PallasCC

If you read through the notes, there doesn't seem to be anything extraordinary here at all. EnsarOud's No.1 isn't that popular either, especially when you consider the perfume statistics. And in terms of price, it's in the upper echelons of what's now called the "niche" and "luxury". Now the question is, of course, "Is it worth the investment?" You might as well buy something from Roja or Creed. You know them; many seem to like them at least; and for some it has even become a status symbol. To each his own! Subjective opinions about the price-quality ratio are a matter of debate. But not all oud is the same. We are not talking about the oud à la TF Oud Wood here. The same goes for the other raw materials. Also, you don't know how much of one or the other raw material was used and of what quality it was. With this in mind I decided to go for a little fragrance adventurism.

And now for the description:
In the prelude one is welcomed by a very bearable animalism, for which Castoreum (not mentioned here) probably provides, and sweetish resin. It is very inviting and warm, but dark at the same time. One could imagine a piece of coarse, brown leather. Slowly the fragrance moves into the next phase, which makes it a little softer and more noble. This effect could be due to the floral notes and the civet (Absolute?). But it's not a floral fragrance in that sense (those who like Bortnikoff's Mysterious Oud will survive this phase quite well). It remains dark and attractive. You can see the interaction of animalism, resins and tame flowers. The fragile heart of the fragrance is enveloped by the oud. And (after several hours) one reaches the long awaited base. The leather recedes into the background as the fine, sweet incense takes its place. The woods and mossy notes are here just for support. The base in itself could become a fragrance in its own right!

Of course it is a great simplification of the experience. Nevertheless, for me my rhetorical question above is answered, because it is not always: "you get what you pay for." (in the literal sense)

I've been very curious about this perfume from the very beginning as I am a big fan of birch tar. However, this is not the tar we are talking about here. Matos' Tar is certainly in the league of its own. As the perfumer explains, it is supposed to be the smell of tar in his imaginary world, thus, I will try to capture my own experience that was unleashed by the smell of this magnificent creation.

This is a dark fragrance with a piercing sweetness and spiciness that comes from licorice, star anise, and oregano. While this combination might deter some of the perfume lovers here, it is well worth trying—in my subjective opinion. The scent evokes an image of a campfire in the woods. But instead of burnt marshmallows, you smell burnt licorice, sweetened by caramel. You dip each piece of this black solid substance into a cup of rum and feed it to the hungry tongues of burning flames. The process is captivating; the black solid is transformed into a gooey, latex-like liquid that is slowly dripping into the flames. This hypnotic sweet and spicey smell is joined by animalic notes and deepened by the earthy patchouli and wafts of tobacco. The woody notes provide depth to the scent without taking the center stage, with the burning licorice remaining the protagonist. Overall, the scent is warm, addictive, smoky and edgy with a great balance of sweetness and spice.

This is not a scent that should be judged from the first sniff. Here the patience pays off in the long run. It is bold and provocative—perhaps even addictive and enticing! The performance is outstanding—some ten hours on my skin. The projection starts strong and remains strong during the first two to three hours. Another very interesting, edgy, unexpected offering.

Disclosure: My Tar perfume was purchased from Matos' website.

If you are in the market for a vintage-inspired leather perfume, Doraphilia will be right up your alley. I have smelt and owned a great variety of leather-based scents, however, if I had to pick the one that speaks to me the most it would be Miguel Mato's creation.

The perfume is evocative of the interwar period during which all worries seemed to have vanished to be supplanted by jazz music and beautiful flappers dressed in expensive furs enjoying a cigarette or two. This scent is a perfect companion to F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, the Great Gatsby. The aldehydic opening is evocative of the classic perfumes from the past, á la Coco Chanel. It does not take a lot of time until you are surrounded by the tension between the heart notes and the base. That is when the animalic notes and the leather are fighting their away to the center stage while being tamed and sweetened by the floral heart of rose, mimosa, iris, ylang-ylang, and narcissus.

This back and forth continues well into the dry-down. The scent deepens, acquiring some tangy bitterness that comes (in all probability) from the oakmoss and earthy patchouli coupled with flower. The leather is not longer sweet and polished; it starts displaying a somewhat more rugged texture.

Overall, Doraphilia is very aptly named for what it represents. It is a time journey into the past, without being excessively outdated. Feat not! It is a post-modern perfume that skillfully displays the beauty of each ingredient. It deserves the highest praise. Well done, Miguel!

Disclosure: This review is based on my own purchase from Miguel Mato's website.

After receiving a small sample (thanks to Caligari), I was surprised to see a name you often see on the high street. Oud Wood, I thought to myself, sounds like another aspirational attempt to re-interpret one of the earlier and well-known creations that has introduced oud to the Western market. However, I could not have been more mistaken.

Perhaps a misnomer, Oud Wood opens with what one could describe as a dark dry earth smell. It creates a void that slowly pulls you in, enveloping you gently with dense smoke. Through this darkness, the only thing you can sense is the silent crackling of tobacco leaves as the fire slowly consumes them, turning them into ashes. This darkness lasts for several hours before you are brought back to detect that the dark dry earth is covered with a layer of dark dusty cocoa shells. By no means is this perfume a gourmand. The chocolate-like smell must, to the best of my knowledge, come from the patchouli which frames the other woods and tobacco. What you get is a layer after layer of different shades of black.

Only during the final stage—which emerges after 10 hours on my skin—do you feel the vanilla which creeps up slowly from the base, giving the whole composition a bittersweet tingle. This is not the yellow vanilla flower that is present here. Instead, it is the black bean itself. After about 12 hours, the scent bids farewell leaving you both puzzled and craving for more.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a crowd-pleasure, this is probably not the scent for you. However, if you are looking for a masterfully blended, unique creation that bears no resemblance to whatever is available on the "niche" market, this should be high on your list. This is not just a scent, it is an experience!

Disclosure: My review is based on two sprays from a sample, thus, the quantity sprayed was very small. Nonetheless, the performance was outstanding.