“My love of the oud became a passion when I moved to the Middle East over 20 years ago,” says Mona Kattan, creator of Kayali.

The Oudgasm collection took five years to develop. It celebrates the many facets of one of perfumery’s noblest and most opulent ingredients through four unisex scents, developed to magnify the magical character of oud.

Intense, sensual and luxurious, each fragrance offers a modern take on the art and rituals of Middle Eastern perfume layering (all Oudgasm fragrances can be layered with one another).
Warm and spicy when combined with vanilla and saffron, an essence of the Orient when blended with Bulgarian rose, comforting when combined with creamy cappuccino, animalic when combined with tobacco (Oudgasm Vanilla Oud 36, Oudgasm Rose Oud 16, Oudgasm Café Oud 19 and Oudgasm Tobacco Oud 04, eau de parfum intense 50 ml, €129 each). The fragrances are also available in deluxe miniatures (10 ml, €38).

To collaborate on the creation of the fragrances, Mona called on one of the region’s leading perfumers, Hamid Merati-Kashani (Dsm-Firmenich), a true aficionado of this rich, complex note. “Opening up new territory for Kayali was both exhilarating and challenging. The idea was to push the boundaries …