Hajar Aswad

To pay homage to the blessed month of Ramadan, Ensar Oud finally offering their first perfume rendition of Hajar Aswad.

This wasn’t going to be just another Oriental perfume. I wasn’t chasing the 1001 Nights. Nor was I out to capture the scent of Medieval Arabian bazaars.

A fragrance at once Jamali and Jalali — beautiful yet powerful — Hajar Aswad leads in with a soft cedar frankincense-infused suave entranced by vintage Maroke and smokey Sumatran ouds.

Slowly coffee-draped rose petals submerge into a saffron cinnamon sandal note which steadily gets incensed into a gentle waft of oudy smoke that gives Hajar Aswad its beautiful sillage and longevity.
TOP
Melissa
Lavender
Cardamom
Raspberry
Cedarwood

HEART
Saffron
Jasmine
Orange Flower
Cinnamon
Rose

BASE
Coffee
Cocoa
Maroke Oud
Sumatran Oud
Hojari Frankincense

The rich flowery incense heart infused with the faintest hint of Arabian spices (think pepper and cardamon draped in cacao) continues to fuse and drift toward a note I call agarose, that takes you through the drydown — that unitone achievement in perfumery where you find complete aromatic synergy, a unique olfactory chord that never existed before.

This is the pilgrim’s perfume. It’s not meant to inspire the ego, worn only to impress others. Its enchanting smell will do just that, regardless. The scent penetrates your senses and goes great with a cup of introspection; instills a humble reverence, with a whiff of what lies yonder.