Pushpak

What an incredible experience. I'm particularly fond of sweet gourmand fragrance, and this one surpasses everything I currently have. I've had the chance to sample all of Buyermia's fragrances before their official launch as part of a trial, and after smelling this, I immediately knew I needed a bottle. I had asked Asheque to set aside a bottle of Pushpak for me. For those who enjoy sweet, winter-themed scents, you won't find anything better than this in terms of value and material used. Upon the first spritz, you're greeted with a luscious combination of osmanthus, vanilla, and champaca, beautifully harmonized with various musk, oud, and tonka bean absolute. I have seen videos on Buyermias Instagram of him using real tonka beans absolute and agarwood oil (something lost in today's day and age due to cost obviously). Along with the tonka bean absolute and oud, the composition uses high doses of other natural absolutes and is easily detected from the very first spritz. I also detect distinct notes of apple, peach, and cypriol, though perhaps that's my perception of the scent as it's not listed as one of the notes in the fragrance. This fragrance is perfectly suited for winter nights, dates, or even just an evening scent and is perfect for nighttime wear when you want some extra affection. The longevity is nuclear and so is projection. On my shirt, I get 2-3 days easily, and on skin about 9-10 hours with projection weaning off at about 4-5 hours mark becoming closer to skin. In my opinion, this fragrance represents exceptional value, especially considering it's crafted by a self-taught perfumer right here in Australia. Watch out everyone, there's a new perfumer in town! Many thanks to Buyermia.

非常顺滑的栀子花,上皮的话冬加豆会更明显一些。有些人觉得它太甜,对我来说刚好,喜欢甜的一定要冲!

Any scent which combines the pristine floral qualities of osmanthus with the warm, saccharine qualities of champacca one might think would result in a heady bouquet of blooms, but curiously Pushpak defies this notion. Whilst the opening does feel sweet and floral, moments later we start to get a sense of a distinct woody-vanillic quality emerging. This oud / vanilla / tonka throuple triples in size and in persistence, breaking through the floral ceiling of the perfume, imbuing it with a warm, nutty, creamy effect. And whilst the notes buzz in harmony, the defiant oud becomes the main protagonist; but not in a way you might expect. It steeps with incense to create a thick ashen grey-brown ribbon which meanders under the surface which feels both sweet and lactonic at the same time. This is sure to become the signature scent of many a girl or guy, for its uniqueness and presence.

Not my favourite Byermia offering, but this has less to do with the fragrance (which is categorically stunning) and more to do with personal preferences and trends. Two years ago, I would’ve been frothing over this grown-up gourmand, but unfortunately too many people where I live (and I live in a hot, dry, mediterranean climate) use and abuse cloying dessert fragrances in public, day and night, year-round. Pushpaka means “the season of flowers” and perfumer Ashek Zubayer seeks to capture the essence and purity of “new love’s first touch”. To me, Pushpak is no virgin. Yes, it’s achingly beautiful and tender with wholesome intentions, but from the outset it’s also a little bit down-and-dirty. It reminds me of the early days when my husband and I were first courting. We’d go for a non-veg thali at our favourite Indian on a Friday night, then afterwards we’d select a pick-and-mix tray of barfi which we’d take home to his place, and we’d punctuate our passion over the weekend with a nibble of these sweet and nutty delicacies. Pushpak opens with what I am learning to recognise as Zubayer’s signature – syrupy cherries. This has to be from the Thai oud. The tonka isn’t “grainy” to me as it usually is, instead it gives the sensation of almond meal, which is probably why it reminds me so much of barfi. Interestingly, there is no tonka listed in Iris Sura (also by Byermia), but I feel the coumarin more densely there. Thai oud is clean, so I can’t say what it is exactly that makes me perceive animalics, but it is there. Perhaps the musk? Cashmeran, is that you? (Cashmeran always feels to me like passing wind over a strip of Velcro.) Or maybe there was a blocked drain nearby when I sampled it? In Pushpak, I feel the merest – almost imperceptible – whiff, or should I say “toot”, of accidentally escaped carnal miasma between steamy sheets. Pushpak needs this edge, to set it apart from its juvenile peers lining the discount chemist shelves. Thematically similar (but not an olfactory double) of offerings such as Once Upon a Time by Francesca Bianchi and to a lesser extent even Sadonaso by Nasomatto. The ripe yellow stone fruits (apricot and peach nuances from osmanthus) are as luscious and round as the pert cheeks of two lovers entwined. My brother (now aged 56) still calls apricot and peaches “bum fruits” and never has this been more apt as in Pushpak. The white champaca lends a tropical touch, it’s not quite the heady punch of ylang, it is lactonic banana, and it’s balanced perfectly with the vanilla like a two-toned creamy soft serve. This vanilla and banana swirl dances in and out of oud’s cool shadow which offers some much-needed relief from the sweetness. There’s also a gumminess to the stone fruits – combined with osmanthus’s leathery facets it creates an encapsulated sensation in my mind. The leathery-ness kind of snaps, like the crack of belt. Part of me finds it too sharp, but on balance I think the composition needs this to prevent the sugar seeping into all the crevices and becoming overwhelming. It is incredibly long lasting. It lasted on my skin through a bath and overnight. And it is actually quite delicious. As it dries, white chocolate and woods make themselves known, taming the fruity florals as the hours melt into days, just as infatuation’s hunger gradually evolves into temperate but everlasting love. “I do.”

I first discovered Pushpak at the Geelong Fragrance Fair and was instantly captivated. This is absolutely incredible and dare I say, a masterpiece. The opening is slightly balmy with sweet champaca and osmanthus. It is a soft fruity floral moment, like biting into a sun-ripened apricot on a warm spring day. Then comes the vanilla and amber, golden and comforting, like a hug that lingers. Thai oud makes a gentle entrance in the base, paired with creamy tonka and soft powdery musk. It feels warm, cocooning and unforgettable. It leans warm, a little gourmand and mysterious. Perfect for cooler weather. Longevity is fantastic with moderate to soft projection. If you love warm fruity florals with a twist, Pushpak is pure magic. So proud to see such unique gems coming out of Australia 😍

Ok I gave to say, this is everything I've been wanting in a fragrance. Osmanthus, incense, a bit of a saltiness, juiciness/radiance. But it came with one extra thing I did not want; too much sweetness. I'm guessing it's too much vanillan. The high sweetness wears on me, and makes it pretty much unwearable. Everything else is perfect. It was so close for me. The quality, cohesion, and harmony of notes are all perfect. It's just the over sweetness that is the trend these last couple of decades is headache inducing. It may not be that way for others though.