PallasCC

Interestingly, the scent here is named after an Indian yogi. Somehow, its creator thought it would carry something spiritual, perhaps even sacred. However, this differs from my own perception of the fragrance. Instead of calm and balance, Yogananda represents something wild. It is an untamed beast that lives in the bottle. After a few sprays, the animal that has been patiently waiting to be released from its "cage" bursts forth. Once the gate opens, it knows no restraint. The first moment after spraying reminds me of a scene from the movie "Highlander," when Mel Gibson shouts "Freedom!" on his horse.

Now for the more technical description:
Although flowers are used in the composition of Yogananda, one could not recognize them individually. Instead, the rough animalic note comes to the fore in the top note. Occasionally, this is rounded off a bit by benzoin. Presumably, it is a high-quality Indian oud that creates this effect. The cedar gives the fiery beast a sharp edge, yet the whole is very balanced. The dance of the wild animal is the main theme of this fragrance, although it becomes somewhat tamer in the base. One could say the beast lies down on a mossy forest floor, surrounded by ancient trees whose leaves have long ceased to be green. Here, one can smell the moisture in the air, the resins, and the wood of the trees with an animalic sweetness that does not come across as overly sweet (probably the civet). This phase is somewhat quieter and not as dynamic as the beginning; here the fragrance reaches its equilibrium in an olfactory sense.

As with many MGOs, this is a unique piece... an experience. However, one must have a bit of patience so as not to be overwhelmed by the scent. For adventurous noses, it will surely be an exciting rollercoaster ride. Those seeking something calmer should rather reach for "Tranquilla | Duftanker MGO Duftmanufaktur."

Prologue: In the last few months, I have exclusively worn pure oud oils, but it was time for a change. It’s hard to find something suitable when you’ve been dealing with natural materials for a long time. For this reason, one should (at first) avoid synthetic fragrances. So I reached into my MGO corner and - by chance - pulled out a small bottle of Pour Homme.

Pour Homme is, for me, a feel-good scent that reminds me of something from the "Pinaud | Clubman / Edouard Pinaud" series. Of course, it is much more complex and refined, but it conveys a certain "barbershop" aura. On one hand, it is herbal and mossy with basil, lavender, and oregano, along with a beautiful vetiver-patchouli-hay combination. This is the green, cold side of the fragrance that evokes memories of old times.

On the other hand, the scent is beautifully spicy with a lot of allspice, clove, and cinnamon. This warm thread reminds me of Christmas and speculoos. You are enveloped in a spicy and slightly creamy incense (rounded off by tonka and sandalwood). This is exactly the component that provides a sense of comfort.

The well-executed combination of fougère notes and "old-school" aftershave à la Bay Rum has become a timeless classic.

The fragrance is certainly complex, yet it does not overwhelm. It is strong, but not overpowering. Two sprays accompanied me all day long. The development occurs in the first 2 hours. After that, the scent remains rather monotonous, which does not mean it becomes boring. Quite the opposite.

Anyone who has overlooked this fragrance because of its not-so-creative name should definitely give it a try.

Backstory:
I have known about Agar Aura for several years and read a lot about it, yet I never dared to try its oils. The path that led me to its oils was through its perfumes. In February 2021, I decided to buy the 3 new releases (Java, "Al-Arabiya | Agar Aura", and Khmer Kinam). The blind purchase was worth it, but more on that in another post. Because of this purchase, I contacted Taha and asked him for his recommendation on the best entry into his oils. After some emails, I ultimately chose Blue Malay, even though I was looking for something "leathery," "dark," and "thick" at that time.

Now to Blue Malay:
I have smelled oud oils from the region several times and had a rough idea of what to expect. After "Tigerwood Royale | Ensar Oud / Oriscent" and "Tigerwood 1990 | Ensar Oud / Oriscent," I had a pretty good idea of how Malaysian Oud smells: jungle-like, dark green, deep, slightly smoky, mossy with facets of old wood and metal. But I was very mistaken about my own "knowledge." When I smelled Blue Malay for the first time, I couldn't find the words. Nevertheless, I knew in that moment that BM had nothing to do with the aforementioned candidates. And since 123lole321 described the "brain freeze" so beautifully, I would like to start from there and talk a bit about the scent.

Blue Malay is a cold oil that gives you the feeling of stepping out of a warm forest cabin and inhaling the fresh air at -20C. It feels that cold to me. The sun may be shining, but the cold is not to be underestimated. On the snow, you can see the reflection of the sun's rays coming through the overhanging tree branches. This cold accompanies the scent as it becomes brown-woody, with sweet resins in the background. It's as if one had melted a tree and poured it into the small bottle. The resins turn into thick honey, whose sweetness you can almost taste. Now comes the earth, dark earth, but you can smell it very clearly. You can imagine the image in high resolution. After a while, you leave this depth through the blueberries, which have a slightly tart quality. A layer of golden amber slowly forms on the blueberries, acting like a prism. Now the rays of the other notes are refracted, and the scent becomes more turbulent. In an instant, you smell everything described above again, but at 10 times the speed. The experience is simply beyond words. After about 9-10 hours on the skin, the scent becomes calmer, with a pleasant "woodiness" and crushed violet petals.

It wasn't what I expected, but I fell in love with the scent. The study is still not over, but I wore it every day for a month, and every day it surprised me anew! It was the Blue Malay that led to further oils from Taha. However, this one is unique for me!

Oud from Laos has, at least in the West, a bad reputation. It is often associated with cow dung and unpleasant animalic notes. Even Ensar himself once wrote that he would not wear Laotian oud either publicly or privately.

Laos is also the region from which many niche producers import their oud. Xerjoff would be a typical example. Many know his oud stars, and many describe some of them as 'unwearable'. Here, however, we are dealing with a fine oil that has been distilled from wood of much higher quality. Without reading the name, no one would guess that this is oud from Laos.

Lao Gold is a "hot" oil that covers all shades from yellow to dark brown throughout its lifespan. At first, it starts off slightly animalic and very spicy. It really tingles when inhaled. Is it black pepper with a hint of nutmeg and habanero chili?! It is simply fiery, but without smoke. After this initial encounter, which certainly grabs attention, the fragrance swings in another direction: it becomes medium brown and woody. It is not a tree, but processed wood that still smells very pleasant. It could be a table in a forest cabin with wooden walls and old leather furniture. On this table sits a jar of honey, adding a dark sweetness to the scent. The old leather adds to it and helps the fragrance unfold all its brown facets. But before one is completely surrounded by this color, a light, dark green smoke from sage can be detected. It is not too overpowering, but strong enough to create a balance. Smoked tea and rosemary are also distinctly noticeable. And so the fragrance oscillates between brown and dark green and brown. In the dry down (after about 12 hours), the scent transforms into dried cocoa beans with a hint of spice.

For its price range, it is an excellent oil that clearly shows that not every oud from Laos has to be unpleasant and unwearable.

Ertugrul Gazi is not an ordinary oud, which is already evident from its list price. Unlike the oud oils in its price range, it was its story that fascinated me from the very beginning. Actually, the wood was never meant to be used for distillation (at least according to Ensar). But the temptation was too great. And thus, Ensar has blessed us with this wonderful oil.

Upon application, you can already tell that this oil plays in its own league. It is very powerful, natural, and evocative. You are immediately transported to the jungle. Black earth, dark, damp tobacco leaves, tree bark, pine nuts, and a lot of greenery. The sky is completely unrecognizable, as a heavy mist lies over the treetops. However, this mist is not white, but green. The scent itself oscillates between dark green and dark brown. You wander through the rainforest, where no human has ever set foot. The overgrown shrubbery makes it difficult to follow your path. You occasionally find yourself trapped in this green mist. This then transitions in the next phase to brown, coarse leather and dark wood. And then you are back in the jungle, but even deeper than in the initial phases of the scent. This olfactory journey goes in circles. Hours pass, and you find no way out of the green labyrinth. The green smoke/mist accompanies you the whole time; sometimes more, sometimes less, but always present. And despite this solitude in the wilderness, you find your inner peace.

Those who appreciate ouds from Papua will cherish this oil. The performance is hard to surpass. You would expect that for such a price.