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| Left to right: Citrus, Vanilla, Musk, Elixr |
While I love collecting (read: aggressively hoarding) makeup, fragrance is something I’ve never been much of a collector of. This is mainly because I’m a huge fan of signature scents. In other words, I love the concept of one’s identity being punctuated by a specific, consistent scent, vs. rotating through multiple options. As such, for the past several years, I’ve worn the same 2-3 fragrances that I rotate depending on the summer/winter seasons. I had no intentions of expanding my collection (much less by 4 new additions) until I saw promotions of this new brand, Kayali (launched as a sub-brand to Huda Beauty by beauty moguls, Huda and Mona Kattan). Huda and Mona launched this collection to expand on the concept of layering fragrances, and based on the individual scents, I knew these fragrances would be something special, and I was not wrong. 😍😍😍😍 I’m blown away by how beautiful these Kayali fragrances are. Each one is captivating and unique, and when layered together, they pair seamlessly to create a beautiful melody of complimentary fragrance notes.
☆ Elixr is the deepest and most complex of the bunch. The exotic friend that’s dark and mysterious, but always kind and friendly. Notes of patchouli and amber are lightened by softer notes of rose, jasmine, and red apple, and they pair together to make a perfect blend of east meets west, a concept that’s deeply definitive of my own identity.
☆ Musk is the warm sweater of the bunch. Warm, comforting, and one of those beautiful scents that elevates any fragrances paired with it. Jasmine, musk, and sandalwood combine to make a soft, powdery scent that I find very appealing. I find this is not the most unique musk scent I’ve ever smelled, but it’s definitely a beautiful one.
☆ Vanilla is the sweet and grounded element of this collection, and the one I was most hesitant about. I find vanilla scents often tend to smell extremely synthetic, and often come with a nauseating scent of burned sugar. In that regard, Kayali Vanilla was an extremely pleasant surprise. It’s a mix of vanilla, tonka, and some subtle jasmine. It’s sweet, soft, and not the least bit synthetic. It smells truly like fresh vanilla should, and adds a wonderful level of sweetness to any other fragrance. This was certainly the biggest surprise of the bunch, and I’m very happy to have it.
☆ Citrus is the spunky, sparkly friend of the group. It is the boost of positivity and energy that helps to add freshness to any of the other scents. Bergamot, pink grapefruit, and pink pepper make this an extremely appealing light and spunky fragrance. Fresh and sophisticated, it’s a nice, lighter addition the the collection.
One neat element of the packaging is the number listed with each scent, which indicates how many renditions it took to get each fragrance to final form. Citrus was the least complicated at 8, Elixr is at 11, Musk had 12, and, the most demanding of the bunch, Vanilla, took 28 versions before being final! I thought this was a really nice touch to the packaging, and also a bit of a glimpse into how much dedication went into perfecting each fragrance.
I’m pleasantly surprised by how lovely this whole collection is. I’ve been exclusively rotating through these fragrances since I got them in October, and I’ve been greatly enjoying layering them. Fragrance layering is a brand new concept to me, as, like I mentioned above, I’ve always been a minimalist when it comes to fragrance. As such, mixing and matching these Kayali fragrances has been a really fun new experience, and is a nice way to customize scent according to my mood and schedule for the day. I was initially worried that layering so many unique scents would create an overpowering effect, but I find that by alternating the amount of each one applied, you can create a light or deep application, depending on your own preference and occasion.
So far, my most consistent and loved combination for daytime has been Musk and Vanilla. It’s such a perfect blend of warmth and a bit of sweetness, and has been a great daytime winter scent for me. For night/special events, I have loved Elixr, Musk, and Vanilla together, as Elixr adds great depth to the warmth and sweetness that Musk and Vanilla create. I’ve not incorporated Citrus a lot in my pairings, yet, as I prefer citrusy smells for the spring and summer, but I have paired it with Vanilla and Musk (separately), and both combinations have been stunning.
Overall, I find each fragrance to be unique and extremely long-wearing. Another important point to mention is that I’m extremely sensitive to fragrance in that certain scents can be an immediate migraine trigger for me. Super happy to report that these fragrances have not caused any sensitivities.
Each Kayali fragrance is available on Sephora.com, retails for $118, and is 3.4 oz, which is a tremendously generous size for the price. Given how potent each fragrance is, a little goes quite a long way, and through layering, you’re extending the use of each.
Final Rating:
A+
☆ Elixr is the deepest and most complex of the bunch. The exotic friend that’s dark and mysterious, but always kind and friendly. Notes of patchouli and amber are lightened by softer notes of rose, jasmine, and red apple, and they pair together to make a perfect blend of east meets west, a concept that’s deeply definitive of my own identity.
☆ Musk is the warm sweater of the bunch. Warm, comforting, and one of those beautiful scents that elevates any fragrances paired with it. Jasmine, musk, and sandalwood combine to make a soft, powdery scent that I find very appealing. I find this is not the most unique musk scent I’ve ever smelled, but it’s definitely a beautiful one.
☆ Vanilla is the sweet and grounded element of this collection, and the one I was most hesitant about. I find vanilla scents often tend to smell extremely synthetic, and often come with a nauseating scent of burned sugar. In that regard, Kayali Vanilla was an extremely pleasant surprise. It’s a mix of vanilla, tonka, and some subtle jasmine. It’s sweet, soft, and not the least bit synthetic. It smells truly like fresh vanilla should, and adds a wonderful level of sweetness to any other fragrance. This was certainly the biggest surprise of the bunch, and I’m very happy to have it.
☆ Citrus is the spunky, sparkly friend of the group. It is the boost of positivity and energy that helps to add freshness to any of the other scents. Bergamot, pink grapefruit, and pink pepper make this an extremely appealing light and spunky fragrance. Fresh and sophisticated, it’s a nice, lighter addition the the collection.
One neat element of the packaging is the number listed with each scent, which indicates how many renditions it took to get each fragrance to final form. Citrus was the least complicated at 8, Elixr is at 11, Musk had 12, and, the most demanding of the bunch, Vanilla, took 28 versions before being final! I thought this was a really nice touch to the packaging, and also a bit of a glimpse into how much dedication went into perfecting each fragrance.
I’m pleasantly surprised by how lovely this whole collection is. I’ve been exclusively rotating through these fragrances since I got them in October, and I’ve been greatly enjoying layering them. Fragrance layering is a brand new concept to me, as, like I mentioned above, I’ve always been a minimalist when it comes to fragrance. As such, mixing and matching these Kayali fragrances has been a really fun new experience, and is a nice way to customize scent according to my mood and schedule for the day. I was initially worried that layering so many unique scents would create an overpowering effect, but I find that by alternating the amount of each one applied, you can create a light or deep application, depending on your own preference and occasion.
So far, my most consistent and loved combination for daytime has been Musk and Vanilla. It’s such a perfect blend of warmth and a bit of sweetness, and has been a great daytime winter scent for me. For night/special events, I have loved Elixr, Musk, and Vanilla together, as Elixr adds great depth to the warmth and sweetness that Musk and Vanilla create. I’ve not incorporated Citrus a lot in my pairings, yet, as I prefer citrusy smells for the spring and summer, but I have paired it with Vanilla and Musk (separately), and both combinations have been stunning.
Overall, I find each fragrance to be unique and extremely long-wearing. Another important point to mention is that I’m extremely sensitive to fragrance in that certain scents can be an immediate migraine trigger for me. Super happy to report that these fragrances have not caused any sensitivities.
Each Kayali fragrance is available on Sephora.com, retails for $118, and is 3.4 oz, which is a tremendously generous size for the price. Given how potent each fragrance is, a little goes quite a long way, and through layering, you’re extending the use of each.
Final Rating:
A+
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