Amir One Ajmal 2021

I never believed too much in tall tales of dramatic reformulations or people stuttering at the differences between bottles of perfume but this is curious.

I get nothing but dehn al oud from this. Citrus? Where? Lavender? No. Jasmine? Never.

Just dehn al oud. Assam. Ajmal style.

Dont get me wrong, i love assamese but this was broadly purposed as a fOUDgere.

Absolutely unfortunate, especially since Amir Two is so distinct and bold.

In comparison, and my two bottles are exactly from the same production date (02/23), Amir Two is tenfold complex, intricate and performative.

A bummer.

Amidst the sea of overpriced rose-oud releases that usually don't even contain oud, but merely the western interpretation of it (oud accord), Amir One stands tall. A beacon of hope, reminding everyone that quality at a reasonable price isn't a forgotten concept. Praise aside, I also have to admit it's more of a grower than a shower.

What do I mean by that? Don't expect smooth, artisanal oud. Ajmal's oud plantations are more vast than PdM's marketing department - so you're getting the real thing - but it's a less refined, low-to-mid grade oud. According to Russian Adam (the nose behind Areej Le Doré, and a huge fan of Ajmal) it's the "old man" style of oud. Traditionally distilled, with sour, medicinal, slightly cheesy facets being present.

Sour would be the name of the game when it comes to Ajmal. Their oud creations boast a great deal of sourness, along with the usual leathery and smoky facets. The same thing could be said about rose accords; forget the fruity, jammy, maltol-infused slops that pass for rose in the west. This is a more sour, waxy rose. Kind of like a soap or a candle, with powdery sweetness.

Ajmal's concoctions have been known to knock out a fellow perfume collector or two, due to the combination of sourness, leather and smoke, which could even pass for the smell of burnt tires. That's what I meant by Amir One being a grower - your olfactory needs to get accustomed to all of this funk before other notes truly open up to you. This generally requires multiple wears over an extended time period, so if you find it outright repulsive, there's no need to put up with that.

However, should you decide to clench your teeth and endure, you'll soon realize that Amir One is an ingenious take on rose-oud, mainly due to its fougère aspects. There's PLENTY of lavender and clary sage, lending it a green, herbaceous, metallic freshness in the opening. The oud itself seems sour and leathery, but with time, I've started noticing a chocolaty nuance too.

For me, citrusy rose is the star of the show, adding a soapy, slightly sweet backbone. It's worth noting that the composition feels "charred" at times. I'm assuming lavender overdose and oud are the main culprits. Once it settles down, you're left with a classic oriental mélange - aromatic funk, dusty woodiness and resinous warmth.

To sum it up, Amir One boils down to lavender, rose, oud and amber. It's not the most complex perfume, but the quality of ingredients is decent. It's nice for layering, adding a strong rose-oud presence to any oriental fragrance. At the point of writing this review, I have a total of 12 wears, 8 of which were a layering combo with Silver Oud. Needless to say, I urge you to try it!

After all, there definitely are levels to this perfumery game. Amir One, at least to me, is top tier.

Short double review about Ajmal Amir One (A1) and Amir Two ( A2).

I should start saying that both of them are very interesting and high quality parfums. I have tried other Ajmals but these are other level.

A1 & A2 parfums are related to each other: Oud note is backbone for both parfums. They are even sharing same type of oud. However Oud in A2 is maybe 5 times stronger then A1.

A1 starts citrusy, followed by aromatic notes like lavender and sage. There is touch of flowery heart. But oud will starts dominating the other notes. At the end you will be left very nice smokey woody oud accord. I m not sure if the smoke note comes from oud as well or from something else. But it works really well together with oud.

I really enjoy every stage of this parfum, it smells wonderful from beginning till end. This is not a fougere.Not everything has lavender counts as fougere. This is 100% Middle Eastern style Oud parfum. If we have to classify it is Aromatic Woody ( Oudy) parfum. Despite it contains oud, this is not a heavy parfum neither freshie. It lasts really long but doesn’t project too much. I think it is perfect for mid seasons like autumn, spring or even summer evenings.

A2 is another beast. It is very dark, heavy, resinous and very loud. It has very strong oud note supported by spices, Cypriol oil, incense and balsam. It is heavy oud dominant parfum. Typical parfum structure doesn’t really work, maybe it is bit out of balance. All the notes seems to be come out the gate at once. But oud dominates everything else very quickly.There is really nice smoky note for instance at the beginning but it doesn’t stay long. I should warn you this is very potent. I made mistake spraying 4 times and it was choking. I think 1-2 should be sufficient. It can work really well for layering as well. If you don’t have heavy oud dominant parfum, this is very good one. But you have to really like the style and dark, heavy notes. It is not versatile like A1.

A1 is my favorite i cant get enough of it.
Type of the oud used on both is very pleasant and woody. I wouldn’t call animalic. Maybe it is bit harsh at the opening but then it is very enjoyable.

(If anyone knows what type of oud used here , could you please write in to comments )

Retail price is very high but kind of price reflects the quality here. I bought them cheaper. They are really up there with most high end niche parfums without a doubt.

Lavender, citruses with a beautiful combo of ambergris and a gentle real oud at the bottom. Not complex at all. This really feels elegant and high class, but somehow you can wear everywhere and everytime. The oud is so easy to use and the way that support the other notes is stunning. I'm amazed by this perfume.
The quality of blending and ingredients are absolutely top notch. Presentation is flawless. This is the kind of juice that any luxury house would charge you 500USD at least... at least.
Projection is soft but decent longevity.
9/10... It would be perfect with more projection.

Amir One, from the Indian House of Haute Luxury Niche Perfumery, Ajmal Perfumes, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is part of the 'Amir Collection'. It is an Oriental Fougére Citrus Aromatic Woody Unisex perfume; It was released in 2021.
Amir One; A Modern Oriental Symphony, is an invitation to a sensory journey to the heart of an arabesque and sophisticated olfactory universe. A captivating oriental alchemy, a masterful creation that harmoniously fuses traditional oriental notes with a touch of modernity.
I can already tell you Amir One has a performance (fixation/projection) from average to good! It is not an invasive pump.

Its opening is an explosion of sparkling freshness, dominated by luminous citrus notes. Sweet and tangy orange mixes with energetic bergamot, creating an invigorating and energizing sensation. A subtle hint of aromatic notes adds an herbaceous dimension and a slight refined bitterness to this vibrant introduction.
At the heart of this fragrance is revealed a refined and captivating floral bouquet. Here a discreet rose (Ruh Gulab), a symbol of love and beauty, blends with indole jasmine and delicate orange blossom, creating a harmonious and romantic floral symphony. These floral notes lend a powdery softness and timeless elegance to the fragrance.

The foundation, on the other hand, is an ode to sensuality and warmth. Deep, enveloping woody notes such as patchouli, sandalwood and cedar blend with gourmet vanilla and resinous amber. The foundation that lasts longer on the skin is created by an excellent Indian 'oud of character: woody, animalic, smoky, sweet and with a slight nuance of stable. Warm amber and delicious musk seal this apotheosis of fragrance beautifully. This warm and persistent base gives the fragrance exceptional depth and sophistication.
Amir One is a tribute to oriental fragrances, an arabesque fougere, Arabic fragrances are synonymous with opulent and complex fragrances.