product page and Taha's write up found here:
http://www.agaraura.com/kekasihku.html
i have to say this is so far one of the most difficult oils to "get". it is bizarre how it shape-shifts like quicksilver. see why, below.
day 1 off applicator:
the day it arrived via dhl, i opened the bottle and took a whiff off applicator and to my surprise i was pretty much smelling a very very faint whiff of something lightly green and minty and super super subdued. odd. almost as if is 2 drops oud in 50 drops of carrier oil. i am now pissed off, albeit knowing i cant be too quick to judge and there must be something going on with me and not the oil. few emails back and forth with taha and i left it to try again and next time not off applicator (as per taha and i have to agree, this genre of oils dont work the same way like others off applicator. they must be placed on skin to wake up and show themselves. i mean this is true of all oils, but truer of this genre x10.
day 4 or 5 applied on skin:
This oil has woken up post trip. It must have had a jet lag. still groggy and feels like it is holding back. It is still at most to my nose 50% strength of ayu and au luong but that is what makes it perfect. Super pretty, nuanced, complex and engaging. I love it and can comfortably and gladly recommend it to any and everyone. New to oud, old timer, those sensitive to scent, this oil is at the same time a crowd pleaser and yet complex enough for most mature noses. Mildler relative of sri lanka gyrinops, with more spice, more delicate mint and more subtle waves. Is very nice stuff.
I can relate to Taha's descriptions 90%. Basically everything except the loudness and projection part. This oil is much more subtle and thank god for that.
a month or so later and after not having touched the bottle or took a whiff for a good 10 days or so:
WOW. even off applicator. hello. dr jackal, mr. hide oil. someone turned on the amplifier or did the snow melt and the bear woke up from hibernation? once on skin: above impression holds but everything is magnified and a myriad of new nuances and subtle waves have joined the orchestra. and now i can fully relate to Taha's own take and write up on this oil.
yesterday again:
mirrored above experience that took place a week or so earlier.
closing note:
there you have it. it is this game that this genre of oils play that further contributes to why i love them. they beg you to spend more time with them, get to know them better. like a human being they have mood and mind of their own. they play games with you. i understand this is not a feature that many may appreciate and may in fact dislike, but not for me.
http://www.agaraura.com/kekasihku.html
i have to say this is so far one of the most difficult oils to "get". it is bizarre how it shape-shifts like quicksilver. see why, below.
day 1 off applicator:
the day it arrived via dhl, i opened the bottle and took a whiff off applicator and to my surprise i was pretty much smelling a very very faint whiff of something lightly green and minty and super super subdued. odd. almost as if is 2 drops oud in 50 drops of carrier oil. i am now pissed off, albeit knowing i cant be too quick to judge and there must be something going on with me and not the oil. few emails back and forth with taha and i left it to try again and next time not off applicator (as per taha and i have to agree, this genre of oils dont work the same way like others off applicator. they must be placed on skin to wake up and show themselves. i mean this is true of all oils, but truer of this genre x10.
day 4 or 5 applied on skin:
This oil has woken up post trip. It must have had a jet lag. still groggy and feels like it is holding back. It is still at most to my nose 50% strength of ayu and au luong but that is what makes it perfect. Super pretty, nuanced, complex and engaging. I love it and can comfortably and gladly recommend it to any and everyone. New to oud, old timer, those sensitive to scent, this oil is at the same time a crowd pleaser and yet complex enough for most mature noses. Mildler relative of sri lanka gyrinops, with more spice, more delicate mint and more subtle waves. Is very nice stuff.
I can relate to Taha's descriptions 90%. Basically everything except the loudness and projection part. This oil is much more subtle and thank god for that.
a month or so later and after not having touched the bottle or took a whiff for a good 10 days or so:
WOW. even off applicator. hello. dr jackal, mr. hide oil. someone turned on the amplifier or did the snow melt and the bear woke up from hibernation? once on skin: above impression holds but everything is magnified and a myriad of new nuances and subtle waves have joined the orchestra. and now i can fully relate to Taha's own take and write up on this oil.
yesterday again:
mirrored above experience that took place a week or so earlier.
closing note:
there you have it. it is this game that this genre of oils play that further contributes to why i love them. they beg you to spend more time with them, get to know them better. like a human being they have mood and mind of their own. they play games with you. i understand this is not a feature that many may appreciate and may in fact dislike, but not for me.