Carpathian Oud

Right now I'm testing the Demi Absolute version of Carpathian Oud. This I'm happy to say I feel is a different take on the popular oudh releases, finally! Liz takes us elsewhere than the exotic east with Oudh playing a more mannerly role than in many of the current releases. The opening is very much herbal, I don't seem to detect a whole lot of "floral" notes going on. The first impression is definitely of the forest! Herbaceous, fresh, and easily gives me the sensation of being outdoors in a slightly damp, & chilly climate. After this herbal opening, Carpathian Oud moves into true Oudh territory, and here we have a rich, resonant heart that pulses between Oudh, cedar, amber, and the soil tincture. This soil scent is strangely accurate, like a tiny bit of Demeter's "dirt". I really enjoy this different climate & attitude given to the beautiful Oudh. Deep, resounding, calming, then warming again, this scent seems to not quite make up its mind where it wants to stay! The opening and mid stages stay in the cool climate, and slightly aloof, until the drydown, when it opens and finally gives up its full potential. In perfect balance, as exciting as warm breath on skin, moving together Oudh-so rich, amber, and the blood cedar dance and never overpower one another. I enjoy the olfactory journey given by this fragrance, and I have to say, it really is a must sniff for an Oudh lover. Even the moss doesn't step out of line, it provides context only, so that we know, through the entirety of our fragrant journey, we are not in the east. The more I wear this fragrance, the more I find myself intrigued by it. The quality of this perfume is without question, and also the true unisex nature of it makes me really want to test it on a few men. Definitely an olfactory adventure, if you can get your hands on this fragrance, its a wonderful tale of Oudh, from a different perspective. I will add a comparison after my test of the cologne version. As for the Demi Absolute.. Delicious!

After re testing this fragrance on my new SO, it is just divine on men. I mean, really just a stunner with the right chemistry!

On a rainy humid summer day, I wanted some dry heat and mountain freshness. Ms. Ida Meister has graciously gifted a wonderful sample of Soivohle’s Carpathian Oud. This is a sample of EDP(Demis-Absolute)! I have not tried the cologne version just yet. Whereas the reviews I read keep painting images of Transylvania, fiery gypsy dancers, and Count Tepish (Dracula), a completely different image pops up in my head. As a kid, my parents used to take me with them on vacations to the Ukrainian part of Carpathian Mountains and it was a true adventure. Far away from the city noise and dirty air, this was an oasis. Endless green, earthy mountains, tons and tons of the most fragrant flowers untouched by pollution: incarnadine giant poppies, bright crimson dianthuses, mesmerizing honey heathers, seas of tender-violet campanulas (bellflowers)- all mixed in with earthly smell of dry soil and cedar trees with strong notes of invigorating pine trees, so abundant in this part of the mountains. But the image would not be complete without the small settlements of mountain dwellers, Ukrainian Kozakys. The men are very distinctive by their fluffy moustache and shaved heads with the exception of the long tail of hair, representing the man’s strength. They wear traditional handmade smocks, Vishivankas, and wide baggy pants. The women are very ornate in a selection of red and white dresses. They are extremely friendly and hospitable and greet the guests with a pint of a fragrant hops beer. You get the picture. Soivohle’s Carpathian Oud is such an interesting recapture of those days. The fragrance opens with a strong hit of officinal herbs, bittersweet notes of poppy and dianthus are complimented by earthy laurel leaf and, providing depth. Oakmoss adds woodsy freshness. This mix recreates a smell of fresh wormwood and young forest with copious amounts of wild flowers. The smell is further warmed up by cedar notes and weighed down and sweetened by agarwood(oud). Oud is neither heavy nor overbearing, leaving the limelight to the floral bouquet. It pictured an image in my head of a Moldavo-Ukrainian singer, Sofia Rotaru roaming in her fold outfit, singing one of her profound songs exalting divinity of those paces. On my skin the smell did not open well at all. It left an impression of visiting an herbalist with the medicinal aftertaste. The warmth of oud has withered away rather quickly (within an hour), leaving the smell of flowers. Without the oud, the fragrance has lost its nobleness and it smelled rather simple. I think this fragrance would work rather well with a lighter or naturally warm skin chemistry on which bittersweet notes are not as pronounced.

Here's another amazing perfume from a house no one talks about. Carpathian Oud from Soivohle. Incredibly unique perfume. It is one of my most worn perfumes this year, not because it is easy to wear or among my favorites, but because I still try to wrap my head around it. I'd say it feels like an aromatic floral-chypre with a bracing, spicy top, and an earthy, mineral, musky, and oudy base. There is so much going on while being incredibly well-blended. You sense there are layers upon layers and many notes playing around yet the synergism is high so it all comes together as a perfect melange that is difficult to break apart. The perfume, as the name suggests, is inspired by Stoker's character, Dracula, and the Carpathian Basin flora. And it manages to capture both. The top and the heart showcase a beautiful amalgamation of flavors that I can associate with a Transylvanian countryside summer kitchen. A bracing opening with a strong laurel note, an ingredient that I feel is underused as it has such a beautiful and interesting flavor. Spicy, camphoraceous, and sweet. Cleverly complemented by clove. Some other aromatics and spices are present but difficult to pinpoint. I believe cumin is present, as I always get the "it smells like sweat" comments, and that always happens when "muggles" detect a heavy usage of cumin in perfumes. I am very tolerant of its flavor as I consume it frequently in my diet while also being one of my favorite notes in perfumery. I own many compositions that make heavy use of it. The heart uses some floral accords, from what I can tell, carnation and geranium. Again, a clever choice as both of them help to perpetuate the spicy-aromatic accords from the opening stage, carnation having a naturally spicy odor, and geranium a clove-like mentholated facet. The base uses Indian Oud but this is not an oud-heavy perfume, although the fermented, spicy facet of it does show up. There is a strong earthy and mineral-salty aroma as well, most likely from the oakmoss and the ambergris working together with other materials, as well as a civet-like furiness creeping in. A complex base layer with woody, earthy, and musky facets. The first part of the perfume smells like a Transylvanian summer kitchen amid a field of wildflowers, whereas the base smells like a dungeon slowly inhabited by terrestrial elements. Therefore, I think Liz captured what she intended to in this perfume. A majestic example of first-class artisanal perfumery. Bold, strange, natural-smelling, different, yet blended to perfection and smooth all the way through. IG:@memory.of.scents

It does evoke the feeling of some dark cold lonely mountain castle where Dracula may reside, with [just a few] corpses laying around (probably the oud), but more so than that, it smells like Indian food -_- specifically the bowl of seeds and spices you grab on your way out... Here's the ACTUAL list of notes taken from the official site: Fir Balsam, Rhododendron, Laurel Leaf, Geranium Rose, Carnation Accord, Mountain Poppy Accord, Orris Butter, Iris Accord, Wild Violet Accord, Cloves, Cumin, Cinnamon, Oakmoss Base, Natural Brown Oakmoss, Amyris/Sandalwood Blend, Indian Agarwood, Laotian Agarwood, Oud Accord, Civet Reconstruction, Vetiver, Opopanax, Nutmeg, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang, Muscone, Castoreum Reconstruction, Classic Natural Amber Base, Benzoin Resin 1. Notice there's no Soil Tincture here, nor Cedar & Ambergris 2. Since the site differentiates "perfume" and "natural perfume," I'm going to assume most of the "accords" involve synthetics One of my least favorites out of the 10 samples, but still better than Leather Krem

This review is for the demi-absolute: A strong, syoofi, cheesy kind of oud is balanced against an array of violet notes. Oily, musty chords swirl around in the mix, but ultimately this is a massive, convoluted composition that’s hard to boil down to single elements. Wafts of cocoa, rotting fruit, and mossy notes rise and fall in unison, and the scent succeeds in that it’s truly the sum of its parts. Despite that, it’s not the most pleasant thing ever produced—and it’s certainly not that forgiving when worn. There’s a sweaty quality that stands out when placed up against what seems to be a bodied orris root and a camphorous laurel, and this is all spun in an oily, greasy fashion. Super evocative but oppressive overall. Although it smells quite different, I’m reminded of Salvador Dali PH in that it’s a cavalcade of stuff getting thrown at you. Although I wouldn’t necessarily suggest this for oud fans, I would be inclined to push it toward those who love iris as that’s what seems to be at the center of the blend.

I got this one about 6 or 7 years ago as a top-up steak knives sale when I bought a whole heap of stuff off a friend, and I have to be honest, even though I liked it, I never got it. Now? Heh I still DON'T GET IT, but I appreciate this one MUCH more. I have about 8 - 10 mls left of this, and I am seriously considering sourcing more. It is just SO unique -- one of those 'scents as art' kind of perfume, and it might be a bit "why would I want to smell like this?" for a lot of people, but I can REALLY appreciate it... Bay leaf, earth, woods and oakmoss, but strangely enough it's not foresty -- at least not to me -- and it actually comes across a bit agrestic, farmhousey and really earthy. I like it, and I feel it works on many levels, especially given how there aren't exactly a lot of scents in this category to base anything off. I recommend giving this a sniff, if you can find it!

Today is my second wearing Carpathian Oud, and it's shaping up to be my favorite oud. Halloween brought to mind Gary Oldman's superb portrayal of Dracula, and what more appropriate moment to wear this, I reasoned. However, this is not scary: this is a sensous and persistent scent, dark with mystery and beauty, and a classic unisex. Richly bohemian in all the best ways, this fragrance speaks to my Gypsy soul. The other accords in the mix act to balance the extradordinary weight I find in oud. After the aromatic opening, the oud resonates with the wood/soil accords and I find this fragrance beautiful the whole way through. Sillage is not overpowering, but there is definite presenct to this fragrance. Yes, my favorite oud of all I have tried: onto my "want" list this beauty goes.

a most unusual fragrance but i like it.i have tried both versions and i like the cologne best.i suggest that you try a sample first.lasts for a long time on my skin.this is best worn evening.