Barkhane

My sample arrived today as well. I used it sparingly on my forearms, frightened of too much wood, but I can totally see myself wearing this, it's a gem. So vast, so encompassing. I can love this. Berkhane stands out, but it's also not in your face with its allure, pleasant - in a daringly individual way. I would call it a distinctly herbal oriental chypre. The spices are dry and not overpowering. Berkhane is (especially at the beginning) spicy, then later soft, woody, and yes, warm, and to my surprise, and after the strong fresh & herbal opening, sits close to the skin and is at ease there. A library of a scent. It doesn't stay too long, but it never turns its back. Doors open, doors close. It lingers. It shows itself when asked. I expected it to smell like a male perfume to me, and it doesn't. I want to wear this, and I am a woman. Barkhane is never fruity, but it's sweet early on, in the first half hour I was for a moment reminded of the sweetness of a Persimmon, a simple sugary note. Then herbal, not artificial. Right from the start I'm glad about how well the spices, the vetiver and the myrrh balance the geranium and bergamot. The geranium didn't turn rosy on my skin, in fact I can't detect anything overtly floral, but this fragrance has a real heart. The cumin is fantastic, it's so soft as to be almost invisible, yet it acts as the frame and keeps it together with a soft, soft hand. I am not transported to a bazaar of spices, instead I am reminded of the salt and hot wood of a sauna, but it's walking from near water to one, alone, expecting the dry heat, anticipating it, and smelling the rich hot woods that are awaiting. This perfume is like the luxury of feeling at ease and at home in your own body; the pure luxury of that. The greyish white of hot steam, shadows on dark wood, dark green. But it's not sweaty, it's dry. The herbal vetiver isn't getting to my head, but the composition is unfurling like smoke, a wonderful myrrh, mesmerizing in its beauty. It gets even softer over time, the top bergamot note takes a step behind the others, never having been one to scream for attention from the start. The vanilla appears, the skin-like musk dancing with it, waving and undulating. Then Tonka is there to support, to give a background, a history. It becomes softer and vaster. No leather, instead airy and open. The patchouli is a vision, the Oud stands its ground. There they are, the dunes that this perfume is named after, the hot sand waves. Used sparingly, it's not heady, I don't get any toffee, no nuts, it doesn't glow for me, but it somehow manages to be dark and white at the same time. Berkhane is a magnificently blended perfume, it's extremely intruigingly comfortable, not biding its time and neither caring about differences nor drawers. It is. Modern? Maybe, depends on what you want to find. Light or heavy is neither here nor there for Berkhane. The notes appear and take a step back. Hours in, I still detect something citrusy, the Myrrh watching, lightly. Berkhane is a soft spoken one. I want to answer "well done" to all the questions it asks, but it's keeping some answers secret itself. Vibrant, yes, but not overtly lively. Mighty in its own pace. Spectacular in its understated intelligence. * I got several compliments wearing this, men and women alike. One even said that I wore it well. However, it's not for those who don't enjoy patchouli, even as I find the patchouli in this to be splendidly modified with vetiver and myrrh.

Thank you fragantica for this lovely sample. My initial impression was that it reminded me of an earthy, woody tea. I ran about the house and must have washed it off, as I did not get much of an impression after that. The second time I tried it, I found it perhaps a bit strong, which is interesting as the first time I did not smell it much at all. So today I decided to actually take the time to sit with this beauty and understand it. And what I realized is that this is a master piece. A true work of art that evokes and becomes one with you, and whatever your story may be, rather than make a statement that is linear and on its own. This fragrance is a memory. And THAT has got to be one of the most moving experiences for a perfumista and why I love the art of perfumery so much. The opening is absolutely fabulous. Vanilla does not get anymore authentic than this. This is the scent of vanilla bean when it is fresh and woody, when it's sweetness is more like a tobacco leaf than the liquor like extract. It reminds me very much of very fine vanilla beans that were used in a photo shoot for a food magazine where a friend worked. They allowed her to bring home the vanilla, and I put several in a silk sachet and gave them to my step daughter. Years later, the little sachet and vanilla beans still smell of the sweet earth, just fainter. This is what the opening smells like. Just underneath this one can sense the labdanum here and there. Not outright. But the occasional whiff. There is something very warm, comforting, and earthy to this composition. Something like sipping a hot cup of rooibos tea. I feel as if I am delighting in the rawness of authentic ingredients. Not overwhelmed by synthetics but rather, appreciation for the subtlety of nature. That being said, it is not a skin scent. It certainly projects and no more than a dab is needed to enjoy. When the heart comes out, I get whiffs of the curry spices. Not so much the cumin, although I do get but the faintest occasional whiff, but what I get is perhaps the sweetness of something like turmeric. A dry sweetness. Such as one would expect when smelling the spices in a curry when still dry, and no creams or moisture has been added yet. This is also when the myrrh really shines. This is real, Catholic Church, myrrh. Absolute flashback! But always tempered by that vanilla bean. Keeping it warm. Safe. The memories are more like impressions of laying on a mothers shoulder during mass. Completely unaware of the surroundings other than it is safe. Warm. And the aromas of the surroundings are really what becomes ingrained in memory. That being said. This fragrance is in no way more feminine than it is masculine. Rather. It is truly the scent of comfort, impressions, sleepy memories, and places you can only recall in those moments between wakefulness and sleep. Upon the dry down, I do catch the very light aroma of vetiver. The vanilla bean remains throughout. The labdanum is still present, as is the lovely vanilla bean. Although not listed, there is a faint amber in the dry down. I do not find this fragrance animalic at all. Rather it is quite sweet and still spicy. It is not linear and evolves beautifully. 5/5 I would love to purchase a bottle of this. Edit: @ClaudiaA Wow I just read your review and I see we get the same impressions!! This does not smell like rooibos yet. I imagined myself sipping it. Very interesting!

When Barkhane arrived a few days ago I was very happy as I was wishing to test this candidate quite badly. "Oriental-spicy" is right up my alley. So far, so good. I dabbed on the first drop of Barkhane and let a few seconds pass so that the liquid could dry. My nose went closer and closer to the back of my hand where Barkhane waited....first impression : Wow, this is just what I hoped it would be. Spicy with nutmeg, coriander and cinnamon, luscious with a small hint of oud in the background, medium sweetness, not overpowering. On me the scent turned into a slightly powdery oriental, the spiciness never fades but will be supplemented by vanilla later. I was a bit worried about the cumin mentioned in the notes but luckily I did not notice any. No sweaty armpit note, no harsh medicinal wafts, just a sexy "Sheherazade" scent with the feel of 1001 nights waiting for me. I like scents that transport a story to me. A fairytale, a love-story or simply an adventure. Barkhane certainly is a story-teller. Longevity is medium (my skin swallows even eau de parfum like nothing) on me but that is no issue for me. I like refreshing a scent in the late afternoon so that I can enjoy it again with its top notes. Sillage is decent but not overwhelming. However, I would nonetheless be careful with the dosage, like with all orientals. What makes Barkhane unique amongst so many other nice oriental fragrances out there ? It is soft and refined despite some crispy spices involved. I mainly wear quite strong scents and find this one refreshingly light (in comparison to Montale ́s Black Aoud or Sahara Noir i.e.). It will not punch you down to the ground, it will accompany the wearer on par. Unisex ? By all means, yes. Enjoy !

Love this! his is totally up mu alley! Very warm rich amber that reminds me to SL Ambre Sultan. AS is deff more dense and sweeter, while Barkhane is slightly lighter (tho it still feels like a dense perfume) and more in the woody side, so i would say slightly more masculine, tho it is totally wereable for ladies as well. The oud, which is hardly there, adds a tiny tiny bit of sourness when it dries down, which tones down the sweetness just a tad. The labdanum also adds a tiny bit of powdery softenss, but overall the "main" feeling it gives you is that dense, slightly herbal (less herbal than Ambre Sultan for sure), sweet, spiced up warm and rich amber. I am not saying both perfumes are identical, but they deifnately fall among the same category and give a very similar vibe. Lets say they are close relatives haha! Sharing a central string of DNA which is adorned differently for each of them. It might not be very original, but it is deff a very nice amber-resins perfume, perfect for autumn and winter. Thank you for the sample both Fragantica and Teo Cabanel!

Upon opening Barkhane reminded me so much of Ambre Narguile, a perfume I just paid like $300 for. I could have slapped myself! The sweetness, spices, and tobacco are simply mesmerizing. With some time however, the perfumes become very different. While Ambre Narguile becomes like sweet tobacco, Barkhane becomes more strictly a play-do amber, which I really like, but is not as remarkable as Ambre Narguile. Still I love Barkhane. It is not so sweet in the drydown and does not smell like curry to me in the least. Smells herbal and dry, not gourmand. I see a comparison to another expensive one I own, Oriental Lounge. I can appreciate the comparison. They are both strong in amber and they have the curry tree note. I find OL to be smoother and a bit floral. The amber doesn't smell like play-do. I think OL smells slightly more synthetic. In Barkhane you can really smell the spices more readily. I prefer Barkhane. Highly recommended for those who love Middle Eastern spices and are tired of rose.