Attar/عطار

Been sniffing my hand throughout the day. I think the unknown note is a rough jasmine note, a very cheap jasmine, almost smells of urine (cats in particular) and cedar.
 
Gosh! Four little vials from Al Afdal arrived today: Black Musk, Black Musk II, Black Leather & Wild Forest Musk.

The two black musks are gorgrous! They're ever so slightly on the sweet side, but only in as much as it's licquorice coming through. Black Musk II is indeed stronger than Black Musk, more defined I'd say and if I was a betting man I'd just say the plain old Black Musk is slightly diluted although it is darker on test cards. Go figure. Black Leather is indeed leathery, but it's not biker jackets or baseball gloves; it's creamy, soft Italian leather sofa. Wild Forest Musk is quite a surprise! Lighter than I had expected, in fact clear and bright in colour. It's floral, like an early spring walk through the woods: snowdrops and daffodils, green, alive. I'll really enjoy that one come spring.

I'm really tuned in now with these oils. Building up day by day is joy, nuances become characters when they interplay with other nuances. I finding I build up the woods and musks to a crescendo on a Friday, bringing out the bigs guns on a Friday night, aged Dehnal Oud and a thick Rooh al Misk, Sunday will have seen those die off to all but a simmer and I can bring up the earthiness of a Majmua for Monday and through more floral days, introduce amber, patchouli and then back come the heavy woods and musks.

Funnily enough that seems to mirror how my spray frags go, Wednesday we're at aromatic fougeres (Sung Homme, YSL Kouros) for Thursday to turn up the woods (Puig Quorum, Azzaro Pour Homme) to Friday when the spicier heavy hitters come out to play (EC Rapport, M&W Tabac, Ted Lapidus Pour Homme), Saturday we're easing off into leather and tobacco (D&G The One, VC&A Pour Homme, Renta Pour Homme), Sunday into citrus (Armani Pour Homme, Autograph) and Monday & Tuesday we're into the florals (GFT Eucris, Jaguar Pour Homme) and onto Wednesday & Thursday perhaps with chypres this time (Jacques Bogart Pour Homme/Signature, Ralph Lauren Polo).

Ha! Gets me through the week, anyway ...

I'm still wearing my spray frags and enjoying the accompanying aftershaves; these oils are on my wrists and give a seriously good backdrop for the sprays, filling in when they've died off.
 
Absolutely worth a try! The 96 series is of a very good quality and so I can only believe that the Shahi series is that bit better, as advertised. I have a number on my list, as it were: the Majmua No.1, Oudy Majmua, Musky Majmua, they also have a Darbar and a Shamama in the series.

I've been wearing Swiss Arabian's Majmoua Gold today (Champaca, Mitti, Amber, Saffron, Sandalwood & Agarwood) with bouk's Indian Black Musk (quite a spicy number, deep chocolate after an hour).

I've cleared out practically all of my cheapo early purchases and have consolidated my "little" stash into black musks, oudhs (of which I have a trio of quite expensive examples), vetiver, patchouli, amber, then we're onto Mukhallat Malaki & Hajar Aswad, Majmua, other good mukhallats, some Amouage clones and finally some florals.

Most definitely the Nemat Shahi series will be one of my next purchases ...
 
pjgh said:
Absolutely worth a try! The 96 series is of a very good quality and so I can only believe that the Shahi series is that bit better, as advertised. I have a number on my list, as it were: the Majmua No.1, Oudy Majmua, Musky Majmua, they also have a Darbar and a Shamama in the series.

I've been wearing Swiss Arabian's Majmoua Gold today (Champaca, Mitti, Amber, Saffron, Sandalwood & Agarwood) with bouk's Indian Black Musk (quite a spicy number, deep chocolate after an hour).

I've cleared out practically all of my cheapo early purchases and have consolidated my "little" stash into black musks, oudhs (of which I have a trio of quite expensive examples), vetiver, patchouli, amber, then we're onto Mukhallat Malaki & Hajar Aswad, Majmua, other good mukhallats, some Amouage clones and finally some florals.

Most definitely the Nemat Shahi series will be one of my next purchases ...
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I'm thinking of going for this deal and just get the full 11! Can always sell off any I don't like.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nemat-Sha...hash=item1a028cc405:m:mvWQiMUO8Wz7IViy1JEiCDg
 
pjgh said:
Gosh! That is a good price ... but remember, it is over the £15 threshold and so will invite the good folks from Customs & Excise to double the price.
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Of course. One takes a chance. I have never had anything from India surcharged but that doesn't mean it won't happen. BUT..... since postage is free, two packages could be bought! :cool:

Price is only a little increased!
 
Randomangle said:
Well I now know I'm not a fan of Black Musks and heavy Oudh based fragrances. Which version of Jannat al Firdous (various spellings) would be a good one to try?
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Nemat's is about the lightest - it's fresh and green, khus (green grass) with lighter florals. Others do seem heavier on the musk and the jasmine can be heavy in combination. Nemat's is certainly more green with light florals.
 
Thanks to Paul's masterly enabling, I got a nice little delivery today. Khus, Kewda, Leather Mystique, Haramain Collection, al-Afdal Moroccan Vetiver and Persian Patchouli.

I was very curious about Kewda and, my goodness, it is pungent while also managing to be woody-sweet. In an accidental blending, I combined it with patchouli and I'm still enjoying it 7 hours later. It's a lovely combination. I'm thinking to add a bit more Kewda to a Majmua to cut some of the sweetness. Might try this tomorrow.

Of the others, I've had a good sniff of the Khus and the Moroccan Vetiver. Khus is very earthy and almost in the 'composted' grass direction but doesn't have much staying power. The Moroccan Vetiver is a higher note. Bright and clean, an almost soapy scent with the grass roots creeping out after 20 minutes or so. The Leather Mystique is perhaps blended to mimic something with which I am unfamiliar. It is a very nice scent. Fresh, light floral and with relatively little leather, at least in the opening.

I'm ceasing acquisitions now as Christmas is fast approaching, so lots of time to try out blending and testing.
 
With a solid collection of black musks, I've been building more woods, grasses and florals.

I bagged a couple of medium range oudhs (circa £20 although half price to a tenner each), a Hindi Khas and a Burma. Both are strongly animalic (as in fecal), the Hindi being fruitier (yes, fruity fecal) with a background of chocolate, the Burma with a peppery spiciness. I also picked up a couple of Khus, Dry Khus and Green Khus - both earthy and grassy, unsurprisingly, the green quite wet, even sweaty. There are some words in there which you might think you just don't want in a fragrance, but it's a strongly attractive combination on the skin.

I also got a Heena, Attar Bakhoor & Night Queen as a little trio of guilty secrets, all of which I love. Bedtime oils :D
 
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