Zahra Rose Alazaibi: LANIKA

Lanika is a UK based company which has been running for over twenty two years. The name of the brand means 'the best'. their aim is to be one of the biggest retailers of Islamic and Middle Eastern products in the UK.

They have been selling Islamic and Middle Eastern products since 2003 locally but due to popular demand they have begun manufacturing their own abayas and thobes. They also aim to have the largest collection of branded Brabic oils, attar, and ouds.

I ordered Bukhoor Teef Al Hub (my favourite) it has a sweet scent, Bukhoor Dar Al Hae which is sweet but richer and Bukhoor Mukhallat Sharqua which is fathers favourite for clothes. Also a little Swarovski perfume to try out.

They boast the largest collection of bukhoor in the UK. they also have a sourcing aspect to their business where they can source any attar or Arab branded oil for you if they do not already carry it in store. They sell all of the big brands which will sounds familiar to my arab followers; Al Haramain, Ajmal, Rasasi, Arabian Oud, Abdul Samad Qureshi. I personally used to ask friends from the gulf to stock me up whenever they came over so Lanika has proven to be a Godsend for me.

You can find them on their Facebook page: Lanika Abayas, Jubbas and Bukhoor - their website is still under construction but should be ready in time for Ramadan. In the meanwhile you can shop with them via eBay.

What is Bukhoor?

In most Arab countries, bukhoor is the name given to scented chips or bricks. These scented chips/bricks are burned in incense burners to perfume the home and clothing with a rich thick smoke. This is used specifically on special occasions like weddings, on Fridays or generally just to perfume the house. Its probably the same heavy scent you smell on Arabs in Harrods.

What do I need to use bukhoor at home?

You will need either an electric burner called a Mabkhara
Or Charcoal Disks (the same ones used for Shisha)
Bukhoor itself - which you can buy from various places including Lanika - which I highly recommend.
Tin foil if you are using charcoal - to keep things mess free and help conduct the heat.

How is Bukhoor burnt?

I have included part of the process in a youtube video for you bellow, as well as a brief step by step.

Begin by placing the charcoal on fire (a gas stove is best for this) until the charcoal begins to turn red - this means its hot enough to use.
Secure a small square of foil over the tray of your mabkhara and carefully place the charcoal on top of this using cutlery or a coal tongs.
Break of small pieces from your Bukhoor block or chips and place on the lit glowing charcoal or on the hot plate of the electric incense burner if you are using that. The larger the pieces the longer the bukhoor will smoke for.
Allow the smoke of the fragrance to fill the air of the room.

The fragrance will linger even after the smoke diminishes. Try not to open windows until the room is saturated with the fragrance carried by the smoke of Bakhoor. I fragrance my wardrobe a few times a month using the same technique and my home everyday.

I also tried out some of their attar which is to die for! Super cute size which is perfect for my handbag and fits in with my everyday perfumes perfectly.

As promised, a small glimpse of my bedroom, still incomplete but a constant work in progress which I will share with you guys if you like?

My love for marble is evident of course, my notebook is from Coconut-lane.

My tea set is sourced from all over the place. The teapot is from morocco, The coffee cup is from Qatar, the Mabkhara is from the UAE, the sugar holder is also from Marrakech, and the tray from the 'Passport to India' range in TK Maxx.