Attar/Mukhallat of the Day

[Loulikesoud]

Soroor - @mesOUD

This smells like memories of my dad from when I was a child.

Which is mind boggling, because my dad was never big into fragrances. So some combination of old school aftershave or deodorant, and general man musk. The smell of getting in his truck after a day on the boat, or hugging him after he got home from a long day of work.

Soroor is a beautiful, fitting name.

This is what it reminds me of. Definitely a very nostalgic composition.

 

[Mr.P]

This is what it reminds me of. Definitely a very nostalgic composition.

The funny thing is I also find it nostalgic but it reminds me of waiting for the subway at the Grand Army Plaza station in Brooklyn.

Why nostalgia?

 

[Groats]

Rawdah-ASO

This is a saffron bomb, from the start to the finish I am getting puffs of the stuff. If you do not like saffron this will not be one for you. I love saffron however, and this is a very rich enjoyable one. Every nuance of saffron is here: freshly tanned leather, kitchen table spices, and this radiating arid warmth. Every other component plays a supporting role in rounding and shaping this. Overall a solid attar.

 

[Alamande]

Rawdah-ASO

This is a saffron bomb, from the start to the finish I am getting puffs of the stuff. If you do not like saffron this will not be one for you. I love saffron however, and this is a very rich enjoyable one. Every nuance of saffron is here: freshly tanned leather, kitchen table spices, and this radiating arid warmth. Every other component plays a supporting role in rounding and shaping this. Overall a solid attar.

I’m wearing my Ghallia Zafran from Al Hashimi today - “arid warmth” is a perfect descriptor. I know exactly what you mean. 💯

 

[Joe]

I’m wearing my Ghallia Zafran from Al Hashimi today - “arid warmth” is a perfect descriptor. I know exactly what you mean. 💯

Does the saffron come across as leathery?

 

[Alamande]

Does the saffron come across as leathery?

I can’t say it does, at least not to my nose. In the Al Hashimi it mainly comes across as spicy-warm but bone dry…devoid of sweetness. There is also a top note that I’m struggling to describe - something floral - which probably also comes from the saffron, because I don’t think there are any other floral-derived ingredients in here. The animalics mainly manifest in ‘texture’, lending a pillowy ‘feel’ which I associate with musk. Sniffing the uncapped bottle does yield a somewhat ammonia-adjacent, pleasantly pongy animalic note, but isn’t detectable on skin.

 

[Mr.P]

I was checking out some tincture of valerian root I made in the spring, tried layering it with some Egyptian jasmine (grandiflorum) with the balance hugely in favor of the Jasmine. I had read in a blog or post somewhere about somebody using Valerian in place of civet with floral materials so it seemed worth a try.

Valerian has some of the cheesiness of civet and some the barnyard qualities of spikenard and fermented Lao sinensis and Jasmine itself is already a little bit fecal so I went very light with the Valerian. Initially it was quite fecal, possibly "shocking", but once things settled and I allowed some time to pass I started noticing a pleasant alteration of the jasmine which I assume is caused by the valerian and not something else on my skin. I would say the experience was not especially pleasant when my nose was pressed right into it but from some distance the combination is a nice lively floral balance.

 

[LasLunas]

EO Civet Musk swiped with EO Red Champaca dropped on top

The Civet Musk has Tripura Oud, to me a medium bite but not fecal in any way; this is very spicy, cardamom for certain, slight damp earthy note similar to spikenard; there is both mandarin and neroli in the attar however I topped off the swipes with a drop of the Red Champaca as the civet musk is spicy and woody enough to support a strong floral, and I am pleased to have followed my mood this morning. The woody spices are shining through the champaca now, 3 hours after application, sublime!

Ahhh...Mmmm...keeps my mind off the prevailing odors of formalin and urea at this plastics manufacturing facility.

 

[LasLunas]

I can’t say it does, at least not to my nose. In the Al Hashimi it mainly comes across as spicy-warm but bone dry…devoid of sweetness. There is also a top note that I’m struggling to describe - something floral - which probably also comes from the saffron, because I don’t think there are any other floral-derived ingredients in here. The animalics mainly manifest in ‘texture’, lending a pillowy ‘feel’ which I associate with musk. Sniffing the uncapped bottle does yield a somewhat ammonia-adjacent, pleasantly pongy animalic note, but isn’t detectable on skin.

I had to look up "pongy"
I love the sound of the word....
I have never heard the adjective in my lifetime, and I guess it is a British saying. It has a nice ring to it, even if it means stinky. Next time we head out to the groomer I am going to tell my dog he smells "Pongy"

 

[Alamande]

I had to look up "pongy"
I love the sound of the word....
I have never heard the adjective in my lifetime, and I guess it is a British saying. It has a nice ring to it, even if it means stinky. Next time we head out to the groomer I am going to tell my dog he smells "Pongy"

Yes, it’s Bri’ish, innit 🤣. Using it to describe a dog is perfect.

 

[Mr.P]

i've been shucking sunflowers to collect seeds and have noticed a sticky resin left on my fingers after that has really delicious aroma - some kind of tangy airiness over a deep resinous note, an extremely pleasant aroma. I have no idea if it would be possible to extract from the flowers but it's a good smelling material would be an asset in the perfume library.

 

[SteveE]

Having nothing to add, I asked AI and got this

The sticky resin your friend noticed while shucking sunflowers likely comes from glandular trichomes on the sunflower’s bracts or stems, which can exude sesquiterpene lactones, polyphenols, and resinous compounds with aromatic qualities.

Possible Chemical Families Behind the Aroma

Here are a few plausible candidates:

1. Sesquiterpene Lactones

• Found in many members of the Asteraceae family (which includes sunflowers).
• Known for their bitter, spicy, and sometimes aromatic scent.
• Specific sesquiterpenes like heliangolide, arnicolide, or costunolide may be present in sunflower resin.
• These compounds often have a deep, resinous and sometimes spicy or woody scent, aligning with the description of a “deep resinous note.”

2. Polyphenolic Compounds and Coumarins

• Sunflower parts can contain polyphenols with a warm, earthy smell, and coumarins can give off sweet, hay-like, or nutty aromas.
• These could contribute to the “tangy airiness” described by your friend.

3. Sunflower Seed Oil Residue (minor volatiles)

• Although not usually fragrant, freshly handled sunflower seeds can leave behind oils that contain linoleic acid derivatives, which when oxidized may emit a faintly nutty or grassy scent.

4. Diterpenes and Resinous Esters

• While less studied in sunflowers specifically, these types of compounds contribute to the sticky, aromatic profiles in other plant resins and might be present in trace amounts.

Feasibility for Perfumery

The user’s intuition is interesting and not far-fetched—many unique materials in niche perfumery have been discovered this way. However:

• Sunflowers are not commonly used in perfumery due to low yield of volatile oils.
• Extraction would likely require solvent extraction or CO₂ extraction from the bracts or stems—not the seeds themselves.
• The novelty of the scent (described as both tangy and resinous) could be appealing in experimental or artisan perfumery, especially if it can be stabilized.

All this may or may not be helpful, I did get a great band name out of this

The Resinous Esters

 

[Shiningrobes]

Having nothing to add, I asked AI and got this

All this may or may not be helpful, I did get a great band name out of this

The Resinous Esters

Your new band name

 

[Ouderriffic]

Right hand - HM Royal Jardin by SULAYM
Left hand - HM Royal Jardin Edition de Musc by SULAYM

I recieved this very generous sample of Jardin Musc in my recent order from Ahmed @SULAYM, and decided to wear them for a side-by-side comparison. I was already a big fan of Jardin OG, so I was excited to find out there is also this Musc Edition being released sometime soon, which has been macerated with vintage musk.

With the OG being the perfectly well-balanced powerhouse that it is, the musk has taken a masterpiece level vintage oud/rose combo to a whole other level, in my opinion. Of course, both versions have the amazing Taif rose opening, the vintage Maroke dry down (which I can't get enough of), and the subtle leather notes (I guess from aging in Camel skin for ~40 years), but Musc Edition takes everything in the OG and amplifies it, while also adding a new "purple" element into the mix.

The musk here is very well balanced and smooth. My nose doesn't pick up any animalic "off-notes" as a result of the musk being added.

Aside from that, the OG is no slouch in terms of longevity, but the musk edition does outlast, both on skin, and on paper strips. To be expected I suppose.

I also gotta say, one must be pretty confident and experienced to be willing to add anything to a Royal vintage masterpiece, but in this case, I would say the risk paid off. Well done!

 

[Mr.P]

I have a left arm right arm thing myself here.

On my left, 2024 batch of Egyptian jasmine absolute "extra". On my right 2025 batch of the same from the same provider. The new batch has some airy, tea-like, a bit of fresh- green and almost banana like topnote qualities that remind me of jasmine grandiflorum distillates. It is mobile, pale, and smells very concentrated like most pigment and waxes have been removed.

The old batch has none of that, it is denser and heavier, darker color, with little nuances more towards lilac, coriander, violet leaf, cucumber, slight leafy quality. I don't know if the difference reflects the work of a different extractor with a different approach or perhaps a different field or seasonal differences… it's not just a matter of time, the new batch will not come to resemble the old one as it ages

Origin is Payan Bertrand.

 

[Joe]

I can’t say it does, at least not to my nose. In the Al Hashimi it mainly comes across as spicy-warm but bone dry…devoid of sweetness. There is also a top note that I’m struggling to describe - something floral - which probably also comes from the saffron, because I don’t think there are any other floral-derived ingredients in here. The animalics mainly manifest in ‘texture’, lending a pillowy ‘feel’ which I associate with musk. Sniffing the uncapped bottle does yield a somewhat ammonia-adjacent, pleasantly pongy animalic note, but isn’t detectable on skin.

I just got some saffron, and I want spice, not leather. So many saffron synthetics that I've tried come across as leathery. No me gusta.

 

[Joe]

This is what it reminds me of. Definitely a very nostalgic composition.

I must try this then! I lost my dad about 6 years ago to Lewy body dementia. The slow, painful decline was a terrible experience, but he's off to a better place.

 

[Alamande]

I just got some saffron, and I want spice, not leather. So many saffron synthetics that I've tried come across as leathery. No me gusta.

Yes! It comes from a flower after all - and quite a beautiful one at that. I always think it should be spicy-floral, but I’m not an expert (though I would love to become one).

 

[Mr.P]

Yes! It comes from a flower after all - and quite a beautiful one at that. I always think it should be spicy-floral, but I’m not an expert (though I would love to become one).

spicy floral saffron sounds good to me!

 

[SULAYM]

Right hand - HM Royal Jardin by SULAYM
Left hand - HM Royal Jardin Edition de Musc by SULAYM

I recieved this very generous sample of Jardin Musc in my recent order from Ahmed @SULAYM, and decided to wear them for a side-by-side comparison. I was already a big fan of Jardin OG, so I was excited to find out there is also this Musc Edition being released sometime soon, which has been macerated with vintage musk.

With the OG being the perfectly well-balanced powerhouse that it is, the musk has taken a masterpiece level vintage oud/rose combo to a whole other level, in my opinion. Of course, both versions have the amazing Taif rose opening, the vintage Maroke dry down (which I can't get enough of), and the subtle leather notes (I guess from aging in Camel skin for ~40 years), but Musc Edition takes everything in the OG and amplifies it, while also adding a new "purple" element into the mix.

The musk here is very well balanced and smooth. My nose doesn't pick up any animalic "off-notes" as a result of the musk being added.

Aside from that, the OG is no slouch in terms of longevity, but the musk edition does outlast, both on skin, and on paper strips. To be expected I suppose.

I also gotta say, one must be pretty confident and experienced to be willing to add anything to a Royal vintage masterpiece, but in this case, I would say the risk paid off. Well done!

Beautiful review thanks Shawn 🙏