FAAN Qasida Senses review: notes, strength and when to wear it

We are an independent retailer, so this is a description and not a customer review, and there is no star score. FAAN Qasida Senses is a 200 ml Eau de Parfum from the Qasida line, priced at €52.99.

Notes at a glance

• Top: jasmine, pear, bergamot, orange essence, pink pepper, raspberry, red berries
• Heart: bourbon vanilla, iris, coconut, damask rose, peony, lily of the valley
• Base: white musk, sandalwood, patchouli, woody notes

The accords are fruity, floral, vanilla and musky, and the product line is pear, peony and soft vanilla. It is the only bottle in the range that lists peony and lily of the valley in the heart, and one of four that put pear in the top (our pear guide lists them).

How it opens, settles and ends

The opening is bright and juicy. Pear and raspberry lead, with red berries and orange essence behind them, and pink pepper adds a sparkle. Bergamot and jasmine lift it. It is a fruit basket, not a sugar rush.

After about half an hour it turns floral. Peony, damask rose and lily of the valley give a soft, airy bouquet, and iris adds a little powder. Bourbon vanilla and coconut run through the heart and keep it creamy. This is the stage that most people would recognise as the scent.

The end is quiet: white musk and sandalwood with a trace of patchouli. It is a clean, skin-like finish rather than a heavy one. Our guide to bergamot explains the citrus lift in the opening.

Strength: projection 3/5, longevity 3/5

Both ratings are 3 out of 5. That means people close to you will notice it, but it does not trail behind you. A typical Eau de Parfum stays on skin for roughly 4 to 8 hours, and at 3 we would expect the lower half, so about 4 to 6 hours. Fabric holds it longer. For the general picture, see how long FAAN perfumes last.

Spring and summer: when it works

The product page lists spring and summer, with daily wear and evenings as moments. That matches the notes. Pear, berries and white flowers feel at home in warm air, on a terrace or at a daytime event. It is light enough for the office with one or two sprays. In deep winter, the fruit can feel thin, and a warmer bottle will serve you better.

Who will like it, and who will not

It is listed for her. If you like fruit and flowers in a clean, sweet-but-not-heavy way, you will probably like it. If you avoid sweetness altogether, or want smoke, leather or oud, you will not. It is not a dark, resinous scent, and it is not trying to be.

Qasida Senses next to Qasida Signature and Qasida Sahm

• Qasida Signature is the warm one: cinnamon, almond, praline and vanilla, longevity 4, listed for autumn and winter. Senses is lighter and floral where Signature is spicy and gourmand.
• Qasida Sahm also opens with fruit (mango, raspberry), but turns to lavender, cedar and then oud and leather. It is listed for him. Sahm shares raspberry with Senses, and nothing else of the heart or base.

Not sure which fits? Our guide to choosing a FAAN perfume lines up all fourteen, and the full range shows them in one place.

FAQ

Is Qasida Senses sweet?

Moderately. Raspberry, pear, bourbon vanilla and coconut give it sweetness, but the white flowers and musk keep it light.

Can men wear it?

It is listed for her, but scent has no rules. The notes are fruit, flowers and soft vanilla.

What if it is sold out?

Use the notify option on the product page. Delivery takes 3 to 6 working days in the Netherlands and 5 to 8 in the rest of the EU.

Related reading

• FAAN Qasida perfumes: all nine bottles explained
• Bergamot in perfume and the FAAN bottles that use it
• How long FAAN perfumes last