Tigerlust Ensar Oud Pure Parfum

Really dark spicy opening with an oud blast followed by pepper, tobacco, civet all while florals are holding this together from the shadows. This is getting fruitier as it goes on, blackcurrant starts to shine more and ambergris comes out aswell, as you can tell it's a pretty complex scent. Surprisingly enough i'm smelling the sandalwood too, which i find to be kind of a strange addition to a scent so dark, but it fits in pretty well and gives off that iconic green, kind of olive-like smell. Dry down makes this even more potent, oud gets even darker but i feel like the florals shine a lot more, and blackcurrant almost left the scent entirely, but still a little noticeable. Not a bad scent, but to me it feels like a worse-off homeros, though it is a little darker through and through. I'd never get this considering the price, but scent wise it's clearly paid more attention than the cheaper ones so it's pass worthy. Now that it's fully dried down it isn't that dark anymore and blackcurrant actually decided to come back, but now it's floral, still oudy, and that strange sandalwood is still back there, not my favorite for sure, i think it could've done without that kind of brine-y sandalwood, still not bad.

Sadly Tigerlust is probably the most cohesive of the five Ensar Oud scents I sampled. It's a variation on EO N°1: Assam Pure Parfum, but the top notes are more compatible with the base: soft fruits and florals, most notably frangipani, orris, and osmanthus (I would hope real oils are used considering the price, but it just smells like a run of the mill white floral), leading into a slightly animalic powdery amber/leather. The floral nature of the opening and the fact that the drydown is a bit toned down from EO N°1: Assam Pure Parfum makes it seem even more like a Francesca Bianchi creation, like The Black Knight or "The Lover's Tale | Francesca Bianchi". I just don't see the leap in quality that requires Tigerlust to cost 6 or 7 times the price. A bit of soft oud whispers in the background and is barely noticeable. Is that what the extra $16/ml is going towards? Good scent, ridiculous pricing.