FAIZAL PRIVÉE · EST. 2013
Collected. Documented. Discovered.
A modern fragrance expedition house. Where it comes from, why it exists — not just what it smells like.
ScrollOrigin
The story of Faizal Privée begins not in a laboratory or a perfumer’s studio, but in the home of a grandfather who understood that scent is memory, and memory is legacy.
As a child, Faizal would watch his grandfather fill the house with the unmistakable smoke of agarwood incense sticks. There was a cupboard in that house — one that held mysterious bottles and precious oils — and like any curious child, Faizal would sneak in when no one was watching, dabbing on fragrances meant for special occasions.
Eid mornings carried a particular weight of scent. Ramadan nights were perfumed with tradition.
The name is deliberate: this is personal, private, intimate. These are not mass market fragrances designed by committee or optimised for broad appeal.
They are the distillation of one man’s journey across continents and through traditions, offered to those who understand that true luxury cannot be rushed, replicated, or reduced to marketing copy.
The Craft
“Oud is not a single note — it is a full spectrum, with its own top, middle and base. These change vastly between countries and species.”
— FaizalOthers may use oud in perfumes, but not many are physically going out there and producing their own. Fragrances are created slowly and macerated before release. This is a significant commitment to natural materials.
Fresh oud oil — first distillation, Sri Lanka
The Journey
Founded Imperial Oud — quickly became world-renowned in the artisan oud community.
First expeditions to Malaysia, Kedah, and Java, Indonesia — high grade distillation and rare wood sourcing.
Crossed into Kalimantan, Borneo — deep forest sourcing and distillation.
Sri Lanka — among the first Western companies to distill high-grade Walla Patta oud oil.
Assam, India — distillation of very high grade oud. Shah Jahan and Bahadur remain highly sought after.
End of Imperial Oud. Founded Sulaym — a charity organisation and high-end oud house.
Faizal Privée launched officially in January 2025 after beginning through a private group in 2024.
The Expeditions
Sourcing is not procurement. It is relationship — built over years of returning to the same places, in good harvests and lean ones.
Field Destinations
Sourcing meeting — Java, Indonesia, 2016
Oud wood & oil
Interesting to see how rare Kedah origin wood had become. We were told many Thai people were crossing the border and taking wood. The aroma of this wood and oil was super sweet compared to other Malay regions.
Kedah, Malaysia — grading the harvest, 2015
Oud oil from Microcarpa wood
Good to see a very clean, almost lab-like setup of oud distillation. Great people who are still friends to this day — working directly with the distiller, watching the oil form drop by drop.
Yogyakarta, Java — riverbank distillery, 2015
Oud oil
A long journey from Sarawak, Malaysia into Kalimantan, Indonesia — landed in Kuching and drove through Borneo. Visited forests and distilleries deep in the interior. The scale of the jungle was unlike anything encountered before.
Kalimantan, Borneo — the drive into the interior, 2016
→ Ceylon Royale, Adhrijaya
Among the first Western companies to produce high-end artisanal oud oils in Sri Lanka. Used very high-grade Walla Patta material — a species found nowhere else on earth. Ceylon Royale and Adhrijaya remain two of the most revered oils ever produced.
Sri Lanka — Walla Patta forest, 2017
Agarwood for oil distillation
→ Shah Jahan, Bahadur
Stayed in a village on the outskirts of Hojai — visited the agarwood markets of Islamnagar. Distilled oud oil from very high-quality wood. Shah Jahan and Bahadur remain highly sought after to this day.
Oud oil, Cambodi wild cinnamon, lemongrass oil
→ Kambodi Nectar, Oud Al Zahra
Visited distilleries in Koh Kong and plantations across the province. Then headed north into Pursat — deep into jungle territory in search of the finest Cambodi material. The aroma of wild Cambodian oud is unmistakable — sweeter and more complex than anywhere else.
Koh Kong, Cambodia — stoking the distillery fire, 2024
Specimen Archive
Every ingredient is personally sourced and verified. If we cannot trace it, we do not use it.
Wild Cambodian agarwood — hand-selected
India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia
Each region carries its own distinct character — unreplicable.
Taif, Bulgaria, Turkey, India
Damascena, Rose de Mai, Centifolia, Rugosa — each unique.
India, Haiti, Indonesia, Brazil
Earthy, cooling, textured and regionally expressive.
Thailand
Blue, white and pink — finest from Thailand.
Walla Patta root — Sri Lanka
Philosophy
Faizal
We do not follow trends. We follow provenance.
— Faizal PrivéeEvery bottle carries the weight of a journey — the heat of a forest, the cool of a mountain dawn, the trust of a distiller who let us into their process.