Ayala Moriel Parfums Cabaret was created with Rahat Loukoum as part of its inspiration. Rahat Loukoum, or Turkish Delight, is a confection made from sugar and rosewater that is sometimes covered in powdered coconut. Sounds delicious enough to wear as a fragrance don’t you think? Several perfumers thought the same including Keiko Mercheri (Loukhoum), Serge Lutens (Rahat Loukoum), and possibly Calypso St. Barth (their Léa is in the same vein), as well as Ayala Sender with Cabaret.
Keiko Mercheri’s Loukhoum is intensely powdery, almost baby powder-like while Serge Lutens’ Rahat Loukoum possesses a cherry syrup note that does not work well on my skin. I find both unbearably cloying. Léa is not as gooey as those two, but it is heavy on the synthetic musk which to my personal taste is stifling. What sets Cabaret apart from this gourmand crowd, is its subtlety and entirely natural ingredient list.
Ayala, being a highly skilled blender of notes, has managed to capture the sweetness of this floral candy while never crossing into overbearing territory. Bergamot sets the stage for Cabaret with a sparkling hint of citrus and an underlying creamy vanilla quality that emerges from Ayala’s amber accord. Her amber is delicious. Benzoin, ambrette, and labdanum swirl together in a musky, resinous, vanillic aroma that makes me a little weak in the knees.
I’d like to clarify the musk issue since I just mentioned not liking synthetic musks. Ambrette seed oil is a vegetal musk that is earthy, musty, fruity and floral. Ambrette feels like the backbone of Cabaret giving each beautiful raw material; benzoin, labdanum, orris root, rose and magnolia, a sprinkling of dark soil that anchors this sweet floral to its incensey/resinous base. Massoia bark oil from Indonesia gives Cabaret its suggestion of coconut. In keeping with the overall feeling of nuance, the coconut is subtle and earthy but heightens vanilla’s sweetness a notch allowing us to savor Cabaret’s gourmand essence.
Cabaret is available at Ayala Moriel Parfums in many different sizes. $45 for a 4ml parfum mini, $65 for a parfum oil 5ml roll-on, please set site for more information.
Posted by ~Trish
Turkish Delight image from FoodNuts.com
Disclosure: Cabaret is from my own collection. The opinons in this review are my own. I was not financially compensated for this review or any other.
thefloraesthetic.com 
This sounds absolutely delish Trish! I’ll have to see if I have this one in my sampler so I can compare notes with you. The picture you choose to go along with this post is fabulous, I also really like how you are comparing the fragrance with others in the same vain. Thank you for this yummy post, it’s perfect end to a sweet day.
Well thank you for reading Rox 🙂
If you do have Cabaret, please let me know your thoughts. I adore its coconut/vanilla/ambrette musky-mustiness. And when I say musty, I mean it in a good way!
Hugs,
T
ooh- this sounds yummy! I just attended a Turkish culture and a food festival and had some of the most delicious desserts ever, so I am totally in the mood for some Lokum..:) I am not a fan of cherry notes, so have never tried Rahat Loukoum..
I really must sample Ayala’s perfumes- I have heard such good things about them!
L,
There’s no cherry in this one so you’re safe 🙂 You should give it a whirl!
~T
Hi Trish,
I’ve been researching botanical perfume creators here in Australia and have discovered an amazing place called Fleurage Perfumery. Why I mention it is they have a perfume called Turkish Delight from their Spice Trade Collection and it looks very interesting. They have 45 fragrances (maybe more) in their collection and are next on my list to try.
Regards,
Laura
Laura,
Sounds like Turkish Delight is a good one to try from their line! Thanks for the info 🙂
~T
Ayala has a delicate hand & I adore her fragrances as they are never overbearing. Looks like it’s time to try some more! Thanks!
Yes, they are never overbearing, but always compelling 🙂
~T