peter4ptv

Member
My First OUD Experience

To be honest, for the last two weeks knowing that my first oud oil is probably coming to me, I’ve been reading like crazy about it, here on Ouddict and BN. I’ve watched everything that is there to be watched about it on YT. I can say I learned a lot. I had quite a good idea about many of its aspects but the most important one, the scent. All those descriptions only made me more confused.
I think one can’t fully describe “the heart of oud”. You need to try it to know, there is no other way!

Now I get it. :) You are not addicts, you are collectors! Well, maybe you are addicts too. :Thumbsup:

I am amazed with the depth(!) those scents have, and the complexity they can deliver, yet this whole mystical mixture blends together so perfectly into one unified very unique aroma.

I’m actually thinking that when I save some money I will choose one in some distant future to blend it in my own perfect perfume. Not sure yet which one. I can definitely imagine oud being part of it. It creates something that is not like a regular scent, it’s more like an aura of a scent, clinging to the surface, creating second skin, like a wind... Is it noticeable? Yes, very. But it’s not producing the same sensation as regular perfumes and so on.

Thanks to the generosity of Habzoud I could try 4 oud oils.

Now, I will put in words bellow descriptions of my experience. Most of it I wrote “as I go”. Sniffing and adding new lines.

Disclaimer: I’m a newbie to oud, European, and my personal feelings are based right now on only just one tinny swiper dot. I can’t be sure of the strength of each oud, more tests need to be done to tell. The amount I applied was not measurable. Another factor that might have an impact on the judgment is the surface of application, skin, paper...
Also, I don’t really think any descriptions can be accurate, those scents are quite different from everything I ever smelled before in my life.


Alsukar
(Note: I made the 4 pics below as a bit of visualization in color of how I feel about each scent profile.)
View attachment 4920

Beautiful scent, not sure if I would say it’s masculine, I can imagine men wearing it, but in my personal feeling I would prescribe it to a female. Dear lord, it’s beautiful. I just took 3rd sniff. Smokey, honey like sweet, but not oversweet at all. I imagined something way more sweeter after seeing the pic and reading descriptions on Habzoud website. I think it’s floral, tuberose like.
I’m starting to doubt myself if it’s deep air sniffs or this scent making me feel relaxed?
Waxy, lilies, tuberose, a hint of honey and some smooth velvety wood smoke (a bit like the one they use in catholic churches, I got no idea what’s their mix.) But yes, the most prominent note for me are tuberose and lilies. I don’t smell any wood or “barn”.

There is something more to the scent, that is hard to describe, something calming.
Ok, and now I read again the habz description of it, somewhat they seem accurate, when I think about it now, taking another sniffs. Well, one can probably smell a lot of nice things inside of this.
We all seek comparisons based on what we have already experienced in our lives.

Ps, I could already smell a bit of them before opening vial, but the scent was very subtle, I was almost worrying about being disappointed about the strength of it. Till I opened it, and then it blasted on me with the scent, so strong!


A quote excerpt from a convo with my friend:


Dukhan

View attachment 4921

Cedar wood coals? Ashes? Smoke? Yes, Yes, Yes. + This warm little sweet oudisness. Definitely smell for a hot witch, or a witcher. ;) Or maybe the devil himself? :Devilish: I’m not sure if this would do as full body perfume scent for a common person. While one can appreciate it, it seems a bit rough and untamed to me... I mean hmm.... It could be nice addition to some “dark kind of” perfume mixture, if one would mix it a bit of it with violet flower scent and something strongly green. I find it pleasant too, but I liked Alsukar more. Well, well, we all have our personal likings.:rolleyes: Don’t get me wrong, this might be still very pleasant scent for someone, especially if one burns wood chips to perfume himself with a smoke this way. I’m European, not used to such ways.

By the way, this one seems to last much longer on my skin.

Oh and some note. This is really potent! All I used was like one tiny dot of the vial swiper diameter. I can imagine that one drop can have dozens of such dots, maybe even 100. I imagine that if I put a whole drop of this on myself I would make not only myself smell with it but the whole room as well... woohoo. Well, but you know it. I’m just telling this as legacy for newbies who might come here one day.

3rd one - unlabelled .

View attachment 4922

Mystery One. No label, X, might be not even from Habz range.
Vendor and the product unknown.

Opening... pooooo! Strong fecal notes, sweat started to pour off my forehead. I was
thinking about going to the bathroom and washing my arm immediately. (If it’s something I don’t like, then it’s not a waste, and I still have plenty of it for the future tests) But for the sake of knowledge I let it be for a few moments more. Second sniff was a bit better though, still strongly animalic, something indeed like a barn and sheep skins. Another sniff.... it reminded me of some sweet cherry tree resins I used to eat sometimes as kid, hmm... I mean this texture....well, I sniffed a bit more for a few minutes, it mostly smelled to me with a sheepskin like scent and sweat. hmmm.... I did not kept it for much longer, cause I was about to go to sleep. This scent is of course more complex than that, but those are main notes I noted within first 20 min. The most pleasant notes there are cured and processed leather, and resinousness that are buried somewhere deeper there. But they are dominated by other, less pleasant ones to me.
PS Quite clever move of not labeling it. ;P

Edit: After strong washing of my arm I can still smell it a lot, but now it’s not as bad, it reminds of sheepskin after washing, with some amber stone tincture or maybe someone’s hair + herbal shampoo.

Edit2: Still smelling it 2 hours later, unbelievable, it was just a tinny dot, just a touch with like micro layer residue, nothing to rub around really and I can still smell it strongly from my arm, after triple washing... This is so concentrated. 3ml bottle of this would last a millennium I guess.

This one is not for me, but thank you Habz for it as well. Each scent is adding to my internal scale and palette allowing me for the better perception of everything.

Edit3: 3 hours later, I opened the window, cold air came through. (It had to be like below 15C outside while 27 inside of my room) Things have changed again! When sniffing it from a distance I’m smelling now a few day old hay, and it’s not as animalic as before any more. It’s way more pleasant. Like some countryside indeed. Somewhat comforting scent when mixed with this cooling breeze. Like something warm inside of cooling wind. Do my explanations make any sense? XD

I would still not choose this one as a perfume for myself but it was strangely relaxing...
And I’m really shocked about the strength of this one.
Damn, very interesting. And I fallen asleep. :Sleep:

I’m not giving up on it yet. No, I will try it again when the weather here changes and the colder days will come.

Zamarad

View attachment 4923

Opening: Mentholic, green, just like it’s name and the color. It’s more delicate scent, far from overwhelming.

A few minutes later it gets significantly stronger, more sweet... and maybe a bit woody in a cedar way. After a few moments more refreshing, zesty and again a bit more sweeter, but all in gentle way.

Edit: After 1 hour it started to smell with a hint of florals, still sweet and still quite mellow compared to the other three samples. And hmm, like a subtle perfume I guess.

I put a small dot of Zamarad on a piece of paper, the scent was more clean and pristine from paper, more chilled too.


To sum it up...

I liked all of them, but my personal winner is Alsukar. Truly magnificent scent.
The unknown animalic one had terrifying opening, ended up with something comforting and relaxing.

Thank you Habzoud for giving me the opportunity to smell this precious beautiful gift of nature! I’m very happy with this experience! :)

Edit of Edit: I think oud is best perceived by me while smelled from a distance, not close to the skin or to an opened bottle, but at least 50 cm away. Also temperature makes a difference.

And now the all 4 vials are in a cabinet with my clothes.
So, now when I open my clothing cabinet I can still smell those four ouds, even though the vials are closed. Their scent mixes together in a most amazing way, and it’s marvelous, intoxicating, narcotic, indeed addictive. I think someone with a good sense of smell would be amazed too while opening my cabinet, smelling this enigmatic scent. And he or she not knowing what oud is would go crazy wondering what it is. Because I’ll bet that no one here has ever smelled something like this. It’s like a blooming meadow in some different world. :eek:


View attachment 4924

By the way. As you can see on the picture above there is quite a lot of oil stuck on vial heads. Does anyone know hot to make it drip down? I was thinking that perhaps some gentle warming in hot water bath could do the trick and make the oil inside thinner so it goes down. Any ideas if this would help and not hurt the precious oud?

Note: I almost forgot, thank you for velvety pouch Habz. I will surely find some good use for it! :Thumbsup:

That’s all for now. It was two days of testing. I will keep you informed about my oud adventure.:Thumbsup:
Stay tuned for more info. I surelly need to experiment with it, especially with diluting it in ethanol and spraying.
I was also promised some samples by Nadeem. :Thumbsup:

Excuse me misspells, typos, it's been long text...
Excellent writing, and nose sensitivity.
I will need 2 fat swipes to experience what you have with only a tiny dot.
Can you please if you can describe more about:
<<<<<This warm little sweet oudisness. >>>>>>>
Will be very interesting what oudines is for someone new to oud.
I know what exactly means when any oud user say smells oudy, but will be interesting what is for someone new to oud.
Thank you
 

Grega

True Ouddict
Dear Grega,
I do enjoy your posts too. :Thumbsup: And I think we have something in common, we both appreciate nature, green tea, good music, and beautiful fragrances. :Thumbsup:
Indeed we do :Thumbsup:

Do you still listen to any metal bands? :D
 

Woodland Note

True Ouddict
Excellent writing, and nose sensitivity.
I will need 2 fat swipes to experience what you have with only a tiny dot.
Can you please if you can describe more about:
<<<<<This warm little sweet oudisness. >>>>>>>
Will be very interesting what oudines is for someone new to oud.
I know what exactly means when any oud user say smells oudy, but will be interesting what is for someone new to oud.
Thank you

That is probably the most difficult part. :D Cause there is nothing else like this I ever smelled.

It’s certain pleasant olfactory experience...

Hmm... When you open a box of quality creamy tobacco cigarettes, the aroma is pleasant, it makes you want to squeeze one with your teeth. Is it tobacconess? When in a hot summer day, you receive a bowl of nice peppermint icecream dressed with freshly chopped mint, the scent is refreshing, chilly, is it mintness? Hmm... Oudiness is sweet too, it carries a sensation of temperature within the scent. And the strange thing is it might be at the same time cooling one time or warming the other time, depending on the circumstances I guess (maybe oil type, the surface from which you are smelling it, room temperature, I really don’t know.) It also seems to alter scents of some other things, making them much more pleasant.

If my pijama was smelling just “ok” with woolite color washing machine liquid, now it smells like top shelf perfume thanks to oud. (Well, actually even better to me, because I’ve never found much joy with any synthetic perfumes.)

That’s why I think it might be a great addition to some perfume blends when done right. :Thumbsup:
 

Woodland Note

True Ouddict
Indeed we do :Thumbsup:

Do you still listen to any metal bands? :D

I do :Thumbsup:, but they are only a certain percentage of what I listen to.
I listen to many types of music, plenty of instrumental, ambient, different varieties of electronic music... and so much more.
Days withouth any music are extremely rare for me.

My recent finding:


I’m a bit curious what kind of incense he is using? :rolleyes: And that beads... remind me of something too...:rolleyes:.
Nonetheless, good music, and that is what matters here. :thumbsup:
I recommend Internal Flight album, it’s free (or “name your price”) to download on his website. :Thumbsup:
 

Grega

True Ouddict
I do :Thumbsup:, but they are only a certain percentage of what I listen to.
I listen to many types of music, plenty of instrumental, ambient, different varieties of electronic music... and so much more.
Days withouth any music are extremely rare for me.

My recent finding:


I’m a bit curious what kind of incense he is using? :rolleyes: And that beads... remind me of something too...:rolleyes:.
Nonetheless, good music, and that is what matters here. :thumbsup:
I recommend Internal Flight album, it’s free (or “name your price”) to download on his website. :Thumbsup:
Yep Estas is a decent guitarist.
I think he has one of those common indian incense sticks.
I honestly don't enjoy those but it is very nice to play guitar with some myrrh/frankincense/dragon's blood or bakhoor burning in the room :Thumbsup:
And ambiental music :handok::handok:

I am the opposite. I rarely listen to music, prefer to make it ;). Although when I do listen I focus completely, I have a dislike for casual listening and could never stand the radio (extremely picky):X3:
That's just how I roll :Roflmao:
 

Woodland Note

True Ouddict
Yep Estas is a decent guitarist.
I think he has one of those common indian incense sticks.
I honestly don't enjoy those but it is very nice to play guitar with some myrrh/frankincense/dragon's blood or bakhoor burning in the room :Thumbsup:
And ambiental music :handok::handok:

I am the opposite. I rarely listen to music, prefer to make it ;). Although when I do listen I focus completely, I have a dislike for casual listening and could never stand the radio (extremely picky):X3:
That's just how I roll :Roflmao:

But... but... in order to get picky one has to try a bit first, no?

Is there a chance you could share with us your music? ;)
 

Woodland Note

True Ouddict
habz-oud-uv1.png
habz-oud-uv2.png


Oud oil samples in UV light (2 x 4wat led, pointed from two sides, one from the left and one from the right).
I have thought to myself it would be kind of cool to see how it looks in uv and I took pics to share with dear ouddicts.

All look quite the same, except for the zamarad, that is tad less bright.
 

Grega

True Ouddict
But... but... in order to get picky one has to try a bit first, no?

Is there a chance you could share with us your music? ;)
:Whistling: Well it is only in the last few years that I don't listen to music much, high school and university years I listened way too much and mostly to seriously obscure bands and genres...now I am more laid back with it ;) but I prefer to listen every once in a while in the evening, in my bed, preferably with a nice oud to complement the experience ;) My attitude is now more that I want to make music a special experience, not just something in the background. Well with tea that also works ;)

I am actually grateful for the interest, sure I will share :praying:
Right now I am recording the newest songs so when those are done I can send you a link! No promises when though ;)
 

Grega

True Ouddict
View attachment 5205 View attachment 5206

Oud oil samples in UV light (2 x 4wat led, pointed from two sides, one from the left and one from the right).
I have thought to myself it would be kind of col to see how it looks in uv and I took pics to share with dear ouddicts.

All look quite the same, except for the zamarad, that is tad less bright.
Sweet! Do you have a favorite by now?
 

Woodland Note

True Ouddict
:Whistling: Well it is only in the last few years that I don't listen to music much, high school and university years I listened way too much and mostly to seriously obscure bands and genres...now I am more laid back with it ;) but I prefer to listen every once in a while in the evening, in my bed, preferably with a nice oud to complement the experience ;) My attitude is now more that I want to make music a special experience, not just something in the background. Well with tea that also works ;)

I am actually grateful for the interest, sure I will share :praying:
Right now I am recording the newest songs so when those are done I can send you a link! No promises when though ;)

Thank you. :Thumbsup: I’m quite patient. ;)
I listen to music daily. When I find something really nice I always try to get proper "full flavor" version (cd or lossless/uncompressed file) and get it on my hifi system (computer and especially youtube player is not the way for me to enjoy the music.)
Perhaps I understand your approach. :Thumbsup:


Sweet! Do you have a favorite by now?

All are unique and very nice but maybe Al Sukar, because it has potential to be blended in a perfume I would like to wear on special occasions. But I still need to try more. 1-2 swipes per each is tad too little for any definitive judgments. :Thumbsup:
 

Woodland Note

True Ouddict
My oud experience from the 3 days ago:

Before the sleep, around 2 am, I was in a bed waiting for something. In my room temperature was 23°C. I decided to sniff oud while waiting. I took a few deep sniffs of the can interior with the 4 samples, trying to define oudiness.

I was thinking about valerian roots and steams scent when broken. Cause both share some of the same chemicals. It happens that I stumbled upon this plant a few weeks ago and I brought with myself steams and roots. It wasn’t too hard to spot with so many butterflies and other insects on its flowers.
The scent is of course totally different in general, but I was wondering if there is some little common note within them or similar. I did not reach any conclusions. Both scents are different, if there is some common part I can’t distinguish it with my poor nose. Valerian steams and roots smell rooty, celery, earthy and a bit woody & musky. Oud is totally different animal.

Anyway, then I put the can by my pillow, 17-20cm from my nose, and I closed my eyes. The scent was amazing. The longer I smelled it the better it was getting. And it was quite intense, almost piercing. I was thinking to myself, why would I waste it for swiping, while this way I can enjoy it even more. (and also since those are quite small samples) And how long it lasts! I basically was smelling it with the same strength for an hour before closing still packed with the scent can. (I imagine that if I don't swipe and I keep samples closed the scent will be alive like this for many years.)

Well, perhaps a good thing would be to get 4 tiny cans, and keep each sample separately, to be able to sniff each oil sample separately and not the mix... Hmm... I’m not sure. I will think about it.

Anyway, oh my.... at some moments, when the oud and cool breeze was hitting my nose and I could focus on it the sensation was truly intoxicating, mind-blowing, sensual and almost spiritual. There is something crazy in this aroma, something that is touching deep. I have no words for this kid of experience yet, but I understand now why some say it’s psychoactive.

Well, I ‘ve tried my share of psychoactive things in my past, so, I know it’s not the same kind of thing. It’s just the way of the scent that is creating some unique sensation in the brain...

Sadly that moments were quite short, it was like 10 to max 30 seconds and I was losing the focus on that truly epic something and emerging from that depth into the surface of the scent.

I’ve tried to repeat that for the last 2 days, but I could not get into that depth again. Probably mosquitoes, high temperature, humidity and so on, not best conditions to focus on anything.
 
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Woodland Note

True Ouddict
I have quite a lot of new things to tell you... dear ouddicts. :D First of all I think I will mention that there is some progress about the scent in the can. It’s no longer smelling as intense as before. I would say at this moment it’s 20-30% of the previous intensity. Which is good and bad thing. Bad because I would not mind it going like this forever. XD The good thing is that logically it is self explanatory now, there had to be some “micro” splashes that occurred when I was opening the vials. I guess I can just open and close them again without even using any oil to get it back for another 2-5 weeks. :)
 

Woodland Note

True Ouddict
And now the big thing that has happened is that... I received 5 new oud oil samples! 3 different chips of agarwood wood, sandalwood shavings and sandalwood oil sample. I’m not disclosed to provide certain specifics of this deal though. But... I guess I can officially thank Ahmad and the Al Hashimi team. Thank you guys!
 

Ouddict

Ouddict Co-Founder & Tech Support
And now the big thing that has happened is that... I received 5 new oud oil samples! 3 different chips of agarwood wood, sandalwood shavings and sandalwood oil sample. I’m not disclosed to provide certain specifics of this deal though. But... I guess I can officially thank Ahmad and the Al Hashimi team. Thank you guys!

You’re welcome... thanks for mentioning me, but I just dragged you over from Basenotes and don’t really merit mention. ;)
 

Woodland Note

True Ouddict
My first sandalwood impressions:
(It's a bit off topic but I think I will continue the tale of my fragrant adventures here.)

Al Hashimi Sri Lankan Sandalwood Oil

This is something I imagined to be like this a bit.

When I opened the little bag with sandal wood shavings (sandalwood oil vial was there too) I immediately had this feeling that it is something familiar to me, and that I smelled it before.

This note... in some churches, in some cleaning sprays, in some perfumes.

Opening is very buttery (but not like dairy butter), somewhat woody, and it reminds me of some kind of wood paint scent too. On a few occasions I smelled freshly painted wood or metal stuff with some type of paint that had that something, that reminds me of this fragrance.

woodpaint-54-alt-rt.png


The fragrance is definitely evolving with the time passing and reduced scent concentration, to something more precious... like a blurry raw uncut gemstone turning into a precious one. The butterness is getting more sharp, full faceted and there is more wood accents after some time. (It’s like 15 minutes after the application by the way. I have applied much more than I did with the oud oils, you could say it’s a medium swipe I guess. I applied it on my forearm.)

After a few hours it smells to me more like full bodied perfume. Woody and buttery notes still there. And I'm not sure if it’s not my skin affecting the scent making it mour sour.

I cannot say that I’m disappointed. It delivers what I expected it to. But it’s not as extraordinary as agarwood is for me. ;) Not complaining at all though. It’s a pleasant, very nice scent. :Thumbsup:
 
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AbasFrag

Oud Burner
And now the big thing that has happened is that... I received 5 new oud oil samples! 3 different chips of agarwood wood, sandalwood shavings and sandalwood oil sample. I’m not disclosed to provide certain specifics of this deal though. But... I guess I can officially thank Ahmad and the Al Hashimi team. Thank you guys!


You’re most welcome dear @Woodland Note
Looking forward to read your reviews.
Enjoy :D
 
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