The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Shades was the opening move. Released in 2021, it was one of four debut scents from a brand still finding its shape, alongside Mood, Danger, and Waves. Perfumer Mohamed Mandouh composed it as a study in contrasts: sharp, sunlit citrus on top, then a heart of amberwood and rose that reads more like skin than perfume. The brand describes it as a scent for independent men and women who live by their own rules, a celebration of perfumery and the chemistry that makes it possible. It's a first statement, not a final one, and it carries the confidence of a house that knew where it wanted to land.
What makes Shades interesting is its restraint. The top trio of lime, lemon, and bergamot could easily read as a standard fresh cologne, but the amberwood and rose in the heart pull the composition into warmer, more intimate territory before the drydown even arrives. The whole structure is built on a tension between the bright and the close, the public and the private, that defines the brand's early voice. It doesn't shout. It just stays longer than you expect it to.
The evolution
The first ten minutes are the loudest Shades ever gets, and they're not loud at all. Lime and bergamot arrive in a clean, sparkling wave, the kind of citrus that feels like cold water on a warm morning. Lemon threads through, adding a faintly bitter edge that keeps the opening from tipping into simple sweetness. The accord sits close to skin, almost translucent, and the sillage stays in that quiet zone. By the thirty-minute mark, the citrus starts to thin. Rose and amberwood rise into the space it leaves, and the scent shifts from bright to warm, from cologne to something more textured. The rose is dry rather than jammy, more of a suggestion than a bloom, and amberwood gives it a soft, resinous depth. The drydown takes over somewhere around the two-hour mark and that's where Shades settles into its final form. Ambroxan, the synthetic skin-scent molecule, blends with white musk to create a clean, almost magnetic warmth that clings to fabric and skin alike.
Cultural impact
Shades fits alongside the kind of minimal, skin-forward niche releases that have grown steadily popular in the 2020s, the ones that reward close attention over loud projection. Its structure, bright citrus over warm ambroxan, echoes the approach seen in some Western niche houses, but the execution and the Dubai origin give it a different accent. It reads as a fragrance for someone who already has presence and just wants their scent to match their posture.
The House
Coisy B.Coisy B is a Dubai‑based niche perfume house that blends quiet elegance with a clear sense of intention. Founded by Françoise Bekaert, the brand positions itself as a philosophy rather than a mere product line. Since its debut, Coisy B has released a steady stream of scents that explore mood, movement and atmosphere – from the airy Breeze (2024) to the smoky depth of Smoke (2025). Each fragrance arrives ready to wear, reflecting a minimalist aesthetic that appeals to collectors who value subtle storytelling over flash. The house remains small‑scale, focusing on curated releases rather than mass distribution, and it has built a modest following across the Gulf region.
The Creator
Mohamed MandouhMandouh’s style hinges on precise accord construction and transparent scent architecture. He favors a clear top‑note introduction—often a bright citrus or aromatic herb—that quickly yields to a heart of floral or spice, before settling into a base of amber, oud or soft woods.
