The phoenix rising from its ashes: in Lebanon, it’s more than a myth. Over the centuries, the country has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, and the legendary bird has come to symbolise resilience, renewal and hope. For the Lebanese founder of Mabelle O’Rama, that was the starting point for Phoenix Flame, an ode to her roots. She spent almost two years working on it, with one clear aim: a scent that offers strength and something to hold on to, especially when everything feels uncertain. The result is spicy, warm and glowing with incense.
Sumac takes centre stage, the deep red spice that’s sprinkled over Lebanese salads such as fattoush and tabbouleh. Its tangy, slightly dusty aroma proved difficult to capture, until a supplier in Beirut came to the rescue. Using sumac sourced directly from local growers, they created their own tincture, and you can smell it from the very first spray.
The opening is lively and energising: sumac, cinnamon and cardamom bring a bright, earthy warmth. Then immortelle comes to the fore, a flower that stands for the eternal. At the base, incense, myrrh and a soft, mineral Thai oud smoulder on. Deep and calming, but never heavy.
Handcrafted in London and a two-time finalist at The Fragrance Foundation UK Awards 2025. A fragrance to wear whenever you need a reminder of your own strength.
Sumac, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Immortelle, Incense, Myrrh, Oudh, Amber
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Woody
Woody fragrances are full of character and indeed very woodsy. They can be warm, soothing and creamy, but also dry and spicy. Key ingredients are cedar wood, patchouli, sandalwood and/or vetiver. Oudh (agarwood), Palo Santo and guaiac wood have also joined the perfumer's palet, just like the fantastic synthetics such as Javanol or Iso-E-Super.
Mabelle O'Rama
Mabelle is a Lebanese-British perfumer and artist. During the pandemic she turned to scent as a way to escape for a moment, which led to her own brand and grew into a fascination of what scent does to us: how it brings back memories and shapes how we feel. From her studio in London she creates perfumes that move somewhere between nostalgia and fantasy. She draws inspiration from her Phoenician heritage and from the cosmos, which she sees as both our past and our future home.
Every perfume is hand-bottled in London. Her work hasn’t gone unnoticed: in 2023 she received an honourable mention from the Institute of Art and Olfaction, in 2024 she was a finalist at the UK Fragrance Foundation Awards, and this year Lunar Dust won Best Skin Scent at the Marie Claire UK Fragrance Awards. We’re delighted to share her world with you in Amsterdam.