The Maj

Nice, refined take on a majmua-type fragrance. My taste runs more toward the original, complex, messy, overwhelming Indian blend of attars but this started out interesting enough to tempt trying others from this line. They were also quite generous and sent a free sample (Fitnessence) along with the single sample I paid for. Edit: had to upgrade it from like to love, as I keep reordering samples! 3.3ml/per is enough to figure out how much you like it, so looks like I'll have to buy. Had to laugh reading the reviews -- especially the new one -- at the wide range of responses, from those who agree with my 'it's so refined,' to it smells apparently too much like wild, teenaged sex. The Maj isn't a headshop/hippy scent but the components on which it's based may not be familiar or comfortable if you're only used to Western scents. (This is truly tame by majmua/shammama standards.)

Let your perfume be your medicine? Yes please, if it's this. The refined elegance of this scent speaks for quality ingredients and is by no means medicinal nor reminding aromatherapy scents. It takes me home and at the same time to new and unknown places. What more can I ask for? First I thought it could be a bit stronger but while wearing it came to appreciate it's subtleness. I totally recommend to try this line, all of the scents are well made and exceptional natural perfumes. I want to add that it is actually quite strong, lasting all day and with some heat from inside or outside projecting stronger. EDIT: the more I wear it the more I realize it's actually quite a strong scent, though never overpowering. Especially when physically active, the perfume develops a good sillage. I heard comments in my Yoga class "it's smelling like India here" :)

A soft yet delicious and meditative perfume.

I don't know all the declared notes but I get a nice opening like a soft white cloud, with a fine-grained texture of cocoa paste coupled with light green hints of free-range vegetation. Perhaps the combination of mitti, earth, vetiver and soft buttery sandalwood. It's a floating cloud with a sweet earth finish on the skin. Like a gourmand. A perfume to be savored slowly and which calms the spirit. It reminded me a little of Black Sheep at the beginning, the sweet, clear amber whiffs of Ambre Vie and the herbs of Ephifany... Basically I smell a green cocoa in it. The sillage is intimate and the duration is medium. Peaceful and beautiful.

Surprised by the negative reviews here. I find this the most pleasant of the 13 fragrances I've tried from this brand. Maybe it reminds me of my visit to India, I'm not really sure, but I find it really very warm and comforting. Like a milky chai, creamy sandalwood, and a floral vanilla.

Roberto Duran once uttered the infamous words, "No Mas, No Mas." Had he been sampling this fragrance instead of fighting Sugar Ray Leonard he would have been heard yelling, "No Maj, No Maj." Although The Maj is marketed as being unisex, there is no way a man can rock this scent...not ever. Nor would I ever wish to smell this fragrance on the ladies. I am not quite sure what kadam and kewra smell like, but I get the notes/accords of dirt, grass, floral and something sweet'ish like Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill. Back in High School (many years ago) this is how a successful date smelled like after spreading out a blanket and having a make-out session, or perhaps more, while occasionally rolling off the blanket and onto the grass. In a nutshell, this is how a young lady smells like while taking the Walk of Shame; and it's how a young man smells like after getting lucky. However, no man or woman is going to get lucky smelling of The Maj. Seriously, The Maj? It should like something one gets after rolling-around with someone of questionable morals (i.e., That dude gave me The Maj). LOL! In all fairness, this fragrance does smell like a decent quality natural scent--and it performs fairly well lasting 8+ hours on my skin and projecting above average--however, it's not something I would enjoy smelling on the ladies and a man should never let this one touch their skin. "No Maj, No Maj."

This is part of the "Super Naturals" collection and it's essentially a take on Indian "Majmua" attars—rich, woody, floral compositions whose name roughly translates to "a gathering." The scent begins with luminous, soft notes of kadam—a rare, honeyed floral that's spiced in such a way that an impression of a subtle vanilla / citric chord is invoked. Generally, a Majmua construction features a prominent vetiver foundation (ruh khus), but I picked up more on the brassy, fruity, sweetness of the kewda than anything else. A pyramidal note structure doesn't seem to be at work here, replaced instead by a circular "gathered" formation whose heart notes invoke images of energetic market stalls through the use of red, gold, and orange notes draped over a light wood base. This takes the opening florals into a more mysterious incense-centric territory than that of a bouquet or a natural environment, and the overall composition is ultimately one of heady, exoticism tinged with fresh naturals. It's what Rive d'Ambre could have been if it hadn't collapsed under its own predictability. For an all-natural perfume, I found The Maj to be quite linear—effectively so as while wearing the scent, I noticed that there were a number of facets that I could easily hone in on and enjoy. The Maj's grouping of accords is close-knit, and the attars do bleed a little, but their contributions suggest an awareness of their individual roles through their lucid, clear appearance in the scent. For me, The Maj is a very visual fragrance because of the exotic images that it conjures, yet it sidesteps insensitive Orientalizing through its faithfulness to the traditional composition. Consequently, it's less about the capitalization of a style, and more about offering a new contribution—it's more homage than pastiche. Although it didn't last on my skin as long as I might have liked, this is easy to wear and enjoy—but it's not a scent that could be applied as an afterthought. Instead, The Maj is the kind of fragrance you plan your day around ahead of time.

The Indian attar accords during the top notes are quite earthy and rich and have a powdery unburnt/burnt incense vibe. They bring to my mind the visual imagery of the steps of an Indian Hindu temple in the afternoon, the smells of incense and peoples perfume as they entered and exited (quite a lovely experience). The incense then opens out with a floral accord that brings a little lightness after the opening. From the heart phase on I get what I think is costus (or an animal fixative), a warm, sweet, and slightly fatty note. This 'costus' note remains throughout and binds the incense/attar accords into a whole that seems to bind to your skin. I found that 'The Maj' quite quickly became a skin scent, but still one that has an subtle elegant musky radiance. Something very sensual about this fragrance, there's a weight to it almost like you're wearing a second skin, perhaps it's the 'all natural' ingredients that lead to this effect, but it works well in this composition. Longevity seems quite good 6+ hours.

I've never smelled a scent that reminded me of a specific place as this one. This takes me straight back to the gift shops run by the Self-Realization Fellowship which is a Hindu church/temple/organization started by the Indian yogi Paramahansa Yogananda. I think it was the incense they sold. Even though there is a shift in the scent as it dries, to my nose, it is very Indian all the way down to the base notes. I happen to like this type of scent so it works for me but probably not for everyone.