarwood, and incense form the woody heart, which is accompanied by Iris, Rose, and Nutmeg. Amber, Sandalwood, Patchouli, and Vetiver make up the base.

London, on the other hand, celebrates rain, shine, a touch of grit, and a dash of glam with a floral leather fragrance. It has a crown of cucumber and violet leaves and a watery green color. Rose de Mai absolute, Rose oil, and Orris root are used to create a floral heart and leather, Sandalwood, Patchouli, and Cedarwood for the base notes.