Yusuf Bhai - Dubai's Artisanal Perfumer

Amid the hustle and bustle of the souks of old Dubai, scent makers mix and match their potions to create fragrances customized to their customers' tastes. Wander with me to Yusuf Bhai, both the name of the shop and Dubai's artisanal perfumer, and watch the potion masters, Yusuf and his son Bilal, combine essences and extracts to create a bottle of your new scent.

The Perfume Souk

The 2 most popular souks in Dubai that every tourist and resident have on their radar are the Gold Souk and Spice Souk. Just a few steps away though is another incredible market that is almost entirely dedicated to perfumes. There are many stores that sell mimicked perfumes of famous brands or classics at a reduced price. Think Chanel No. 5 and Opium by YSL. But you also have stores that have scent makers. Experts who mix and match different oils, essences, and extracts to create perfumes customized entirely for you.

Teeb Emirates Perfumes

I came across a store called Teeb Emirates Perfumes. This place is owned by a lovely perfumer, Yusuf Madappan, who is originally from Kerala India, and has been living in the Gulf region for over 30 years. While growing up, Yusuf was fascinated by the process of perfume-making. His entire family were in the perfume business selling branded perfumes, but he wanted to create their own brand and make it more affordable for people to buy. So he joined a factory to learn the tricks and tools of the trade. He's now been making perfumes for 30 years, experimenting with thousands of ingredients.

Yusuf tells me he's made a few perfumes for the stars including Gwen Stefani, and more recently, Portuguese footballer Ricardo Quaresma. Apparently he didn't know who Gwen was until she posted a video in store on social media. Customers came in showing him the video, and he wondered 'Which Stefani?'. Love it!

Yusuf Bhai Store

His new shop in Deira is where he and his son Bilal create their works of art. Located just a few minutes walking distance from Teeb Emirates Perfumes, the new shop Yusuf Bhai is a perfume lover's dream.

Inside the store, you'll find a section dedicated to single origin scents which include cinnamon, ambergris, and lemongrass. They even have cupcake and cookie scented perfumes that give a creaminess similar to that of a decadent dessert. Yusuf describes this section as a perfume buffet, where you can pick your favorite individual scents.

The other section is where all the magic mixing happens. They'll ask you what your favorite scents are in your daily life or even what perfumes you like to use to get a sense of your taste. They'll also ask when you're intending to use it for, day or night. If day, floral might be more refreshing. If night, perhaps a woody or musky alternative. This serves as a great starting point to creating the perfect scent.

Then, they start mixing varying quantities of oils and other ingredients until they've acquired the scent they're looking to make. I tried it on by spraying it on my wrist, allowing the fragrance to heat up and reveal itself.

It takes about 15 minutes to make a bottle of perfume so it's relatively quick to get while you wait. I was told that the perfume needs to be stored in the fridge to chill for a few days to ensure the scent's lasting power.

I'd highly recommend a visit to their new stores. It remains a family run business and both Yusuf and Bilal are incredibly dedicated and proud of the work they do. Their mission is to liberate perfumes, and return to the nurture of quality rather than image, something they feel is slipping through the fingers of the luxury industry.

I love the new scents they've created for me and will definitely be back for a refill!