Ottoman Empire Part II

Another (or revived) masterpiece from Russian Adam. There's a general theme that resonates with people who have this fragrance; it makes them happy. At first, I was slightly put off by OE2 due to the presence of the jasmine and frangipani (not a big fan of florals, but love the rose in this) but the more I wore it, the more I grew to love and appreciate it. The ouds that have been used in it are just sublime and once the top floral notes die down and the other notes start to come to the forefront, it gives me a very euphoric pleasant feeling. I actually appreciate the florals now because they give it a nice well-rounded balance. I even prefer it over Siberian Musk 2. The Assam agarwood gives it that addictive sweaty leathery vibe, oud connoisseurs will love this. Longevity was phenomenal, projection remains stable and moderate throughout. Two sprays on skin is more than enough for an entire day, on clothes it lasts all week. The presentation is absolutely stunning and the best that Russian Adam has produced to date, the calligraphy on the box, soft feel of the box, the numbering of bottles, metal plated labels etc. This is Roja Dove quality, Russian Adam is the artisan Roja. Unfortunately, less than 400 bottles are in existence and only a lucky few will be able to experience this unique masterpiece. I think that it is much better than the newer fragrances that Russian Adam has been producing and the high demand to replicate it simply highlights that fact.

Call me crazy, but this smells like a vintage leather chypre to me. I get a lot of oud while the quiet yet substantial floral notes bloom in the background, they are seamlessly blended as no single flower steals the spotlight. The powder I pick up gives it a sumptuous, velvety feel. This perfume might be beyond my capacity to describe, but I find it a beautiful, smooth, sueded floral with sweet animalic touches that call to mind high-end leather goods, or leather seats in an impossibly expensive, luxury motor car. Whether or not my nose is “correct” it still translates to a beautiful scent.

This is a lovely an well-balanced spicy, floral, woody scent with and eastern/western dual sensibility. The overall impression to me is a shiny, lacquered, spicy rose-oud, but the other florals and woods and spices do feel like they help shade in that larger theme. While it definitely isn't a total smell-alike to other Areej scents that center Rose and Oud, it brings to mind Inverno Russo (which seems to emphasize the animalistic notes more) and War and Peace (which seems to emphasize Iris/powder and leather).

beautiful opulent real. one thing is curious to me however. there seems to be a wallop of musk in here and it's not listed.

A powdery Floriental centered around a beautiful Turkish rose it is easy to see why this perfume has such mass appeal and cult following that it has inspired a remake after the first edition sold out rather quickly. The fougere style perfume opens with the strong rose note surrounded by slight hints of jasmine, ylang-ylang, pepper and cardamom. The brief heart contains Oud, saffron, vetiver, nutmeg and cinnamon. The perfume settles on a powdery bed of amber, sandalwood, myrrh and as most fougeres a pronounced oakmoss. Overall the perfume induces euphoric feelings of walking in a beautiful rose garden on a balmy day. It is unisex with moderate to strong sillage and good longevity. However I would be remiss to say that compared to some of the newer more complex offerings by this superb line, this seems a bit simplistic and unexciting as a whole. It is still a beautiful scent with high quality natural ingredients. Enjoy!