Au Coeur du Desért
Tauer (2016)

Having and wearing L'Air Desert du Marocain from time to time for a few years now, somewhere around 1,5 years ago I received a bottle of Au Coeur du Desert that I recently bought.

There's no doubt clear resemblance and similarity between these two. Au Coeur is sweeter, more balsamic and more resinous. It's like a "sirupy" version of L'Air Desert. While L'Air is a vision of a smell while shopping on a local bazaar where literally you can see all those spices and local cuisine specialities, to me Au Coeur is a walk through the sand desert while eating "local" sweets. Much more condensed resins and condensed spices (especially coriander, maybe cumin also). Last but not least two components that build the scent as a whole: amber and cedar. The latter one is sharper than the one presented in L'Air, like a fresh cut wood. The amber is the cause of why I called Au Coeur du Desert resinous. In fact, it is resinous to the bone.

I initially enjoyed L'Air du Desert Marocain more than this, and since it was a bit cheaper, it became my preferred choice. However, I began to appreciate ACDD a bit more over time. The sweetness of the original is toned down a bit, and some dustiness appears, which makes the composition more balanced. While this scent sits a bit closer to the skin, it's not a bad thing. You don't want it to choke everyone around you. It's a scent that you enjoy for yourself.

I wouldn't recommend a blind buy, but it's also not going to be polarizing. Unless you dislike leathery amber scents, I think this will grow on you. It's not really animalic or fecal, so there's no need to worry about that. Give it a chance, and if you don't like it at first, try it again later.

Well it's better than his Air du Désert Marocain a.k.a. the 99% cumin essential oil scent but... this one is mainly Vick's Vaporub. Thus the root of that tree they make cinnamon from if I recall correctly.

Where's the amber, patchouli, ambergris etc. though? I mean you could say that the menthol/resiny opening has an earthiness/woodiness somewhere wayyy down there and it does surface after a while but yeah.

Really though, just like LADDM , this one is overhyped and a bad scent.

The best use of amber that I have tried; smokey, airy, and very light on the sweetness. Easing off the vanilla, and keeping the amber from being heavy/suffocating, is what really makes this fragrance shine.

Very grateful for the partial sample I was gifted by a gracious BN'er!

This is definitely FBW for me; I had given up on my quest for a good amber fragrance, but this is exactly what I was looking for.

4.5/5.0, until I can acquire a bottle for a full test drive.

The opening blast is a feast of amber - rich, intense and with a slightly sweet hint. There is whiff of citrus traceable in the first moment, but the amber rules the roost, and continues doing so for near the whole development. There is evidently a considerable contribution of a patchouli component, adding a dark and smoky effect, although it is not extremely harsh, like, for instance, Tom Ford's Purple Patchouli. Still, it has its edginess and crispness.

Down the track some nonspecific woodsy impression comes and goes, but a times touches of a cypress shine through. A touch of a very artificial ambergris makes an appearance at times.

I get strong sillage, excellent projection, and seven hours of longevity on my skin.

As a amber scent this is very niche, including in the way the patchouli is applied. The rest is less impressive, but the performance is very good. Is displays considerable similarities with L'Air du Desert Marocain for the same House, but is a bit less nuanced than L'Air. Overall 3.25/5

Smells just like LADDM. They just toned it down a bit. I have to give it a thumbs up just for those reasons.