Risk

Risk is one of my favorite releases of 2023. The first spray I thought “oh no this is 99% like being in a horse barn with a campfire nearby, not for me... But then on the following wears, I began to notice how dynamic this perfum is. Sometimes I get hints of the yuzu, other times this presents deep blue hues similar in some ways to Amouage King Blue. It is lovely and interesting and quite a fun fragrance to wear. Don’t overspray this one, it’s strong! Also don’t jump to conclusions right away, as this deserves multiple wears before forming your opinion. Phenomenal fragrance all around though!

I love it. Not crowd pleasant. For super niche lovers and a very daring fragrance.

The newest release from Azman Perfumes, Risk, is a collaboration with Antonio Gardoni from Bogue Profumo. I was set to purchase a bottle as soon as Antonio disclosed that he was working on an oud perfume. First, because I love Atonio's work, and second, because I love Agarwood. I had purchased it blind, something that I don't do very often these days. First of all, this has to be the most chameleonic perfume I have ever experienced. I've worn it five times by now, and every single time it would present as something different. It also twists and turns during the wear. My guess is that the perfume still needs time to settle and for the composition to come together. I believe that the final shape of it is yet to come. What you get here, is a perfume composed of two parts. The Oud matrix, the canvas if you want. And the embellishments, the auxiliary notes. Strokes of color on the canvas. They never come in the foreground, but rather help push some of the Oud facets forward without showing themselves entirely. The oud matrix feels dominated by Hindi and Trat to my nose. Facets that I pick up here would be leather, old wood, faint smoke, hay, bitter/medicinal/gauze, a bit of fruit, and terpenic. There is a faint barn-like aroma, as the hay-wood-leather facet/accord might come across to some. These nuances are always present, as the matrix is always the same, it never shifts, never changes. What happens though, is the other ingredients come and go, highlighting some of these facets more than others, at various times. The bergamot in the opening, which I find to be the most consistent, pushes out the sour, the terpenic, and brings about a wet, moldy character. The tuberose brings out a milky, sour, and green quality. The immortelle pushes out the sweetness and the hay-like flavor. The benzoin brings about a sweet-vanillic aroma. The civet and the ambergris exude an animalistic glow and bring out the leather qualities, the ambergris even lends a touch of minerality. I get all of that, but in turns, never at once, never the same, and never in the same order. I was actually horrified with my very first wearing, as all the bitter and medicinal facets came through and those are the ones I hate the most with oud. I was disappointed, to say the least. My second wearing was more about the hay and the leather. The third time around I got sweet resins with oud. Then sour milk and greens. And I came not just to like it but to appreciate it. I now have come to the conclusion that this perfume needs more time. If you purchase this and you don't like it at first, wear it again, and again. As Antonio said, put it inside a drawer, and just forget about it for a year. And do not judge it on a paper strip, as paper doesn't allow it to open up. This one needs skin to breathe. Overall, it is an Oud solinote perfume, playing on the various facets of Oud. As far as the style goes, it is definitely a Middle Eastern take on Oud, so do expect to get more of the heavy aromas. To me, it went really fast from disappointment to appreciation and excitement. And I really can't wait to see how it will continue to transform. If you love the Middle Eastern Oud aesthetic, you are patient, and like complex perfumes, this one is a Risk worth taking. Instagram: @memory.of.scents

As the dust settles on this one, I pull out the bottle to wear once again and find myself scratching my head at these reviews. I guess it must smell different on everyone, the Oud slots in pretty subtly against the yuzu and civet, which lead this perfume up with an ambient aroma somewhat reminiscent of freshly cut green peppers. Its tangy and tart with the sweetness and light smoke of whisky barrels and tequila. There’s a green floral tuberose at the heart and the Oud has a few different edges: there’s a dirty woody musky base like the bottom of Hainan 05 or Tigerwood Royale by Ensar, there’s a fruity tobacco reminiscent of Thai plantation oils, a slight barny kick that touches on mainstream Lao oudhs and a nice Kalakassi Oud that peaks out in parallel to the other floral/citrus aspects. It’s almost like a song in stereo, different pieces move against each other as you move around the edges of the perfume. This isn’t feral enough for most of the Oud lovers on here or as much of a soliflor as some of the more refined users enjoy(like some Agar Aura perfumes). But it’s miles away from a mall Oud or something super mainstream.

Most Azman fragrances are relatively crowd-pleasing and easy to wear. Risk is the exception and is polarizing. This perhaps explains the poor Fragrantica rating and negative comments below. Risk is a fragrance for the artisanal lovers and for those who truly enjoy oud. Dare I say, if you enjoy watching Ramsey's videos on YouTube you may wish to give Risk a try. I enjoyed wearing Risk because it is multifaceted and interesting. A rare commodity in today's world of niche perfumery whereby the majority of houses consistently pump out the same generic and bland crap. Notwithstanding, Risk is not quite full bottle worthy for me. I own Cartier's Oud Absolu which is more wearable in public and is a fragrance I personally find more pleasurable. Moreover, at this price range I would also give consideration to Muskara Aquilaria and Oud Patagonia by Fueguia 1833 - both equally good quality oud fragrances. Azman deserve massive credit for being bold enough to polarize. They could have just went for a cash grab and released 'Azman the Elixir Parfum'. Antonio Gardoni also deserves huge credit for a solid piece of work.

Laos oud! or kalakas oud! This is very oud, and i believe it's pure oud but i can't define wither if it's Laos, or Kalakas! maybe it's a mix of more than just 2 ouds but the Laos is quite obvious and dominants somehow, The civet is there, so is floral note which makes it quite beautiful indeed. I remember when i first sniffed it few months ago i didn't like it! i thought it was kind of fishy but today, it's quite beautiful indeed. Edit (25th Jan 2024) Another testing today, but this time it's on my clothes... Well, it turned to be pretty at first with Laos oud shown, then after 15 minutes in it kind of fishy, and now after 1 hour on my clothes turned to wool burnt. I guess it has something but not what i seek.

Being an admirer of Gardoni and an oud lover, I was quite excited about this release. First wear, I felt let down by what struck me as a fairly standard solinote oud profile. Subsequent wears though have been much better, with nuances and surprises leaping out at me as I’ve acclimated to the oud accord. The way I see it, oud here has an abiding, almost static quality while various accords, animalics, and florals dance around it. The opening is a blast of sharp zesty citrus, whisky, diesel, and dry wood. In the mid I can readily pull out civet and tuberose. For me, the dry down is where this perfume really shines — exquisite and addictive and seems to have me always wanting more.

Minty overtones, horse stable “standard” Hindi oud funk, occasional whiskey barrel sweetness, salty undercurrents, slivers of pissy stink, and a bit of floral oomph make up Azman’s pricey little Risk for oud novices and noses that are orient-curious. What Azman’s 30ml showpiece does well is dress up your typical oud—read “true oud”—fanfare with a bit of Gardoni’s vision, introducing different, supposed “matrices” of oud (matrix 1) and floral musks (matrix 2), which read to me less like matrices and more like a mukhallat... who would’ve guessed? And, well, in the same way, when vacationing in Italy, you might be tempted to eat the deconstructed/ farm to table/fabulously-plated lasagna, at the end of the day the mom-and-pop shop serving it on paper plates off the street is likely going to be the tastier and truer experience. I can’t help but think that something is remiss (or went amiss) in Risk. All my olfactory signals go off when whiffing; it reads as “oud” and even satisfies the oud itch, but it’s all so pleasantly composed, probably on account of the ambroxanish ambers, that it doesn’t really take the risk that almost all middle eastern oud compositions take as a given. That is, it misses the spiritual and feral connotations of oud that tethers it to the natural world, to history, and to culture. In other words, I feel perfectly fine wearing Risk in Brooklyn, not even in an ironic way! A more uncouth but similar fragrance, for those wanting likeness without the price hike, would be Ajmal’s Mukhallat al Shams. I own both, and Azman's Risk has made Ajmal's Mukhallat al Shams obsolete, although if I had the hindsight I have now, I would have never sold Ajmal's Al Shams Special Edition that I once owned at the beginning of my fragrance journey that's taken me to Italy by way of Dubai.

Bold animalic woody floral musk that will not be everyone’s cup of tea. The scent opens with a strong barnyard like cloud of ambergris, musk and civet before moving to the heart that is comprised mostly of oud and slight florals. The scent settles on a powdery base of benzoin and woody notes. Risk is interesting because it is Antonio Gardoni’s first scent focused on oud. The scent has many similarities to Majestic Aoud by Roja Parfums because of similar notes. The mostly natural scent leans slightly masculine and has moderate to strong sillage and good longevity. After a very strong animalic open, it softens over time. Only for the most adventurous perfume lovers and Bogueheads.

Risk by Azman is a disjointed and chaotic attempt at crafting an oud-based fragrance. The composition feels like a haphazard collision of disparate oud varieties—none of which blend harmoniously. Instead of creating depth, the oud notes clash, resulting in an overwhelming and muddled aroma. Adding insult to injury, the synthetic elements are glaringly obvious, cheapening the overall experience. Rather than supporting the composition, they amplify its artificial and abrasive qualities. The fragrance lacks refinement, coming across as unfinished and poorly thought out. Risk fails to justify its name or its price, leaving an impression of sheer disappointment.

A floor polishing paste. Not my type

So I was incredibly excited for this. I am admittedly a Gardoni fanboy and apologist, but this doesn’t work for me. I find the ouds present of typical middle of the road quality with the funky India characteristics. This on the surface this would be fine, if not boring for the hardcore oud lover, but what I cannot get past is the screaming synthetic ambers in this. I’m of the opinion ambroxan, cytalox, etc shouldn’t be used in anything, but definitely not oud. It’s like making a whiskey and coke with Pappy Van Winkle. The synthetic ambers were basically all I could smell. In fact, when I received the box I could smell them through the cardboard and I said to myself “oh no!”. They were present on my arm for like two days and I had to get the smell strip out of my kitchen garbage. I think the issue is Gardoni isn’t very experienced with oud and the profile you’re getting with this is a typical introductory excitement about oud, without having experienced all that the material can be after the honeymoon phase with the more abundant ouds out there. If you want extreme funk without the ambers I would lean towards Bortnikoff’s Oud Maximus.

Here is a contrary opinion so its not all sunshine and roses. Risk is a combo of a few ouds that will include hay profile, a touch of smoky oud, barn etc but after all, it stays in the basic, very typical indian profile thats overabundant on the market. Then, you get the fresh notes, citruces, green tuberose that add a profile that could be read as light mint green, and its function to make "typical" oud unique, freshening it up. And while it kind of does it - it is still typical, basic, overbundant indian oud. And thats it. I appreciate that Gardoni tried working with oud, but i wish Husen guided him better, as he is the oud man, and he knows that this profile is ever present. He has better oud compositions done by other perfumers that deliver more for less $$$. If you want to get close to risk - Ajmals Shams oud is your destination. My bottle of risk is going on to the secondary market. Wore it more than once but it remains the same ol' basic indian oud :(

Here we go again I’ve tried everything this house has to offer although I’m still not ready to wear majnoon since it’s a little crazy to my taste but I tried the rest and now “risk” I understand the concept of risk they are trying to go crazy with the idea but I believe it backfired I mean 6 different kinds of oud and I can barely smell any oud in the fragrance? Let me give you the lifecycle of the scent after a couple of wearings It starts floral and dirty animalics which frankly destroyed the composition in my opinion then the oud surfaces for a little while ever so slightly and softly which as we all know is hard to pinpoint at the mid until the end of the cycle the scent stays linear with the animalics leading the march What’s sad about this is if you used oud all your life and you blind sniffed this scent without knowing anything about it 9 times out of 10 you won’t guess any oud in it Hopefully the next fragrance will be better

The worst aspects of low grade ouds amplified by harsh amber aromachemicals that will literally make you smell like $hit. If you take the RISK, the joke's on you. Azman and Gardoni: WTF were you thinking? Wany to buy mostly unused bottle of RISK?

One does not simply wear Risk without accepting a challenge... Antonio Gardoni hasn’t composed a traditional pyramid here: he has thrown the dice across the skin, letting the notes land where they may. The opening is an intentional collision. There is a four-part oud accord that goes for something akin to turpentine, tannins, and dark, bitter chocolate. The barnyard element is subsumed. Alongside this, a brutally bitter yuzu - so sharp you can effectively taste it in the back of your throat - wrestles with a dry iris. Usually, Gardoni is a master of the "orchestrated reveal," but here, the (initial) plan is chaos. The elements radiate, develop and decay simultaneously, making the wearing experience feel intentionally unstable. As the scent progresses, one of Gardoni's signature surfaces with a musky, animalic civet that flashes in and out of view without ever becoming fully "pissy" or creamy. It is joined by a mineralic ambergris that spikes the composition with iodine and sea-salt accents. The performance of these notes seems to depend entirely on external factors: skin chemistry, temperature, and movement. It is a calculated gamble. The only certainty remains the oud pillar. As the volatile, terpenic impressions of the opening fade, the oud is there, grounding the scent. By the third/fourth hour, the initial randomness subsides into a dry, woody sanctuary. A combination of benzoin materials emerges, so resinous it mimics the scent of incense. Risk is not the most difficult oud to wear, but it is conceptually challenging. It is a perfume of instability and "intentional randomness". While it recedes to a strong skin scent after 90 minutes, it lingers for a total of seven/eight hours, leaving behind a final, ghostly trace of musky creaminess. In the landscape of contemporary ouds, this undoubtedly outpaces other mainstream niche houses, yet its price positioning locates it in direct competition with the artisanal sphere. Nevertheless, the die is cast: the result will depend on your skin. Enjoyed the read? Find more of my fragrance ramblings on my NEW YouTube channel: @mostly_just_perfumes

Oud par excellence. Exquisite, and strong real oud. For real men forged in iron. Veeeeery strong at first spray but shows a careful complexity much after in the drydown that is lighter and sweeter. If you are looking for real oud, elegant, strong, and high end, this is it. Tuberose, iris and musk elevate this a lot. Sure at the beginning is a civet oud animalic bomb. Worthy of a prince or king. Or anyone ready to go down to battle.

Despite the many types of oud here, the animalic scent of civet and amber dominates. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for an oud scent. The perfume wasn't presented beautifully, or even well.

What the hell? This is awful. I have given it time, but I am so disappointed. Don’t buy this. We all want a refund.

This perfume contains six types of oud (oud assam, oud prachin, oud trat, oud laos, and two types of indian oud)

Smells like varnish , im addicted to this scent I love it I need a full bottle . Beautiful

This smells like pure oud oil it’s fabulous!!