PHI Une Rose de Kandahar

"Voluptuous, velvety and sensual... a bed of roses covered in apricots and tobacco leaves." PHI Une Rose de Kandahar is a 2013 fragrance by Tauer Perfumes, an niche perfume house by independent Andy Tauer. Tauer has become a cult icon in the perfume industry because of his background: he is self-taught in the art of perfumery and one of his earliest creations, L`Air du Desert Marocain, is considered to be one of the most iconic creations in the perfume community for being able to capture the olfactory essence of a Moroccan desert. Rather than just a perfumer, he is more of a perfume artist whose fragrances are the result of his artistic talents. Kandahar is yet another fragrance that is grabbing attention in the community. It contains a supposedly extremely rare rose extract produced only in the Afghanistan region of Nangarhar. Since the extract is very limited, the fragrance is a limited edition and may not be available at all times. Shortly put, Kandahar is a precious fragrance. On my skin, it opens with a fruity blast of apricot with tinges of peaches, and other citrus notes. It's tart, juicy and sweet, and is reminiscent of the opening of Miyako by Auphorie. At the same time, there are also notes of chilly, slightly spicy and "lemony" geranium, which gives my nose a slight tingly effect. The beautiful fruity opening serves merely as hors d'oeuvre for what is to come. The apricot/peachy accords slowly subsides and draw the curtains for the main event: the rose. Lush and unbashed, the rose takes center stage and bask in the limelight, like a female VIP in a full-on blood-red wedding gown. Unlike a lot of other rose fragrances, the rose in Kandahar isn't jammy-sweet. It's more floral than anything else, and that appeals to me since sweet-jammy rose isn't my cup of tea. What's interesting is that the rose isn't alone; it's coupled with tobacco leaves, rendering the conventionally feminine accord more unisex. Some people have claimed that Kandahar is a rose fragrance for non-rose fans, and I can see why: it's the tobacco leaves akin to that in Parfums de Marly's Herod that make it more approachable for general wearers. Perhaps the only minor letdown is that, unlike what others have said, I couldn't detect the vanilla as much as I have hoped. Then there is the closing act, which I would sum up to be a subtle performance by cinnamon, tonka bean and ambergris. It's the ambergris that's a welcoming surprise for me; I thought I would smell it earlier so to experience only in the drydown is a relief. If apricot and rose are the stars in the top and heart respectively, then ambergris is the star in the base. I'm not sure if I get vanilla in this stage because the butter-like note I get is more tonka bean than anything else. In all, this is a wonderful fragrance. Tauer is a cult icon when it comes to niche fragrances and Kandahar is perhaps my favourite in the line. I haven't tried some of his other fragrances yet, and I'm keen to try Une Rose Chypree next. I might even consider getting a full bottle soon; I just hope it's still available when the time comes. To date, this is my favourite rose fragrance and, like what others have mentioned, I do urge non-rose fans to at least try it. It's certainly one-of-a-kind fragrance that deserves more attention and, most definitely, praises.

I had liked and enjoyed fragrance before this one. But Phi is my true first love. Head over heels it knocked me off my feet, love at first sight. Tauer is a master - my boyfriend is a big Coeur fan and I've adored smelling it on him, Pthalo is one of the most purely fascinating things I've ever tried, and Incense Rose is also a cherished personal favorite - so it comes as no surprise to me that one of his works would be an arrow to my heart. Here it is, shot from Kandahar, and thank God it found me. A jammy, juicy, dripping, nectar-and-dew rose. Luscious. What a mood to it! Tender, melancholy, victorious, nostalgic, singular. Again, dripping with springtime verdance, with freshness - but with a rainy depth to it, too. The almond, apricot, and tobacco specifically meld together for me, becoming part of the same sustained note - the stiff bite of the apricot's skin, the solid wetness of the tobacco, and the bitter-almond whisper twining both together like needle and thread. The musk and vetiver are so precisely placed, little pinpoint foundations of the scent deep, deep below this. "Sculpture" is simply the correct word, I feel like I can hold this scent in my hands, turn it over like a 3D shape, changing perspective like the facets of a gemstone. Truly a treasure - especially to a rose fanatic like myself. It's wonderful to see a rose at center stage without it being the only star, framed by a work much larger than itself but which never drowns it out. A photorealistic rose note among a boudoir of admirers; elevated, honored, and enhanced. A caveat: whatever gene or tendency that makes one interpret ambroxides as ammonia, I have it really bad. Certain otherwise wonderful scents are made intolerable to me because of this quirk. And I do notice it in Phi - but for whatever reason, it isn't offensive. It doesn't turn pungent or sour like ambergris usually does for me; it seems so well blended that even I can pick up on it accurately - and it forms this sparkling, crinkling undercurrent to the scent I adore, a little thorn-prick sharpness to it, without which the scent's triumphant sweetness would have fallen flat for me. I can only praise this dramatically, but I'm not exaggerating. This will be my signature scent until the last bottle on the planet is used up.

As a lover of rose-centered compositions, I am used to the rose and oud combo, Phi – Une Rose de Kandahar stands out as a welcome departure from the that. Here, the absence of oud is not a lack but an inspired choice that allows the rose to shine in a far more nuanced and graceful light. The result is a fragrance of striking individuality and refinement (as always with Tauer's creations, let me add). What captivates me most is the soft, powdery sweetness that envelops the central rose accord (but absolutely not into makeup-like territory), Phi has a delicate balance. Upon further reflection, I believe this effect stems from a masterful interplay between almond, tobacco, cinnamon and vanilly giving the fragrance an almost marzipan-like softness with a subtle dryness and warmth. This combination creates a comforting, gently sweet backdrop that elevates the rose without ever overshadowing it. Phi is restrained, elegant, and unmistakably imbued with Tauer’s signature touch. As with L'Air du Désert Marocain and L'Air des Alpes Suisses, I detect Andy’s olfactory fingerprint: and a sense of hand-crafted artistic integrity that permeates the entire composition. His perfumes consistently exude creative depth without ever becoming unwearable or overly avant-garde—Phi is no exception. It is striking and expressive, yet still utterly wearable and intimate. Within my collection of over a hundred perfumes, Phi has undoubtedly secured a place in my personal top five or six. Tauer’s packaging is always a pleasure to behold. Whether it’s the distinctive metal boxes or the newer cardboard designs, each presentation is thoughtful and aesthetically pleasing. A particularly charming touch is the inclusion of a hand-signed note from Andy himself in each box—a gesture that speaks to the artisanal and personal nature of his work. The bottle itself is among the most instantly recognizable in the niche world: pentagonal, sturdy, and elegant in its minimalism. The thick glass and precise angles give it a sense of permanence and quality. If I had to offer one minor critique, it would be the spray mechanism—it doesn’t deliver the most refined mist—but this is hardly a concern. The overall experience, from scent to packaging, remains deeply satisfying and memorable.

من سمپل اين عطر به دستم رسيد ابتدا اينو بگم كه اين عطر بوي شيريني داره و در دسته عطر هاي شيرين دسته بندي ميشه از اون اقا پسر ها خندوني كه دوست داري باهاشون گپ بزني و يا خانوم هايي كه بوي خيلي خوبي ميدن و دوست داري زمانكند تر بگذره ريويو را از بو عطر شروع ميكنم ساختار عطر خيلي با كيفيت هست به صورتي كه بوي عطر بوي گل رز ابتدا شروع ميشه كه البته بوي زردالو هم احساس ميشه اما بوي زردالو بعد چند دقيقه بسيار محو ميشه و بوي گل رز با كمي تلخي خودشون كاملا به نمايش ميزاره البته تلخي خيلي خيلي ملايم و كم رنگي اون را همراهي ميكنه بعد از گذر دو ساعت بوي پودري تلخي و شيريني گل رز همچنان قابل توجه است اما ماندگاري خوبي نداره و بعد ٣ الي ٤ ساعت بوي عطر به سمت نا پديد شدن ميل ميكند البته بعد از اين مدت بوي عطر مشخص هست اما نه به اون پخش بوي دو ساعت اول بالانس اين اثر خيلي خيلي خوبه و با اينكه شايد از جمله عطر هاي شيريني باشه كه در كشورمون زياد طرفدار نداشته باشه اما كيفيت و بوي خيلي لذت بخشي داره اين عطر انتخاب شخصي من نيست اما هم براي مردان و براي خانم ها مناسب هست من ترجيه ميدم اين عطر توسط خانم ها استفاده بشه تا اقايون اما خوب اين عطر در نت ابتدايي خودشو بصورتي نشون ميده كه اقايون هم ميتونن استفاده كنند اما در نت پاياني شبيه به عطر هاي شيرين و كريمي و خانه اي عطر هاي زنونه ميمونه كه به خاطر گل رز هست در مورد قيمت اكثر كارهاي اقاي تاور حدودا 135 دلار قيمت دارند ——————————- Well i got have my sample for test after several testing it on my skin this is i think what you get: To me its starting with apricot for just some minutes in openning and after that booomb the perfume show what truly it self massive rose but not that sweetness of the rose you think there is bitter and cream comes with it every second i think about the bitter smell it’s because of tobacco and almond is. After one hour i got the smell of rose very much and get why it’s unisex too some sweet and also get some vibe of vetiver and cinnamon but very little and dry down to be soapy and sweet like rose to me its nice fragrance its not that much special like 02 or lonestar rider but its nice i love it and very nice balances geat job. My point to this is : Scent : 7/10 Projection: 8/10 Long lasting: 10/10 Value of money: 5.5/10 Balances : very very professional performance 11/10 Versatile: 7/10 Buy another bottle: maybe yess

The rose comes out full force in the beginning. It reminds me more than just a little bit of MFK frags that heavily feature rose (A lot of the Oud Mood collection). Slightly medicinal, but not overly so, in a good way. The Almond is definitely present, as is the apricot. This fragrance is very weird for me. Because I get a lot of these notes in the very opening....and then they disappear for hours. I mean it. Hours. The mid of this frag smells *very* much like Encens Mythique D'Orient by Guerlain. To the point where for 5 or so hours the MAIN thing I smell is Ambergris. In all it's salty, ethereal glory. There are probably a good amount of people who've worn frags where the heart or base is predominantly ambergris.. the main two I can think of are the aforementioned Guerlain and maybe Colonia Ambra from AdP... so the vibe here is familiar to that but maybe slightly more pure. However unlike anything else I've tried the rest of the drydown does *not* stay in ambergris only realm. I won't say it is the same for everyone's skin, but on me, after a solid 6-7 hours I start to get the tonka bean and vanilla. It finishes much more slanted towards this than the mid.. with the vanilla and dare I say a light hint of tobacco settled in as a skin scent. Not a harsh or smoked tobacco mind you but almost an unscented aromatic that isn't sweet or cloying. This is one of the few fragrances I've found that has an incredibly distinct opening, middle, and finish that don't really smell alike at all. Which probably speaks to Mr. Tauer's ability to blend ingredients to a very particular and focused level. I have fragrances that last longer, but you can easily get 12 hours out of this, and the projection really hits through its ambergris mid before settling down. I imagine it will smell different on different people so would give this a sample before you go for a full bottle. Very enjoyable, and a very personal journey.

PHI - Une Rose de Kandahar is easily my favorite fragrance these days. Safe to say I'm addicted to it. I received a sample of it with another order from Tauer and PHI - Une Rose de Kandahar was love at first whiff. I ordered a bottle, and this morning I ordered a back-up bottle in case Andy runs out of stuff to make this wonderful elixir. I've been wearing it every day since I first experienced it. This is like the best thing I've ever smelled, maybe in... forever? @Sereen84, in her spot on review below, mentioned that it's like a rose version of L'Heure Bleue and she's exactly on the money with that description. L'Heure Bleue is one of my other fave things and Une Rose' is deftly crafted to sit in the same ballpark. It definitely has a vintage, I'm thinking "Classic" vibe to it. Like most of Andy's stuff it has an animalic thing to it as well; right at the start; and that's mixed with a wonderful rose that's like none other. As it dries down it gets sweeter and more powdery with kind of a gourmand cinnamon thing added to the roses. As that starts to happen I can't help but keep putting my wrist up by my nose. As I mentioned, for me it's so addicting and strange at the same time. I've never been like, "Hooked" on a fragrance before. Certainly way worse things to get hung up on! Longevity is excellent. This stuff lasts and lasts. Someone mentioned below that it may be a little too "Feminine" for a man to wear? It's a rose/floral at heart so yeah, it's leaning in that direction for sure but geez, do we have to divide ourselves up into camps? I really don't care if something's a "Masculine" or "Feminine" fragrance. If it smells great, and I like it... that's all that I care about. For me, this perfume hits all the notes; it's as close to perfection as I've experienced in a fragrance. I absolutely love it and it's definitely going to be living in the front of my fragrance closet from now on. 5/5 Stars!

Une Rose de Kandahar is the first Tauer I've ever tried, and it's made such a wonderful impression that I think I'll have to try them all in the near future. It's just so, so good, and nothing like anything else I've ever smelled. I actually hesitated a little before getting a decant of this one. On the one hand I was keen to try it because of the great reviews and the combination of rose/apricot/almonds, three of my favourite notes, but on the other hand I usually avoid the tobacco note because it tends to spoil a fragrance for me if it stands out too much. But I needn't have worried: this is one of the most well-blended perfumes I've ever smelled, and none of the notes really stick out. In fact this scent is velvety to the degree that it's almost startling at first sniff; immediately I was reminded of the texture of suede, more so than with perfumes where suede is actually featured in the note pyramid. When I look at the list of notes and compare it to what I'm smelling, I can believe there is apricot and roses and even tobacco involved, but they're all so well balanced that they form a coheshive whole, an entirely new smell that I never could have imagined but am so glad I got to know. It's hard to explain, hence the vague description, but anyone who gets the chance should really try this for themselves! Fall is fast approaching and I think that will be the perfect season for this beauty. It's best suited for evenings but it's definitely not too heavy for the office either, if you want to bring a hint of luxury and joy into your workday (and who wouldn't?). My little decant might just be followed by a real bottle before too long; it's expensive but really worth it, even more so because a little goes a long way and two sprays in the morning provide more than satisfactory sillage for most of the day.

Incroyable! Merveilleux! At first spray, there's a kind of boozy feel with a nostril-flaring sweet resinousness. The rose here, at first, is a background note. You can feel it pushing its way through. It's a dry rose, sweet and dry.* and the apricot, after about 15 minutes. Then after an hour, the tobacco notes show their stuff. The rose-and-resin blend continues with a slightly "woody" vibe. About an hour or two in, I can actually smell the ambergris! It's a sharp/sweet note like no other: rich, unobtrusively animalic, unique. At the end, after a good 15 hours, it's as if a soft white flower has passed through and left its trail. This fragrance is alive: it morphs and pulses by the minute. I've been sniffing my arm over the last 15 hours, and it's rarely the same. Extraordinary! If it's a living frag like this, that means: I can have a *relationship* with it, trust it to work with my moods and aha! me to work with it. A fragrance one can respect. One comment I'd like to make about Monsieur Tauer, and that is his generosity as a parfumier. These ingredients are the best out there (I'm convinced) - for instance, the use of real ambergris (?) and the single sourced Afghan rose. And he doesn't use them sparingly either. These are rich, complex, unique, and Andy Tauer is a true alchemist! Thank you once again, M. Tauer!! * I've noticed that some of the best material (absolutes) come from dry places: Afghani rose as here, Moroccan jasmine (the smoothest, creamiest), Egyptian neroli, alpine lavender, Spanish mimosa, fig. I just like, to my nose, what dry climates do to their plants.

I'm a little late to the Rose de Kandahar party. I avoided it in a weird way because I got so tired of rose as a main note. I loved rose for many years, and after going through my phase of Middle-Eastern style oud/rose/vanilla (you know that combination! You are probably sick of it, too), starting with Noir de Noir, I just couldn't stand rose anymore. That combo sort of ruined rose for me. Olfactory burnout. I am still tired of rose, but I figured it would not hurt to finally sample this one. What developed on my skin was blissful. I kept picturing a big copper pot with chopped nuts simmering in sugar syrup and rosewater. It reminded me of a combo of Turkish Delight and almond nougat with tiny pieces of candied apricot. I felt there was rose in the mix--there had to be--but it did not jump out and instead blended with the other notes to create a perfect harmony. PHI is sweet, definitely gourmand, but not a toothache, nor is it cloying. The creamy nuttiness is what stood out most on my skin; the feature I loved most and that I wanted to experience over and over again. I recall telling myself all sorts of things: It wasn't that good, I've smelled others like it, I will never wear it because it contains rose, I am not into gourmands these days.... It's crazy how many things I tried to tell myself to make me not love this perfume as much as I did. Might have to go and buy it before it's gone again! (Update Aug 2016: It was unforgettable. I own it now!)

الصراع في أفغانستان بين حركة طالبان، والقوات الأمريكية، 🇦🇫🇺🇲 لا يقل حدة بين آندي تاور و وردة ننغرهار، بحيث يحاول جاهدا في توفيرها، فيتكبد العناء رغم الأوضاع الكارثية التي يعيشها موطن المكون الأساسي للعطر، ألا و هو ورد قندهار. مما يجعل إصدار العطر محدودا جدا، فتارة تجده في متجر آندي، و تارة يفقد لإشعار آخر 🔖. إن إسم العطر مستوحى من مدينة قندهار الأكثر شهرة في أفغانستان. هناك توجد حقول بالقرب من الجبال حيث يزرع القنب الهندي. ⬅️ ألم تلاحظ أن تاور دائما ما يختار مواطن الحشيش 🇦🇫 😁 🇲🇦. فأفغانستان ليست صحراء بالكامل 🏜️، فهناك العديد من الجبال العالية المكسوة بالثلوج 🗻 والحقول الخضراء 🏞️، والأشجار المثمرة التي تغذيها مياه الجبال الجليدية من الأنهار والجداول. في مثل هذا المكان أيضًا تنمو الورود🌷، و التي استخدمها تاور في هذا العطر. فالعطر عبارة عن وردة 🌹 بخورية القوام، بودرية الملمس، كلاسيكية الطباع، توحي بالنضج. و هذا راجع لاستخذام العطار لقرفة گورماندية 🥞 معززة بلوز مر 🌰يعطي للعطر كاريزميته. مرصع بنوتة فاكهية من المشمش 🍑. التبغ و الڤانيليا🍥 يحجزان المكان المناسب في العطر، كما يغلف العنبر الرمادي 🐳 قوام العطر و يزيده عمقا و تناغما، لتلمس فيه لمسة عطار يعمل يدويا و بحرفية عالية 🔝 (ARTISANAL) . فقد تمكن تاور من إرضاء ذائقتي في عطر ورد أولا، و كلاسيكي محض ثانيا، لأن غالبا ما يميل هذا الإنسجام للجانب الأنثوي الذي يذكرنا بعطور 🧓🏻👩🏻🦳🧓🏻. — دمت قارئا، و دام العطر رفيقك 🌹. _____________________________________________ للمزيد من التقارير المرجو زيارة صفحتي عبر الأنستغرام Luxe_cologne_reviews مودتي ❤️ _____________________________________________

To me, Phi is more of a sweet almond scent than a rose one. It goes on with an almost “lemonade”-like sweetened citrus, and then settles into a creamy, lotion-like tonality with the almond, vanilla, and tonka, enriched and deepened with ambergris. It’s almost like rubbing yourself in pure almond oil. This silky, cuddly, almost-too-sweet vibe reminds me a lot of the texture of Heure Exquise’s vanilla-and-iris. Here it’s vanilla-and-almond-and-ambergris, but the effect is similar. It’s a bit like a creamy vanilla custard, with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. The rose (and rose geranium) are much fainter, and quite green though also liqueur-like; a flicker of concentrated garden juice, only coming out once in a while. As time goes on, the tobacco comes out and blends with the rose (around the 3rd hour), making a soft dusky brown “wood-paneled study” note, with a little bit of liqueur. Very civilized and smooth. Phi is a beauty. It reads as quite feminine to me, and utterly luxurious. The textural contrast between creamy custard and shadowy green-brown patchouli-tobacco is fascinating – I wouldn’t have thought those two chords could work together but here they’re perfect. It makes me think of vacationing in an old Beaux-Arts grand hotel, all curlicues and Palladian windows, but gone to seed a little bit. Luxury blended with a bit of a wistful, memento mori note.

This is not really a typical rose perfume, in my opinion... On me this is very powdery. Very almondy on an apricot-cinnamon background. Makes me think about a fresh Turkish delight more than a rose to be honest. Rose is fresh and detectable at first spray but it is quickly muted by the other notes. Because of that powdery aspect I'd say it's quite feminine. Surprise by some reviews below stating is has a cologne aspect or is a masculine fragrance. To me it screams femininity. As I love almond and powdery perfumes I love this one. Something that amaze me with Tauer perfumes is how long they perform and how soft they are. In the sense that you get the lasting power without having to go through any "suffocating" phase at the beginning, when you just applied the fragrance. Not sure how he manages to do that but I'm not aware of any other line of fragrance that has this quality aspect. And his fragrances are not even overpriced (for niche...). Got a FB as soon as I finished my sample in a couple of days. I like to wear this one to go to bed, it calms me down :) I got myself a FB. This is definitely something I will wear a lot. I just tried it during the Summer heat and it was lovely. Not sickening at all, just soft and beautiful. Overall I think this is a masterpiece and I'm not saying that often.

Ok, so I blind bought this, lol, which I'll reiterate from other reviews about Tauer perfumes, is generally not something you want to do. Tauer is not for the typical perfume buyer. There is a reason his calls his work "immersive sculptures". At first sniff, I was very uncertain how I felt. It's kind of a strange blend. I feel like sometimes when I sniff this, everything feels off, and other times, it is the most amazing delicious perfection. The rose isn't as sweet as you might expect, so it's really the cinnamon, almond, tonka and vanilla that do the work to make the scent sweet and yummy. But there is an oddness to that, sometimes a sharp note that doesn't always blend in (I think it's the type of musk that is used), sometimes I get no rose, and sometimes I get ONLY rose. Giant ROSE. And sometimes I get only gourmand goodness. Overall I decided, it's truly unique and lovely and I can't stop smelling it, but it's going to stay in my collection as something I mainly spray only for myself, like to go to bed, or something I wear in my sweatshirt before going on a walk. I love it, but it isn't something I would wear loudly, honestly mostly because it takes time to appreciate. I think enjoying this perfume is an earned reward but well worth the experience.

The patchouli makes the opening of Une Rose de Kandahar very herbal and harsh. I was not impressed when I first sprayed this. But as it dries down, it becomes so beautiful. Dark jammy rose, heaps of cinnamon, lactonic apricot, patch, all blended to warm, spicy, balsamic beauty. Rose is the most prominent note for the first hours, and it's not in the least powdery or soapy, just warm and lush. Later the tobacco overtakes the fragrance, it reminds me of peach or apricot flavored pipe tobacco. Vanilla and almond are not dominant in this, but lend a subtle, grown-up sweetness to the scent. A hint of salty ambergris is detactable, too. The fragrance is intense and lasts all day. It's a cold weather warmer to me. This is such a multifacted, interesting scent, but with loveable, easy-to-wear notes. You just have to wait maybe 30 minutes through the opening to let its beauty unfold. I would call it a warm floriental with gourmand hints. It has a similar vibe to Tauerville Fruitchouli Flash in my opinion, so I won't put this on my wishlist and get the cheaper FF one day instead, but it's by no means the same. I just think people who like one of these will most likely also enjoy the other.

I bought this first as a sample from Luckyscent because I was concerned with the mention of an animalic note. Almost as if my preconceived notion made it true, that was all I smelled. Ambergris. It reminded me a bit of Stephane Humbert Lucas 777's Kohl De Bahrein, for some reason, I guess because of the ambergris. I put it aside for a few months and tried again for a multiple days in a row, wow . Everything just blended perfectly this time around. The rose, the fruit, the tobacco, the leathery ambergris, the smooth creaminess of the almond. Cinnamon! This was the secret for me, I love this note in perfumery and this one uses it to perfection. A reviewer said this was a grownup rose, that's the perfect description. I can't stop huffing my wrist. I'm really glad I learned to put a scent away and give it a few weeks or months to settle before I write it off as a loss. If you want a bit more to test than the small amount sold at Luckyscent, the Tauer website has it in a tiny 5ml bottle that looks exactly the same as the larger one for $35 and free shipping. It's great as a travel mini.

At some point, I very nearly sold this. I had been purchasing too many things to remember what I had and how beautiful each scent really was. This one is no exception. I'm currently in a no buy and it's resulting in enjoyment of what I already have. I'm not sure how to put words to what this scent evokes for me but I'll do what I can. It's thick and rich, (my favorites always are). It's got a bit of a jammy texture, yes, it's rose, but I wouldn't say it's rose in character. The tobacco is part of what deepens and thickens the texture, along with some fruit which to me feels like berry rather than apricot, but perhaps it's the blend of rose and apricot. In the end, I'd say this is a fine, sweet, after-dinner liquor being sipped in a burgundy velvet chair by a crackling fire in a room hung round with rich and rare tapestry. The conversation is intriguing and a bit mysterious. I'm wearing a dress of the softest satin that dips all the way to the floor. I feel refined, elegant and drop dead gorgeous. I'll take two! Oh, and this one goes on and on for hours on end, bonus!

This is very beautiful right from the first sniff. Very vibrant rose with powdered sugar and almonds. It's Turkish-delight-sweet, but still a lot of air in it. To me it's a pink rose, the kind of roses I saw in Muslim palaces in Spain, perfectly arranged, and then a sea breeze caresses you. Or maybe the flower is really a princess trapped in the palace walls, longing to be free? She's allowed to go outside, take in the view of the sea, but the palace gardens are as far as she can go. She will experience nature and beauty, but never the freeing wilderness. The drydown is sometimes very musky and very masculine leaning on me. Honestly, I don't like it very much, especially the musky scent that lingers after a shower. Despite the powdery opening this is a true unisex, not in a genderless way- it's bot masculine and feminine. There is something very mature about it too, maybe a little dated even, although not as much as some other Tauer perfumes. It feels very high quality and not synthetic at all, unlike a lot of popular "niche" perfume houses.

Tauer House represents the true meaning of niche perfumery in the fragrance world. I highly recommend this house if you're new to this hobby and want to explore and learn more about niche perfumes. Unlike what many people think, niche perfumes are not those with excessive price tags, luxurious bottles (and caps!), or those that simply follow market trends (either gourmand or oud or ...). Niche perfumery is not about creating rare and unusual fragrances that are unwearable or unpleasant. It's also not about releasing numerous flankers after a successful release nor increasing the concentration or strength of existing scents. In reality, niche perfumery aims to create new and unique accords, use rare or unconventional materials, and incorporate an artistic concept behind the scent, all while offering a pleasant scent with character and a reasonable price for the quality being provided. That's what you can find in this perfume. 10/10

I tried this from a sample bottle received from Perfumed Court after hearing about this fragrance. I applied it to my wrists and chest, and let it develop over the course of about 5-6 hours. 5-6 hours is the max for me as perfumes tend not to last long on my skin. Afterwards, I went online to check prices. Sadly it was not available anywhere except the Tauer website for a hefty $160. But then I learn that they can't ship full bottles to my country, but they could give me 3x15ml minis for $200. So what did I do? I placed the order for $200. There was no need to think about it. No need to use up the rest of the sample. No need to find alternatives. No need to try and find cheap decants. There was no need, because PHI Une Rose de Kandahar is SO GOOD that I can't imagine not owning it. One day of not owning it is one day of loss. What an elegant, high performance, high quality perfume!

I bought this perfume 7 months back and it is ok, but to overpowering and nauseating so I stopped giving much attention to it. For some reasons, I lean towards it once in a while, but nothing mind blowing. Today I thought of sniffing it from the lid as I liked the smell (btw I have around 100 bottles now). Since I licked it, I just had 6 sprays of it. Within 2 minutes I've completely shocked and finally understood what this perfume is. Now I'm in a rose bubble. I had dinner and went back to my bedroom, where I initially sprayed it, the whole room smelled divine and like an expensive hotel room. You may not initially like this, but it will certainly grow on you. The best part of the scent comes after 30 minutes, so even you over sprayed, just give it some time, though you are nose blinded, the people around you will garner compliments. I will suggest not more than 4 sprays.