Tag: agarwood

Warm, woodsy, and sensuous: Oud Sumptuous 75213 by Krigler

Cold Cream 'n' Roses2 Comments

As weather gets colder, we are drawn to heavier scents. Scents with heavy base notes can heat up too fast in summer and be overwhelming. Lighter scents seem to go along with lighter clothes and layers, whereas heavier scents seem to go along with the heavier clothes and layers of autumn and winter.

Oud Sumptuous 75213 by Krigler
Oud Sumptuous 75213 by Krigler

Enter Oud Sumptuous 75213 by Krigler. It features precious woods, and I figured that it would suit men as well as women. I was right.  Olfactory notes:

  • Top notes: Laotian Oud, Vietnamese Benjoin, Mongolian Coriander
  • Middle (heart) notes: Vanilla, Sandalwood, Morrocan Labdanum, and Lavender
  • Base notes: Papyrus, Cinnamon, Amber, and Cedar Wood.

It is indeed a warm, woodsy, sensuous fragrance.

I’ve already touched upon a little of the lore about oud, also known as agarwood, in my review of Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood Variations. While oud is a popular component of Middle Eastern fragrances, it originates from points east. James McHugh, in his book Sandalwood and Carrion: Smell in Indian Religion and Culture, contrasts the warming property of agarwood with the cooling property of sandalwood. In ancient India, Agarwood was harvested in Assam, in India’s far northeast. In her article on Fragrantica, http://www.fragrantica.com/notes/Agarwood-Oud–114.html (accessed November 10, 2013), Naheed Shoukat Ali notes that India was the principal source of agarwood, until the scarcity of trees forced people to go further east to Indochina to harvest agarwood: indeed, Krigler sources its agarwood from Laos.

The Krigler perfume house has a remarkable history. It dates back to 1876, when Albert Krigler moved from Berlin to Moscow. He created his first fragrance in 1879. The Russian Revolution forced Krigler to go back to Berlin, and after the upheaval of World War II, Krigler relocated to the US, where it maintains a boutique at NYC’s Plaza Hotel. Its other boutique is in Monaco.

A 1.75 fl.oz./50 ml bottle of Krigler Oud Sumptuous 75213 costs $305.00 US, while a 3.4 fl.oz./100 ml bottle costs $505.00 US.  Fortunately, I received a sample vial from Krigler’s PR rep to try.

Review of Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood Variations

Cold Cream 'n' Roses10 Comments

Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood Variations is a set of four fragrances for different times of the day: Morning, Daytime, Evening, and Bedtime.

Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood Variations
Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood Variations

Here is how the Lisa Hoffman website describes its Japanese Agarwood fragrance:

The rare, woody scent of Japanese Agarwood is accented with the refreshing zest of Bergamot, the zen-like ambiance of Spiced Ginger, and the comfort of Warm Amber to inspire feelings of clarity and warmth as your journey of Japanese Agarwood unfolds.

What is Agarwood?  Wikipedia describes agarwood, variously known as aloes wood, oud (a popular note in Middle Eastern fragrances), and aguru, अगुरु, in Sanskrit, as “a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees (large evergreens native to Asia) when they become infected with a type of mold.”  Who knew?  Surely there has to be a metaphor somewhere: something beautiful (fragrance) coming  from something ugly (mold).  Kind of like the lotus arising from the mud.

James McHugh, in his book Sandalwood and Carrion: Smell in Indian Religion and Culture, contrasts the warming property of agarwood with the cooling property of sandalwood.

When I tried the Morning and Daytime Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood Variations, however, the most obvious note is bergamot.  If you like citrusy energizing fragrances, these are for you.  I prefer the sensuousness and warmth of the Evening and Bedtime fragrances.

Don’t box yourself in! Lisa Hoffman encourages play, so don’t restrict yourself to wearing a particular fragrance at a given time of day.  Layer the fragrances, or blend with other fragrances.

The Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood 4-Vial Set in a leather wallet costs $95.00. You may purchase the set of 4 roller balls at lisahoffmanbeauty.com.

What about you?  Have you tried any of the Lisa Hoffman fragrance variations?  What do you think about Lisa Hoffman’s concepts and products?

Disclaimer: The Lisa Hoffman Japanese Agarwood Variations were furnished to The Style Page as a PR sample.