1
Godfather of Musk
I guess it’s time for me to talk about my favourite Ensar Oud of all time, NO2. I only recently managed to get a full bottle of the OG PP, so that’s why only now I feel I am qualified to talk about it in depth. It joins my collection of NO2 EDP, EO2 Tonkin, and NO2 PP sample as a final NO2 boss. It’s not hard to see I love this DNA, huh? I am a bit late to talk about it, because, well… good luck getting as lucky as me and finding someone selling it to you in 2025. But after watching some reviews online from back in the day of some very respectable reviewers, as Ramsey and Nikhil, being surprisingly not so positive, I felt the need to put my two scents in.
First of all, I should state that I am very much a musk lover. My favourites of other artisanal brands out there almost always are musk fragrances. So it's no surprise that the quintessential musk fragrance from Ensar Oud is my top pick. And spoiler alert: as far as musk fragrances goes, in my personal opinion, NO2 PP is the King of them all. Yes, I am taking it over Private Blend, over Tonkin/Mongolian/Egyptian musk, and all the others out there. I will explain why - shortly. Ok, so now that we have established that this review is 100% subjective love letter to this fragrance, you can all proceed with caution.
Main NO2 feature that blows every other musk fragrance out of the water for me is its sophistication. Don't get me wrong: I love animalics as much as the next guy, perhaps even more than most. But to strike this balance of animalics and sophistication to this degree… it’s a feat I have never experienced before or since. Risking on sounding a bit corny, I will say that wearing this fragrance radiates quiet authority. The kind of authority you feel while watching Marlon Brando portrayal of Vito Corleone in The Godfather. The scent itself is not weak or close to skin at all, but the level of smoothness, the texture of the smell, firm but not overwhelming waves it comes at you, creates this atmosphere of which I can only again describe as scene in before-mentioned Godfather movie, where Vito is accepting visitors before his daughter’s wedding. Soft-spoken, polite, diplomatic… but at the same time, the atmosphere in the room demands attention, respect, and careful choice of words. There is no mistake where the power lies in these conversations, and any mistake in conducting yourself in the presence of this person can be your final one.
There is a saying: "Might shows, it does not shout." And NO2 is exactly THAT. In comparison to NO2, other Ensar musk fragrances, like Private Blend or NO2 Tonkin, have more aggression and more animalic side to them; therefore, fill a bit different bracket of perfumery. Not so suitable for your daughter wedding day. If we would say that NO2 represents "old money," then the other before-mentioned EO musk fragrances would represent "new money."
I have not talked about the notes in this review so far. It opens up with sort of a fresh-ish spicy (coriander/cumin) accord. Mid shows you some musky, woody, rose. Base greets you with oudy, woody, leathery, musky goodness. I respect every fragrance that manages to incorporate rose in its blend without letting it take over of the whole composition. Blending here is so fine that no particular notes stand out. Honestly, talking about notes in NO2 is as pointless as talking about notes in Bach – Goldberg Variations. No dissection or compartmentalisation of the experiences here can explain the magnificent beauty of the whole thing.
These features make it wearable on any occasion. I could truly see it being my signature scent for the rest of my life. And as any collectors of anything would tell you: to be satisfied with ONE when you have MANY - is the highest praise there is for that particular piece. There are only like 3 fragrances in my collection I could be happy with for the rest of my life, and NO2 is one of them.
First of all, I should state that I am very much a musk lover. My favourites of other artisanal brands out there almost always are musk fragrances. So it's no surprise that the quintessential musk fragrance from Ensar Oud is my top pick. And spoiler alert: as far as musk fragrances goes, in my personal opinion, NO2 PP is the King of them all. Yes, I am taking it over Private Blend, over Tonkin/Mongolian/Egyptian musk, and all the others out there. I will explain why - shortly. Ok, so now that we have established that this review is 100% subjective love letter to this fragrance, you can all proceed with caution.
Main NO2 feature that blows every other musk fragrance out of the water for me is its sophistication. Don't get me wrong: I love animalics as much as the next guy, perhaps even more than most. But to strike this balance of animalics and sophistication to this degree… it’s a feat I have never experienced before or since. Risking on sounding a bit corny, I will say that wearing this fragrance radiates quiet authority. The kind of authority you feel while watching Marlon Brando portrayal of Vito Corleone in The Godfather. The scent itself is not weak or close to skin at all, but the level of smoothness, the texture of the smell, firm but not overwhelming waves it comes at you, creates this atmosphere of which I can only again describe as scene in before-mentioned Godfather movie, where Vito is accepting visitors before his daughter’s wedding. Soft-spoken, polite, diplomatic… but at the same time, the atmosphere in the room demands attention, respect, and careful choice of words. There is no mistake where the power lies in these conversations, and any mistake in conducting yourself in the presence of this person can be your final one.
There is a saying: "Might shows, it does not shout." And NO2 is exactly THAT. In comparison to NO2, other Ensar musk fragrances, like Private Blend or NO2 Tonkin, have more aggression and more animalic side to them; therefore, fill a bit different bracket of perfumery. Not so suitable for your daughter wedding day. If we would say that NO2 represents "old money," then the other before-mentioned EO musk fragrances would represent "new money."
I have not talked about the notes in this review so far. It opens up with sort of a fresh-ish spicy (coriander/cumin) accord. Mid shows you some musky, woody, rose. Base greets you with oudy, woody, leathery, musky goodness. I respect every fragrance that manages to incorporate rose in its blend without letting it take over of the whole composition. Blending here is so fine that no particular notes stand out. Honestly, talking about notes in NO2 is as pointless as talking about notes in Bach – Goldberg Variations. No dissection or compartmentalisation of the experiences here can explain the magnificent beauty of the whole thing.
These features make it wearable on any occasion. I could truly see it being my signature scent for the rest of my life. And as any collectors of anything would tell you: to be satisfied with ONE when you have MANY - is the highest praise there is for that particular piece. There are only like 3 fragrances in my collection I could be happy with for the rest of my life, and NO2 is one of them.