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2014 Scent/Fragrance of the Day
- Thread starter Valerius
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Active by Pecksniff's
Jazz
Old Spice Champion
Nautica Voyage.
Montale Patchouli Leaves
Penhaligon's Sartorial.
Azzaro Pour Homme
Shaik Arabia No.70 for Men
Pino Silvestre.
Dolce & Gabanna - EdT.
Nautica Oceans
English Fern
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- #4,096
Burberry Touch
Yatagan
Agar Aura Oud M1
Scents of the Week
Jewel Blend
Qurashi Blend AA
Qurashi Family Blend
Viet Crassna oud oil aged 2 years
Kyara oud oil aged 50 years
all by ASAQ
It's been a really rough week and I'm knackered but it's Friday and it's been a good week of ASAQ samples. And frankly, I'm still really busy and really tired, so this will be brief for these five oils. For the most part, I loved everything this week.
Jewel Blend was the first blend that I feel compelled to purchase with a strong oud presence reminiscent of Agar Aura blends. It has a nice floral rose opening with some spices over the oud. There is supposed to be some musk but it's not noticeable until the next day when I find it still lingering. I found both of the Qurashi blends to be very reminiscent of Amouages (AA was very much like Homage with a little more musk and a little less incense and Family was similar but more floral) but for some reason they both quit on me around lunch time, which I thought was very peculiar. Something that expensive should last a lot longer - like Jewel, which lasts all freakin' day. Because they smell like Amouage attars to me, and because of their short longevity, they are easily overlooked. But Jewel Blend is something else!
Yesterday I tried the Viet Crassna oud oil aged for only 2 years. That's young for an oud but not unusual. I used to have some 9-yo Dehn al Aoud from ASAQ that had an incredibly stinky opening that lasted 30 to 45 minutes before turning into a gorgeous resinous bomb - but that opening was so difficult I had to sell it. This young Viet Crassna skips the stink-stank and instead starts with a vaporous petrol-like note mixed with creamy woods. It then goes straight to a creamy-woody almost nutty oud. There is a period when it smells downright hay-like with a touch of animal hide, warm and beasty. Throughout the day it slowly becomes a little "ashy," which is a characteristic I've only ever experienced with ASAQ ouds. "Ashy" is probably a poor choice of descriptors but it conveys the clean, light etherealness I get from it. It's neither a fruity Cambodian, nor an animalic Assam, but somewhere in between. For the price, it's an excellent introductory oud - very pleasant and easy to wear with a wide range of characteristics.
Today's 50-year Kyara is even better. Although it's still early and I'm jumping the gun, I can tell a difference already. The opening is less "creamy" and more vaporous without a petrol side. It's cleaner in that aspect with an immediate nod to that "ashy" aspect I like in ASAQ ouds. I may have more to say about it later but for now I can say it's stronger than the Viet Crassna (I applied less and its sillage is bigger), cleaner, and higher quality, evoking more of the Borneo style. For the money, that Crassna is fantastic, though.
What a great week of scents! Busy, hectic, stressful, mind-numbing, exhausting, and wonderful.
Jewel Blend
Qurashi Blend AA
Qurashi Family Blend
Viet Crassna oud oil aged 2 years
Kyara oud oil aged 50 years
all by ASAQ
It's been a really rough week and I'm knackered but it's Friday and it's been a good week of ASAQ samples. And frankly, I'm still really busy and really tired, so this will be brief for these five oils. For the most part, I loved everything this week.
Jewel Blend was the first blend that I feel compelled to purchase with a strong oud presence reminiscent of Agar Aura blends. It has a nice floral rose opening with some spices over the oud. There is supposed to be some musk but it's not noticeable until the next day when I find it still lingering. I found both of the Qurashi blends to be very reminiscent of Amouages (AA was very much like Homage with a little more musk and a little less incense and Family was similar but more floral) but for some reason they both quit on me around lunch time, which I thought was very peculiar. Something that expensive should last a lot longer - like Jewel, which lasts all freakin' day. Because they smell like Amouage attars to me, and because of their short longevity, they are easily overlooked. But Jewel Blend is something else!
Yesterday I tried the Viet Crassna oud oil aged for only 2 years. That's young for an oud but not unusual. I used to have some 9-yo Dehn al Aoud from ASAQ that had an incredibly stinky opening that lasted 30 to 45 minutes before turning into a gorgeous resinous bomb - but that opening was so difficult I had to sell it. This young Viet Crassna skips the stink-stank and instead starts with a vaporous petrol-like note mixed with creamy woods. It then goes straight to a creamy-woody almost nutty oud. There is a period when it smells downright hay-like with a touch of animal hide, warm and beasty. Throughout the day it slowly becomes a little "ashy," which is a characteristic I've only ever experienced with ASAQ ouds. "Ashy" is probably a poor choice of descriptors but it conveys the clean, light etherealness I get from it. It's neither a fruity Cambodian, nor an animalic Assam, but somewhere in between. For the price, it's an excellent introductory oud - very pleasant and easy to wear with a wide range of characteristics.
Today's 50-year Kyara is even better. Although it's still early and I'm jumping the gun, I can tell a difference already. The opening is less "creamy" and more vaporous without a petrol side. It's cleaner in that aspect with an immediate nod to that "ashy" aspect I like in ASAQ ouds. I may have more to say about it later but for now I can say it's stronger than the Viet Crassna (I applied less and its sillage is bigger), cleaner, and higher quality, evoking more of the Borneo style. For the money, that Crassna is fantastic, though.
What a great week of scents! Busy, hectic, stressful, mind-numbing, exhausting, and wonderful.
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