Bloodxclat

The bottle comes fancy, colorful the crowd in the background, abstract, and the pale guy in the foreground with the white tailcoat and the crooked grin.

Moshpit Pavarotti. Oh my word. Whoever came up with this idea at Ensar, that was really great. It's something completely different. You usually expect this slight "Oriental Sparseness" from Ensar, always the same old-school touches with oud, at least the bottles with leather. But this really looks COOL. Congratulations. Great artwork.

I am neither Woke, nor do I know what or who Morisco is; I've spent half my life in moshpits. Actively and passively. The last 10 years have gone into perfume. So it’s not surprising that I can call this specimen from Ensar's Fancy Woke series my own.

This perfume is a black middle finger made of dense, fat, smoky oud. A middle finger to me because I’m sipping white wine on the sofa, looking at this Woke bottle and hammering this text into my notebook. A middle finger to you because you’re reading this on a Saturday morning instead of being in a moshpit. A middle finger to the perfume connoisseurs who are still stuck in the last millennium and can’t handle fresh air. A middle finger to all those who said: "Look, another new Ensar blah" or "Inflation, this release AVALANCHE at Ensar..." blahblah "has to please everyone" blahblah "Ensar has to get rid of raw materials before they spoil..." blah

And here it is, tadaaa: black as the night, smoky, dark, stinky, evil. Pavarotti.

The scent starts very dark with damp jungle wood and already now there’s smoke in the background. A jungle after the rain, someone is trying to make a fire. Then the scent becomes resinous, thick large black oud pieces roasted on the fire, bubbling wildly. Incensy notes behind clouds of smoke.

It becomes slightly creamy, slightly leathery notes emerge. Also burnt hay. The whole thing is very heavily spiced, pepper, hay, smoke, leather. Along with a dense heavy red-brown wood that reminds of an old oak barrel. Wet ash. Cigarette smoke.
A VW Polo after 3 hours of driving where smoking and canned beer were consumed. Wet pants. The smoke machine during the song. Your T-shirt after a night in the moshpit.
In the drydown, it becomes calmer, you hang out with your new injuries from the show in the bar area, maybe playing foosball, still sipping on a beer - tobacco, light musk, and that head-spinning "Mind-buzz" incense from Cambodian oud.

Reduction is the message here - the ouds speak the language here. And it really packs a punch.
For me, an absolutely successful Ensar - back to (black) roots. It is the absolute anti-perfume.

And yes, when do you wear such a perfume? Middle finger! Do whatever you want with it! At the zoo with the rhinos, at parties without a happy ending, in the charts disco. And yes, for the homebodies:
You can also use it as a room fragrance! But if you take it into the moshpit; think of me!

Playlist:

Death before Dishonor "Count Me In"
Madball "For my Enemies"
Cataract "Vanished in the Dark"
Born from Pain "Antitown"

Fragrance pyramids help us, in most cases, to categorize a perfume; to classify it. This can be very useful when, for example, searching for new, suitable perfumes. So you can already start sorting!

I would have actually passed on Provanilla based on the pyramid - coconut, melon, rose, vanilla? This can't be Charna's serious intention! However, I remembered reading a blog about the perfume a few years ago. So there must be something to it.

For the "uninitiated"; Charna Ethier runs a brand called Providence Perfumes, which uses only natural ingredients. A lot is also made in-house regarding tinctures and absolutes.

Back to Provanilla. Or generally, vanilla. What do we think of when we hear vanilla? Sweet creams, vanilla rolls, pudding, fluffy pancakes. Sweet, hearty, gourmands. This is the image we have of vanilla in our minds. I also think of overly sweet designer clangers, vanillin bombs, migraine-inducing chemtrail niche brands with vanilla butter.

Provanilla is NONE of that. It is so different, so fundamentally distinct from other vanilla scents that it is truly astonishing what we classify and categorize as 'vanilla scent' in our perception.

Provanilla is "real." And in "real," vanilla is bitter. Dark, bitter, woody, and spicy. And light. Fine. Rather to be classified as a middle and base note, more of a background filler that wants other notes to take the forefront.

For these "real" vanilla tones, which are derived from handmade tinctures and CO2 extracts, Charna has chosen a bold top note; melon isolates. The melon isolate is usually derived from the natural oil of Litsea Cubeba.

Fresh, high-pitched, light, shimmering, floating; like a natural aldehyde, lightly fruity-watery mists swirl around my ears, beneath which is a very fine nutty creaminess, completely unsweet, the coconut.

Then it becomes slightly bitter, dark, with clear vanilla tones, brown, black, sometimes a bit creamy, sometimes a bit sweeter, but mostly rather bitter, woody, aromatic, and simply real. Sometimes a bit earthy, sometimes slightly smoky, sometimes it even smells like cocoa. But it definitely feels correct; this is how vanilla should smell. Real vanilla. Derived from genuine natural raw materials and processed into a perfume.

Provanilla is an aura scent, one that constantly changes and feels slightly different with each wear / season / body temperature / activity. The myrrh and benzoin blend perfectly into the background and create a pleasant, resinous frame for the coveted exotic pods.

Due to 100% natural ingredients, Provanilla is extremely dark and staining.

I admire the persistence and the idea behind this perfume. Charna has reportedly worked on this perfume for over a year. Whether it will appeal to the vanilla fans among you, I cannot guarantee.

The fact is, however: It is real and genuine, and no synthetic substances have been used to deceive us into thinking what vanilla should smell like. Rather, it smells just as it should. I won’t put my hand in the fire for it, but it may well be that Provanilla is the perfume with the highest natural vanilla content on the market.

Many thanks to Dorabella for the rare sample!

Hey.... I can't believe it. He threw his hands up over his head. We were tricked. It's just damn hay in these sacks. That's not hay, my friend. There must be more. I can smell it. You're full of it. It even says so. Hay. Spanish hay. What a mess. I took one of the numerous jute sacks and opened it. I was fascinated. Hay. But still, a small box made of fine wood came to light. See, there's more. Open it, come on! Those are the doubloons of Batavia! I carefully opened it. The box flipped open.
Dark green clouds billowed out of the box, sparkling green dust particles swirled around our heads. Oh you spicy horror. Mossy earthy vapors covered our arms as the green clouds soared to the sky. Spicy cloves burned before our eyes and nutmegs shot like cannonballs against the firmament. Hay, he gasped, Spanish hay. Primal long cypress needles grew from our bones, dripping with yellow resin. Pulsating exotic tobacco vapors erupted from the box and clouded our senses. Tea, old tea, Batavian tea covered our eyes and foreheads. Then came the hay, Spanish, Batavian, hay-like hay, it grew from the wood like a jack-in-the-box, enveloping our bodies and our minds and we became one, one with the box and the spices and the Spanish hay, we lay down in the box, on the dense fluffy bed of patchouli. The curse of Batavia had caught up with us.

Antonio Lasheras has made a clear statement with his first two releases. 99% natural ingredients. Sez is dark green, opaque, and makes hellish stains. Pure Stuff. He places great value on top-notch fragrance suppliers and artisan distilleries. Sez is uncompromising, dark, spicy, and yet almost romantic, fresh and invigoratingly successful. A strong debut.

Malayaku, one of the new AgarAura fragrances, had already captured my attention in the presentation on Instagram; all ingredients from Malaysia, gathered by Taha himself and blended with the finest Malay Oud into a perfume. I admit, that’s how you hook me. Malaysia. Exotic ingredients with Oud. I’m a victim.

As a fan of special ingredients, I’m focusing today on the supporting players of the Oud - it’s clear from the start that this is an Oud perfume with accompaniments that enhance the exquisite Oud scent. Not a perfume with a bit of Oud in it. That’s a big difference!

The fragrance starts off very spicy, rather dark and slightly honey-like. I detect a faint floral note; it seems to be the butterfly lily aka Ginger-Lily. It exudes the scent of a dark spicy, slightly sharp, slightly medicinal honey. Very faintly in the background, grassy nuances of lemongrass can be smelled. Very far back.

The background aura is dark woody, spicy, and rough - the Oud begins to pulse.

A slightly smoky cumin scent becomes noticeable, slightly cumin-like, slightly sweaty. I strongly assume this is the betel pepper. Betel pepper has a harsh, slightly phenolic, green, astringent scent that leans towards smoky. In combination with the Oud, this light cumin note becomes apparent.

It remains dark and a dark green leaf scent lurks around - black tea. A strong, long-lasting black tea. With many diffuse spices. Not Indian chai, not Teh Tarik. It lacks sweetness and milk. Perhaps there are Chinese herbs floating in it? The black tea comes from the BOH Plantation in the Cameron Highlands and has been processed by Agar Aura. I assume it was made into an absolute from dried tea leaves. The Oud becomes woodier and more pronounced, the cumin note fades.

A tea house in Malacca comes to mind. The Cheng Ho Tea House. A low house, a sign with red characters, a covered courtyard with palms and bamboo in pots. Stone floors. Old Chinese furniture. Chinese medicine cabinets. Thousands of small drawers with foreign herbs. (I’ll leave the associations with the Chinese pharmacy aside - horrific memories ;)) The heavy iron kettle with the tea hangs in the corner over the fire. Smoked, spicy, medicinal, antique-woody is the overall picture. A Buddhist altar is also there. Incense is burning.

A slightly balsamic-creamy note follows, which usually comes from sandalwood. Sandalwood is not listed here, but I suspect that the ingredient screw pine leaf is a Kewda Attar. The screw pine, aka Screw Pine aka Pandan palm, is widely used in Southeast Asia; as a refinement for desserts, as a drink, or indeed as Kewda Attar. In the attar, the flower of the screw pine is distilled onto sandalwood. It results in a balsamic, full, slightly creamy, vanillic, dry, woody scent.

We are slowly moving towards the drydown. Mimosa passed me by. Mimosa absolute smells hay-like, dry, slightly powdery. Champaca? I couldn’t quite pinpoint that either. Champaca smells very spicy, earthy, tobacco-like, slightly like tea. The two flowers are very well integrated and not at all perceivable as "floral." Hibiscus remains a mystery to me. Hibiscus doesn’t smell. It’s either ambrette seed or a hibiscus tea absolute.

Then only the vetiver is missing. Malaysian vetiver is extremely rare. The plant is probably only cultivated in specific areas, not industrially used like in neighboring Indonesia. The vetiver only starts to make an appearance after 3-4 hours towards the drydown; dark, slightly rooty, slightly lemony, but by no means "fat" or "smoky" like Javanese vetiver. Nor is it "grassy" like Haitian vetiver. It leans more towards "nutty" Bourbon vetiver. Dense, heavy, slightly liqueur-like, nutty, earthy.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find out which Ouds were used. Perhaps a Borneo Oud or an Oud from the mainland around Pahang. There isn’t much choice there either.

Taha from Agar Aura had a clear concept that he adhered to. All notes fit well together and nothing is exaggerated. It’s not a crowd-pleaser; medicinal, slightly sweaty, slightly smoky, antique furniture, balsamic wood notes, lots of tea. In sum, truly a unique fragrance. Due to the elaborate ingredients and extraordinary creativity, I give it a slightly higher rating.

Is it necessary to indulge in such expensive fragrances? When is the limit reached?

We are talking about 30ml / $485. Why is this stuff so expensive?

Ensar, the man who has made real oud socially acceptable. My respect goes out to him. He has always believed in his oud and has continued to crawl through every jungle in Asia for months, searching for THE special agarwood.

By now, he has grown so large that I don't think he can manage everything alone anymore. So many diverse oud releases, so many new perfumes. I think he has put together a solid team that builds the fragrances for the label. Ensar's knowledge of oud and his collection of oud distillates is, of course, a huge advantage in the oud niche.

Now, onto the fragrance!

EO Green starts with a remarkably bitter yuzu accord, fleshy, strong, and shrill. A kind of water mist accompanies it, like a subtle aqua note. That could be the lotus. The oak moss brings even more green moisture in; I also smell herbs, moss, green tea. Very fine and somewhat hidden, jasmine looks around in the damp green.

Above all this hovers a fresh, ethereal note, like mint or camphor with a hint of citrus. To me, it smells like a bright, citrusy incense. Something earthy-spicy resonates now, reminiscent of fresh ginger. This is where the ouds come in and steer the fragrance into darker green realms. Dark woods, wet woods, old woods. Roots are there, compacted earth, clay. Acetone sandalwood.

A fragrance experience like no other. There is nothing fecal or animalistic here; there are beautiful oud distillates incorporated. The other very high-quality materials (I almost swear there are other things in it than stated) perfectly support the various oud characters and bring out the maximum. With so many different ouds, it is challenging for the fragrance not to collapse in on itself and for the ingredients not to extinguish each other's light.

Now the question is, is it worth the money? That is something everyone must decide for themselves. Everything here is natural (at least that’s how it smells), and all the components are first class. We don't need to talk about the oud; Ensar uses the best oud in the world. All of this is extremely costly; moreover, the concentration of oil here is considerably high. But as always, the price is generated by the market price and the customer's willingness to pay. So I don't think Ensar has to worry about hunger.

Certainly, it offers, even for seasoned perfume enthusiasts, a new perspective on perfume. Especially on natural perfume. Years ago, it was labeled as esoteric and reform house fragrances, but natural perfumes are currently experiencing a renaissance. And Ensar was one of the pioneers. He had the guts to launch a natural perfume that simply costs 500 bucks. Essentially placing it under the classic attars and filling the whole thing into spray bottles. And it keeps going for Ensar. He has now reached the clientele that will soon snatch the flacons from him for $1500. Hats off!

------- ADDENDUM ------

Since there are a few concerned users who denounce the poaching of oud (which is absolutely correct), here are some information about oud extraction:

It is very true that in many countries in Southeast Asia, where there were wild agarwood trees 20 years ago, they can no longer be found. All "varieties" are endangered to the point of near extinction. There has been a lot of illegal poaching; just look at the tourist shops in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand. There are tons of agarwood in the form of figurines, souvenirs, etc. Therefore, poaching of agarwood trees has been prohibited for about 20 years. In almost all Asian countries, there have been projects for the reforestation of semi-wild agarwood trees for years. Agarwood can only be exported with CITES certification.

Wild oud:

A living tree brings nothing to the agarwood hunter. It is the dead and heavily fungus-infested wood pieces, trees that are interesting. At some point towards the end of the tree's life, the tree is attacked by a fungus (this can take years/decades), and as a counter-reaction, the tree produces the valuable resins. Only when the tree is "fatally" infested or already dead does it make sense to take the tree. Finding a dead agarwood tree is associated with weeks of searching in the jungle. The wildlife wardens or prefectures responsible for the forest area levy taxes/bribes per kilo/tree (depending on the region and country).

Plantation oud:

Like other plantation woods used for perfume oil production (sandalwood, guaiac wood, any tropical woods), there are now thousands of agarwood plantations throughout Asia. The trees are "inoculated" with the fungus and can then be harvested/tapped after about 8-10 years. Here too, CITES certifications are needed to show from which plantations the wood originates.

I have gathered this information over the years and cannot refer to a specific source.