SHUMUKH, a pinnacle of luxury and tribute to Dubai

Dubai recently saw the unveiling of an uber luxury fragrance called SHUMUKH, valued at AED4.752 million ($1.29 million). Developed by Spirit of Dubai by Nabeel, SHUMUKH is one of the world’s most expensive, unisex perfumes.

“SHUMUKH is the interpretation of my dream. It took us over three years and 494 trials to formulate SHUMUKH,” shared Asghar Adam Ali, chairman and master perfumer at Nabeel Perfumes Group of Companies.

Paying tribute to the spirit of Dubai, the seven elements of SHUMUKH includes Durra, the most magnificent pearl ever found; Baz, the imperial falcon; Aamal, the city of future; Abjar, the noble steed; Narjesi, the rose in eternal bloom; Haibah, the most precious diamond; and Diwan, the home of heroes.

“The idea struck me in 2016 that an ultra-luxury, niche fragrance should be created highlighting the seven elements that are close to Dubai’s heart. I was keen to create a product that will be looked upon as the seven wonders of Dubai. It had to be unique and out of this world,” said Adam Ali.

SHUMUKH is indeed the epitome of luxury, set with 3,571 high-quality, sparkling diamonds totalling 38.55 carats with rare Swiss topaz, mother of pearl. Added to it are 18-karat gold, 2479.26 and 5892.88-gram pure silver and a three-litre Murano, handblown crystal bottle with 24-karat gold plated inside. Standing at 1.97 metres, the perfume bottle is adjustable according to the user’s height with a unique hydraulic mechanism dispensed via a remote-controlled spray.

SHUMUKH comprises of the most beautiful natural ingredients sourced from different corners of the world. It has notes of amber, sandalwood, musk, rare pure Indian agarwood, pure Turkish rose, patchouli ylang-ylang and frankincense. “We chose the best artisans from France to work on the perfume. We chose the finest Italian craftsmen to design the outer case in the finest Italian leather. You can imagine the kind of effort we have put in, besides investments, to produce this fragrance,” Adam Ali pointed out. “To take the experience to the next level, we decided to build a customisable catalogue for those who would like to personalise their SHUMUKH experience. And it will be a single piece in the world – that’s the level of personalisation we are talking about.”

When asked about SHUMUKH’s clientele, Adam Ali unabashedly said, “Whoever can afford to buy! It is a piece of art and those who can appreciate the thoughts, craftsmanship and hours that have gone into creating SHUMUKH are the worthy buyers. It is a history in the making.”

SHUMUKH had an exclusive display at The Dubai Mall, Fashion Avenue as part of the mall’s ART+ series in March 2019. “The next stop will be Milan in Italy at one of the most niche fragrance shows in the world called Esxence. But it will be available only for private viewing. After that, we will take SHUMUKH to London. I want to take SHUMUKH around the world. It is my dream to take it to India.”