D.S.

The discovery of Floral notes never stop to amaze me, but what makes everything even better is a rare Sandalwood from my beautiful Sri Lanka. D.S is a special scent for me, it has some of the most peculiar Indian flowers out there combining, Kashimiri Saffron, Frangipani, Gardenia, Yellow lotus (attar) and dark Rose. This lineup alone is a combination that take you to places, but the sandal and Vetiver from Sri Lanka creates this distinct note that makes it mystical. A deep, wild, and free scent that evokes serenity, and a ceromonial natural act. The opening is fairly based on Gardenia, Saffron and dry dark Rose and Frangipani in front and Sandalwood on the back, this is a Saffron-Gardenia bomb opening, lets put it like that, while it evolves it goes more into this beautiful “atonal” note (or metallic) that gives a it a unique characteristics thanks to the Vetiver, Lotus, Saffon accord, the middle is a game of these working together, rather than fighting if sampled alone. The real dry down comes later and the entire composition goes in harmony and stays this exact way for the entire longevity becoming darker and darker, is elegant and charming, in the air has a strong power, and it goes undeniably on the floral spice Inciense market side, I like that the rose is a small touch and rounds up rather than covering, this is showcasing refined distillations and works that are all a fruit of a great research of common materials you find in India, but they are refined and specific to the point that each rare element and technique of extraction comes to play and makes a huge difference. A pillar of a scent, create for who understand the crafting of this notes, and the depth of the Srilankan Sandalwood wich is becoming a very important element, simply because the Mysore one become not possible to harvest anymore. I suggest this to anyone that is fascinated of Asian florals that tends to lean on the Saffron, the " Floral Inciense Market" - however this isn’t a common one, is very specific one that has to be explored. It’s a rare case where the price is justified because of the deep research and rare elements. A elegant beauty that is a trail monster, you can smell this dry down from very far, and is instantly recognizible, Is the celebration of an angle of a beautiful Jungle corner where Gardenia, Saffron and Sandalwood are prominent. If you like Sandalwood Florals, D.S. Durga did a homerun here.

I found the one... Do you recall what inspired you to embark upon your fragrance journey? For me, it was the ever eloquent Gardenia. Gardenia's are both my mother and grandmothers favorite flower, and one I carried on my wedding day. I grew up surrounded by bountiful blooming gardenia bushes radiating against the heat of the sun- their scent wafting a haunting love ballad. Delicate yet powerful- their presence undeniable. I often marveled at their beauty. Little did I know that finding that fragility and allure evocative of the bloom would be such a monumental fete, yet I set out to find her... While I encountered a few notable contenders, none quite lulled me like the lure of those warmed blossoms vivid in my memories- until now... D.S. Eau De Parfum by D.S. and Durga is a rare and transportive expedition to the palatial gardens of India- circa 2019. A study where tradition meets modern day. Composed of precious and rare materials, this gold-line release is nothing short of hypnotic. Gardenia and Frangipani take center stage radiating a soft, sweet, floral aura while Kashmiri saffron wafts its savory presence against the delicacy of the florals. Lush rose absolute, and yellow lotus sing from the heart, while a touch of agarwood deepens its song. Vetiver, Musc Ambrette, and creamy Sri Lankan sandalwood lend a perfectly balanced earthy base. In short- I am head over heels in love. This is the Gardenia I have been searching for. The billowing of childhood memories. The love of my mother. The beauty, tenderness, and fragility of my wedding bouquet warmed under the tropic sun. Romantic, Enchanting, Exotic - Exquisitely Intoxicating... D.S. - "The One".

This captures the smell of a lovely lifestyle store in India called good earth. Woody, incensed, floral, powdery... it feels like the inside of a thousand year old temple, hewn from stone, lit by votive lamps that are casting flickering shadows across the wall. Skews sweet or neutral based on the weather on the day, and a relatively inoffensive yet interesting choice for indoor settings in the winter. Definitely not a blind buy, but if you like it, it’s worth the money. Vaguely reminds me of Tobacco Mandarin by Byredo.

A beautifully done Floriental, this is a haunting and transportive experience that takes you straight to the beautiful palace gardens of exotic Indian places like Udaipur. The perfume opens with notes of frangipani, saffron and gardenia. The heart is comprised of rose, lotus and oud. The perfume settles into a lovely powdery base of sandalwood, vetiver and musk mallow. One of the top creations from this house, this is a regal haunting experience. Unisex with moderate sillage and very good longevity. Enjoy!

A beautiful blend that smells more like fragrance oils, than an EDP. Reminds me of Mumbai markets.

very very nice & very very expensive !

This is a big tropical floral with an angular, buzzy edge. Definitely my kind of thing; lush, humid, and swoony yet bugspray-sharp. It makes me think of a rainforest jungle. I can definitely feel the ambrette underneath too, a skin-like mild musk. An hour or so in, I also start to get a bit of woody vetiver and a touch of the scratchy-smoky-sourness of oud, as a pleasantly dry backstop to all that nectar. The tropical flowers fade rather quickly, but the “bugspray” sharpness, and a rounded fruity-rosy glow, lingers and goes well with the woods. Lasts all day as an oud and rosy-floral blend. I was a little concerned that a house as prolific as DS&Durga would be disappointing, that they’d have great-sounding notes but cheap crappy fragrances. Well, that’s more or less true, but DS is one of the happy exceptions. This is a real perfume in a grand style. A little aggro and rough around the edges, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing in my book.

This is a very saffron forward floral composition. It definitely reminds me of the India with the spicy tropical floral vibe. The florals are a bit dry but also creamy at the same time, with a metallic zing from the saffron. The oud adds to that metallic quality while blending with the tropical accords well. Overall, it’s quite nice. After some time the florals settle and you get the oud, metallic saffron, and vetiver combo. A slight sweetness remains, but it stays sharp and metallic.

If you’re new to oud, this would be a nice intro. It’s pretty damn nice. I can def see the head shop vibe. Reminds me of my teenage Wiccan years of scented oils lol

Really does remind me of India

I feel slightly above neutral about this scent. It's a spicy vetiver - very unisex. I do like Vetivers -- but I can name 5 other vetiver-heavy scents I would for before this one. I don't feel there's any special redeeming quality about this specific vetiver that makes me want to wear it. Def versatile though - I could see this on a put together edgy guy, a red lipstick-wearing bold woman, or an 80 year old of any gender.

I’m using a tester from a sample pack purchased at the Nolita location. The saffron is beautiful and special, but this scent is a little too quiet for me, specially given its price point and the origin story/liner notes. I’d love to find a more dramatic saffron scent.

I received a sample with the purchase of I Don’t Know What and upon first sniff it totally reminds me of a headshop. I didn't see anyone else mention this but it's unmistakable to me. Lovely but don't think I'd want to smell like it.

smoky. not even oud necessarily.

A sharp initial blast of vetiver and dry oud, smoke and a dash of baby powder (which may be the lotus), with moderate projection at first. Rose and sandalwood skinscent as time passes. On my skin it's coming off very masculine and the floral and spice notes are highly buried. I love saffron and gardenia and am really disappointed I'm not getting them at all. It does have a clean 'global goods mall shop' vibe to it, complete with the thick layer of dust on all the unbought items lying around. Maybe a good rose oud pick if you want one that's not overpowering and doesn't have a lot of musk. Dry. Ancient. This is a lot more vetiver-forward than I was expecting and is not getting on with my own scent.

Reviewed from sample! It smells like the inside of a very nice incense shop, but it’s not for me. It comes off as a more mature scent probably because of the oud and the sandalwood. Pleasant but heavy for my taste. Strong sillage and longevity!

I think of D.S. in concert with one of David and Kavi’s first-ever collaborations, My Indian Childhood, and furthermore, of Japanese perfumer Satori Osawa’s intentionally difficult answers to traditional imperial traditions of “oriental” perfumes. Intentionally composed challenges to decisively orientalist standards of scent is an extremely promising avenue for contemporary fragrance, and one I would like to see explored far more frequently. D.S. does not necessarily accomplish this, but rather by gesturing like MIC to specific interactions and intersections with Indian perfumery proper, does do interesting work of bridging the gap between niche American perfume and historic practices of scent creation. Part of me wishes D.S. was a little weirder, a little more challenging — but, on the other hand, I do very much respect exercising one’s perfume chops by imitating ancient techniques. D.S. is primarily the intersection of saffron, agarwood, and sandalwood, but I do often feel that a dry, tart oud presents itself most fervently. References in liner notes to gardenia and ylang-ylang could be dialed up a bit, and claims to top-shelf Sri Lankan Holyfield Sandalwood oil might be given a bit more space to breathe. True oud connoisseurs would clearly never look to D.S. and Durga to supply their pungent dreams, so I wonder if the purpose of “introduction to critically re-imagined post-colonial neo-oriental perfumery” might be too tall of a bill to foot. True to form, maybe he just wanted to use the ingredients at his disposal.

This is a really well-composed and it’s apparent that the ingredients are high-quality. Floral, slightly smoky, slightly powdery, with a bit of incense. Feminine with its light sweetness yet unisex with the smokiness. I’m experiencing a bit of synesthesia with this scent. Each time I sniff my wrist, it triggers a light sweetness in my mouth that I can actually taste. You have to like gardenia and/or frangipani with this one. Oud is listed as a note and it’s not presenting whatsoever with my chemistry—maybe ever so slightly with the smokiness. Only downside is the longevity, which I find is a problem with about 50-60% of the DS & Durga scents I’ve tested. This, like the others, faded fast within the first hour and has been sitting close to the skin.

This is stunning. From my big collection of D.S. & Durga, this is outstanding, probably their best. I somehow get hints of kewda (screwpine) in my mind, primarily an Indian essence, although screwpine is not there in it. This is the most beautiful floral oud I've ever smelled & I've smelled several. This is not rose-oud & I'm glad it's not. There is probably a tiniest drop of rose, so totally negligible. I get the frangipani distinctly, lotus, gardenia, beautifully done & it elevates the soft oud. In entirety it smells very special & divine ! IG : @scentclouds YouTube : @scentclouds

Very floral oud upon initial spray. Similar floral notes to "thunderstorm scented" attar. Also has a powdery scent which gives a hint of 'corn tortilla'. This eventually dries into something more vetiver prominent. As for the premium "gold label" price point, after one hour it dries down to a strong sandalwood base that smells almost identical to Radio Bombay. It overpowers the vetiver, which I felt was more of the star within the mid notes.