Hawas Rasasi Review: A Unique Summer Hit

Written By: Ahmed Farah
Reviewed By: Lisa Basso
Updated On:

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FeatureRating
Overall Rating⭐⭐⭐ (3.5/5)
Top NotesBergamot, Lemon, Cinnamon
Middle NotesWatery Notes, Plum, Cardamom, Orange Blossom
Base NotesAmbergris, Musk, Driftwood, Patchouli
Fragrantica Rating⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3/5, 1,500 votes)
Sephora Rating⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3/5, 85 reviews)
Amazon Rating⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.6/5, 125 reviews)
Longevity⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sillage⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price Value⭐⭐⭐
Masculinity⭐⭐⭐
Best ForSummer, Warm Weather, Casual Wear
Sprays2-3 sprays
ProsCons
Insane PowerSlightly Synthetic
9 Hour LongevityToo Heavy For
Casual Wear
Summer VibeMass Appealing

As much as I love Hawas Rasasi, I find it too intense for the office environment. Overall, however, I would rate this fragrance a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars for its major pros like sillage, longevity, and mass appeal while keeping in mind the minor cons. If you’re seeking a powerful summer scent, give Hawas Rasasi a try, and feel the difference for yourself.

I never really expected to discover a summer fragrance gem like Hawas Rasasi. To be honest, I initially thought it would be just another generic Invictus clone. But let me tell you, I was in for a pleasant surprise. This fragrance boasts a unique blend of sweet, spicy, musky, and aquatic notes that caught my attention and has made it one of my go-to summer bottles.

The sillage during the first two hours is simply unbelievable, and I’ve received an impressive number of compliments when wearing it. The scent lasts for around 10 hours, which is fantastic for a summery fragrance. It truly embodies the summer vibe in a way that I never imagined. But it’s not all sunshine and roses. The fragrance can feel slightly synthetic, and the heaviness of the scent might not be suitable for casual, everyday wear.

First Impressions

Bottle and Packaging

When I first received my Rasasi Hawas, like most Arabian Colognes, the packaging was eye-catching and gave a sense of luxury. The box had a sleek design, and the bottle itself was quite attractive. The glass bottle with a metallic cap just felt beautiful to hold, adding a touch of elegance and making it a great addition to my fragrance collection.

Notes

Top Notes

After the first spray, I was immediately greeted with a burst of freshness that definitely gave off a summer vibe. On the company’s website it says the top notes include apple, bergamot, lemon, and cinnamon. But I could really only scent the lemon and cinnamon.

The combination of these notes creates a refreshing and fruity opening that I really enjoyed. I didn’t expect such a nice mix of scents, which set the stage for the rest of the experience.

Middle Notes

As the fragrance settled, I noticed the middle notes started to emerge. Composed of more aquatic notes as well as orange and cardamom, the heart of Hawas Rasasi transitions into a more aquatic and spicy feel.

The presence of cardamom adds a sexy touch of warmth and spice that compliments the fruity and watery notes. It truly feels like a summer day at the beach, although at times the scent feels slightly synthetic and a little less natural, which is one of the downsides.

Dry Down/Base Notes

Finally, as the fragrance dries down and evolves further, the base notes reveal themselves. With musk, driftwood, and patchouli, the fragrance takes on a lot more masculine feel.

The entire dry-down just gave off something you would wear at a summer party or event if you wanted to leave with a phone number or two. And although he notes were not the most natural scenting, the pure personality of the accords, as well as how they all effortlessly merge together, makes it such a great summer fragrance option!

New to Colognes? Click here to learn more about Fragrance Notes, and how to best pick them!

Vs Afnan 9PM

Hawas Rasasi has often been compared to the very popular Afnan 9 pm that we reviewed a few weeks ago. Here’s our good friend Darnel Mitchel seeing the street’s reactions to the comparisons!

Performance

Longevity (4 Stars/5)

I used just a couple of sprays in the early morning, and it ended up lasting 10 hours on my skin. I find this particularly remarkable for a summer fragrance since it’s super rare to find one that can stand the heat for that long!

Power (5 Stars/5)

Now, if there was one thing that truly wowed me about this fragrance, it was its crazy projection. It’s the type of bottle that needs just two prays to be noticed a meter away, which makes it easily possible to overuse, so aim for around 2 to 3 sprays directly on moisturized skin.

Although the projection and sillage of this fragrance are fascinating, and it elicits many compliments, some might argue that it could be too powerful. I found this scent too heavy for the daily casual you carry on your way to the gym, or quick errand run, especially if you want to avoid overpowering those around you.

Instead, the fragrance is more one you keep in your collection to wear to make a statement.

Performance AspectsRating (/5)
Longevity4
Power5
Price Value5

Price Value (5 Stars/5)

One of the key aspects that genuinely shines about Hawas Rasasi is its price value. With the performance and mass appeal it provides, I find it astounding that this gem cost me just $30 for its comes at such an affordable price, making it a fantastic affordable go-to summer fragrance.

It’s important to keep in mind, that at the time of writing this article, Rasasi does seem to be making waves on TikTok. So to get the bottle at a better price, it’s best to wait dor the hype to die down a little!

What You Need To Know

Where To Wear It

Now, let’s talk about where you can wear Hawas Rasasi. The strong summer vibe it gives off makes it perfect for outdoor events, beach parties, or evening gatherings. Just imagine the ocean breeze mixing with those beautiful aquatic notes. Amazing, right?

However, I wouldn’t recommend wearing this fragrance to the office, as it might be a bit too strong and distracting in such a setting.

How Many Sprays Needed

When it comes to applying this fragrance, less is more. Start with these measures:

  • One spray on each wrist
  • One spray behind each ear
  • One spray on the chest

This would be sufficient to provide a pleasant ambiance without being overpowering. After all, we don’t want our fragrance to announce our presence before we even enter the room!

But to get a more in-depth guide, read our full article here!

Negatives

Now, let’s dive into some of the not-so-stellar aspects of Hawas Rasasi. Don’t get me wrong, I love this fragrance, but there’s always room for improvement, right?

To begin, I noticed that the scent can come off as slightly synthetic. Although I appreciate the sweet, spicy, musky aquatic notes, there were moments when it didn’t feel as natural as I would have liked. But hey, that didn’t stop me from wearing it during those hot summer days!

The intensity of Hawas is a double-edged sword. While it creates an unbeatable sillage in the first two hours, it might be too much for some occasions. I personally found it too heavy for casual wear. Here’s a quick breakdown of scenarios where I thought it might not be the best choice:

  • Office wear: I wouldn’t want my coworkers to be overwhelmed by my fragrance.
  • Intimate gatherings: It could be a tad overpowering in close proximities.

Similar Colognes

When I first tried Hawas Rasasi, I was quite impressed and pleasantly surprised by its sweet, spicy, musky aquatic notes, and unbelievable sillage during the first two hours. It quickly became my go-to summer fragrance, with its summer vibe and 10-hour longevity. However, I did find it slightly synthetic and too heavy for casual wear. So, I decided to explore other colognes similar to Hawas Rasasi for various occasions.

Here are a few colognes that I found to be similar in scent profile and performance:

  1. Paco Rabanne Invictus: Often compared to Hawas Rasasi, Invictus offers a marine note combined with grapefruit and guaiac wood. While the vibe is somewhat youthful and sporty, it’s a great option for a daytime scent.
  2. Acqua di Gio Profumo: This popular fragrance by Giorgio Armani has a fresh, aquatic vibe with fruity notes and a hint of incense. It is perfect for daytime office wear, providing a professional yet alluring scent.
  3. Dior Sauvage: A bit more intense than Hawas Rasasi, Dior Sauvage offers a similar spicy and sweet combination of notes. It is more versatile and can transition well from day to night.
CologneProsCons
Paco Rabanne InvictusYouthful, Sporty, DaytimeLess Unique
Acqua di Gio ProfumoFresh, Aquatic, Office WearPricey
Dior SauvageSpicy, Sweet, VersatileStrong, Less aquatic

As a fan of Hawas Rasasi, I found these colognes to provide varied yet similar experiences. They’re tailored to different occasions and settings without straying too far from the appealing characteristics of Hawas Rasasi. Experiencing these similar colognes made me appreciate how Hawas Rasasi stands out, particularly in terms of sillage and longevity. While it may not be suitable for every occasion, it remains an exceptional fragrance in its class.

Thanks for reading our review. To find other affordable Arabian gems, check out our review for the infamous Asad Lattafa, and Lattafa Khamrah!

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About The Author

A cologne lover and reviewer, Ahmed has reviewed over 45 colognes on the site. Finding the best perfumes and colognes for our audience, review and ranking them as well as looking at all types of data, from price, longevity, silage to uniqueness.

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