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Post by Erica Golding

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Hello to my favorite fragrance lovers!

Let’s say the O word.

Oudh.

Sigh! You say you’re SO over Oudh Fever. It is trendy, it smells funky, and from Jovan to Dior to Kilian it has become ubiquitous. You roll your eyes, waiting impatiently for this hipster nonsense to just go away already! You probably haven’t experienced genuine oudh, though. As a fragrance nerd, you may already know this. Most of the oudh fragrances on the market (even the expensive niche ones) use synthetics to mimic the aroma, and genuine oudh is by far the most expensive perfumery material out there.

So, are you jealous? Right now I’m luxuriating in gloriously deep, complex, addictive perfume oils rich with ethically, sustainably harvested authentic oudh. But you know what else? They are at an affordable price point. What the what?! How??

ICONS: Oudh Perfume Oils by Nocturne Alchemy

Several years in the making, Nocturne Alchemy’s new limited-edition ICONS line is absolutely mind-blowing. There are currently five oudh oils, each strictly limited to 125 bottles. Let’s walk through them like a wine tasting, from brightest to deepest.

Iconic: Rose, oudh, and a hint of jasmine.
Breathtaking, it makes my whole body feel all the emotions! ICONIC opens with a tender, true, subtly gentle fragrance of newly opened roses blossoming on their bush, the first rays of the sun kissing the morning dew. The harmony of a hint of sweet night-blooming jasmine accents the rose ever so slightly, not really noticeable on its own but rather almost absorbed into the rose bouquet itself. The darkness of oudh smoothly curling around the base is truly a caress, graceful and confident. Unprecedented to my nose. I have never smelled anything this beautiful before.

Leviathan: Woody, distinctive NA amber and oudh.
The finest, perfected signature NA amber blends with just the right balance of shadowy, pure oudh to add a new facet to my beloved NA solar amber. The amber is woody, musky, and lightly sweetened with a whisper of vanilla bean and maybe even a dash of cardamom. This gorgeous amber is transformed with majestic true oudh gliding mysteriously at the base. The oudh, tempered by the softly golden amber, is smoky, woodsy, earthy, and slightly medicinal – but the honeyed facet of the oudh really shines, highlighted in this context.

Samar Oudh: Oudh spliced with vanilla orchid.
Samar opens with a blast, an almost sharp intensity. Creamy vanilla and floral orchid notes hover over hay and forest floor. A hint of fresh rose petal hides quietly. The floral tone of the vanilla orchid smoothes and settles over time, nuzzling into the skin. Every second reveals more depth, darkness, and beauty as the vanilla sweetens and the earthy oudh hums proudly. The vanilla orchid note reminds me of NA’s Kobalt single note perfume oil. My prediction is that this beauty will be the first to sell out, it’s unbelievable!

Arabian Oudh: Smoldering Arabian oudh.
This varietal opens with an almost dirty vibe, distinctly salty and smoky, like smouldering wood chips. Then, a slightly medicinal, almost rubbery note comes in. As it sinks into the skin, the magic starts to reveal itself. In comes the musky, honeycomb shade, rounding out the fragrance and honing all of the strangeness into addictive, exciting uniqueness. A swirl of dark cocoa is even detectable if you narrow your focus. This is the real deal.

Egyptian Temple Oudh: Smoky Egyptian oudh.
Thicker than honey, this beauty is a richly viscous precious gel. The scent starts out with bonfire smoke and a bit of that distinctive “barnyard” note that typifies genuine oudh, as well as the rubbery medicinal note (again, normal for true oudh). Slow to absorb into the skin, it gradually smoothes and deepens, and the notes become polished and gleaming with burning incense smoke languishing in the air. This is not the perfume of unlit incense; this is the thickly smouldering scent of resin incense combusting in a censer. Meditative, centering, peaceful.

I highly recommend going after this line before it’s gone forever. I am so impressed, and have bonded deeply with each oil on an emotional level.

Nocturne Alchemy<< Jump to visit store

Scented hugs,
-Erica