Gissah is a Kuwaiti perfume house known for polished, niche style compositions in large 200 ml bottles. Its range runs from the oud and leather of Imperial Valley to the lemon and sea air of Capri. This guide compares every Gissah we carry at Sara Sakina, using the notes listed for each one.
Imperial Valley: the oud and leather one
Profile: davana, Italian bergamot and pink pepper, then white amber, African rosemary and oud, drying to musk, leather and Haitian vetiver.
Format: 200 ml eau de parfum, unisex.
Verdict: the best known Gissah and the evening pick. Read our full Imperial Valley review. If it's sold out, Qadr, our own extrait, shares its warm, leathery side. Gissah Imperial Valley →
La Luna: the sweet, fruity one
Profile: incense, raspberry and apricot, then cotton candy, sandalwood and guaiacwood, drying to patchouli, tonka bean and amber.
Format: eau de parfum.
Verdict: sweet, but kept grown up by the incense and woods. An easy everyday scent in any season. Gissah La Luna →
Siena Valley: fruity gourmand with leather
Profile: bergamot, raspberry and rosemary, then caramel, osmanthus and jasmine, drying to patchouli, cedarwood and leather.
Format: 200 ml eau de parfum, unisex.
Verdict: richer than La Luna and better for evenings. Gissah Siena Valley →
Calabria: fresh and woody
Profile: bergamot, pink pepper and green apple, then cashmere wood, iris and patchouli, drying to amberwood, tonka bean and vetiver.
Format: 200 ml eau de parfum, unisex.
Verdict: the daytime and office pick, clean but not thin. Gissah Calabria →
Capri: citrus and sea air
Profile: Sorrento lemon, marine notes and blue ginger, then Indian sandalwood, apple and patchouli, drying to Somali incense, dry amber and Haitian vetiver.
Format: 200 ml eau de parfum.
Verdict: the summer Gissah, fresh up top with a dry, woody finish. If it's sold out, try Calabria or our own Safi. Gissah Capri →
Hudson Valley: fresh citrus and clean musk
Profile: fresh citrus over a base of clean musk.
Format: eau de parfum, unisex.
Verdict: the simplest of the range and an easy daily scent. If it's sold out, our own Safi pairs citrus with white musk. Gissah Hudson Valley →
Atlantis Gift Set: three perfumes in one box
Atlas: lavender, bergamot and apple, then rose and jasmine, over amber and leather.
Lost City: osmanthus and orris, then leather and caramel, over patchouli, guaiacwood and vanilla.
Plato: mandarin, cedarwood and pimento, then nutmeg and iris, over incense, musk and vetiver.
Format: three 50 ml eaux de parfum, unisex.
Verdict: the best way to try three Gissah styles at once, and a ready made gift. Gissah Atlantis Gift Set →
Which Gissah should you buy?
First Gissah: Imperial Valley. Daytime and office: Calabria. Summer: Capri. Something sweet: La Luna. Evening gourmand: Siena Valley. A gift: the Atlantis Gift Set.
Is there a Sara Sakina perfume like Imperial Valley?
Qadr, our own extrait de parfum mixed by founder Aymane Zerzkhane, shares Imperial Valley's warm, leathery side through suede and labdanum, but trades the oud and vetiver for saffron, coffee and vanilla. If you prefer the freshness of Capri or Calabria, Safi pairs lemon, bergamot and Sicilian orange with vanilla and white musk. Both are CA$99 for 100 ml, with a 5 ml tester for CA$7.99.
Notes above follow Gissah's own listings. Smell them at Sara Sakina, Oakville Place, Oakville, or browse the full Gissah collection with delivery across Canada and the United States from Ontario.