The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Fantabulous came out of Ajmal's Dubai workshop with a simple brief: a fruit-forward floral that wouldn't disappear by lunch. The composition leans into lychee and kiwi in the open, a jasmine heart, and a sandalwood-and-musk base that keeps the whole thing grounded. On skin, the lychee arrives with that unmistakable syrupy sweetness, almost grape-like in its density, while the kiwi cuts in with something brighter and slightly tart, the green sourness that fresh kiwi flesh carries before sugar takes over. The jasmine in the middle doesn't dominate; it threads through the fruit, adding a soft floral creaminess that rounds out the sharper edges above it. Then the base settles in, and that's where the composition earns its staying power.
The note structure here is interesting for what it includes. Lychee and kiwi lead the way, two fruits that show up more often in dessert menus and cocktail lists than in oriental perfumery. On skin, the lychee hits with that dense, almost candied sweetness, while the kiwi contributes a sharper, greener note, something close to the tartness of biting into fresh fruit skin. Together they create a fruity accord that smells almost edible, like a chilled fruit salad dusted with sugar. The jasmine anchors the heart, but it doesn't behave like a heavy floral.
The evolution
The opening belongs entirely to the fruit. Lychee hits first, that syrupy almost-grape sweetness that fills the air around you in the first few minutes, and kiwi follows with something greener, slightly tart, the way a real kiwi tastes before the sugar kicks in. There's a candy quality here, bright and uncomplicated, that some people love and others find a touch too sweet. The jasmine shows up not as a dramatic entrance but as a gradual softening. Over the first hour, the fruit loses its sharpest edge and the jasmine steps in with something creamy and warm, almost like jasmine tea with too much honey stirred in. As the composition settles, the sandalwood begins to take over. The fruit fades into memory, the jasmine becomes a ghost, and what remains is this warm, woody, slightly musky base that sits close to the skin.
Cultural impact
Fantabulous sits in an interesting place within Ajmal's catalog. The fragrance reads as a fruity-floral composition, a category that tends to attract a broad, mainstream audience rather than the niche crowd that follows oriental perfumery closely. Wearers tend to describe it as easy, inoffensive, and well-suited to daytime, especially in warmer seasons when heavier compositions can feel like too much. The lychee-kiwi top gives it a playful, almost youthful energy, while the sandalwood and musk base keeps it grounded enough to feel grown-up.
