Litore II-
Base Notes: Paraguay Vetiver, Hainan Oud, Atlas Cedarwood, Sylhet Supreme Oud
Heart Notes: Ambergris, Laka Wood, Seaweed, Coconut, Patchouli MD
Top Notes: Galbanum, Tarragon, Cascarilla Bark, Angel Weed, Blue Lotus
Another fascinating oddball that I find myself coming back to again and again. It really smells of the beach on a cold day bringing me back to summers spent on beaches of the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. The smell of driftwood is so literal I can almost feel the wood in my hand when I'm wearing it. I can pick out the seaweed and patchouli and what must be a lot of ambergris and there's the oud which somehow takes this scentscape and makes it a wearable fragrance. I'm a bit prejudiced against aquatic or oceanic scents as something to actually wear but this one is transportive.
Adamu II -
Base Notes: Burmese Myitkyina Oud, Vetiver Abs, Labdanum, Fossilized Amber, Sylhet Supreme Oud, Somali Myrrh, Vanilla
Heart Notes: Sweet Clover, Liatrix, Hay, Coffee, Cocoa, Clary Sage, Flouve, Iris
Top Notes: Anatolian Rose, Nepalese Deer Musk, Coffee Blossom, Tobacco Flower, Bitter Almond
I'm hesitant to say anything about this fragrance because I'm not getting any of the listed notes and certainly nothing to do with Dior Homme (the inspiration). On me this was all barnyard all day. It's not a bad smell, but a whole day of sun warmed cowpat is a bit much. I'll come back to this one when my nose is more experienced with oud and these types of fragrances.
Hellicum II -
Top Notes |
French lavender absolute
Bergamot
Yuzu
Cypriol |
Heart Notes |
Patchouli
Castoreum absolute
Cognac
Black pepper absolute
Clary sage
Civet absolute
Nepalese deer musk |
Base Notes |
Laotian oud
Oud
Bhutanese oud
Thai oud
Blond tobacco absolute
Vanilla |
This is an absolute beast of an oud, a purring black panther of an oud sleeping deep in a pitch black oudy cavern.
It was a real struggle for me to appreciate this one. The first few times it felt like my nose was circling this giant, impenetrable, black lump of oud without finding a crack where I might actually smell something. I didn't like it at all. But again, I kept coming back, trying again, experimenting with different amounts and application techniques. With only a toothpick tip's worth, it becomes more approachable, more house cat than big cat.
It's very animalic on top of being very oudy. I have yet to smell anything floral or citrus in this one, but there is a sense of the vanilla, not as a foody element but as adding something a bit more friendly to the uncompromising darkness.
Sadly this one is already gone from the web store but I'm going to keep trying to befriend my sample vial.
Bay Civet -
Base Notes: Wild Pailin Oud, Ruh Khus, Mysore Sandalwood, Sumatra Benzoin
Heart Notes: Tulip Tree Abs, Fir Abs, Osha Root 2005, Ambergris, Civet Abs, Beeswax, Green Patchouli
Top Notes: Bay Leaf 2010, Green Pepper, Melissa 1995, Bitter Orange Abs, Cucumber
This was the one I was most afraid to try, imagining a pissy civet bomb. But it's probably the tamest fragrance of the bunch. Light, waxy and slightly medicinal but also sweetish and approachable. Close sniffing yields the promised civet but otherwise it's easy going and friendly. It seems to wear quite close and last only a few hours.
Weirdly, I was a bit disappointed it wasn't more challenging.
Zhuru-
- Koh Chang Oud, Chantaburi Oud, Taiwanese Sandalwood Absolute, Wood Accord
The Taiwanese Sandalwood comes through quite clearly as a note and I think Abdullah's description of it is spot on: "the aroma lingers somewhere between Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Buddhawood and Agarwood." I appreciate the way this scent captures woodiness in all it's variety and complexity.
Zilonis-
Base notes: Thai oud, Indian vetiver
Heart notes: Castoreum absolute, styrax, civet absolute, ambergris, Mongolian deer musk, gurjum balsam
Top notes: Lilac, juniber berry absolute, nagarmotha
Another oudy, animalic bomb that needs to be applied extremely sparingly (tip of the toothpick only). The Nagarmotha (Cypriol oil) is the star of the opening adding a note of grimy machinery to the oud. So a black panther prowling around an old motorcycle garage. Then it moves on to a lot of that "band aid" facet oud can have, and plenty of barnyard, plus civet for good measure. So now the black panther is pissing on a cow shed. Fortunately this all fades within an hour and what's left is a pleasant, faint woody vetiver and civet. After all that hard charging beginning it's almost shocking how quickly it fades.
If I were to rank these frags from most feminine to most masculine, this would be the most masculine, the kind of thing insecure men like to describe as "for real men only."
Honestly, this one is very difficult for me to appreciate as an oud noob. It's like a collection of all the most challenging aspects of oud in one place and quite overwhelming in even teensy doses. I can't promise I'll come back to it but never say never.
OK, so that's the last of the "I am not fussy" sampler. That leaves freebies, attars and one I picked up elsewhere left to go . . .