Gallivant Abu Dhabi by Karl
“I wanted to capture some of the romance, adventure, the beautiful simplicity I first read about in Wilfred Thesinger’s Arabian Sands while I studied Arabic at university. That was my first experience of the Emirates and Abu Dhabi. Incandescent light, the sand horizon, the shifting splendour of the dunes, the warm wind from the Empty Quarter, the Rub al Khali desert.” “I wanted to evoke an expedition across the dunes and give it a kind of sepia-tinged minimalism. So, there’s most definitely a dose of nostalgia in this composition, a neo-vintage feeling. I was seeking an emotional echo of those era-defining perfumes from the late 80s and 1990s such as Bel Ami and Fahrenheit, composed by the legendary Jean-Louis Sieuzac, Lucas’ father.”-Nick Steward, Gallivant
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Image of Nick Steward courtesy of Gallivant and photo of Lucas Sieuzac courtesy of Euro Fragrance
There is something personal and intimate, which spring to mind when evoking memories, specific times and especially places. Gallivant founded and created by Nick Steward takes us to locations around the world and provides us with a snapshot of famous cities. The collection of twelve perfumes is our opportunity to sample not only these places in a broad sense but to navigate them in microcosm. Gallivant Abu Dhabi (new for 2022) feels personal somewhat vintage and is a fragrance with a genteel aspect.
Image of Dunes, Finding by Dan Grinwis courtesy of Gallivant
Gallivant Abu Dhabi is composed by Lucas Sieuzac, who has intuitively expressed the emotions of Mr. Steward’s youth in visiting Abu Dhabi as a ten-year-old and created a scent which is initially invigorating and surprising and also one that harkens back to a moment of nostalgia. The clear reference to arid heat and desert dunes is apparent here. However, the opening of cypress, pink pepper, rosemary, and most of all peppermint is unexpected. Maybe this is a nod to the innocence of youth, a new horizon? I can tell you that this really separates Abu Dhabi from other well known ‘leather’ perfumes. Many times, we come across such fragrances with a fruity top note and overpowering base. Here there is a languid and smooth sojourn from sparkling top to a refined conclusion. The blend of aromatic notes up top gives a crystalline effect, it tricked me into thinking that we would be heading into a light, airy amber fragrance with and a touch of ambroxan. I was wrong.
Dmitry Novikov Unsplash crystalline image courtesy of Gallivant
From here the journey develops into spicy, darker territory. Saffron, geranium and orris blend into the heart which makes me think of powdery sand dunes and a subtle tinge of nubuck begins to poke through. There is a point where the cistus and cedarwood saunters into the wearing, which I most enjoy. Here there is a specific reference to Mashrabiya wooden panels, the traditional lattice screens used as a response to the local climate having both heating and cooling capacities but also created for a profound requirement for intimacy and seclusion. This unvarnished woody experience seems a salient choice to bring across in Gallivant Abu Dhabi. The finale of the wearing is grounded and deep brought about by patchouli. It is smooth and paired back rather than overwhelming.
Image of ochre-coloured bursts by Dave Hoefler, Unsplash Courtesy of Gallivant.
Naples and Istanbul are standouts from the brand for me and now Abu Dhabi makes a triumvirate of scents I particularly enjoy. Here one is aware of thoughtful creative direction and haute perfumery. It is the antithesis of commercial shock value scents which the market is awash with. Instead, we are treated to a complex fusion of sparkling, spicy and leather notes in an original interpretation.
Notes: Cypress, pink pepper, peppermint, rosemary, cistus, clary sage, saffron, geranium, orris, cedarwood, patchouli, leather notes, musk.
Karl Topham UK Ambassador & Senior Editor, thoughts are my own.
Sample of Gallivant Abu Dhabi kindly sent for review by Nick Steward
Abu Dhabi Courtesy of Gallivant.
Thanks to the largesse of Nick Steward, we have a draw for a 30 ml of Gallivant Abu Dhabi Eau de Parfum for one registered reader in the UNITED KINGDOM or if you have an address to ship to in the UK. Please be sure to register. To be eligible please let us know what appeals to you about Karl’s review, where you live and if you have a favourite Gallivant Perfume. Draw closes 11/13/22.
Please read Alex C. Musgrave’s reviews of Naples, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Brooklyn, Bukhara, London, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Berlin and Los Angeles. ÇaFleureBon was the first fragrance site to review Gallivant perfumes in 2017
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