On May 10, 2010, the United Arab Emirates saw the birth of the prestigious perfume house Tola. The founder and nose is Dhaher Bin Dhaher, introduced to the art of perfume by his mother who was dedicated to the fine art of composition of aromatic oils and fragrances as in many families of his native land. Mixing herbs and flowers, combining every single note over and over again looking for that aura of perfection and harmony, through secret family recipes, passed down from generation to generation, Tola revealed through its fragrances a world filled with tradition, culture and memories. Almost in order to underline the richness and the preciousness of every drop of these perfumes, the collection of fragrances is named Tola, the Indian unit of weight that since 1833 corresponded to a silver rupee of 11.70 grams and it is still in use to calculate the weight of gold and other precious materials.

The concept of the fragrances is based on an imaginary journey through time and space. A fabulous and fantastic journey that can last a lifetime, leading us from the origin of Arabian perfumery to the present days. But what most enriches every single bottle of these perfumes, beyond the packaging which is absolutely beautiful and elegant, is the fact that, as if to remind the narrative strand of short stories of the Thousand and One Nights, each scent has its own history, its particular inspiration.

Misk Begum: From the Arab word Misk, as musk, commonly used to identify the widest range of notes and materials of a musk odor profile, and Begum, a Turkis term that refers to a female member of high society families or of the Royal family. It evokes the image of an ethereal presence walking through the royal gardens. A fragrance that opens fresh and bright as a gem, on a green citrusy accord, with notes of Orange and Grapefruit, laying on Rose petals, Lily-of-the valley, Orris, Jasmine, Heliotrope and Freesia, with notes of Ambergris, Sandalwood and Musk swaying gently from the base notes of the fragrance. On my opinion, this is the freshest of the entire collection with a western touch.

Anbar: From the original arab term for Amber. An oriental fruity fragrance. A rich, silky and warm composition in which, of course, the leitmotif is the enveloping aura of the best Ambergris that embraces  fruity notes, incense, spices and resins. The fragrance opens on a sweet nectar of strawberry, plum, orange and apple, which dissolves to a floral heart of Orris, Carnation and Jasmine melt with a touch of Cinnamon, sensual Ambergris, CedarWood, Patchouli, Benzoin from Siam, Tonka Bean, Labdanum and incense.

Shahzadah: A Floral, Oriental Chipré fragrance, which takes its name from the Persian prince Shahzadah, destined by lineage to ascend to the title of Shah. From the time of his reign, through the centuries, his name evokes a figure of prestige enhancing grace, wisdom, art, collecting his kingdom all forms of knowledge and beauty. A powerful, regal, intense fragrance, with fruity notes and rich of amber and resins. The top notes include Grapefruit, Lime, Orange, Plum, Raspberry and Pink pepper. In the heart of the fragrance notes of Rose, Geranium, Jasmine and Lily of the valley on a base of Cedarwood, Guaiac and Sandalwood, Patchouli, Oud, Nagarmotha, Frankincense, Musk, Ambergris, Honey and Vanilla.

Gulbadan: From the Persian word whose meaning is “with the body of a rose”. The fragrance evokes an ancient painting of two young lovers, creating the paradox of a legendary love and the fresh, melting, present emotion of a first love, spontaneous, melodramatic, which transforms us into the protagonists of our fairy tale. A complex full oriental fragrance, in which the presence of Ylang-Ylang and Oud is perceived from the very beginning. Top notes are Lemon, Lime, Green notes, Star Anise, Apple, Pineapple, Peach and Plum. In the heart of the fragrance Ylang – Ylang dominates the composition, together with notes of Orchid, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine, Orris, Rose, Geranium, Lilac and Orange blossom. The base notes include Cedarwood and Sandalwood, Patchouli, Oud, Styrax, Vetiver, Musk, Ambergris and Vanilla.

Masha: Masha is a very ancient Indian unit of mass, and it was used to measure both weight and lenght prior to the adoption of the metric system. It was adopted to estimate “invaluable” goods, such as works of art, jewels or any property they could not evaluate “by weight or by measure”. True to its name, Masha is a deep and ethereal fragrance, complex as a poem, enigmatic as a veiled woman. Although the top notes are extremely fruity, the perception of its aroma is immediately spicy and hot. Top notes are Peach, Pineapple, Plum, Strawberry, Raspberry, Cedar, Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Apple, Bergamot , Black Pepper, Pink Pepper and Birch. In the heart of the Fragrance a beautiful spices and flowers accord including Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Coffee, Artemisia, Magnolia, Jasmine, Rose, Orris and Lily-of-the-Valley. Base notes are Oud, Leather notes, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Labdanum, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Civet and Castoreum.

Misqaal: On the Silk Road, the Misqaal was the unit of measurement used in trade of valuable materials such as gold, rare spices, gems and silk of the highest quality (1 Tola was approximately equal to 1.88 Misqaal). It might be inspired to a symbolic place somewhere between Europe and Asia, carried by nomadic caravans traveling to unknown far destinations, where aromas and flavors blend drawing on different landscapes and cultures. The structure of this oriental fragrance is in fact extremely complex with notes of Pineapple, Plum, Raspberry, Sicilian Lemon, Mandarin, Cedar, Grapefruit, Pink pepper, Nutmeg, Star anise, Coriander, Honey, Fir on a heart of Juniper, Cinnamon, Geranium, Heliotrope, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine, Orris, Rose, Orange Blosso, Orchid. Base notes are Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Oud, Frankincense, Labdanum, Benzoin, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Musk, Leather, Amber and Castoreum.

A collection of Perfumes made with precious raw materials of absolute beauty but with olfactory pyramids and unusual arrangements that create an imaginary bridge between the Arab culture perfumes and  Western fragrances. As a tale verbally transmitted is enriched with details on each new story, so the scents of Tola develop on the skin, to give voice to its own history, its own mysterious range of emotions.

In Northern Italy, you will find Tola Perfumes at ArteProfumo Udine or you can visit the perfumer’s web site  www.tolaperfumery.com