Taklamakan

"Exotic oriental desert in a bottle." Taklamakan is a 2016 fragrance from Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777, a French fragrance house that specializes in heavy oriental scents by the namesake perfumer. I got to know the perfume line from Kafkaesque blog, and learned just how unique each of Lucas's perfumes are, but Taklamakan is the one that particularly speaks to me. I first came across Taklamakan at The Different Scent Perfumery in Berlin, Germany back in December 2017. Upon spraying it on my wrist, the scent stuck on my sleeve for 3 days and I was completely enamored by the sweet and sandy scent. I get notes of vanilla (not the sweet-sugary kind, but the Guerlainesque type that is more savory), guaiac wood (which makes this fragrance majorly woody), labdanum and benzoin. What really stands out about this fragrance for me is how dry it is, and thus reminds me of Andy Tauer's L`Air du Desert Marocain, but much less spicy and a lot more vanilla and labdanum. More accurately, it's the love child of L`Air du Desert Marocain and Dior's discontinued Mitzah, without the sweetness and spiciness. Both L`Air du Desert Marocain and Taklamakan conjure images of the desert; while the former invokes images of the Sahara, the latter does for the desert of the same name. As Taklamakan is a pure extrait, the longevity is enormous and can easily last an entire day, all 24 hours of it. This scent is utterly beautiful when worn during colder weathers, and becomes addictive when sprayed on a fabric and left to dry after a few hours. After being smitten upon sniffing it on my wrist, I decided to get a full bottle for myself at The Different Scent perfumery, only to be told that they ran out of stock... so I did the next best thing: buy the tester. Amazing fragrance in all, but be warned: it's a very potent fragrance that should be worn sparingly! Plus, the bottle design is utterly gorgeous!!

"Taklamakan" is a breathtaking, very dry precious wood scent, which rests harmoniously on a smoky vanilla base. My oriental dream come true! The guaiac wood in this fragrance is dark, mysterious and exotic. Guaiac (or guaiac wood) and especially the wood of the "Bulnesia sarmienti" comes from a tropical tree. Its habitat in South America is the forest of the Grand Chaco, between Bolivia, Argentina and Paraguay. Other types of guaiac trees are found in other tropical and subtropical areas of America. According to Fragrantica, the olfactory profile is described as "exotic wood notes that have tar-like, phenolic facets and convey smoky, asphaltic notes". Ayala Moriel, a Canadian perfumer of natural scents agrees and notes that guaiac wood has a smoky note: "rosy, honey-sweet and slightly smoky and waxy-oily, slightly rubbery aroma. It is often used in tobacco scents". Another one says it smells like "pepper and burning leaves". This then sounds like a very pungent smell, which only becomes apparent in the drydown and could spoil many a fragrance. When I once asked for this special wood note in a "Salon de Parfums" at Harrods in London, I was surprised that the salesmen did not know it, unlike oud. I wrote the name "guaiac wood" on a piece of paper in the dreamy hope that perfumers would create a few fragrances with this elegant tropical wood note. So when I left the Salon, I was tempted to say a Hawaiian greeting: "Hang loose, my surfboard is made of guaiac wood!" But I don't do that so often... Fragrance: 10/10, Longevity: 9/10, Sillage: 8/10, Flacon: 10/10.

انبوهی از روایح صمغی و دودی و چوبی و وانیل و زنبق گرم ومجلسی و مخصوص ماههای سرد تلخ وشیرین پخش و ماندگاری عالی. این حجم از نتها درکمال تعجب باعث بوجود آمدن یک عطر کمپلکس نشده و تک تک نتهایی که بینیتان آنها را میشناسد میتوانید احساس کنید. گاهی بوی کهربای خالص و دقایقی بعد دودی و بعد وانیل و سپس زنبق و پس از آن چوبی و حتی گاهی پچولی مرتبا نتهای مختلف خودنمایی میکنند و میروند در انتهای صف و مجددا برمیگردند. هیچ عطری ندیدم که چنین شفافیتی در نتها و چنین تغییر رایحه ای داشته باشد. این تغییر رایحه (که معمولا بصورت تک نت است) باعث میشود بینیتان به عطر عادت نکند و به اصطلاح شامه تان پر نمیشود و بهمین دلیل تا ساعتها آنرا احساس میکنید. اگر از رایحه اش خوشتان آمد در خریدش شک نکنید مشابهی ندیدم ولی در فضای آمبر آئورا (پروفوم روما) و آرمانی میر ولی با این تفاوت که زنبق و کمی هم پچولی دارد

Taklamakan is a very beautiful composition, especially if you are a fan of Ambery, resinous type frags. This is a somewhat linear fragrance, not too much development but in this instance, thats a good thing. It does not need it. Main notes are Guaic wood, an incense note from the labdanum, hints of iris and vanilla but the main player here is definitely the Benzoin. In fact, the easiest way to describe this frag would be a blend of Ambre Sultan and Tom Ford Amber Absolute wrapped in a Beautiful Benzoin note. Longevity and projection are both good. A winner for the cooler months. I currently just have a decant of it but this is definitely full Bottle worthy for me. Very Nice.

A lovely benzoin based Oriental which is enhanced with Bergamot, rose (prominent), patchouli, vanilla, tonka, birch, cade, gaiac, cedar, myrrh, orris, tolu balsam, labdanum, ambergris, sandalwood, and musk. In spite of so many elements, the end product is one of SHLs lightest feeling creations that has an understated yet luxurious elegance about it. The unisex perfume conjures visions of the spice laden caravans slowly crossing the Mongolian desert after which this scent is named. This perfume will grow on you and never overpower you, but its sweet spicy mysteriousness lingers and wins you over. Enjoy!

I might have a new favorite house. This is a fantastic mix of cedar, vanilla, and flowers. It's blended beautifully to where everything is mixed but I can still pick out individual notes. They all seem like they are in perfect proportion: the woods are powerful but softened by the flowers, musk, and delicious vanilla. This also strikes me as very versatile for spring, fall, winter, day or night. I can see this being an excellent date fragrance too. This is the third fragrance from SHL I have tried and I have loved all three. Absolutely gorgeous perfumery all around.

Update: silly me. I haven’t been in the desert, but was in a dry, sunburned, sandy Sharm el Sheikh years ago, and that’s why I found Taklamakan so fitting as the desert sand fragrance. Which it’s meant to portray anyway. Unusual, but amazingly good fragrance. Very dry and at the same time very warm: it's a smell of hot sand. The name suits it perfectly, having said that I've never been to a desert but I would imagine this is how it smells like. It's my comfort scent: feels like wearing an old, loved merino wool jumper. Great fragrance!

it`s name is completely accord with it`a smell.taklamakan which is name of a desert is embedded in this fragrance . it`s dryness rhoroughly pictured a hot desert while benzoin and vanila give it more warmness and make it mor oriental. in depth guaiac and labdanum give it smoky feel to it. it`s quite an amazing fragrance with balanced notes which own hi quality ingredients . totally it`s dry woody sweet vanilic smokey juice in a bottle . performance wise it has fairly beast longevity and moderate to high projection.

Breathtakingly great. Wow, dry..incense with musk resting on a smoky vanilla base . The notes listed are there but create notes that are just so great. I am not going to say this smells like anything. It deserves to be its own creation. It will soon be hyped so I am going to be one of the originals and order a bottle now. Price is perfectly fair, 50ml for under $200? Yes. I say this because the longevity is good and it projects just fine :) I dare say 10/10 :) ?

Ok, hear me out: Au Coeur du Desert, but with chocolate. Upon first blast, my skin gives off the distinct impression of dense, dry woods, and powdered dark chocolate (yes, not listed) - then comes sticky resins, incense, and deep earthy botanicals. Heavy, linear, yet full of character. Verrrrry luxurious, well put-together, and exquisitely gothic. I do so wish it would last longer though.

A delicious interpretation of a desert ... hot sand, hot air, a bazaar full of spices and resins. Taklamakan envelops you in a beautiful and persistent cloud... dry, woody, warm. The dry down is full of this absolutely perfect resinous incense, with a non-gourmand vanilla keeping every note in harmony. Long lasting, great quality and composition; a 10/10 for me.

Everyday wearable, warm, sandy, middle eastern vibe with French composition. I find myself reaching for it all the time after a long day. Nothing about it offends me and it gives me what I love in just the right amounts. Not explosive but not wimpy either, goldilocks perfume in my case.

The opening is a bit overwhelming and chaotic like a sand-storm, with every note fighting with each other. The drydown, however, is calm and serene, with the benzoin, vanilla and iris notes playing with each other harmoniously. This is a well crafted piece of art.

The only vanilla heavy fragrance which has managed to melt my heart. It’s 100% magnificent. I was waiting to be swept off my feet by a fragrance. So it turns out I love benzoin. I’m getting a full-size bottle without hesitation.

Quite easily makes my list of top 5 fragrances of all time. Period. If you are in to these types of darker scents, you owe it to yourself to get a sample of this asap!!

Labdanum baked over a fire of sandalwood, guaiac wood and cedar and you name them woods. No smoke, only the heat. And then it's the chocolate and the rose. Rose is yellow, a bit lemony and musky, a combination of musk and bergamot. I smelled once a quince-yellow, plump, gorgeous rose smelling like Taklamakan. Chocolate is dark and fragrant, not gourmand. It is an earthy smell, dusty and calming, like a rock scorched by hundreds of years of sun. Sadly, the sillage is intimate to moderate, and I wanted it louder.

There was this initial blast of freshness 2 seconds after applying, but that vanishes almost instantaneously. It's ambery and woody through and through, and it doesn't seem to evolve much since then. However, there is a floral note deep down that remains in the background. I tend to love resins, so this is right up my alley.

I really understand now people who said it smells like woody sauna :D Fragrance has this special DNA which almost all SHL perfumes have. It really smells in the dry down like hot sand or hot air in the sauna. It's interesting but not for me.

Ever so slightly softer, more delicate, and more floral than other benzoins I've come across. Manages to avoid the cliché 1920s throwback vibe. Is modern, but not pretentiously so. Def my favorite out of all the benzoins I've tried.

I think this is the best benzoin driven scent I have run accross. Smooth..great blending..a benzoin lovers delight!

Smokey woody vanilla drydown powdery.. not the typical sweet gourmand vanilla. Nicely blend scent and unique.

The more I experience the other niche houses, the more I want to say that SHL is truly collectable.

I had been fascinated by Taklamakan for years (who wouldn't be?! Inspired by the central Asian deserts!), thinking I'd probably never actually be able to sample it. I got a screaming deal on a full bottle and was sadly disappointed. I somehow thought this would be mainly guaiac wood, benzoin, and iris. Instead, it's a labdanum bomb with an unpleasant background of synthetic white musk. This and ELDO's Attaquer de Soleir (not sure if that's the exact name) are the two perfumes that showed me that, while I generally love "amber," I'm not usually a labdanum fan.

I wore this for an entire day. It is sadly nothing too original for me, having worn many one-woman-brand scents made at home. I detected only frankinsense, incense (like the sticks you burn from an India shop) and something mildly fruity-jammy, probably rose. Compared to Jeddah that I own this is a different ball park. I wouldn't buy this since it smells like you could make it at home using some scented oils.

smells great, but very cloying and sticky sweet vanilla, benzoin and woods. Great to sniff a few sniffs, but easy to get sick of after just a few minutes.

This is basically a well done woody vanilla fragrance. Smells very masculine to me. I wouldn't buy it but it smells ok. -

Taklamakan by Stéphane Humbert Lucas was a total disappointment in both scent and performance. Given the high price and niche branding, I expected something unique and captivating, but it failed to deliver. The fragrance opens with a promising spicy and resinous accord, but it quickly becomes muddled and uninspired. The supposed oriental richness feels flat, lacking the depth and complexity one would anticipate. Instead of an opulent, mysterious desert-inspired scent, it comes across as generic and forgettable. Worse yet, the performance is shockingly weak for a fragrance in this price range. It fades within a couple of hours, leaving behind a faint whisper of vanilla and woods that barely clings to the skin. For a niche house known for bold compositions, this is underwhelming and feels unfinished. The dry-down, which should be the highlight, is nothing remarkable, offering a weak ambery-woody mix that lacks personality. The lack of projection makes it even more disappointing, as it never truly makes an impression. Compared to Bentley for Men Intense, which costs a fraction of the price, Taklamakan feels like a waste of money. Bentley for Men Intense offers a richer, boozier, and more seductive scent that lasts significantly longer. It projects better, performs well, and delivers a similar—if not superior—experience. If you're looking for a warm, resinous, and luxurious scent, there's no reason to splurge on Taklamakan. Bentley for Men Intense provides the same cozy, sophisticated vibe without the letdown. The fact that a designer fragrance outshines a niche one in both scent and longevity is embarrassing. Stéphane Humbert Lucas missed the mark completely with this release. It lacks the power, elegance, and storytelling that niche fragrances should offer. Ultimately, this is a forgettable scent that fails to justify its hype or its price tag. Save your money and go for Bentley instead.

Im quite disappointed with this, its essentially a higher quality version of Givenchy Gentleman EDP, smells really similar to it. You are better off getting gentleman edp and save some money

smoky and spicy i do not like it

There is something sour in this which is really off-putting. Not for me. Though I really want to try other scents from this house

The more creation i see for Stephane the more happy i go and excited to examine. Now this one is quite different as i begun to feel that Stephane is going to darker themes and ideas since he begun with "Mortal Skin" & now it's "Taklamakan". As Stephane Described to me, Taklamakan is a desert in China and it is ِarid, barren, and too dry and i guess he mentioned something with the death of love and as you go there and use a shovel on the sand and with only one hit you will come up with skeleton heads all over the place and under the sand of Taklamakan. A dark scene for a dark juice which i personally love (the idea of dark scenes). Now this fragrance has something similar to Qom Chilom somehow (which is my favorite after O'hira & unfortunately it is discontinued because of poor selling) but it has much less cherries and more of sharp roses to presents the dark blotted clotted blood with the help of Guaiac Wood. I can smell the musc that gives the dirty death note in an amazing way and some sandalwood, iris, and a slight vanilla to give the silence of the desert although it should be sandy instead but it's not in this juice. I even can smell Stephane's main note which is almonds. I can even smell citrusy patchouli. This is a not love at first sniff but tolerable over time AND it might go to your favorites shelve if you like sharp roses and the scene it describes. It will be released in May 2016 and it will be as same price as Khôl de Bahreïn, Rose de Petra, & Une Nuit a Doha.

Up front I can totally see the Tauer comparisons. There was a fleeting whiff of Desert Marocain, but Taklamakan quickly announces to the beholder that it is a desert of another sort entirely. Far less forgiving. A place where the beauty of the lessons learned doesn't come easily. This is compelling, dark, and haunting! What starts out as a cool, dusty amber is slow to unfold for the wearer. It's warmth unveiling itself very gradually over time. If you haven't already, read the article with Stéphane Humbert from Esxence 2016 (Survivor of the Death Desert, by Serguey Borisov). Understanding the perfumer's emotional (and somewhat unsettling) journey in Taklamakan's creation is illuminating, but without dispelling any of the mystery of the final product. Taklamakan may well be one of my favourite contemporary uses of benzoin! It becomes a new animal entirely in here. Smooth, less medicinal. In many ways it's the benzoin I wanted (and expected) in other fragrances! The woods are expertly harmonized to the resinous notes, and the florals are a syrupy flick across the wooded background. This will definitely not be for everyone, but there is much to appreciate here. Be it the construction, the story, the journey, or even just curiousity, I think Stéphane Humbert has given us something really special to bear witness to.

Taklamakan surprised me when testing at Harrod's little exclusive 777 stand and I blind tested without knowing the notes and I really liked, if not loved it. Now I know why; it's the simple bergamot (lemony-sweetish type here) with a huge boatload tub of rich, sweet resins and/or vanilla. It's intense without being cloying; very thick and sticky sweet but most importantly, smooth and that had me all smiles. Reminded me of Tom fords populist 'hit' that I totally hate, Amber absolute but I think this is so much more polished and addictive, it's a totally different scent for it. Waves of sweetness were accented with good sandalwood and some nice chewy resins. The rose and iris make this a very safe scent in the scheme of things. Maybe could have been more complex or with a real surprise or 2 to take it to the top Level but it's more than satisfying enough with so much (and mostly) shockingly bad filler out there, even in the Niche world. Very pleased; a must try and sleeper hit imo! My rating: 8/10.

Well well. I never thought that I would smell anything more potent than Nasomatto's Absinth but here we are. This is a beast of spicy oud resin amber and something a bit off putting, reminding me of an unpleasant smelling and intimate bodily part although after a couple of hours this largely settled. I really cannot imagine any possible scenario where this would be servicable. It made Nasomatto's Absinth look mild and meek in comparison but in reality it left me appreciating Nasomatto's smoothness refinement and depth even more. I think at this price there must be an Emperor's New Clothes effect with Cognoscenti delving into their imaginations and wishful thinking . So far I have smelt 3 of S H's creations and none really smell especially pleasant. The least offensive and even mildly interesting being Mortal Skin. Fragrance: 6.75 --in the drydown/10 Projection: Beast mode Longevity: Best mode.

Sampling this today and I like it but I probably won't buy it. This to me kind of reminds me of Andy Tauer's frags. I get musk, benzoin and woods up front. All a little warm spicy and dusty. The Labdanum adds some sweetness and the rose is reminiscent of Andy's Loretta which I own. The wood is the most interesting part with the cedar and guaiac creating a smooth and balanced accord sometimes too synthetic in niche frags. Which brings me to the one thing I respect about SH fragrances, the natural way they smell. The longevity is decent and the sillage is a little bigger than a skin scent. This is a fragrance that I would like to sample again in the cool so I will tuck it away and come back to it in a couple of months.

I feel like this is an ambery perfume for those who dislike heavy resins. opens strong to quickly fall down into semi-mute kind of quality, the intensity of the fragrance is that of the dry down - so hushed like its about to be gone. the aroma will stay with you for another 5-6 hours in this state I owned both voodoo chic and coeur du desert. I guess you can put all resin perfumes under one roof and they will all share similarities to some extent... however, taklamakan has its own unique character, soft and airy, like a see-through veil, with beautiful chocolaty patchouli and gentle vanilla / iris touch ups. it is not sweet but warm if makes sense, not powdery or musky at all. rather warm and dry and kind of buttery.

Dry, woody, resinous with just a dash of floral notes and vanilla to sweeten it up a bit. Benzoin-rich for those who love that note.. Great longevity, moderate silage. I accidentally spilled most of a sample vial on myself this morning and thought I'd be overwhelmed, but it's really not a silage beast, even on a hot, humid day. This goes on my wish list. My experience with SHL is limited to this and Rose de Petra; I'm so impressed with his quality and originality.

I'm surprised some kind of animalic element is not in the notes breakdown. Also, I swear there is cumin or caraway in this... I do like this, but I have a few similar scents and I wouldn't want to double up... It's resiney, smokey, animalic and woody. Yep, that's about three big ticks, and I'm leaning towards wanting to buy this, but it reminds me too much of a Marlou scent I'm considering as well as Terryfic Oud which I already own... Decisions decisions...

I love amber and resin Perfumes, and I also have a soft spot for iris ❤️ (Dior, Valentino etc) so this is a homerum for me, Its a dry dessert fantasy, burning hott sand around the fresh rich iris vanilla brings a Nice contrast Just like amouage did wit the Dark iris, but in this case Its more balanced and user friendly, It leans towards beeing masculine but can see almost ennybody w a bold heart pull this off 10/10

One of the best fragrances I ever put my nose to. If you’re a lover of woody fragrances you must buy. It’s a dry woody scent, yet remains smooth and not rugged. The sweetness is a benzoin type of sweet not sugary at all. I get a bit of a sauna type vibe in the dry down which is amazing. I also get a hot sand type of note in the dry down too. Perfect fall and winter scent for a woman or man.

After owning a bottle.. Every time before I sleep, I make strategy to defeat Taklamakan...how can I control this hedious monster.. Even half a spray is overbearing.. Every time I gather my courage to face it.. He knocks me down mercilessly.. Spit on me and walks away.. Aahh Benzoin!!

This starts out like l’air du desert Moroccain in that is it dry, spicy and there is some incense. However it quickly becomes sweeter and quieter - more wearable in my view. I love both but this is my favourite. It is a quiet ambery spice perfume for all.

Taklamakan is a vivacious and noisy Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, which explains its retro accent. But I am really at a loss as far as its gender orientation: the fragrance is too loud and linear to be for women and too sweet and fragrant to be worn by men.

im in the desert and i walk into cabin and someones burning asparagus. I'm wearing my hoodie I used fabric softener on then a strange man starts burning incense from the flea market. My cars outside and i just wanna go home. glad i sampled

Reminded me at the start about Pardon by Nasomatto, but very soon it goes in its own, a different direction. The patchouli shines through & so does the Chinese cedar. It's a fascinating wear ! IG : @scentclouds YouTube : @scentclouds

This is a wonderful warm fragrance. Not overly sweet, despite it's fragrance notes. I find it smells dry, quite like a desert or maybe a sauna. Reminds me of VC&A Ambre Imperial, except for that dry note.

I must say very strong lasting power, but... Today when I tried for the first time it's not all satisfying me... I will try it again, there is something I don't like, perhaps benzoin.

Is it me or does Taklamakan smell like a softer L'air Du Desert Marocain by Tauer? Swear it reminds me of the dry down of Tauer's fragrance. That powdery dry down is so apparent.

Scent: 8/10 Quality: 9/10 Originality: 6/10 Sillage: 7/10 Projection: 7/10 Longevity: 7/10 Price VS Size: 8/10

I quite like this, only I smell something ferrous in it. I think it’s patchouli, that my skin emphasizes.