TristanKalus

Streaks of sweet jellies of selected dark berries,
Swirls of cinnamon and pepper floating dry through the air.

Thick raspberries and blackberries shimmer through the syrup,
I spoon with pleasure, I won't worry about calories.

But what is this wondrous, sweet food?
It does not come to an end, no matter how quickly and how much I eat.

New berries appear again and again, as if by magic,
But not to my discomfort, my berry land of milk and honey.

The magic seems to emanate from the bowl of jelly,
made from dry cedar and smoked by the incense fairy.

It is decorated with the letters OUD, sparkling golden in the light,
but may I be forgiven, unfortunately the bowl is not made of this.

And because I can't help it, I take it with me into my bath,
And keep on spooning while I relax in the gentle soap lather.

Fin.

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With Infusion Velours, I now turn to my second candidate from the Ojar oud collection. As with "Stallion Soul (Eau de Parfum) | Ojar", I can say one thing straight away - unfortunately, it's not an oud again. But let's start at the beginning. The central theme of the fragrance is ripe, dark and above all sweet berries. More specifically, the focus is on raspberries and blackberries. This theme runs through from the opening to the drydown. Although the selected berries appear slightly synthetic, they score with a balanced sweetness and a pleasant acidity profile. Very quickly, dry swirls of pepper and cinnamon ensnare the potpourri of berries and lend it more and more the character of a dessert. This is also reinforced in the minimal transformation of the berry accord to a jelly-like texture and smell. Gradually, cool wafts of incense cloud the overall impression and fine woody accords flash through from time to time in the background. Although these have dark facets, I cannot identify any oud by far. What made me suspicious during all the tests, however, is that after some time, a subtle note of bath foam seems to shimmer through. I can't quite explain this, but it made the fragrance completely reminiscent of a work by Montale - "Oud Dream | Montale". All in all, Infusion Velours is a well-made, quite linear, oriental fragrance with a focus on sweet berries, cool incense and a few woods, which scores with a beautiful sillage and pronounced pleasantness.

First her leg lifts up, elegantly in its entirety, her foot finds a hold on the edge of the tub.
Fine streams of honey run from her flawless body, from her back, décolleté and even from both hands.

The cuddly soft towel falls warmly and comfortably over her delicate shoulders.
Shadows flit across the walls while vanilla candles flicker and crackle under the dark canopy.

Hair and skin wrapped in soft cloths, light steps over warmed sandy floorboards.
She literally sinks into white sheets, reaching for the box of cigars her husband liked.

There is no thought of smoking, much more of sniffing and then dreaming a little.
Light, dry tobacco crackles between delicate fingers, memories begin to rise up.

The scent of tobacco lingers in the air for a long time, enveloping it protectively and bringing back memories.
Of trips to the Orient, of style and charm, of kisses on the neck and nights in hotel rooms.

She lets thoughts be thoughts now and reaches for dessert and a book, it's thundering outside.
White pages pass by while a sweet crust of puff pastry shatters in her mouth.

Her lips wet with streaks of honey, crunchy sesame and brittle tonka play around her senses.
The scent of warm dough with clove and anise fills the room, she stretches and pauses for a moment.

Lightning flashes and thunders outside the windows, raindrops drum gently in peace.
The blanket warms her softly and comfortably, a trembling of her songs and her eyes fall shut.

Fin.

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Guerlain moves with the times - and doesn't. Due to its volume, Guerlain's Tobacco Honey does not really want to fit in with the House's creations, although we are dealing with a thoroughly elegant, sophisticated and timeless fragrance that is so warm and cuddly that it creates an incredibly beautiful feeling of security. The opening is dominated by crunchy, roasted sesame seeds in warm honey swirls and sweet puff pastry with clay brittle. The honey, which is the undisputed protagonist of this work, comes across as light, sweet, natural and a little sticky. Gradually, very bright, light tobacco shimmers through with a hint of aniseed, while notes of cloves can be detected from time to time. As it progresses, sandalwood and vanilla make it ever creamier and softer, until it lies snugly on the skin and exudes a hint of make-up and powder.

In many ways, this may not be a typical Guerlain, but in my eyes it is an incredibly beautiful creation that serves the zeitgeist with its volume without appearing deliberate.

Wafting petals of dark rose blossoms - so unsweet, yes, a touch of soap.
Peppered violets descend - I roam over flower meadows in my thoughts.

Every pollen, every seed, pollen tickles my nose.
Blossoms upon blossoms of every color and hue, my flower heart beats in ecstasy.

On the dark soil of the patchouli, fine vapors loll, sway.
A thick haze of cool incense, in which jasmine blossoms bathe.

In the midst of this sea of flowers, he who wants to find will find a chest of strange gifts.
Fine, dark woods in leather pouches, velvety soft, together with vanilla pods tempting you to feast on them.

But hidden in the last bag made of leather in velour.
There is a hint of soft musky fluff like a trail of shooting stars.

Fin.

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I actually wanted to start testing some Ojars a good six months ago, but due to the mass of bottlings I've accumulated and a short creative break, I've only just got around to it. Anyway - I'll start with Ojar's Stallion Soul. I was expecting a clearly oud-focused fragrance with beautiful incense accents, coarse leather, lots of musk and some flowers. But what was revealed to me during my tests was miles away from that. To break it down succinctly, Stallion Soul is a very floral fragrance consisting of a slightly darker, not too sweet rose, lots of violet and very tolerable jasmine. A hint of incense and delicate suede contrast the pleasing mix of flowers until light musk, sweet patchouli, a hint of vanilla and a hint of "oud" are added from hour to hour. I was a little disappointed by the dosage and nature of the latter ingredient in particular. Considering that Stallion Soul originates from Ojar's oud line, I would have expected a little more here. Instead, you get a diffuse mix of dark woods. All in all, Stallion Soul is a beautifully balanced and well-composed floral blend with a slightly oriental twist that is convincing in everyday applications thanks to its unobtrusiveness and softness.

I must proclaim, for uninspiredness, unfortunately, there is no prose,
Facts on the table, no looking through glasses in the color pink.

Fin.

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I'll make this short and sweet. I am disappointed! However, not in a thoroughly negative way, which is also reflected in the rating of the fragrance. I tested myself a few weeks ago by some fragrances of the house Electimuss. The impetus for this, gave me Octavian, which has lingered on my watch list for a long time and now I finally had the opportunity to get a good overview of brand. However, Octavian turned out when spraying on and wearing longer as a fragrance, which reminded me, only tentatively at first and finally unmistakably, of a fragrance in my collection - Frederic Malle's Portrait of a Lady. Octavian starts a bit more peppery and lacks the beautiful clove of POAL, but in the remaining 90% they are alike like fraternal twins. Especially when you hear the sillage in the air, it's hard to tell the two apart anymore. Despite this, the implementation, although somewhat uninspired, quite well done. Beautiful rose, with some sour fruitiness, cool swaths of incense and some creamy sandalwood. If you look closely, you won't find any oud in my listing, and that brings us to the big sticking point. Here Electimuss could have created a unique selling point for their Octavian, but one searches in vain for the precious ingredient. Only a barely perceptible hint of some dark wood flashes through in the drydown every now and then, but of a strong note of the fragrance, whether chord or in natural form, one can not speak here unfortunately. Therefore, I can unfortunately only give an average rating for this fragrance, which I would have liked only too much.

Through mountains, heaps, hills of bitter orange peel leads me life,
Tart and bitter, dry, citrusy in the nose, their scent sticks for a long time.

Also through lavender fields I roam, so purple and so intense,
These too smell dry and ethereal, their umbels hang low.

A host of oriental barbers shave and coiffure me,
Fougerewässchen against burning after sharp shaving against the grain.

Cardamom spiced fresh winds carry wild saffron shreds, so leathery their odeur,
A swirl of brown clouds cinnamon in the sky, warm colors of every hue.

A tangle of dry, dark woods, no glimpse penetrates,
Dusty creaks the eagle wood, smoky Nagarmotha brings in.

My cheeks burn from the menthol, which stems from Patchouli,
If life gives you bitter oranges, look where it takes you.

Fin.

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For Hayat from the house XerJoff I needed a little more time. If I had written down my first impressions here, my words would paint a very different picture. But now I think I understand and like him. Hayat is in my eyes a highly interesting Fougere fragrance, which however does not play with typical French influences, but is through and through an oriental interpretation of it. The prelude is formed by tart citrus notes of bitter oranges and dust-dry lavender. Here it should be said that the bitter orange accompanies the wearer through the entire fragrance experience. As it progresses, spicy, fresh cardamom, spicy cinnamon and leathery saffron join in. These notes bed down on dusty oud, smoky nagarmotha and mentholated patchouli. The oud is very reminiscent of the oud used in Alexandria II. Dusty, dry, woody and not a bit animalic or fecal. All in all, Hayat offers a very pleasant wearing experience if you have a soft spot for fougere scents and are looking for a somewhat special and oriental melange.