Crime & Punishment

MY TAKE: Most people get a huge dose of raspberry in the opening. I don't get any in mine. In the initial spray, a medicinal ammoniacal aura takes over the room with a sharp, leathery bite. That's just the opening, which doesn't last more than a minute. As the alcohol evaporates with skin heat, a sea of musk amalgamates rises, functioning as the essential structure that keeps the entire concoction vertical. The entire concoction is built on a bed of several musk tinctures. Exploring Ensar's musks, I detect a high dose of Tonkin and Tibetan musk. Tonkin musk combines with blue lotus to create a wonderful salty-savoury tone in the background. To me, the lotus in this composition nods at TRNP's work on lotus; it has that warmth. With the arrow of time, the different types of Oud begin to envelop, adorning the bed of musk pods as time passes. The lotus in the centre creates a lovely link between the bitey leathery hue up top and the musk fusion lower down. Further down, a sensational note of sandalwood(santalum album) starts to evolve as the core component of the fragrance, giving it a creamy, milky overtone along with the tangy, musky undertone. The Oud in this plays differently with the difference in body to room temperature. There is a sweet, fruity aspect which tingles the profile as it gets warm out, and when cold, the Oud gives off a smokey remark, like a warm hug at the right time. The aged agarwood oils peak from time to time, but personally, this is more of a "sandalwood musk" than an "oud-sandalwood-musk". The sandalwood and musks have their own facets that are extremely difficult to study and act like chaotic strands of molecules. Their scent profile depends steeply on temperature. That's the complexity of nature; you never know where the vector points to. And this is the core reason for me to explore nature in a rigorous fashion. When everything settles in on skin during the drydown, the scent character primarily resides as a sandalwood-oud combination that lies on a bed of the most sensual musk, almost like a delicate warm human skin. The complexity of nature elevates even the most basic "notes" to a whole new dimension that is unlike anything on the market today. I am deeply moved by what Ensar and other artisans are doing with nature for the sake of olfaction. Bravo! This is one of those fragrances that makes you want to sit in a dark room and marvel at how exquisite modern perfumes can be; appreciate the fact that when the proper materials are in the right hand and mind, the impossible manifests.

Crime & Punishment EDP: Open with a big blast of exotic Ouds, nothing fecal or off-putting here, no barnyard or dog shit or anything like that. The Ouds here is very clean, with a hint of camphor and mint, they're a combination of Ouds from different regions (Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and trio of Hindi ). There are a lot of spices, florals, and fruits from opening to dry down, playing tag team and morphing in and out throughout the wearing, all of these are being backed by a copious amount of natural musk and ambergris, they are the foundation of the heart and base notes. This is a very complex scent and a true shapeshifter, with many different facets and nuances waiting to be discovered. You will notice the same DNA similar to EO1 and EO2 due to the same high-quality natural musk and ambergris being used here, C&P still wouldn't be redundant if you own the aforementioned two, it's MUCH better than both EO1 and EO2 combined IMO. Projection and Longevity is absolutely incredible and outstanding, this EDP is no weak sauce, it is beast mode through and through! I made a mistake to go with 4 sprays, the ballistic projection was choking me out, go easy on the sprayer.... 2 to 3 max! I might try the Pure Parfum concentration someday but for now the EDP is more than enough for me, anything lasts over 12hr is a bit overkill since I like to rotate my fragrances frequently. C&P is a versatile scent, I would wear this all year long, in any occasions. Again...do NOT overspray, otherwise this beast WILL fuck you up with its catastrophical monster projection, you've been warned! lol So how does the musk here compares to ALD's War and Peace I/II? C&P is more ethereal and inoffensive, more mass-appealing so to speak, while the deer Musks in Russian Adam's composition is MUCH warmer and heavier, a hell lot more animalistic and darker. I am a huge fan of musks so I do like them both. Complexity-wise, the C&P blows the W&P I/II out of the water, no contest whatsoever. Performance-wise both of them are beast mode on me so it's a draw. Price per ml? they're both in the same ballpark as well. If you're new to natural deer musks, you'll be in for a ride, you may recoil in horror or you may end up love at first sniff, but rest assure this is NOT the same kind of bullshit faux musks you've been smelling from the chemical warfare of Aventus or whatever hideous designers/niche who claimed to have musks in them. If you enjoyed natural REAL musks as much as I do, this is a must-have, get a decant and sample it if you can.

Crime & Punishment Pure Parfum: Comparing to my EDP, this Pure Parfum concentration is like watching the same movie but in IMAX and 3D glasses! Everything is much more intense with a much fuller experience. Projection is huge, 1 to 2 sprays is enough for full wearing, nuclear performance and longevity, this is a heavy hitter, with plenty of EO1 and EO2 DNA in this. This is one of my favorite from Ensar Oud, alongside Homeros, Iris Ghalia, Thai Tabac, EO1/2, Kyara Koko, and Monsieur Oud. Go easy on the sprayer so you don't go nose blind or suffocate someone else in the same room.

I have a bottle for sale of this one. PM me if you’re interested

I was finally able to try C&P OG after having read and watched a dozen or so reviews. I had my expectations of a heavy, oudy scent. When I first sprayed it I was a little shocked at how ethereal and effervescent it struck me. That's not to say it's a light scent - far from it - but I'm so used to Ensar Oud's other perfumes coming in with this deep, bombastic, woody, oudy depth, that the top/mid note sparkle confused me. Now, hear me out - I know Ensar wasn't doing this intentionally - but the effect of wearing C&P reminds me a little of wearing BR540. It's a light/heavy duality. It's definitely a strong fragrance, but it seems to come and go - sometimes intense, sometimes it disappears. I hear anosmia is real with this one, and I'd have to agree. Now to the actual smell. My first thought on spraying was that it reminded me of Dentyne cinnamon chewing gum - the rush of peppery cinnamon that hits your nasal passages when you bite into it. It's strange how scent association works - there's no cinnamon at all listed in the note breakdown. Weird. There is a beautiful floral sweetness laying on top of very subtle fruitiness. (I'm not able to identify them as raspberry or peach like some do.) Simultaneously it is redolent with pepper; the kind that hits your nose and stays in your throat when you sniff up close - maybe caused by the ginger also?. There is an undercurrent of leathery woods holding it all together, but I honestly I have a hard time distinctly picking out the oud and musk that everyone is getting. They're there, but not as up-front, identifiable notes, at least to my (untrained) nose. It's a very playful, uplifting scent, despite the somewhat threatening name. I have never smelled anything like this, and probably never will again. It is a very pleasant smell, but every time wear it I can't help but feel that it's just not for me. I keep my sample as a reference because it is a stunning work of art that won't ever be duplicated. Sometimes just sniffing the atomizer is enough for me. Hope this was helpful and that I wasn't too far off base to those with more accurate noses.