Attar/Mukhallat of the Day

I have felt that way about my share of oils. I should’ve just shut up about the IO super hoi an for example. I got a sample, then got a bottle right away, and I loved that so much I had blabbed on, and on shooting myself in the foot because it was gone in no time. it would’ve sold out fast whether i blabbed about it or not to be honest.

I felt this way about the first tarakan oil i sampled from mesoud. I ended up writing about it, but not without thinking I was shooting myself in the foot again. I think I have enough of this to last me a while, so I guess I can relax.
 
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OK well I have a variety of oils of the day here because I just got a shipment with a few samples from biolandes / Eden botanical. Three labdanum oils (lab absolute, “dynamone” proprietary extract, and distilled cistus). Also restocked bergamot and coriander seed. Samples were fossilized amber distillate, benzoin extract, clove bud, their regular grade orange blossom absolute, cilantro, and carrot seed.

oud lovers - you owe it to yourself to smell carrot seed oil if you haven’t already because it has a very strong resemblance to certain types of oud. I would go so far as to say a disturbing resemblance lol. I am not saying that some oils I have smelled from some vendors here seem to be contaminated with carrot seed far from it. But in both positive and negative sense it is disturbingly similar, who would’ve thought something like that would come out of a carrot. Reminds me very much of the old “royal kinam”, to give you a sense of how lovely this oil is

The coriander seed oil (co2) is charming. This carrot seed oil has such a sweet creamy kinam/chinese oud aroma it would be a perfect way to round out a relatively mediocre crassna in an attar.

Both of these labdanum extracts (dynamone and absolute) have very appealing mellow resinous aspects and the traditional cistus is just the best smelling stuff. Deep with makes me feel like I’m connected with ancient things and deep time it smells old, resinous, appealingly pungent, woody… i’ve got to find a way to build a fragrance around this material because it smells so freaking good. The cilantro is super lively, because it is one of the only naturally occurring oils with a high concentration of aldehydes. Something like that.

Have to find a way to use this because it seems like it would really push the top note of a fragrance into some kind of interesting zone if blended with something that hid the fact that it was freaking cilantro. I don’t think that would be hard to do actually
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Arabiad07 said:
Al Shareef Ghaliyah is incredible. I hesitate to write a review so that it doesn’t run out. It’s that good.
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One solution I found was to purchase a backup bottle before I started talking about the fragrance in public, however, storing back up bottles, and "retrieving" them, poses another challenge altogether. Although I'm starting to realize with a larger collection, I'll not out live many of my oils. There's also the aspect of sharing the experience with others, I think I'm warming up to that way of thinking.
Mr.P said:
oud lovers - you owe it to yourself to smell carrot seed oil if you haven’t already because it has a very strong resemblance to certain types of oud. I would go so far as to say a disturbing resemblance lol
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I remember smelling one of ASAQ's Kalakassi oils, and it immediately reminding me of Black Cardamom, now I'm not sure if the oil would smell the same way, but from using it often in cooking, especially in isolated circumstances, it's a really nice fake oud
 
Mr.P said:
I have felt that way about my share of oils. I should’ve just shut up about the IO super hoi an for example. I got a sample, then got a bottle right away, and I loved that so much I had blabbed on, and on shooting myself in the foot because it was gone in no time. it would’ve sold out fast whether i blabbed about it or not to be honest.

I felt this way about the first tarakan oil i sampled from mesoud. I ended up writing about it, but not without thinking I was shooting myself in the foot again. I think I have enough of this to last me a while, so I guess I can relax.
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It was actually the buzz about IO oils that helped me develop awareness about next level ouds. For a while there it was Super Hoi An this, and Viet Zephyr that, and Fragrant Harbour Imperiale that. I still have yet to experience these oils, though I do occasionally see a small remnant circulating for resale.
 
only about an hour into amber brûlée by elixir. this one has surprised me, i’m not that big on seeking out amber perfumes as they’re all quite similar and i find benzoin and labdaunum compositions to be not that exciting and usually redundant so i wasn’t expecting to love this one

it’s surprisingly light for an amber, i was also expecting to be slammed by the spices- yan huang zisun to me is the spiciest composition in the way it hits my nose it feels really sharp so i have to be in the mood for that one

this is much smoother than i expected and not very heavy. it has the warm central accord coming through with vanilla dominating to my nose it is definitely spicy and the spices merge beautifully with musk and ambergris.

the two compositions that come immediately to mind actually are marisim ghaliya imperiale, without the oud. there’s something particularly musky and addictive about the way the spices hit me in a similar way. and also my vanilla by anna zworykina, just a really unique way they both have used vanilla without being overly sweet. this also has qualities like prince sardanapal and babylon that was just released and a few others, not sure how to describe but bubbly in its lightness and structure, almost like it was carbonated slightly if that makes any sense.

the whole experience is very regal and refined - i could see this being dressed up very nicely in a suit and tie, along with polyglot those are my formal scents of the year
 
Deep Black @mesOUD


As I am writing this review I noticed something dear reader. The moment I swiped a little bit of „Deep black“ I got a Instant smile on my face. I kind of felt relived and safe. This happened only with few scents in my life. And I think it will stay that way. That is a youthful emotion dear reader, very youthful but may the Lord put this kind of emotion frequently into your heart.



It starts with a beautiful smooky greenish dark warm spicy note. After that I can detect peppermint and ginger. There is definitely Tar in it. After some minutes I get some floral notes (rose ?) than rooty notes (Costus or Patchouli ? ) . But never off putting. Always beautifully balanced. Trough the Heart it gets even warmer and almost smells like a Chypre but then It shifts and matures (like a man). The Woods come out and combined with the civet and the smoky Tar Note in the background create a insanely beautiful note that I can’t describe.

There are different woody notes from oud to cedar. This is one of the most complex Attars I have ever smelled. I could never give it full justice (maybe brother @Ahmaoud) This is out of the box. This is something I have never smelled bevore.


This attar matures and gives you comfort during the process until it embraces you. In my honest opion this is @mesOUD Abi’s Magnus Opum and demonstrates his blending ability to the fullest. (But keep in mind I haven’t smelled all of his Attars yet)

Do me a favor and give this one time and maybe couple of wearings. Your first reaction might be „What is this ?“ but after that initial smoky opening you will instantly understand that this attar is something unique in a comforting and calming way

I had the chance of testing some of MesOud abi Attars almost all of them share this kind of sweet animalic DNA in the background that accompanies you trough the whole experience. Don’t get me wrong all of his attars smell completely different and insanely creative.

I can highly recommend his attar sample set to everybody. Especially with this kind of quality materials
 
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Woody said:
It was actually the buzz about IO oils that helped me develop awareness about next level ouds. For a while there it was Super Hoi An this, and Viet Zephyr that, and Fragrant Harbour Imperiale that. I still have yet to experience these oils, though I do occasionally see a small remnant circulating for resale.
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Well I'm back now with Sulaym so maybe once the hype starts it'll be back to the old days! We do have some unique oils available
 
@Scentlover98 Emre you did a wonderful job conveying not only the scent but also the sensibility of Deep Black. When I wore it for the first time, I just knew I loved it, and when I love a scent, it becomes very hard, not only to find issues with it, but also aspects not everyone might enjoy. My objectivity is completely overshadowed by the emotional connection the scent has rooted within me.

I also wanted to mention this when you wrote about Fareed, I've never been to the mountains (outside of the Hejaz I suppose) but while smelling Fareed I was totally envisioning a Shepherd taking his sheep or goats to pasture, on a lush hillside, I don't think that part made it into my description, but I'm so glad you mentioned it in yours, and having had first hand experience in those areas, even more special! I also like the way you talk to the reader, reminds of the habit of Imam Ghazali and Imam Hadid in their writings, very interactive.

Have you tried NA by any chance? That one was an instant love for me, Deep Black was a very close second, but honestly all were at a level I couldn't really compared between them! There is something calming about them, I've worn several on stressful evenings, or when I wanted to relax, and they've never failed!
 
Ahmaoud said:
@Scentlover98 Emre you did a wonderful job conveying not only the scent but also the sensibility of Deep Black. When I wore it for the first time, I just knew I loved it, and when I love a scent, it becomes very hard, not only to find issues with it, but also aspects not everyone might enjoy. My objectivity is completely overshadowed by the emotional connection the scent has rooted within me.

I also wanted to mention this when you wrote about Fareed, I've never been to the mountains (outside of the Hejaz I suppose) but while smelling Fareed I was totally envisioning a Shepherd taking his sheep or goats to pasture, on a lush hillside, I don't think that part made it into my description, but I'm so glad you mentioned it in yours, and having had first hand experience in those areas, even more special! I also like the way you talk to the reader, reminds of the habit of Imam Ghazali and Imam Hadid in their writings, very interactive.

Have you tried NA by any chance? That one was an instant love for me, Deep Black was a very close second, but honestly all were at a level I couldn't really compared between them! There is something calming about them, I've worn several on stressful evenings, or when I wanted to relax, and they've never failed!
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Thank you for the warm words brother, they mean a lot coming from you. I've been reading a lot of books since I was a child, and with the right oil applied it becomes a beautiful experience.

I am nowhere near of your reviewing Skills Brother. In fact am really bad at expressing my emotions trough words nonetheless I am happy whenever someone appreciates them or even can relate to them in a Sense that we can share the same emotions or we can envision the same scenery although we might never visited this kind of places (such in your case with Fareed).
And even if we might not share the same emotions i still find it interesting to hear and read what other people might think of when smelling a oil.
I think this is one of the ability’s of scents. They can connect people from different parts of the world. Subhanallah what a great Community

And I also wanted to mention that I really like your blending abilities with oils as well.
You have a very good understanding of oils and combinations. What can also be read in your reviews that I really enjoy. Keep up the good work brother

First I was kind of confused since I haven’t read „NA“ on any of the vials. 😅
But after asking @mesOUD Abi I got clearance. The Attar your Talking about is „Chypre Oud“. Indeed this one is very very special I had the chance of testing this one and talking to a friend of mine about it who purchased the attar set. He kindly lend me the Set so I can test them. He mentioned to me that this one ins one of his favorite from the set. He really loves it.
He said it reminded him of one of his perfumes he owns from a very well known artisanal brand (Areej le dore)
(Please keep in mind that this Friend has several artisanal perfumes and blends)

I had the chance of testing them Areej le dore on one site and Chypre Oud on the other side of my arm. They are completely different but indeed they have very slight similarities in drydown wich surprised me immensely. They both share that boozy almost aldehydic sweet orange oud accord wich I only encountered with vintage style perfumes(of course without the oud and animalic notes) This combination is superb.

Chypre oud from @mesOUD Abi is insanely good and a masterpiece. It also shows his abilities to combine oud and Ingredients from the east with french perfumery.
I have to take my time with this one to give it a fair review
 
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Wardlab Nangahar rose oil from Afghanistan at the moment… 🌹

I have been comparing this to oil from Iran, and Bulgaria, and Ta’if… it is more like the ta’if rose physically and aromatically. It remains liquid when bulgarian is gelled, like the ta’if and iranian oils. I have read about a way of processing rose oil to remove the waxes. what I’m wondering is if this is done deliberately, as an additional step, with these rose oils from Iran, Afghanistan, and ta’if or are they naturally low in stearoptene?

This one has a very delicious clean tart/ tangy opening, no sour or sweaty or flat berry notes that i at times smell in ordinary rose oil.

This is a very refined and appealing Rose! The iranian has a different opening - also well balanced but there is a backdrop of something appealing and green smelling - perhaps lightly leafy or faint melon? My nose is saturated, so it eludes me at the moment.

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Today I applied another swipe of Wardlab ruh gulab (R. hasayan), Kannauj, 2021.

I searched for “hasayan” briefly and I came up with a few different things, so I will leave it to someone else to explain that.

I see three categories of damascena otto in my samples -

1) iran, afghanistan, ta’if type
2) bulgarian / turkish type
3) ruh gulab type

This is just based on my limited experience not a general fact about Rose oil in a broad sense.

This Gulab is quite distinct from the other roses. It has much more of a kind of fuzzy velvety geraniumish vibrating sawtooth scent - it’s sort of like the heart note of some of the other regions, but then amplified and sparkling. My gulabs have been more linear than my bulgarian ottos - almost like a single set of rose notes, very concentrated and intense. I also pick up on what in my mind is a deg signature note which i greatly enjoy.

I cherish this specimen for its intensity and clarity. The sulaym HM bulgarian otto has a similar heart-forward and intense vibrant rose heart note. The color of this gulab is a little more saturated than the Nangarhar rose.
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Got another one just in a general sense. this will come as no surprise to people who have dabbled in perfumery, but lavender is just an amazing material not just in itself, but in terms of the effect it has on blends.

I have been experimenting with small amounts of some different lavenders including lavender absolute and distilled french wild population lavender (which i find to be especially fine). The lavender absolute adds a really nice warm sweet layer with some coumarin, and I think it would work well in ambergris type aromas with clary sage and cistus.

The high elevation distilled oil has ridiculous odor-potentiating and exalting effects… It’s entirely unlike ambrette, but it can add a similar type of strangely appealing quality which seems to be more about enhancing the way other things smell than being a strong smell in itself.

There are definitely a variety of things out there that are kind of olfactory salt and pepper or msg - boosting / shifting the perception of other things.
 
Mr.P said:
Today I applied another swipe of Wardlab ruh gulab (R. hasayan), Kannauj, 2021.

I searched for “hasayan” briefly and I came up with a few different things, so I will leave it to someone else to explain that.

I see three categories of damascena otto in my samples -

1) iran, afghanistan, ta’if type
2) bulgarian / turkish type
3) ruh gulab type

This is just based on my limited experience not a general fact about Rose oil in a broad sense.

This Gulab is quite distinct from the other roses. It has much more of a kind of fuzzy velvety geraniumish vibrating sawtooth scent - it’s sort of like the heart note of some of the other regions, but then amplified and sparkling. My gulabs have been more linear than my bulgarian ottos - almost like a single set of rose notes, very concentrated and intense. I also pick up on what in my mind is a deg signature note which i greatly enjoy.

I cherish this specimen for its intensity and clarity. The sulaym HM bulgarian otto has a similar heart-forward and intense vibrant rose heart note. The color of this gulab is a little more saturated than the Nangarhar rose. View attachment 32745
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I would recommend you revisit the Iranian oil again.

The Afghani rose oil and Taifi both are grown at high altitude. Therefore they share a lot of characteristics. The taifi rose is distilled in the traditional style, it is a very simple style. I have written about that on here previously. The Afghani oil is distilled in a Hybrid way between the Bulgarian and Turkish style. The old Turkish pots were the basis for the Taifi systems. Can watch about it on here

www.instagram.com

Al Shareef on Instagram‎: "Taifi Rose Oil 2022 - there are rose oils and then there are rose oils. The Al Shareef Taifi rose oil is the best rose oil you will lay your nose on. Out now on our website, limited stock. #masterperfumer #alshareefoudh #

82 likes, 3 comments - alshareefoudh on May 5, 2022‎: "Taifi Rose Oil 2022 - there are rose oils and then there are rose oils. The Al Shareef Taifi rose oil is the best rose oil you will lay your nose on. Out now on our website, limited stock. #masterperfumer #alshareefoudh #rose #taif #oudh...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com

The both the Taifi oil and Afghan oil freeze around 4-6 C, where as some of the others freeze at higher temperatures.

The Irani oil is different to the Afghani and Taifi. I am not sure if the freezing point is altered by some filtering they do, however their distillation systems are fairly unique to them.
 
“I would recommend you revisit the Iranian oil again.”

Done! You don’t have to say that twice! 😉

Now what I want to know is why does the Bulgarian gel but not the others? If the taif is a simple distillation with no stearoptene separation going on, maybe the climate or variety of rose is what is responsible for the lower amount of stearoptene?
 
Your nangarhar congeals readily? That green oil looks interesting- I have heard that Rose oils that are direct distilled from the flowers without cohobation of the waters are often green (especially earlier fractions). I have always wondered what that first fraction rose oil would smell like. For large scale production it’s too costly to separate it so it is folded in along with all the oil that comes out of the rosewater as it is recirculated and redistilled - the oil becomes pale because only the first fraction is green. I am repeating what I read in a book so those with more experience set the record straight, please!
 
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