Smells like a perfume launch

Designer label Nabeel & Aqeel is the first to launch signature fragrances in Pakistan.

LAHORE: It seems that launching fragrances has become the latest vogue. With many international fashion houses and celebrities jumping on the fragrance launch bandwagon, it was inevitable that the trend would transcend borders and permeate into the local fashion scene. And the first to catch the wave are designer brothers Nabeel and Aqeel Iftikhar. Going by the label Nabeel & Aqeel, the two have launched their signature perfume line for both him and her.

Although France is the hub of fragrance manufacturing,  and most designers and celebrities seeking to make perfumes go to perfumeries in the country for desired scents, the Iftikhar brothers took a different direction. In order to make affordable and quality products, the duo went to Spain to get their perfumes manufactured. “Our signature fragrances are inspired by glamorous, age-old perfumeries, where exquisite ingredients are used to create one-of-kind scents of sophistication and luxury,” says Nabeel.

Nabeel & Aqeel fragrances comprise five Eau de toilettes – four for men and one for women. “It took us six years to conceptualise this range and bring it to the market,” shares Nabeel. “The reason why we opted for Eau de toilette rather than Eau de parfum is that the latter are generally stronger and much more expensive; the former easily last for about four to six hours and are not very strong,” he further says. Nabeel & Aqeel acknowledges the personal significance of perfumes, and that the mark of a good perfume is how long it lasts.

The brothers explain how working with perfumes is a risky business: “There is a lot of financial investment required and we are talking big numbers,” says Nabeel.

Without revealing the name of the perfumery, Nabeel & Aqeel share with us that their product line is launched at an introductory price of Rs2,600 per bottle.

The collection features the following five perfumes:

1. Phantom: A strong, woody fragrance with notes of citrus that might not be everyone’s taste. Top notes of the perfume are orange, shiso, grapefruit and pepper, while heart notes include flint, mineral and geranium leaves. The base notes are those of oak, moss, vetiver, patchouli and benzoin.

2. Prestige: A fruity, sweet scent for men with the main accords of leather. The top notes of the perfume comprise blackcurrant, bergamot, apple and pineapple.

3. Inception: A manly, butch scent with notes, which are woody, citrusy, musky and spicy. The top notes include petitgrain, cardamom, lemon, orange and fir.

4. Monarch: As the name suggests, this is a fragrance of power and pleasure. An intense interpretation of sensuality. The main accords comprise citrus and marine and are fruity, aromatic and salty, with top notes of bergamot, green mandarin and lemon.

5. Rafia: The only scent for women, the fragrance has been named after the designer’s mother. This scent is a mixture of floral and fruity notes, with top notes of watermelon, mandarin, pink passion fruit, green leaves, water hyacinth and marigold flowers.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2013.

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