I think Saudi singlehandedly keeps the perfume and cologne industry afloat. They are very into intense fragrances and both men and women are generous with their daily spritzing… Even just going to the grocery can be an experience more fragrant than a junior high girls’ locker room after a Bath & Body Works sale. (Does anyone else get nauseated by the smell of cucumber melon to this day?) The difference is that Saudis smell much more expensive. 😂
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Fragrance boutiques of all kinds are plentiful in the kingdom and perfume/
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My girl friends smell so good all the time and their aroma lingers. Ezra would smell like his babysitter for hours after she left. People seem to prefer bold fragrances that make a lasting statement. Rose is very popular 🌹, along with oud, which projects a deep, musky, woody smell (makes sense bc it’s extracted from the resin of a specific tree when mold infects it). 😳
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Oud has a deep history in the Middle East and families regularly burn oud incense at the entrance of their home to welcome guests. Visitors are encouraged to waft the smoke into their hair and clothes.
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I’ve even found myself being influenced into buying more perfume than I ever have since living here. Although I order it in the US and bring it back in my luggage because fragrances at Saudi Sephoras are at least 20% more expensive than at Sephora in the US. 💰
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When we were in Paris a few months ago, we visited a one-of-a-kind, family-owned fragrance shop that I had read about online. In their closet-sized shop in the heart of the ritzy part of town, the founder’s son told us this is the only place they physically sell their perfumes – oh, and Riyadh. 😄 A prime example of Saudi’s devotion to the finer-smelling things in life.
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