The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Chant des Sirènes comes from Awshal, a Riyadh-based house that launched its first collection in 2024, drawing on stories from the Arabian Peninsula and the wider geography of historic trade routes. The fragrance is part of the Luja Collection and was composed by perfumer Hamid Merati-Kashani. Its name, French for Song of the Sirens, evokes the maritime mythology of sailors who imagined hearing mermaid voices calling from the water. That myth of enchantment on the open sea, of beauty that lures you off course, is the throughline. Awshal's official description positions it as a scent that captures the essence of maritime mystery and allure, a composition built around the idea of something beautiful, distant, and slightly dangerous. The concept is less about literal ocean notes and more about the feeling of hearing a song you cannot quite place, something that pulls you in before you realize it.
What makes this composition interesting is its Mediterranean herbal architecture dressed in white florals and grounded by a spiced amber base. Six aromatic top notes, including lavender, mint, rosemary, sage, and thyme, create an opening that reads like a sun-warmed garden rather than a traditional cologne splash. The heart narrows the focus to just two notes, jasmine and orange blossom, giving the composition a clean white floral pivot before the base introduces pepper, ginger, and sandalwood for warmth and texture. The result sits firmly in the fresh spicy aromatic category, a structure more common in southern European perfumery than in the heavier oud-and-rose traditions of the Gulf.
The evolution
The first 15 minutes are all herbs. Lavender, mint, rosemary, sage, and thyme arrive together in a bright, almost green wave that feels sunlit rather than damp. The citruses lift everything upward, keeping the opening from tipping into kitchen-cabinet territory. There's a cooling quality here, like walking through a garden after watering. By the 30-minute mark, the herbs begin to recede and jasmine and orange blossom surface, softening the green with a creamy white floral sweetness. This is where the siren metaphor earns its keep. The florals don't announce themselves loudly, but they pull the composition somewhere warmer, slightly more human, skin-like in a way the opening never was. The 2-hour mark brings the base into focus. Black pepper and ginger arrive as a clean, dry heat, not aggressive but present, like sunlight through a window. Sandalwood rounds the edges, and amber gives the whole thing a golden undertone. By hour 4, the composition has settled into a quiet, warm, slightly sweet close-to-skin drydown.
Cultural impact
As a 2024 release from a young Saudi house, Chant des Sirènes sits at the intersection of Gulf perfumery and the broader Mediterranean aromatic tradition. Its herbal-heavy structure, anchored by lavender, rosemary, and thyme, reads more like a sunlit Provençal garden than the oud-and-rose compositions that dominate regional fragrance wardrobes. That crossover appeals to wearers who want freshness with substance, something green and alive on top but grounded by amber and spice underneath. Among early community responses, the fragrance has earned consistently warm ratings, reflecting a composition that delivers clarity without feeling simplistic.
The House
AwshalAwshal is a Riyadh-based perfume house that connects contemporary fragrance composition with stories drawn from the Arabian Peninsula and wider regions encountered along historic trade routes. The house is associated with Oman through its collection narrative and presents its fragrances through evocative names such as Bois d'Aksum, Fou d'Amour and Caravanes d'Encens. Its first documented fragrance portfolio consists of ten releases introduced in 2024. Public information about the house remains limited, so its identity is best understood through this initial collection and the recurring themes of resin, wood, spice and atmosphere that give the perfumes their sense of place.
The Creator
Hamid Merati-KashaniFrom the evidence available, Merati-Kashani's style tends toward the opulent and the gourmand, with a clear appreciation for rich, complex accords. There's often a signature use of vanilla, spices, and woods, creating fragrances that are warm and inviting.
