BackToTheOud

At first sniff, it didn't quite convince me on the test strip; it had something slightly piercing, difficult for me about it, but with AlD fragrances, it's worth taking a few more sniffs. You have to learn the scents, in a way. It's art.

Then later applied to the skin, it was a kind of revelation. What I had previously perceived as piercing really worked well on the skin and transformed into something positive, as if it were enhancing my own skin scent.

I detected osmanthus, other flowers, and spices, and in the background, there was something reminiscent of a campfire, of that burnt wood, but not too strong.

I can already sense the typical AlD DNA, but somehow it’s also different; it has transformed from a troubled child into something valuable for me. Further tests are still to come in the days ahead; you have to give these fragrances some time.

From the new attars, I was sure that this one would be the most suitable for summer based on its ingredients, even though it has a certain heaviness. It is definitely my favorite of the 4 attars that were in the gift box.

It surprised me the most positively. Rose and other flowers, like lotus, come through at first and last longer than average. There is an animalic note present, but it doesn’t bother me at all; rather, it rounds off the scent well and doesn’t come across as dirty to me, although I have also gotten used to a certain animalic quality by now. I find it to be more floral than Wallimah 2, for example, but it is also different from Civet de Nuit, which is also described as a floral scent.

Somehow it reminds me of certain candies from my childhood. I can’t quite put into words why I like it so much. You can definitely notice the quality and the complexity that comes together from the individual raw materials. Let’s put it this way: if this is a novel, then an average designer fragrance is like a short story.

The best part is that it is everyday wearable; I would even describe it as office-appropriate, which I don’t often see with Areej le Dore, but of course, there is also the risk that it will run out the fastest.

Another thing to mention is that Russian Adam describes Cuir de Russie as a chord or its own genre, just like it is with Cyphre.

And regarding price-performance, what can I say? If you buy the fragrances directly from AlD, I actually find them reasonable and not too expensive, since the raw materials are limited and inherently costly, and considering all the work behind it, I don’t see it as too expensive. When I look at some designers where half the price comes just from the name, they are therefore 100% overpriced and cost double what they should actually cost.


Addendum:

I tried it on my roommate, and he found it too animalic; he preferred Inverno Russo, so this scent doesn’t appeal to everyone. In warm temperatures, the beaver tail oil also comes through quite clearly, which has a somewhat special note that I noticed afterward. You definitely have to sniff it more often.

I had high hopes for it, as the first one was rated quite well and the ingredients and stories from Russian Adam appealed to me.

It really has an antique feel, it's well made and also rounded with the patchouli (I am an absolute patchouli fan), but it simply has this disruptive note for me that I know from Sultan al Oud by Bortnikoff (only there it is even stronger). It has this straw-barn-stable note paired with musty wood, which I most associate with Hindi oud, although that is not included at all. It could also be something else, perhaps certain combinations that have this disruptive note for me.

If it weren't for that, the fragrance would really be great for me. Spices also come through, citrus is hardly present.

I will try it again in winter.

First :-p

The gift box with the attars arrived today. I'm already daring to write a review. I find War and Peace 3 as an attar actually more rounded than War and Peace 2.

I initially had concerns about the Indian oud, but what can I say, it doesn't stand out negatively and it also doesn't have that specific hay-cow stable note with rotten wood, as I've experienced with other fragrances that have too much of that note.

The civet also rounds the whole thing off nicely and somehow it has an alcoholic note for me.

A well-rounded affair, I will definitely keep this attar, for me it's the better War and Peace.

This was the first fragrance sample I got from Areej le Dore.

During the first few tests, I really picked up on the animalistic notes. It reminded me a bit of the urinous scent in public restrooms, but without that gross factor. It's hard to describe, and somehow I probably won't be able to find a meaningful description for it.

After trying out other fragrances from Areej le Dore and unpacking Civet de Nuit again after months, I noticed other components more. It no longer reminds me of public restrooms. While it still has animality, it’s not as brutal as it was at first. I also notice this typical AlD DNA that I have encountered in other fragrances from the house. It has a slightly cloying and, in my opinion, chocolatey aspect, which probably comes from the combination of tobacco, resins, and the animality, along with something floral. I would say it’s like a mix of different AlD fragrances with a strong animality, and maybe that’s also the reason why it’s not quite as popular, because it can’t really decide what it wants to be: floral, animalistic, or earthy.

It’s a magical, special scent. I don’t quite share this association with incense sticks, although I can imagine what others mean here. I just think it’s a multifaceted fragrance that you have to let sink in to understand it.

I don’t know exactly how it comes across to others, but I can imagine it might be polarizing. It’s more of an evening scent. I also find it more animalistic than War and Peace 2. War and Peace 2 is also somewhat different; I would say it’s more socially acceptable, even though the name suggests otherwise, and there are people who disagree and find War and Peace 2 not socially acceptable or too animalistic. I think this one is even more so. Maybe I’ve just gotten used to this animality, and it doesn’t strike me as harshly as it did at first. Who knows.

In the end, I got the bottle here. I think it won’t be as hyped as War and Peace; when it’s sold out, it won’t be in such demand. It has to appeal to you personally.

I would also be interested to know the quantities of the bottles for each fragrance, but that’s probably a secret.


One more note:

Now that the bottle is here (it has a quality I haven’t experienced before), at warmer temperatures, the urinous aspect really comes through more. You really have to wear it in the evening, best after sunset in spring or summer, or rather in winter. But that’s often the case with perfumes of this composition.