Agar Aura - Official discussion thread

[thesacredsaguaro]

Each time I come back to Karama it makes me laugh at my initial assessment. This thing has really opened up to my nose and has become what I initially thought it was. I didn’t realize how much my nose has been effected by allergies this season and when I can smell Karama properly it’s like fireworks.

 

[Mick B]

I doubt these are magically going to start being good after a week

Very curious to hear your new take on these, after letting them sit for a week

 

[Paddington]

Very curious to hear your new take on these, after letting them sit for a week

OUd de grasse and jungle song still terrible need to revist karma

 

[thesacredsaguaro]

I sprayed Oud de Grasse and I agree with Paddington. Nothing has changed with how I feel about it. I enjoy the opening 15 minutes but after that it’s all downhill.

 

[Dothraki]

Welp… I sold Le Cheikh Boheme for Agar Parisien and instantly started having remorse about letting LCB go. But just got my nose on the Agar Parisien today and it’s wonderful. Can’t compare it to LCB, it’s quite different. I think it’s similar to Oud Fougere in style, couple shared notes, but has much more shape-shifting qualities to me. Love the shapeshifters. This one is quite fun so far and the ingredients smell fantastic and fresh with a little animalic bite if you search for it. I can actually pick out all of the listed notes from the get-go Ambergris, oud, oakmoss, wormwood, bergamot, grapefruit, rose… it’s all there. Then it morphs into something completely different from afar, just like Blu did. I get more of a barbershop fougere than anything else, but it morphs back and forth second to second. At times I swear it turned into Creed Viking for a second, cinnamon and mint…but nope, it was a quick little illusion that manifested randomly just for a whiff or two then back into one of it’s other forms. Awesome opening (all of them lol), awesome mid, very clean soft chewy oud drydown, just asking for another spray. Yeah I’m digging this one and can’t wait to get to know it throughout the next few days. It’s definitely more dynamic than LCB but maybe not quite as much as Blu. Yer my boy, Blu! Agar Parisien is soo clean, yet somehow still a bit feral making it apparent that it has raw wild natural ingredients in every spray.

I would love to see Taha take some less expensive oud and do some more stripped down oud-centric sprays. Maybe less ingredients that way the oud can be the highlight. He’s done amazing perfumes… I’d like to see a pure oud spray.

 

[Dothraki]

I might try to swap all my perfumes for oud. I find myself not being satisfied with anything but straight oud anymore. I love all those other ingredients but all I want is oud. It’s so damn addicting lol.

 

[qja]

Trying the Solafa samples yesterday and today. I wasn't sure what to expect after reading the thread here, but I'm really enjoying Karama and Jungle Song so far. My Oud De Grasse sample leaked out, so the box is the tester for that. I have to say that I like all of them so far and I'm looking forward to testing them more to see if I enjoy them enough for full bottles. I love Taha's style, and I really appreciate his willingness to branch out beyond his comfort zone to try new things.

Also, just in case anybody missed it, Luckyscent has the sample set and bottles available.

 

[Dothraki]

Has anyone tried Khmer Khlem Chan, Bois Noir or Pursat Atique?

 

[zeedubbya]

Has anyone tried Khmer Khlem Chan, Bois Noir or Pursat Atique?

Have tried Khmer Khlem Chan. In fact am sniffing the sample vial right now. It’s described pretty well on Agar Aura page. It’s a clean sweet woody Cambodian through and through. Very pretty oil in my opinion. Very very VERY slight smoke scent. Overall a good solid oil for the price. Reminiscent of an unreleased oil Pailin Taha put out several years back. I think it was a sister distillation to Pailin Spec K. Have both and see similarities but Pailin SK is next level Oud.

 

[Olympe de Gouges]

So Karama is quite excellent and lasts all day. The opening of Oud de Grasse is absolutely to die for, it is so plush and heady. Oud de Grasse gets much more “formal” feeling, I guess is how I would describe it. I like it, but it from the opening it develops in a direction I would not have expected from the opening.

The issue is both of them give me a mild rash on skin that lasts a day or two. It is not serious and it is just mild itchiness, but I do not think I can wear either of them on my skin.

The mystery to me now is: why? I have never had this reaction from a perfume before. I got it first with Oud de Grasse so I just assumed it was the oakmoss. I love oakmoss and have not had a problem before, but I assumed that it was just the particular variety or concentration or something. But then I had the same reaction from Karama, which does not have moss in it, or at least it is not mentioned that I can see.

I have never had an issue with any other Agar Aura or any other perfume that I can remember. I have both Le Cheik Boheme and Oud Fougère, which I have never had issues with.

Sorry this is not a complaint, more I am just wondering what it could be that is in both Oud de Grasse and Karama that is apparently not in any other Agar Aura perfume. Just very curious. Also just putting it out there in case anyone else has sensitive skin or something and is thinking about buying without testing first.

I am glad I did not blind buy them like I was considering. But I am still very excited to try what comes next with Agar Aura and Solafa ^^

 

[BryanI]

I had to sell Agar Parisien due to this same reason. I do not get a rash with any other perfume, oakmoss or not. I wonder about the propolis as this seems to be an ingredient that I do not see anyone else using. Or I wonder if it the ouds used. Sometimes oud can result in contact dermaititis.

 

[Dothraki]

I had reactions to Ensar’s first perfumes…but now they don’t give me problems. However, when I made some beard oil I dotted my hand on the backside and my arm to smell it pre-dilution and got those nasty rashes from it. Agar Parisien is fine on me, even in the sun.

 

[Dothraki]

I really like the complexity, quality and fresh style of Agar Parisien…especially with that ambergris in there… but might be having regrets selling LCB for it. Even though LCB is not as complex there was something about it that I personally liked a lot. I’ll need to find another bottle of LCB at some point.

 

[Sultan al Hindi]

Man, Jungle Song is absolutely singing on my skin in this lovely sunny weather. It kinda reminds me of a mix between Kashmir Nuit with a hint of Rising Mysore but a lot more robust and oudhy. Really highlights some of the best qualities i like in vetiver. Love it!

 

[thesacredsaguaro]

Been wearing Jungle Song a whole lot more lately. It’s really opened up and it’s a complete love now.

I get sweet, fruity florals in the heat and a whole boatload of oud and musks. I also get something slightly charred and earthy. I’m wondering if that’s the vetiver? For some reason I can’t smell this up close on skin but only in the air around me. Thankfully it’s so strong that it doesn’t seem to be a problem to smell.

So Karama is quite excellent and lasts all day. The opening of Oud de Grasse is absolutely to die for, it is so plush and heady. Oud de Grasse gets much more “formal” feeling, I guess is how I would describe it. I like it, but it from the opening it develops in a direction I would not have expected from the opening.

The issue is both of them give me a mild rash on skin that lasts a day or two. It is not serious and it is just mild itchiness, but I do not think I can wear either of them on my skin.

The mystery to me now is: why? I have never had this reaction from a perfume before. I got it first with Oud de Grasse so I just assumed it was the oakmoss. I love oakmoss and have not had a problem before, but I assumed that it was just the particular variety or concentration or something. But then I had the same reaction from Karama, which does not have moss in it, or at least it is not mentioned that I can see.

I have never had an issue with any other Agar Aura or any other perfume that I can remember. I have both Le Cheik Boheme and Oud Fougère, which I have never had issues with.

Sorry this is not a complaint, more I am just wondering what it could be that is in both Oud de Grasse and Karama that is apparently not in any other Agar Aura perfume. Just very curious. Also just putting it out there in case anyone else has sensitive skin or something and is thinking about buying without testing first.

I am glad I did not blind buy them like I was considering. But I am still very excited to try what comes next with Agar Aura and Solafa ^^

I’m assuming it’s some of the aromachemicals he used. I know he said he used them in 1-3% dilutions but some ac’s need to be diluted to .01 or .05% etc. I’m wondering if that’s the case. Whatever fixatives or floral/woody/musk ac’s used are causing that sensitivity.

Also repeated exposure to materials can build up sensitivity over time to the point that what didn’t used to give you a reaction will now give you a reaction every time.

 

[james1051]

I see that Luckysent hs listing Blu as being back in stock. Anybody know if this is leftover stock from the first batch, or is this a new batch? If the latter, how does it stack up against the first batch?

 

[Scent Detective]

I see that Luckysent hs listing Blu as being back in stock. Anybody know if this is leftover stock from the first batch, or is this a new batch? If the latter, how does it stack up against the first batch?

I don't know the answer to that question, but I suspect this is additional stock from Taha.

 

[Olympe de Gouges]

Thanks for the heads up. Immediately grabbed without question. So far resisting the urge to buy two 😂

Looks like Layali and Agar Attar are back as well. I am sorely tempted to back up Layali, but I am trying to be somewhat responsible with perfume purchases, alas.

 

[Olympe de Gouges]

Also to add, I assume this Blu is a new batch and will probably not be exactly the same. I am sure it came up with other people talking to Taha, but my understanding is there is no more of whatever oud he used in the original batch of Blu. He mentioned he was distilling a similar oud, so he Oud in this Blu could be that one he was talking about.

 

[Scent Detective]

Thanks for the heads up. Immediately grabbed without question. So far resisting the urge to buy two 😂

Looks like Layali and Agar Attar are back as well. I am sorely tempted to back up Layali, but I am trying to be somewhat responsible with perfume purchases, alas.

Olympe, give us your take on Layali...I want that one badly!