Top Notes
Coriander
Cumin
Petitgrain
Heart Notes
Jasmine
Cistus
Base Notes
Ambergris
Vetiver
Cedarwood
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Apicius 
WRoth 11/13/2021
Carlitos01
347 Reviews
Carlitos01
Very helpful Review
19
The desert wind
The Moroccan Middle Atlas is the most traditional region of the native peoples known collectively as Berbers. These call themselves "Imazighen", which means "free man" or "nobleman". "Amazigh" is the singular form for this word.
Morocco has always been subject to intensive migration. Historically, it was first ruled by Carthage. About two thousand years ago, the region became the westernmost province of the Roman Empire. After the Arab expansion during the 7th century AD, most of its people accepted the Islamic religion. That vast area of North Africa became then known as the Maghreb (the Arabic word for 'West'). Later, the Moroccan kingdoms enjoyed significant political influence and extended far beyond the coastal regions of North Africa. In the 11th century, the first native "Amazigh" dynasty, the Almoravids, gained control of an empire that stretched from Iberian Andalusia to sub-Saharan Africa.
The Berbers were the only people who took over the desert as their home. As the dry land increased, most people migrated. The pre-Arab Berber ancestors decided differently. Instead of fleeing the advancing Sahara, they moved to the edge of the desert and found a way to thrive, getting used to a nomadic life as opposed to the sedentary agrarian life of other peoples.
The key animal for the Berbers has always been the camel. Unlike horses, camels can survive without water for long periods of time and have made nomadism possible in far-flung regions. This ever-moving lifestyle is the central focus of the development of Berber culture, and perhaps the main reason why they referred to themselves as 'free men'. Herding is traditionally done by the men, while the women handle more cosmopolitan tasks such as weaving their deep blue robes, and the magnificently colourful woollen carpets. Away from the cities, women rarely wear veils and, in some communities, belongs to them the initiative to select their own husbands.
Berber society is organised into tribes, usually made up of several extended family clans. As in other nomadic cultures, Berber clans live in large transportable tents, which provide a new home whenever they find a good grazing area.
Drinking tea is an almost obligatory ritual. Unlike traditional Moroccan mint tea, Berber tea is prepared with a wide variety of fresh herbs. This drink serves both the purposes of hospitality and conviviality, as well as providing a medicinal drink. Wild mint leaves, thyme, lemongrass, geranium, sage, verbena, pinches of mugwort and lots of sugar may be used. Traditionally, the tea is served three times. The amount of time used for each infusion gives each cup of tea a unique flavour, described in a famous Maghrebian proverb:
"- The first cup of tea is as smooth as life,
- The second is as strong as love,
- The third is as bitter as death".
A unique aspect of Berber culture is the obligations towards guests. Whenever a traveller receives food and drinks from a Berber, he becomes his guest. The host then takes responsibility for the guest's safety and well-being.
Saudade is a word taught by the people of the Maghreb to the Portuguese. It is a state of mind that is easy to acquire after letting the time go by at sunset gazing out over the desert, quietly sipping Berber herbal tea accompanied by homemade bread moistened in natural olive oil. It is just a wonderful whirlwind of aromas that portrays Berber hospitality. These aromas enrich the soul, marvel the eyes, and addict the nose! And your spirit runs wild and free like the Sirocco, the desert wind.
№ 02 - L'Air du Désert Marocain Eau de Toilette Intense hovers in the vicinity of the semi-desert steppes of the Atlas, and not really in the hot sands of the Sahara. With this fragrance, I build an olfactory image of lives hardened by centuries of struggle against nature, but also of the heritage huddled by simple existences laden with traditions deeply connected to the inhospitable lands of the desert edge. The aromatic herbs, the fresh spices, the leather of the tents, the warm infusions, the dense and almost liturgical atmosphere of the resins, the dry and hard woods... are all concentrated in a small blue bottle, portraying the same colour of the brave Berber women garments, gentle brides and mothers who are always smiling and are lavishly tattooed with henna with complicated geometric motifs laden with symbolism.
At the opening, I feel almost assaulted by crushed coriander seeds mixed with dried cumin. A slight herbaceous lemon, and not at all fresh, also suggests the presence of other herbs and fougéres. In the heart predominates the resinous cyst frame that connects all the notes and invites the awareness of the fainter chords of dried birch and cedar mixed with vetiver. My imagination retrieves experiences of this so wild but so beautiful environment. The aroma could even come from a Berber wedding party, where the aromatic herbs scent, and the light sweetness of geraniums, are covered with dried and coriaceous resins.
Beware this desert breeze:
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
- Opening: 10.0 (Admirably different... coriander and cumin stand out amongst light hints of lavender, geranium and enveloping dry resins).
- DryDown: 9.0 (Dry resins lose their glow, but persist almost eternally between dry cedar and vetiver).
- Longevity: 9.0 (3 sprays last up to 10 hours)
- Sillage: 8.5 (6 feet of sillage and up to 3.0 hours of projection with 3 sprays)
- Uniqueness: 9.5 (unmistakable similarities only with its brother Au Coeur du Désert)
- Wearability: 8.0 (not suitable for hot weather)
- Versatility: 8.0 (can be worn almost anywhere, but I recommend it as a fragrance for dusk or night; beach and gym are out of the question).
- Praise: 7.5 (it will receive more curiosity than passionate praise).
- Quality: 10.0 (Fantastic)
- Presentation: 8.0 (Simple, effective and elegant, but similar to all Tauer)
- Price: 6.0 (110~120 euros / 50ml; prices vary only slightly around these figures)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Overall rating: 8.50 / 10.00
- between 7 and 8 = above average;
- between 8 and 9 = recommended;
- above 9 = definitely not to be missed;
My opinion: This is a perfume that I consider timeless and a true olfactory masterpiece. Both its unusual aroma and its high price justify never making a blind purchase. But if you happen to wear it, I guarantee you'll catch the eye of the people around you. But for me, the greatest pleasure will always be given to the nose of the lucky person using it.
Music Charles Aznavour - "Hier Encore".
Morocco has always been subject to intensive migration. Historically, it was first ruled by Carthage. About two thousand years ago, the region became the westernmost province of the Roman Empire. After the Arab expansion during the 7th century AD, most of its people accepted the Islamic religion. That vast area of North Africa became then known as the Maghreb (the Arabic word for 'West'). Later, the Moroccan kingdoms enjoyed significant political influence and extended far beyond the coastal regions of North Africa. In the 11th century, the first native "Amazigh" dynasty, the Almoravids, gained control of an empire that stretched from Iberian Andalusia to sub-Saharan Africa.
The Berbers were the only people who took over the desert as their home. As the dry land increased, most people migrated. The pre-Arab Berber ancestors decided differently. Instead of fleeing the advancing Sahara, they moved to the edge of the desert and found a way to thrive, getting used to a nomadic life as opposed to the sedentary agrarian life of other peoples.
The key animal for the Berbers has always been the camel. Unlike horses, camels can survive without water for long periods of time and have made nomadism possible in far-flung regions. This ever-moving lifestyle is the central focus of the development of Berber culture, and perhaps the main reason why they referred to themselves as 'free men'. Herding is traditionally done by the men, while the women handle more cosmopolitan tasks such as weaving their deep blue robes, and the magnificently colourful woollen carpets. Away from the cities, women rarely wear veils and, in some communities, belongs to them the initiative to select their own husbands.
Berber society is organised into tribes, usually made up of several extended family clans. As in other nomadic cultures, Berber clans live in large transportable tents, which provide a new home whenever they find a good grazing area.
Drinking tea is an almost obligatory ritual. Unlike traditional Moroccan mint tea, Berber tea is prepared with a wide variety of fresh herbs. This drink serves both the purposes of hospitality and conviviality, as well as providing a medicinal drink. Wild mint leaves, thyme, lemongrass, geranium, sage, verbena, pinches of mugwort and lots of sugar may be used. Traditionally, the tea is served three times. The amount of time used for each infusion gives each cup of tea a unique flavour, described in a famous Maghrebian proverb:
"- The first cup of tea is as smooth as life,
- The second is as strong as love,
- The third is as bitter as death".
A unique aspect of Berber culture is the obligations towards guests. Whenever a traveller receives food and drinks from a Berber, he becomes his guest. The host then takes responsibility for the guest's safety and well-being.
Saudade is a word taught by the people of the Maghreb to the Portuguese. It is a state of mind that is easy to acquire after letting the time go by at sunset gazing out over the desert, quietly sipping Berber herbal tea accompanied by homemade bread moistened in natural olive oil. It is just a wonderful whirlwind of aromas that portrays Berber hospitality. These aromas enrich the soul, marvel the eyes, and addict the nose! And your spirit runs wild and free like the Sirocco, the desert wind.
№ 02 - L'Air du Désert Marocain Eau de Toilette Intense hovers in the vicinity of the semi-desert steppes of the Atlas, and not really in the hot sands of the Sahara. With this fragrance, I build an olfactory image of lives hardened by centuries of struggle against nature, but also of the heritage huddled by simple existences laden with traditions deeply connected to the inhospitable lands of the desert edge. The aromatic herbs, the fresh spices, the leather of the tents, the warm infusions, the dense and almost liturgical atmosphere of the resins, the dry and hard woods... are all concentrated in a small blue bottle, portraying the same colour of the brave Berber women garments, gentle brides and mothers who are always smiling and are lavishly tattooed with henna with complicated geometric motifs laden with symbolism.
At the opening, I feel almost assaulted by crushed coriander seeds mixed with dried cumin. A slight herbaceous lemon, and not at all fresh, also suggests the presence of other herbs and fougéres. In the heart predominates the resinous cyst frame that connects all the notes and invites the awareness of the fainter chords of dried birch and cedar mixed with vetiver. My imagination retrieves experiences of this so wild but so beautiful environment. The aroma could even come from a Berber wedding party, where the aromatic herbs scent, and the light sweetness of geraniums, are covered with dried and coriaceous resins.
Beware this desert breeze:
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
- Opening: 10.0 (Admirably different... coriander and cumin stand out amongst light hints of lavender, geranium and enveloping dry resins).
- DryDown: 9.0 (Dry resins lose their glow, but persist almost eternally between dry cedar and vetiver).
- Longevity: 9.0 (3 sprays last up to 10 hours)
- Sillage: 8.5 (6 feet of sillage and up to 3.0 hours of projection with 3 sprays)
- Uniqueness: 9.5 (unmistakable similarities only with its brother Au Coeur du Désert)
- Wearability: 8.0 (not suitable for hot weather)
- Versatility: 8.0 (can be worn almost anywhere, but I recommend it as a fragrance for dusk or night; beach and gym are out of the question).
- Praise: 7.5 (it will receive more curiosity than passionate praise).
- Quality: 10.0 (Fantastic)
- Presentation: 8.0 (Simple, effective and elegant, but similar to all Tauer)
- Price: 6.0 (110~120 euros / 50ml; prices vary only slightly around these figures)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Overall rating: 8.50 / 10.00
- between 7 and 8 = above average;
- between 8 and 9 = recommended;
- above 9 = definitely not to be missed;
My opinion: This is a perfume that I consider timeless and a true olfactory masterpiece. Both its unusual aroma and its high price justify never making a blind purchase. But if you happen to wear it, I guarantee you'll catch the eye of the people around you. But for me, the greatest pleasure will always be given to the nose of the lucky person using it.
Music Charles Aznavour - "Hier Encore".
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