Garuda

After trying it several times in different stores and having a long consideration by myself I finally decided to buy the parfum today. Actually I bought the deluxe box with 50 ml so called "extrait de parfum" and the additional 7ml take-away spray in it.Because I thought the 50ml bottle in the deluxe box had a higher concentration,since the shade of that orange fluid inside looked definitely darker but after I purchased the salesman said both the regular bottle and the deluxe bottle have the same concentration they are both extrait de parfums, but the backside of the bottle in the deluxe box is tinted so that the fluid looks darker. Hmmm .A trompe d'oeuile that everybody knows except me...aparently...Another thing that many people might not know about is , that the concentration of that 7ml take-away spray is exremely low, it lasts barely 15minutes on skin and when you spray it on, unlake the big bottle it doesn't leavve oily shimmers behind on your skin. Anyways, the reason why I considered it so long before deciding to buy it, was the fact, that I had tested in several stores before, I was aware of conditioned longeivity ( stays only 2-3 hours on skin but on textile for 1 day, hence you need to use a foundation wax as base on your skin then spray it on, if you like to enhance the longeeivity +2-3 hours) But the silliage is very limited I am affraid no matter what you would do: I have sprayed it 7 times (on hair, on both cheeks on the beard, on both sides of the neck.finally on both wrists) And after 1 hour I asked 2 female.and 1 male colleague of mine at work how I smelled and they all had to lean so close towards me (almost to my neck actually) in order to perceive anything. Their comments were different: One said I smell like aged malt whisky that you sip on while rosemary scented candles lit around ,the other one said it smells like the shells of almond and chestnuts he used to roast on the coal stove with his family as he was a kid. The last one said it's the same smell as she was melting the beeswax on the cooker to make wax batik. I agree with all the three analogies, and I adore my parfum.I only wish the longeivity and silliage were stronger , especially for that price (175€ for 50ml) but I'll try to compensate it by repeating 2-3 times during the day.

Let me just start by saying this is a good fragrance. A woman blind buying fragrances is tantamount to buying a dress without trying it on. With that being said, this is not suitable for those whom purchases on a whim whilst looking for a feminine touch. Leather and oud dominates as it smothers any womanly characteristics. Bergamot and orange as a contributor for the opener is a real thigh-slapper. Not at all fruity in the gourmand sense, if anything, it's a added spike to this not so boozy effort. Noticed that i said, "not so boozy"...I already know that some will strongly disagree but when i think boozy, the house of Frapin is the standard for their hallmarked intoxicated offerings. I see the reviews and i have news for you: This fragrance ain't that damn warm!! Where there's warmth in fragrances, there's cold weather wearability. I'd argue that the 1st hour of Garuda is dry with a woody, musky, ashy texture as opposed to the said warm mentionings. I will say that it changes thus warming up a bit. As a result, i think this is perfectly suitable for all 4 seasons. I strongly urge you to not get caught up in that 'warm' talk. Don't blind buy this thinking that you're gonna get something warm and gooey like Ambre Fetiche.

This is an instant love for me. It took me a while to get over the price tag but once I decided on what situations this could be suited for, I relented and picked up a FB. It’s a highly wearable, high quality, well blended woody, boozy amber. It’s cozy and a little unique. Sure, you could point to similar fragrances but that would just be lazy and ignoring this one’s unique character. I find the pink peppercorn, rum, oud, saffron and amber/vanilla notes to be most prominent although the patchouli and vetiver play an important supporting role. Some might find the boozy opening to be too boozy. However, give it 30-45 minutes and experience the dry down before dismissing it. I personally love boozy scents so I would’ve enjoyed the rum lasting longer. I do interpret the rum to be more of a white rum than a dark rum (so no Black Phantom comparison). I have a list of 18 10/10 fragrances and this one might get added to it once I’ve worn this over several months. I see this as the perfect dinner date fragrance for both men and women and 2 sprays should do it. Right now I will give this one a 9.5/10.

I simply fell in love with this gorgeous scent right at the first time sniffed it on my sister birthday party, I asked the man wearing it and ordered it instantly online, oh my gush what beautiful amber notes, framed with most beautiful and realistic coffee accords that I came across among the niche perfumes I tested so far. The patchouli-rum-saffron combo here gives you exactly the right portion of every aspect that this olfactive gem is designed for, the earthy woodiness of patchouli connects serenely with cumin, the boozy heady rum resonates in marvelous harmony with the refreshing orange and airy bergamot in top notes as if you are sipping on a tropical cocktail on the roof watching the italian riviera, and the oud creates wonders with saffron, giving the perfect depth to the recipee and balances out fabulously the lighter elements in the ingredient list like vanilla and cashmeran. A closed out perfection of olfactive master master piece, it lacks on nothing and makes you feel missing nothing, my absolute indispensable for dates and special occasions

garuda might be the biggest (pleasant) surprise of the year. i've been consistently underwhelmed by jul et mad, so you can understand my shock when this bolted out of the bottle with real conviction. suffice it to say that this is a boozy-saffron-oud of genuinely rare quality, balance and effervescence. it goes through a good three stages of development in its impressive skin life of at least 8 hours, all of them rich in mystery and satisfying comfort. this is the amouage masterpiece they could never quite get around to creating. probably the most successful blind buy i've ever had ... 10/10

This one inspires calmness and serenity and long deep inhales of gorgeousness. Oddly I get something that feels rosey across the woody opening. A strong reminder of Dior’s Santal Noir and as it softens a candied, powdery woodiness blooms in skin that strongly reminds me of Dries Van Noten (FM) both of which are gorgeous. Very radiant and unisex but leaning a hair femme due to the fruity, rosey presence that remains with the candied woods. Just lovely on a cool and wet winters day.

Garuda interests me a lot just because of the name. The mythical bird is Indonesian national emblem. I love the warm spicy-light orangey opening. Bitter patchouli and musk appears in the middle along with what nose detects as sandalwood. The sandalwood is so nostalgic of wooden fan of days bygone. Drydown of warm amber-vanilla-woody notes are super comfortable. I’ve been enjoying my vial so much, I think I might be looking for a full bottle when I run out.

One of the most beautiful and impressive perfumes that I oen in my collection, has similarities with Nasomatto Duro and immortelle Corse of Parfum d'Empire, since they share the dame ambery base but this one stands out with marvellous coffee notes mixed with sensuous saffron and evocative rhum accords. A perfect balance of amber-resins and boozy coffee concotion with reviving spicey top. Perfect for dates and evening events

This is the most informative "reminds me of" list I have seen yet. Duro, Bentley Intense, Nanban, Laudano Nero, & Monsieur are currently showing as the most highly voted, and some combination of the ideas from all of those is what Garuda is. I love it. It lasts eternally on clothing.

nice quality frag.its really a well made piece with rum pachouli oudy scent. at the openning it has boozy spicy feel which after a while oud and a bit smoky note of incense and ambre gives it passionate oriental atmosphere. 9/10

A nice boozy/spiced resin scent perfect for chilly weather. Unfortunately I've smelt a lot scents similar to this lovely. I'm surprised by the hefty price tag. I get as much patch as amber and rum with oud forming the backbone to all the notes. I do like that splash of alcohol. Booze lifts the otherwise heavy notes. I can't say the oud is that in your face so worth a try if you are usually wary of it. I can't help seeing a similarity with Grand Soir but with the addition of spices and booze. I definitely pick out the saffron and vanilla after a while. The base is all about wood notes and after an hour they basically take over with some kick from the pepper and vetiver. A very nice unisex scent but not worth the big price tag. Good longevity and moderate sillage.

'Garuda' is a gorgeous Oriental wood spice cologne that has beautiful character and depth. The perfume contains notes of bergamot, orange, cumin, pink pepper, agarwood (oud), saffron, rum, patchouli, vetiver, cedar, cashmeran, amber, vanilla and musk. It is a mesmerizing combination that truly evokes the imagery of Indonesian jungles and spice plantations. An ode to a mythical creature described in the Ramayana (which is half vulture and half human and represents values of loyalty, bravery and devotion), this perfume seems to embody those values.The smell lingers prominently and beautifully creating a temple like aura around you. Strong on both sillage and projection, this is a beautiful creation of rare depth and emotion.

Opens like spicy oranges, gets woodier, peppery, and spicy as it dries down with patchouli centre-stage, with a spiced rum accord that lends some olfactory interest to the woodiness. Autumn and winter only, opens quite loudly before settling down around arms' length projection.

Smells nice, very boozy and quite sweet. It does smell very, very similar to Duro.

I hated the opening, but had been warned to wait at least 30 minutes for the chewy amber to appear. It does develop beautifully (it becomes a warm huggable and comforting amber if a little aquatic and medicinal) but is it worth waiting half an hour for the rotten alcohol booze opening to pass? There are better balsamic ambers out there at lower prices.

'Garuda' opens with a pungent sweaty oud, arid cumin and dank patchouli. It's gloomy, musty and depressing. I imagine myself in an ancient tomb, inhaling gnarled rotten wood that hasn't breathed in over 2,000 years; Not alluring or sexy at all. This lasts for about 20 minutes, after which the rum becomes more prominent; bitter, sticky, dry and sharp. Another while later and it switches to a feminine, powdery blandness which I could only endure an hour longer before scrubbing off. The development is just bizarre, and I'm rather confused by it. It certainly didn't feel like a compliment winner to me. Too weird, austere and muddled for my tastes.

This is getting a lot of love from many people, but it was not for me. The cashmeran (or ambroxan, or both?) gives an unattractice synthetic sharp sweetness on my skin. Even without the synth note, it would have been to sweet for me. I don't like sweet.

Just ask yourself one question: how good is this? And here I try to answer you. At the beginning is like a Montale, let's name Honey Aoud, or like Swiss Arabian Fadeitak, but so much better than both of them. The rum makes all the difference. If you have the patience Garuda will change into something from Maison Francis Kurkdjian, let's say a sort of Grand Soir, because of the amber and vanilla. If you wait for the third stage of its development you will be surprise to see that it goes in the Amouage's smell... Not so much as Epic Woman, but might be Amouage Bahjah for example. The ideea is that Garuda is niche quality at its best. It was a blind buy for me. Because of Garuda now I want to have all Jul et Mad Paris perfumes, as I have Amouages all over the place.

Garuda is hot. Like liquid lava, covering my skin, melting my heart. The opening is woody, with a velvety oud caressing my senses. There are no asperities, the oud is perfect in here, with no unpleasant medicinal vibe. Soon, a boozy note of rum makes its presence felt and Garuda becomes more intriguing. I am craving for more as I caught by the sleeve a gourmand kind of accord. What could it be? After a couple of hours, here it comes - amber, in all its splendour. It melts into the mixture and now Garuda is even more wonderful. Have you ever listened a saxophone jazzy medley on repeat, on and on, as you sit barefoot next to the fireplace? Well, thats's how Garuda feels. So.... proceed with caution... you may loose your heart tonight.

Mythological creature Garuda, hybrid of an eagle & a human, is the carrier of god Vishnu. Garuda is known for being a powerful protector. The perfume, a gem from Jul Et Mad, is one of the best creations of Luca Maffei, one which he also wears a lot himself. It's a pronounced Cambodian Oud, balanced with saffron, amber & patchouli, to make an opulent, gorgeous blend. For a moment it reminded me of Nasomatto's Duro, but no, it goes in its own direction, to a much smoother & refined version. It's a gorgeous enveloping trail, both sexy & at the same time with a temple-like serenity. IG : @scentclouds YouTube : @scentclouds