I’m not exaggerating when I say Kayali is top two in my favorite fragrance houses and definitely not number two (in the words of Drake).
So when they announced The Freedom Collection, it wasn’t a question of if I would get my hands on, but when. The brand was co-founded by sisters Huda and Mona Kattan back in 2018, and if you’re not familiar, the name translates to “my imagination” in Arabic. Everything they make feels personal and intentional, from Vanilla 28 that went absolutely viral on #FragranceTok to the more sophisticated Silk Santal collection (that was discontinued and then brought back because perfume lovers begged the brand everyday online).
Now, its newest release, (aka The Freedom Collection) is built entirely around musk, which feels very on-trend right now, but also deeply intentional. There are four fragrances: Freedom Musk Bouquet | 27, Freedom Musk Santal | 34, Freedom Musk Matcha | 45, and Freedom Musk Latte | 41. Each one takes musk in a completely different direction—floral, woody, fresh, gourmand—but they all have that intimate, second-skin quality.
Mona has talked about how this collection was inspired by her own journey toward independence and really coming into herself. She thought about the 1960s, when women started wearing musk as this quiet rebellion against the expected florals everyone wore.
Why I love it: Listen, I tried all four and Freedom Musk Santal completely stole the show for me. It already has a visible dent in the bottle and I only got it recently (less than two weeks actually). The opening is this bright, almost juicy citrus moment due to the bergamot and mandarin that feel energizing without being sharp. Then it transitions into this creamy sandalwood and musk situation that I can’t get enough of. When I spray it on my clothes or just sniff the bottle, I mostly get orange blossom. It’s prominent and fresh.
On skin though? Completely different experience. The pink pepper comes through and adds this really nice spicy edge that keeps everything from being too soft or boring. The florals—there’s freesia in there too—blend with the ambered musk and it just gets better the longer you wear it. Like, it actually improves over time, getting creamier and softer as the hours pass.
I’ve been wearing this on flights, to meetings, interviews, casual dinners, you name it. It’s become my default “I don’t want to think too hard about what fragrance to wear today” scent. It’s not revolutionary or groundbreaking, but sometimes you don’t need that. You just need something that smells beautiful and works for basically every situation. The sillage is moderate, meaning people in your immediate space will notice but you’re not filling up a room. I get about 4-6 hours before it really sits close to the skin.
One of my favorite things is how it reacts when you’re moving around or when air hits it. If Valaya and Glossier You had a baby, it would probably smell like this (it’s that perfect mix of elevated but still approachable and easy).
Perfect pairings: I layered Freedom Musk Santal with Ex Nihilo Santal Calling the other day and wow, that combination was stunning. Both fragrances have these woody, creamy elements that just amplified each other without competing. It created this really rich, dimensional sandalwood cloud that lasted way longer than either fragrance alone.
If you want to experiment, I’d suggest trying it with something vanilla or amber-forward like Kayali’s own Vanilla 28 or Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Baccarat Rouge 540 to bring out more warmth. Or go the opposite direction and layer it with a citrus-heavy scent like Hermès Eau de Mandarine Ambrée or Atelier Cologne’s Orange Sanguine to really emphasize that opening. The musk base is so well-done that it plays nicely with a lot without getting muddy.
The other three in the collection are worth checking out if you get a chance. Freedom Musk Bouquet | 27 is the floral one with ylang-ylang, Turkish rose, and vanilla musk. Freedom Musk Matcha | 45 gives you something fresher with matcha, oat milk, and praline notes. Freedom Musk Latte | 41 is full gourmand —café latte, cinnamon, chocolate musk, all the cozy things. But for me personally, Freedom Musk Santal is the sweet spot of all of them!
Final verdict: If you need a new signature or just something reliable in your rotation, this one’s worth the investment.