The Discovery Five

Five fragrances, chosen by us, for someone who hasn't worn Arabian perfume before.

Arabian perfumery is hard to walk into. The houses release constantly, the naming is confusing, and the flankers outnumber the originals. Picking five from a wall of unfamiliar names is not a good first experience.

So we pick them. Five 2ml decants that between them cover the directions this category is actually known for — the sweet and resinous, the woody, the floral, the sharp and citrus-bright — drawn from the best-regarded fragrances we carry.

Each vial is numbered, not named. A key card in the box tells you which is which, so you can wear one for a day before you know what it is and find out afterwards whether your nose agrees with the internet.

Five × 2ml. Enough for several full wearings of each.

Decanted in the UK from sealed, genuine bottles. The original boxes and manufacturers' bottles are not included — you are buying the fragrance to try, not the packaging.