Karachi is hard on perfume. Heat, humidity and the sea air make a scent rise fast and fade early, so a perfume that lasts all day elsewhere can be gone by lunch here.
Houdini is a Karachi perfume house. Every scent is an Eau de Parfum built on woods, amber and musk, the notes that hold on in Karachi weather.
Warm skin pushes a perfume out quickly, and humid air carries it away. Air conditioned offices dry the skin, which holds scent less well. The answer is a higher concentration and a stronger base, which is what Eau de Parfum gives you.
For him, Tsunami Chill (orange and grapefruit on vetiver and cedarwood) and Flying Spur (green mandarin and rosemary on mineral amber and musk). For her, First Glance (mandarin and peony on sandalwood) and Pretty Wild (ginger and marigold on patchouli and oakmoss). Fresh at first, with a base that stays.
When the sun goes down, go richer. Black Mayhem and Prodigy for him, Très Belle and In My Element for her. Their amber, woods and vanilla carry through a long shaadi night.
Moisturise first, then two or three sprays on the neck, wrists and the collar of your shirt or dupatta. Clothes hold scent longer than skin in the heat. Keep a 5ml tester in your bag for the afternoon, and never leave your bottle in a parked car.
Visit the Houdini store at 37-C, Commercial Market A, DHA Phase II, Karachi, open every day from 9 am to 11 pm, and try all ten on your own skin. Or order the Discovery Box, any five scents in 5ml for Rs 1,200, and wear one a day at home.
Houdini delivers to Clifton, DHA, Gulshan, North Nazimabad, PECHS, Bahadurabad, Gulistan e Jauhar and every other area of Karachi. Karachi orders are usually the quickest to arrive. Delivery anywhere in Pakistan is Rs 250, free over Rs 5,000, and you can pay cash on delivery, bank transfer, Easypaisa or JazzCash.
An Eau de Parfum with a woody or amber base. From Houdini: Black Mayhem and Prodigy for men, Très Belle and In My Element for women. For daytime heat, Tsunami Chill and First Glance.
At the Houdini store, 37-C, Commercial Market A, DHA Phase II, or online at houdiniofficial.com with delivery anywhere in Karachi.
Yes. Visit the DHA Phase II store, or order the Discovery Box with any five scents in 5ml for Rs 1,200.
Houdini 50ml Eau de Parfum costs Rs 3,200 to Rs 4,190, with Rs 250 delivery in Karachi.
Spray on moisturised skin and on clothes, use two or three sprays, and carry a 5ml tester to refresh after midday.