The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Descendants arrived in 2026 from The Dua Brand, composed by perfumer Mahsam Raza. It sits inside the house's Inspired Expression collection, a grouping that brings together compositions built on interplay between softer and sharper elements. Raza's composition here leans on pear and fig for their soft, rounded sweetness, while incense and pink pepper bring the sharper edges. The result reads chypre-fruity on paper, but the warmth of sandalwood and tonka bean ground it in something more amber-woody than the label suggests. The pear opens with a gentle, almost dewy quality, carrying the subtle sweetness of ripe fruit without veering into syrupy territory. Fig joins shortly after, adding a leafy, slightly green undertone that keeps the fruit notes from becoming one-dimensional.
What's interesting here is the way the notes interact across the full arc of the scent. Pink pepper introduces the composition with a bright, slightly biting lift that carries forward even as the other elements settle into place. Fig and pear together create a fruit-forward softness that defines much of the scent's character, giving it an approachability that the incense tempers with a drier, more resinous counterpoint. Tonka and sandalwood anchor the base, pulling the scent back down to earth after the brighter top notes have had their moment. The structure rewards patience.
The evolution
The opening belongs to pear and pink pepper. Crisp, slightly peppery fruit with a clean snap, almost like biting into something just picked. Incense threads through quickly, not as a campfire cloud but as something drier, more architectural, a resinous line that cuts across the fruit without smothering it. The fig arrives shortly after, creamy and milky, and the pink pepper settles into the edges of the composition rather than the front, softening its bite while keeping its presence felt. The heart is where the scent earns its keep: fig and pear softened by sandalwood, warmed by tonka, with incense holding everything together like a quiet backbone. The interplay between the creamy fig and the dry incense is particularly striking here, two qualities that could easily clash but instead find a middle ground where neither overpowers the other.
Cultural impact
Descendants arrives in 2026 as part of The Dua Brand's Inspired Expression collection, a line that brings together compositions built on unusual pairings and considered contrasts. Composed by Mahsam Raza, the release stands out for leading with pear and pink pepper rather than the more conventional opening notes that dominate many launches. This choice sets the tone for a composition that values subtlety and intrigue over immediate impact. The fruit-and-incense interplay at the heart of the scent gives it a character that feels distinct without being inaccessible.
