Memoirs Of A Perfume Collector Riyadh Extrait

Description

Riyadh is perfumer Jean Claude Delville's warm-weather counterpart to London, built around the same prized Taif rose — grown at high altitude in Saudi Arabia's Ta'if region and prized in perfumery for its unusually rich, wine-dark oil. Where the house's London keeps that rose cool and garden-fresh, Riyadh pushes it into amber-floral territory: geranium and ylang-ylang up top, tuberose and vanilla flower through the heart, then a resinous cedarwood-frankincense-patchouli-amber base rounded out with cacao and cypress. It's meant to evoke desert nights and luxury lounges rather than daylight — this is a warm, ambery rose, not a bright one.

How It Differs From London Extrait

Riyadh and London are built by the same perfumer from the same Taif rose heart, but take opposite directions:

• Riyadh — warm, resinous, cedarwood-frankincense-amber base, cacao and cypress; evening wear, Spring/Fall
• London — cooler, greener, jasmine-orchid top, black tea base; everyday wear, Spring/Summer

Scent Character

• Floral — 29%
• Woody — 25%
• Resinous & Ambery — 21%
• Sweet — 18%
• Fresh — 7%

No literal agarwood or oud note appears anywhere in the pyramid — the resinous character here comes from frankincense, labdanum, and amber, so we've labeled that share "Resinous & Ambery" rather than "Oud."

Translation: A warm amber floral — rose-forward, resinous, and ambery rather than a true oud fragrance despite the desert-night styling.

Fragrance Pyramid

Top: Geranium, Ylang Ylang, Mandarin Leaf

Heart: Tuberose, Taif Rose, Vanilla Flower, Birch Leaf, Almond, Orange

Base: Cedarwood, Frankincense, White Musk, Patchouli, Labdanum, Amber, Cacao, Cypress

Performance

• Longevity: Long-lasting — roughly 7-9 hours on skin.
• Sillage: Moderate-to-strong for the first hour or two, then settles to an arm's-length trail.

Best Occasions & Season

• Season: Spring, Fall
• Occasions: Evening, Special Occasion
• Gender: Unisex

Concentration & Provenance

Concentration: Extrait de Parfum
Perfumer: Jean Claude Delville
House: British niche house Memoirs Of A Perfume Collector, London
Year: 2025

Try Before You Commit

Not ready to commit to the full bottle? Sample sizes are poured from the same batch as the retail bottle:

• 1mL Sample — $7.99

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FAQ

Is Riyadh an oud fragrance?
No — despite the desert-night styling, there's no literal agarwood or oud material in the pyramid. The warm, resinous depth comes from frankincense, labdanum, and amber instead.

How does it compare to London?
Both are built around the same rare Taif rose from the same perfumer, but Riyadh takes it warm and resinous for evening wear, while London keeps it cool and green for daytime.

What's the performance like?
Long-lasting — expect 7-9 hours, with moderate-to-strong projection for the first hour or two before it settles closer to the skin.

Is it unisex?
Yes — the rose is balanced by cedarwood, patchouli, and cacao, so it doesn't read as strictly feminine.