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Entering the Ancient Tomb
Oud Ankaa, from the house of Ys-Uzac. A fitting name for this perfume, chosen after the brightest star in the Phoenix Galaxy.
I feel Oud Ankaa is, in many ways, much like that, among the myriads of Oud perfumes that saturate the market. To think that something like this was released back in 2014, and still, to this date, there is nothing remotely close to it in the realm of perfumery, only speaks volumes to the craftsmanship behind it.
Once again, the composition goes way beyond the materials and transcends into a vision. Yes, it will satisfy the Oud purists, but if you just want Oud, then you'd be better off looking elsewhere, as here, the Oud is used to tell a story, not only to justify the name and the price tag.
To me, this perfume smells like you would enter an Egyptian tomb. That's the scent association I had the instant I smelled it. It smells ancient. Closed air, dust loaded, old wood and stone. The air inside the tomb is heavy and cold, but there is warmth also coming through the main entrance from outside the crypt. If you close your eyes, you can sense the ceremonial rites that took place thousands of years ago - the incense burning, and the floral and fruit arrangements that used to embellish the chamber. As much as I try to think of other things, I can only picture ancient artifacts. That's how deeply rooted that sensation is in my brain. How Vincent Micotti managed to capture and evoke that feeling is spectacular. I don't detect any trace of facets that one would associate with fermented oud oils. There is nothing off-putting about the oud accord in here. It uses a blend of oud oils from various regions, hence I suspect the complexity of the scent profile is partly attributed to that. There are incense, soft leather, and slightly fruity and earthy facets. Moreover, I detect a beautiful use of saffron in the opening, complementing the leather-like facets and imbuing a beautifully spicy and fiery feel to the introduction. The third major player after the two, and the one that dominates the dry-down on my skin, is the Ambergris. The latter seems to be another favorite material of Vincent and one that he uses incredibly well in many of his compositions. It lends a beautiful and gentle warm muskiness to the dry-down. Overall, it is difficult to pinpoint notes, but the three accords are what I can separate.
All in all, for me, Oud Ankaa is all about traveling back in time, deep beneath the earth into the Pharaoh's chambers where now only silence rules, and where at night, glowing from the desert sky, the brightest star from the Phoenix Galaxy sends its beam for the ones willing to see, or smell.
IG:@memory.of.scents
I feel Oud Ankaa is, in many ways, much like that, among the myriads of Oud perfumes that saturate the market. To think that something like this was released back in 2014, and still, to this date, there is nothing remotely close to it in the realm of perfumery, only speaks volumes to the craftsmanship behind it.
Once again, the composition goes way beyond the materials and transcends into a vision. Yes, it will satisfy the Oud purists, but if you just want Oud, then you'd be better off looking elsewhere, as here, the Oud is used to tell a story, not only to justify the name and the price tag.
To me, this perfume smells like you would enter an Egyptian tomb. That's the scent association I had the instant I smelled it. It smells ancient. Closed air, dust loaded, old wood and stone. The air inside the tomb is heavy and cold, but there is warmth also coming through the main entrance from outside the crypt. If you close your eyes, you can sense the ceremonial rites that took place thousands of years ago - the incense burning, and the floral and fruit arrangements that used to embellish the chamber. As much as I try to think of other things, I can only picture ancient artifacts. That's how deeply rooted that sensation is in my brain. How Vincent Micotti managed to capture and evoke that feeling is spectacular. I don't detect any trace of facets that one would associate with fermented oud oils. There is nothing off-putting about the oud accord in here. It uses a blend of oud oils from various regions, hence I suspect the complexity of the scent profile is partly attributed to that. There are incense, soft leather, and slightly fruity and earthy facets. Moreover, I detect a beautiful use of saffron in the opening, complementing the leather-like facets and imbuing a beautifully spicy and fiery feel to the introduction. The third major player after the two, and the one that dominates the dry-down on my skin, is the Ambergris. The latter seems to be another favorite material of Vincent and one that he uses incredibly well in many of his compositions. It lends a beautiful and gentle warm muskiness to the dry-down. Overall, it is difficult to pinpoint notes, but the three accords are what I can separate.
All in all, for me, Oud Ankaa is all about traveling back in time, deep beneath the earth into the Pharaoh's chambers where now only silence rules, and where at night, glowing from the desert sky, the brightest star from the Phoenix Galaxy sends its beam for the ones willing to see, or smell.
IG:@memory.of.scents