NEW AbdesSalaam Attar Custom Fragrance Sampling Thread

[Deleted member 26305106]

I’m going to buy a $20 slice of BN pizza this weekend because this project is slick. Then, once I read everything in glorious detail with my earl grey and nori snacks, I’ll make a selection from AbdesSalaam. Cue Drake ovation meme. My OCD will be in post-coital bliss.

 

[Lellabelle]

I’ll make a selection from AbdesSalaam.

Any requests for tonight’s review?

 

[Diamondflame]

What might have been a straight up fruity floral is given the ambergris makeover in ANDROGENE.

It started off with a pretty bouquet of fresh florals with jasmine making its heady presence felt early. The sharp tang of grapefruit only amplified the floralcy. At this point it kinda screamed ‘estrogen’ to me and it got me wondering about the origins. How could this possibly be androgynous? But as
I understand the custom fragrance crafting process, a name is usually chosen by the customer during the ordering process. Without knowing the real story behind the name, we could only guess at its intended meaning and that would often mean, grasping at straws.

Apart from vetiver which in combination with the florals smells more like iris at least texturally, there simply aren’t any other notes that could pull it from the brink. But as minutes passed, the florals grew softer and less distinct, revealing more of the citruses. It started to smell like the scent of a distant garden carried over by a fresh if slightly salty sea breeze. Ambergris is working its magic here though I couldn’t quite figure out if it’s of the white or grey variety. But its profile is clean enough and reminds me somewhat of Bortnikoff’s popular Amber Cologne.

As I happen to enjoy many Mediterranean sea side-orange grove types of fragrances, this gets my thunbs up. But I do wish I know a little more about the backstory.

Edit:
Over the next few days /weeks I’ll be ‘pestering’ Salaam if he could share some inside stories to these fragrances, without revealing the identity of the customer of course. 🙂

 

[Lellabelle]

Brothers in Arms. Nice herbal rose. Clean, fresh, well-balanced.

We have some Abdesalaam aficionados here, so I’ll start by saying that Brothers in Arms has the Profumo DNA. Of the samples we are testing, this one, to me, smells the most like the Salaam I am used to. There’s a woodiness I recognize from Legno di Nave (now called Sea Wood, I think), a vetiver I have encountered in Oakmoss (and others), and a rose that unfurls its pretty petals in a number of his creations, both masculine and feminine. If you’ve scented any of Salaam’s perfumes, you will immediately recognise his signature blend of herbal elegance.

So, how does it smell? Brothers in Arms is one of those deceptively simple, complex perfumes. There’s just enough going on to provide a fully-developed green, woody rose perfume, but not a drop of anything extraneous. It’s superbly well-balanced. All the listed notes are perceptible, but nothing screams for attention. Each note supports the other in a perfectly balanced house of scented cards; take any one away, and something vital would be lost, but together, they work in harmony to create an elegant, green, woody rose that manages to be neither dandified, or demanding. It’s quiet elegance is, in fact, it’s charm.

So, who would wear this? It’s a gentlemanly scent indeed. This is so finely tuned, it is begging to be worn, spritzed liberally, on a silk cravat, silver tie-pin and all. But it would just as well on a wool sweater, straight from pruning the rose garden. Sartorial choices aside, it’s a beautifully crafted scent, and would appeal to someone self-assured, and introspective. It’s refined, and quiet, and humble, with great structure and quality.

 

[Lellabelle]

Lady Girl: Very clean. Pleasant, soft, sweet powder.

Testing: this one is very soft. I have to put my nose right to the skin to perceive it. ‘Soft’ applies equally well as a descriptor for the scent itself, not just it’s projection. I get lots of powdery softness with this one: not the almond pastry of heliotrope, or the melancholy earth of Iris, but a more vanillic powder. There’s almost a latex quality to it; it’s closer to powdered latex gloves than to leather ones, on my skin.

It’s clean, delicate, and very restrained. There’s a dusting of some spice, but just at the edges. The powder and cinnamon combination reminds me of an embryonic Fate Woman, but with the complexity and the wattage dialled WAY down.

Lady Girl is more of a feeling, than a statement. Some perfumes have a lot to say. This one whispers. What it whispers is at the edge of my hearing; soft murmurs of innocence. You could give this to a child to wear, and it would be lovely. As an adult, I’m not sure it speaks enough to capture my attention. I would enjoy this as a scented face cream, or lotion, but for me, at least, this one is too delicate to have the impact I would wish for.

 

[Diamondflame]

View attachment 173648
Brothers in Arms. Nice herbal rose. Clean, fresh, well-balanced.

We have some Abdesalaam aficionados here, so I’ll start by saying that Brothers in Arms has the Profumo DNA. Of the samples we are testing, this one, to me, smells the most like the Salaam I am used to. There’s a woodiness I recognize from Legno di Nave (now called Sea Wood, I think), a vetiver I have encountered in Oakmoss (and others), and a rose that unfurls its pretty petals in a number of his creations, both masculine and feminine. If you’ve scented any of Salaam’s perfumes, you will immediately recognise his signature blend of herbal elegance.

So, how does it smell? Brothers in Arms is one of those deceptively simple, complex perfumes. There’s just enough going on to provide a fully-developed green, woody rose perfume, but not a drop of anything extraneous. It’s superbly well-balanced. All the listed notes are perceptible, but nothing screams for attention. Each note supports the other in a perfectly balanced house of scented cards; take any one away, and something vital would be lost, but together, they work in harmony to create an elegant, green, woody rose that manages to be neither dandified, or demanding. It’s quiet elegance is, in fact, it’s charm.

So, who would wear this? It’s a gentlemanly scent indeed. This is so finely tuned, it is begging to be worn, spritzed liberally, on a silk cravat, silver tie-pin and all. But it would just as well on a wool sweater, straight from pruning the rose garden. Sartorial choices aside, it’s a beautifully crafted scent, and would appeal to someone self-assured, and introspective. It’s refined, and quiet, and humble, with great structure and quality.

YES. Very aptly summarised. This is indeed one of those versatile fragrances that wears well under any occasion because it doesn’t call for attention yet leaves a favorable impression on anyone lucky enough to gain entry into the wearer’s more intimate personal space. 🙂

 

[Cook.bot]

My only issue is, I don’t want to smell like chai. Out of a steaming cup, yes, please. Even in the form of a “chai latte,” I’m good with it. On my arm, though, I feel like I spilled chai on myself. Does it, and do I, smell good? We do. But I’m afraid it just doesn’t suit me to a tea.

I completely understand your logic, and respect your preference, but I still think I'd enjoy smelling this on a human being.

 

[PStoller]

I completely understand your logic, and respect your preference, but I still think I'd enjoy smelling this on a human being.

Likewise understood. I used to love smelling vanilla on a now-ex GF, though I hate wearing it myself.

 

[PStoller]

Speculoos

This seems a natural follow-up to Pango Chai, extending the tenuous “Old Spice” sync theme and the most likely of the remaining scents not to work for me. In a series of samples, I like to get the seemingly weak contenders out of the way early, though sometimes they emerge as the greatest surprises. "Weak" is relative, of course. Even my least-favorite AbdesSalaam is a respectable composition: it just comes down to how it suits my tastes.

If Pango Chai suffered from foodiness and familiarity, Speculoos is potentially either a subject or object of torture. For them what doesn't know, "speculoos" is a holiday cookie popular in parts of Europe around St. Nicholas' Day and/or Christmas, dating back to the 17th century. ("Old spice," indeed.) Per the ever-authoritative Wikipedia, the spiced Dutch originals were called "speculaas," with "speculoos" being a less-spicy Belgian variant; "oo" instead of "aa" regardless, this fragrance is clearly based on a recipe from the Netherlands. Popular versions of the cookie sold in the US year-round include Biscoff and (especially) various brands of "windmill cookies."

Strip away the thin, crispy shortbread from those flavorings, though, and another familiar holiday scent emerges: the ubiquitous abomination known as "pumpkin spice." (No, not the forgotten Spice Girl who only joined the group on Fall tours.)

By rights, I should want to splash this on a voodoo doll and stick pins in it. Such, however, is the magic of natural perfumery in general and AbdesSalaam's mastery in particular: Speculoos rescues the pumpkin spice accord from the evil clutches of whichever international aromachemical companies have synthesized and exaggerated the assorted notes and crammed them into everything from coffee creamers to air <ahem> "fresheners." If only my supermarket smelled of this version instead of some vile Virmenich approximation, I might have a better-stocked pantry.

Am I going to buy a bottle? No: I still don't want to smell like food. But if my wife wore it, I might just nibble her to death.

 

[Varanis Ridari]

LE MAROC

Listed notes: Labdanum, Hemp, Cedarwood, Rose, Tobacco, Cumin, Carot, Coriander, Chamomile

The first thing I notice here is the hemp, then things start to move into hamster cage cedar territory, then the rest unfolds slowly. I don't have much context for the choice of name, other than knowing Le Maroc is basically the name of a kingdom in what is now modern Morocco.

Things do seem to get sweeter as time goes on, which is nice. I was worried at first that this was going to stay in hamster cage mode, but the labdanum and chamomile came out to play near the end of the first hour. Neither Rose nor tobacco is terribly evident to my nose, nor really is the cumin, but that's not a bad thing, just a sign that the blending is doing its job of merging all the seperate lucid tones into an abstract whole.

The carrot emerges much later to my nose, and the final skin glow is going to be wisps of that hemp and cedar, with a mulled spice melange underneath with a general "brown" feeling over the labdanum and chamomile. It's interesting but clearly made for someone who is really into this mixture, and I'm not that person.

Really well-blended though and blooms for hours, resisting even a good scrub. Whoever finds this combination to suit them will likely very happy for a whole day in Le Maroc.

 

[Varanis Ridari]

OUD BEYOND

Listed Notes: ouds blend, musk ambergris, civet musk

This one seemed simple and straightforward animalic, so I wanted to knock it out early since I knew I wasn't in store for much development being a mostly oud/musk oil. As expected, this one is a bit urinous, a bit barnyardish, and breathy. Although, the salty marine aspects of the ambergris actually does a lot to clean up the accord here. This isn't overly fecal or fatty like civet can sometimes be, nor is it total "between the legs" like the stinkiest ouds I've encountered.

Instead, the oud punch comes first, and the civet sort of follows behind with tail tucked between legs. The ambergris seems to be the base here, with the other two riding on top. All together, this could be a base for another perfume, if you added some rose and spice, or citruses alongside some other rounding elements, like vanilla. By itself, Oud Beyond quickly becomes about the ambergris and oud to me, with the civet being more of a joiner, with it's urinous/fecal facets briding the woodiness and rot of the oud with the desiccating salt of the ambergris.

Since all three are musks, you start tuning out the muskinesss all three provide, since they become background static to the other elements of each ingredient. For a perfume that's basically animal plus animal plus rotted wood (animal), I'm surprised by how easy this is to smell. Or maybe it's because they're not contrasted with anything sweeter and cleaner to smell more challenging likes these notes are when found as parts of larger compositions? Either way, after that initial gut punch, I acclimate quickly.

Of course there could be a lot of other unlisted stuff here I'm missing, that's playing push/pull on the three musks that make up Oud Beyond. I can't comment on what I don't know is there, and if I smell blindly, I just see the oud and the ambergris mainly, with the civet playing peek-a-boo if you go looking for it. I let my BF smell this and somehow he said "grape otter pops", but he also thinks cilantro smells soapy, so I wouldn't read much into that. Our roommate though, he wrinkled his nose. He isn't ready for this level of musk and should stick to his 1 Million. 🤣

This one, I like.

 

[Diamondflame]

I’d like to thank everyone in this group for diving in with noses wide open, lol.

But I also like to point out these 3 fragrances are NOT part of the custom fragrance line and should preferably be discussed in the official discussion thread
https://basenotes.com/threads/abdes...-official-fragrance-discussion-thread.394053/

but I’m asking for a little leeway in any case and will link the 2 up as best as I can.

Le Maroc
Brothers in Arms
Oud Beyond

 

[PStoller]

Lady Girl is more of a feeling, than a statement. Some perfumes have a lot to say. This one whispers. What it whispers is at the edge of my hearing; soft murmurs of innocence. You could give this to a child to wear, and it would be lovely. As an adult, I’m not sure it speaks enough to capture my attention. I would enjoy this as a scented face cream, or lotion, but for me, at least, this one is too delicate to have the impact I would wish for.

I definitely get this, especially knowing something of your boldness as a perfumer. (I’m a Spirit Bear fanboy!)

I will say, though, that, for me, AbdesSalaam is at home in the “whisper” range. I love how he milks nuance out of the low end of the dynamic range. I don’t know anyone else who has that.

 

[PStoller]

Pango Chai: … There’s not really much more to say about this, except that this is by far the most complete, natural, authentic chai scent I have encountered. Anyone who has ever buried their face in a freshly opened package of chai tea will love this one. And if you haven’t yet had this pleasure, I encourage it

Speculoos: .… How you feel about this one will largely depend on your tolerance for smelling like a cookie. I’m assuming that was the brief, and in which case it’s a successful interpretation!

Regardless of how we feel about wearing these, we’re clearly smelling the same things. I’m so enjoying your reviews!

 

[Varanis Ridari]

I’d like to thank everyone in this group for diving in with noses wide open, lol.

But I also like to point out these 3 fragrances are NOT part of the custom fragrance line and should preferably be discussed in the official discussion thread
https://basenotes.com/threads/abdes...-official-fragrance-discussion-thread.394053/

but I’m asking for a little leeway in any case and will link the 2 up as best as I can.

Le Maroc
Brothers in Arms
Oud Beyond

I had no clue what was or what wasn't, I just grabbed what I wanted to try first at random and started wearing them. Looks like I almost picked out all 3 standard ones without even trying, since I almost wore Brothers in Arms today too. I was just out of arms, because I only have two. Even supernatural beings have their limits. 😈

 

[Lellabelle]

I had no clue what was or what wasn't, I just grabbed what I wanted to try first at random and started wearing them. Looks like I almost picked out all 3 standard ones without even trying, since I almost wore Brothers in Arms today too. I was just out of arms, because I only have two. Even supernatural beings have their limits. 😈

Same, VR! I knew Oud Beyond was separate (hence I am saving my review), but not the other two. Diamondflame, Feel free to copy my thoughts in the correct place, or let me know where to put them and I can do it.

It’s actually a little reassuring to know that these three aren’t custom blends. The three that you mention are different in character to the others. Theres a familiarity to the note choices that is more closely linked to others in his line than to this box of samples as a whole. When testing Le Maroc and Brothers in Arms, in both instances I found myself thinking that this is something I could see Salaam himself wearing. I didn’t get that impression from the others.

It makes total sense now you confirm it!

 

[PStoller]

I’ll hold off on Brothers in Arms and Oud Beyond to post my thoughts in the other thread when I’m done with the customs, and I’ll copy over my Le Maroc review at that time.

 

[Varanis Ridari]

Same, VR! I knew Oud Beyond was separate (hence I am saving my review), but not the other two. Diamondflame, Feel free to copy my thoughts in the correct place, or let me know where to put them and I can do it.

It’s actually a little reassuring to know that these three aren’t custom blends. The three that you mention are different in character to the others. Theres a familiarity to the note choices that is more closely linked to others in his line than to this box of samples as a whole. When testing Le Maroc and Brothers in Arms, in both instances I found myself thinking that this is something I could see Salaam himself wearing. I didn’t get that impression from the others.

It makes total sense now you confirm it!

I'm too new here to know anything about the person behind these fragrances. I can only take stabs in the dark there.

 

[PStoller]

I'm too new here to know anything about the person behind these fragrances. I can only take stabs in the dark there.

AbdesSalaam was the subject of one of my early forays here on BN; I think Claire’s reviews of AS are part of why I joined. I got mignons of about half his catalog. Hundreds of frags later, AS still stands out to me as a singular perfumer with a distinctive perspective and a masterful hand at blending natural ingredients.

My “bucket list” includes a perfumery class with AbdesSalaam.

 

[PStoller]

Sweet Tobacco

My favorite tobacco scents tend not to be the heavily sweetened ones: from Tom Ford, I find Tobacco Oud infinitely preferable to Tobacco Vanille. Still, I do like sweetly scented pipe tobaccos, so long as they don’t veer too heavily into gourmand territory.

With Sweet Tobacco, AbdesSalaam has gotten the balance just right. Partly, this is due to the quality of the ingredients, but it’s especially in the blending—the tobacco is thankfully forward of the cocoa and vanilla, while the honey is restrained—and the addition of castoreum for some earthy heft and bite.

Instead of smelling like a cigar smoke wafting through a pastry shop, this brings to mind a favorite uncle filling his pipe, just before he lights up. (OK, maybe he’s also drinking hot cocoa, but he didn’t spill it on me.) The only downside is, uncle doesn’t stay very long. I’d love it if this had an effective fixative. Perhaps some day I’ll try it with a dash of oakmoss.

 

[Varanis Ridari]

TAJ MAHAL

Listed Notes: saffron, santal M, tonka, rose abs, ambergris, muskrat, jasmin S, patchouli

This one took me by surprise because with listed notes like "muskrat", I was expecting something really stanky. My uncle used to hunt muskrat up in the woods surrounding his farm in Littlestown, PA, so I don't associate the smell with something perfumey, hence my surprise when this one comes across quite sweet instead.

There is an unlisted leathery and ambery aspect here too, which reminds me a lot of the specific way the spiced leather and amber compounds come together in one of my favorite Avons: Avon Leather (1966). Now, before anyone gets out their artisanal hipster pitchforks and torches, or wants me to bear the scarlet letter (too late, I am a pariah from birth), I am not saying these two smell alike, just that they converge at a certain point in Taj Mahal's development. Since I have quite literally not smelled another fragrance remotely like Avon Leather anywhere else, this is just me going "oh" in the cranial reference department.

Beyond this leathery ambery spicy tenuous link to an old mid-century American budget fragrance, Taj Mahal seems to mostly be a beast of honeyed musk, jasmine indole, patchouli, and roasty tonka. I say roasty because the tonka here takes on a profile like the malt backbone of a good ale (not an IPA mind you, a standard ale), and that maltiness merges with the honeyed jasmine and patchouli aspects to make something that smells completely unlike the sum of its parts. Like with Le Maroc, I get no direct rose note even if rose is listed, so I attribute that to blending. Saffron and sandalwood feel like they're "there" if you strain, but just background players.

All told, what I smell most is what my mind's eye creates, and not what's listed as notes. I get a honeyed leathery ambery feel with traces of animalic musk, with listed jasmine and patchouli rounding and softening the accord so it feels far cozier than that sounds, topped off with a bit of that roasty tonka vibe I mentioned above. I don't get much relation to the Taj Mahal itself, but I also admit that I don't know more than the most basic facts about what the structure is or why it was built.

I prefer to enjoy the scent for what it is rather than trying to contextualize it anyway. An argument I don't agree with to the opposite effect was posited in another thread on here, and although context can help tell a story, I like letting the scent take me where it wants me to go in my head, not someone else's.

 

[Lellabelle]

Sweet Tobacco: Balkan pipe tobacco.

I promised a weekend review for this one, so here goes.

Part of the reason I waited to review this one, is because it made a big impact on me, and I wanted to spend more time with it before committing my thoughts to words. Also, my initial test was fiendishly short-lived, and I wanted to see if a copious application would help with this. More on that later.

I have been torn between a detailed review of notes and evolution, and a more abstract review of what this one conjured for me; I’ve opted for the latter, and I’ll explain why. A note breakdown feels redundant, as this is a remarkable study in photorealism. Quite simply, the most accurate rendition of unsmoked pipe tobacco I’ve ever encountered, and this from a lover of tobacco scents in all their iterations. From the hay’d, to the spiced, to the sweetened, toasted or honeyed, I love all the different iterations of tobacco, save for the ash. Unsmoked Cuban cigar is the holy grail of tobacco in perfumery, and Sweet Tobacco comes closer than most.

This is pure, unadulterated, unsmoked pipe tobacco. Specifically, the Balkan kind. I am immediately transported to a specialist tobacconist I recall from my younger years, which in its many years of continuous operation had developed the kind of deep, saturated, tobacco aroma that seemed to have permeated every surface. Walking inside was a marvel. The very air seemed to hum with the sweet, aromatic, humid kiss of tobacco. Every time I smell Sweet Tobacco, I am there again. The power of scent to transport us, is remarkable.

This really is at the top of its genre for realism. It doesn’t evolve much; that, or the memory link is so strong for me that it’s evolutionary steps are eclipsed by the images it evokes. Where it does go is straight to my hind brain. There are overlapping olfactory associations: the toasty warm cedar of cigar boxes, the greenish dank of hand-rolled cigars, and the almost fermented funk of curing tobacco leaves. Whatever your craving, this will likely satisfy.

It’s one flaw is how fleeting it is. A moderately generous application lasted less than an hour, before fading to a murmur. A more generous pour from the vial seems to fare better, and I’m into the second hour with good presence. At this pace, I’d guess I have another hour to go before this fades to memory. But it’s a lovely ride.

Update: four hours in, and it’s still present, though soft. It really is a lovely thing. I’m not sure I could wear this, but I’m tempted by it for the clarity of concept and scent memories alone.

 

[Lellabelle]

Bay Rum: single malt scotch whiskey.

Testing: In my enthusiasm to pour a large sample of Sweet Tobacco, I mistakenly took the same approach with this. Bay Rum is at the opposite end of the spectrum from Sweet Tobacco, however, and my mistake was immediately apparent. It’s taken several hours before I can get my nose near enough to this to make an assessment. Salaam’s Rum extract is ferociously potent.

First off, for me the name Bay Rum feels incongruous: there’s no Bay in this, or herbal nuance of any sort that I can discern. This doesn’t smell like the West Indian Bay Rum of my experience, nor does it resemble the Pinaud Clubman offering that is no doubt familiar to many here. I mention this only as expectation can be powerful thing.

Moving on from what it isn’t, and on to what it is. This is straight up booze. No apologies, no quarter given. My initial impression was not of rum at all, but rather a straight up single malt scotch whiskey. Not smoked, not overly peated, but sherry casked. Ultra realistic, to the point this would be hard to wear. This one would be for personal use only. While I appreciate the smell of a good whiskey (or rum, or brandy, for that matter), it’s another scent that I struggle to translate to the concept of perfume. Wear this one outside, and no doubt a friend or family member would be staging an intervention before the day was over.

A few hours in, and while this still has significant projection and a persistent sillage, the raisiny elements are starting to peek through, and there is a blackstrap molasses undercurrent that speaks more to rum than the whisky of previous hours. There’s a current of labdanum that runs thickly through this, and it gives an ambery quality that is much needed for backbone and middle. Vanillic notes (from the Peru balsam and tonka) are softening the overall, and supporting the amber impression. It remains heady, with an aura that does not invite close contact. Overall, this one is a tough wear for me, and I can see it being quite polarizing.

 

[PStoller]

Bay Rum

My notes for this may be (even) less useful than usual. "Bay Rum" is one of those long-established profiles that, for some unfathomable reason, I've not yet collected, so my frame of reference is quite a bit more limited than it ought to be. I'm quite sure some of my fragrances build on the bay rum architecture, but without the classics, I'm short a compass.

That out of the way, there's nothing I don't like about this! This is a robust, resinous, boozy scent that fulfills all my expectations of what a bay rum scent would/could be. The labdanum-rum-patchouli accord is nearly chewy with a mouth-feel like fine cognac, the rest of the notes adding supportive seasoning and texture. It has excellent longevity, to boot. My suspicion is that whoever commissioned this is very, very happy, and I'm likewise glad I get to enjoy it as a consequence.

The possibility exists that I've now been spoiled for other bay rums, even if they're more authentic than this one. And you know what? I can live with that.

 

[PStoller]

In my enthusiasm to pour a large sample of Sweet Tobacco, I mistakenly took the same approach with this. Bay Rum is at the opposite end of the spectrum from Sweet Tobacco, however, and my mistake was immediately apparent. It’s taken several hours before I can get my nose near enough to this to make an assessment. Salaam’s Rum extract is ferociously potent.

LOL! Yeah, I did that, too. I had to avoid open flames for an hour or so.

 

[hoschhti]

Brothers in Arms Review

At its core "Brothers in Arms" is a sharp-green, mossy and slightly smoky scent in the vein of his "Oak Moss". To be honest I never was a big fan of "Oak Moss". I find it too brutal, too one-dimensional and ultimately too boring.

"Brothers in Arms" has a similar DNA but it's more interesting and less sharp because of nice enhancements in the top- and base-notes. At the top cypress and rose add a fresh and sweet-minty note, and at the base the vetiver together with the peru balsam (I supppose) create a nutty and creamy note that smells a lot like sandalwood. Funnily enough sandalwood isn't listed but to me it smells more sandalwoody than "Oak Moss" which actually contains sandalwood. So, either that's an illusion created by the interplay by the aforementioned notes or there is actually sandalwood in it, just not listed.

"Brothers in Arms" stays very close to the skin, there's almost no projection and longevity isn't glorious either on skin, though better on fabric/hair.


Notes: Cypress, Rose, Cedarwood, Vetiver, Patchouli and Peru Balsam

Rating: thumbs up

 

[mumsy]

Oud Beyond

A sweet intense animalic barnyard quickly gives way to a gentle aromatic plaster infused with bread and something like dark honey. Nuances of ginger parkin like my grandmother used to make. I feel like I'm in a vast dim old wooden hall with many doors, so as I walk through, the air from the activity within each one wafts around me, then swirls together in a warm woodiness. As I walk down the hall, the earth is soft beneath my feet whilst furry animals are entwining themselves around my ankles. Their furry warmth combining with the baking coming from some of the doors, whilst one has something almost medical inside. There is a sticking plaster cleanliness nuance in the distance. The animalic funky qualities of oud are never far away but they swirl gently behind these different aroma veils as I pass each door. I sit for a while and the entwining animals are close enough to make me tickle their bellies and I am enveloped in the soft, furry chocolateness of their musky warm tummies.

The overall feeling is of a calm, warm, snuggly sort of peace. This perfume is like snuggling into the old fur coat of an ancient storyteller on a dark but starry night. Outside and with some larger animals not far away. Magical serenity in an intense, warm, sweet night.

 

[PStoller]

Taj Mahal

Yowza. The AbdesSalaam magic is here in spades. No question that the ingredients are top notch, but this isn't just a matter of throwing expensive/exclusive juices into a pot, anymore than a prima ballerina is just any pretty, skinny girl in a leotard. When all those beautiful parts move together, they move to another plane—and take you with them. That takes masterful balance: in this case, of a shape-shifting saffron/santal/rose accord on a pedestal of ambergris, musk, jasmine, and patchouli. Right now, I'm just praying for longevity, because I don't want to stop smelling this good.

*

After the saffron and rose recede, the ambergris comes on like old wealth asserting privilege. Take that, Clive Christian!

 

[mumsy]

I've been dipping in at random so it's pot luck of order.
I can change these to spoilers if you want these taken to another thread Diamondflame. Let me know.

Le Maroc

I'm transported immediately to a magic carpet with my nose pressed hard to fragrant woolly fibres infused with the perfumes of a million past journeys. Enveloped in a soft amber labdanum cloud that is kept on the perfection side of dry with nuances of soft woods. I feel the presence of an exotic magician in swirling floral clothing with an unlit pipe playing a delicious waft of fresh sweet pipe tobacco in a seasoned woody pipe. It is reassuring and delightful but never overpowering.

This whole perfume is deliciously dry, soft, spicy and woody. The spices are subtle, clean and dry. The cumin adding to the spicy dryness (never touching the sweaty side it can have). The carrot and coriander are adding a subtle sweetness to this that walks exactly on the knife edge of dry. The rose keeps this from wandering down the woody path too far. A stunning balance of woodsy dry without being at all sawdusty. The chamomile keeping this soft, slightly dusky and very wearable.

There is a superb underlying strength to this perfume that stays refined and restrained. Never overpowering. I can see a very well groomed person wearing immaculate linen clothing wearing this with panache in any weather. A subtle and intriguing neck nuzzler of a scent.

 

[mumsy]

A Dream

I'm lying on my back in the haystack that the farmer has recently mown. The slightly crushed wildflowers are intermingled and as yet indistinguishable. The farmers barns are far away, yet occasionally the animalic oudy barnyard floats fleetingly on the calm breeze into my perception. A tamed garden is nearby. As these floral notes sort themselves out, I can smell crushed irises underfoot as the farmer brings me a cup of herbal green tea. There is a musty dryness of slightly still damp straw but the ingredients remain as one. They all drift in and out so fleetingly as to remain a tantalising mystery. I wait patiently and gently to see.

This perfume makes me think of a soft, gentle day in a countryside sort of landscape painting, displaying crushed flowers with remote animalic undertones. Certainly like a misty, twirling dream and not like a focussed single identifiable aroma. It is a dryer landscape than an English one. The dry warmth of a farmers sun kissed field giving way gently to a dewy dusk where the mown crushed flowers recover in the cooler breeze. Very evocative.

 

[mumsy]

Speculoos

This is exactly like wearing some photo-realism. I am sitting in a cafe by a busy road, nibbling happily on the slender, elegant, spicy ginger biscuit that accompanies my coffee. There is a minty, spearmint clove note that lightens this from pure bakery into fresher realms. The warmth from the street with the intermingling smells of busy people, but they are all in the background. This photo realism only has this small slender biscuit in uber focus. I can nearly taste every morsel as I nibble it in tiny crumbs, hoping it won't finish too soon. The spices eventually fade gently into a gentle echo whilst never losing the intense focus.

Whilst I feel this is more of a fabulous accord than a complete perfume, I really appreciate the chance to wear such an accurate piece of art. The biscuit is nearly gone now, so I then sip my now cold coffee and am given a tiny real vanilla ice cream. The vanilla is dry, more like a Comoros vanilla than a sickly creamy one. My coffee is black. I leave gently smelling faintly of all of it as a transient shadow. Loved this photo realistic journey.

 

[mumsy]

Femme Cuir

Soft, boozy, sweet and indolic. A huge fat floral softness restrained from a loud 'Joy' by an animalic furry warmth with a wallop of gentle pipe tobacco. This is like a large, voluminous, and very expensive handbag made of the finest, softest leather. Inside are some drying jasmine blooms, some rich, dark fruits and an equally expensive pouch of soft tobacco. The indolic aspects of the jasmine are perfectly balanced with the rich, dark fruits, the tobacco and the furry animalic nuances. The narcissus takes this perfume to an early evening and the animalic nuance lingers until much, much later.

This is a very fine leather scent of unrestrained opulence, kept in check by some good manners. A leather lovers delight.

 

[PStoller]

A Dream

Aptly named, this is an intoxicating skin scent that slips from your grasp if you move too far away. Sillage? Not here. But up close, it’s a meadow by Maxfield Parrish.

So, nobody you don’t know well will care. Someone you love, however, will thank you.

 

[Lellabelle]

nobody you don’t know well will care. Someone you love, however, will thank you.

Love this line

 

[Lellabelle]

Mumsy, you’re on a roll! That’s some focused sampling!

Lovely to see you here, and thanks for sharing your experience with each of these. It’s always so interesting to see what scent conjures for others.

 

[Trilby Lark]

This looks Epic! It looks to be one of the legendary BN threads. I will be following with interest.

 

[Lellabelle]

This looks Epic! It looks to be one of the legendary BN threads. I will be following with interest.

Welcome to the party 🥳

 

[Trilby Lark]

Welcome to the party 🥳

Thank you!

 

[Diamondflame]

Lady Girl

Ok, I’m pretty sure the above image wasn’t exactly part of the customer’s original brief but I just had to find a suitable visual to match ‘lady girl’ - a term used in the 1920s (apparently) to describe ‘any unconventional young woman who dresses like a lady but engages in unexpected unladylike activities such as going out dancing, drinking, smoking, etc. Funny how ‘normalcy’ evolves after a century, eh?

Scent-wise, I thought this is pleasantly non-controversial: a snuggly smooth, buttery-creamy suede with just the occasional tangy hint of citrus. ‘Compact powder’ was my initial first impression.

Well, how about that? Here’s an artisanal all-natural fragrance with the grownup sensibilities of a Dior or a Hedi Slimane classic? Color me impressed.

 

[Varanis Ridari]

Will be continuing this weekend. Can't really do these from work, but I'm still here!