#indian oud

[parfumery-wiki]

Lao Oud (extrait de parfum) Bortnikoff

Woody amber

I have made many compositions with oud: each of them has its unique character. However, the note of oud in my fragrances had never been so powerful and animalic before the release of the new Lao Oud. Six months ago, a magnificent oil from Laos fell into my hands: it smelled of honey and flowers with a characteristic animal note.

I have been lucky enough to visit Laos more than 20 times. This is a beautiful small and hospitable country, where time seems to have stopped at the end of the 19th century. Therefore, remembering numerous trips to Laos, I almost immediately found the main harmonies for the composition, which was based on the oil of Lao oud. This oil smells extremely close to Indian, but it is much softer. I supplemented it with the notes of beautiful Lao coffee, frangipani flowers, the smell of incense that comes from many ancient monasteries in Laos, and fresh spices — cinnamon and pink pepper. So the new Lao Oud appeared — a walk through Vientiane, an ancient city on the Mekong River — the most oudy, and coffee-like animalic fragrance in the Bortnikoff Parfums collection.

Top notes: Pink pepper, Magnolia Heart notes: Beeswax, Cinnamon, Chamomile, Peru balsam, Cacao Base notes: Laotian oud, Tonka bean, Crocodile wood, Coffee, Indian oud, Vanilla, Birch tar, Guaiacwood

[kemetic-dreams]

Spiritual jazz (or astral jazz)[1] is a sub-genre of jazz that originated in the United States during the 1960s. The genre is hard to characterize musically but draws from free, avant-garde and modal jazz and thematically focuses on transcendence and spirituality. John Coltrane's 1965 album A Love Supreme is considered landmark in the genre.

Origins

Pharoah Sanders in 1981.

Critics usually associate spiritual jazz with the 1960s but the beginnings of the genre can be traced to the 1940s and 1950s in works such as Black, Brown and Beige by Duke Ellington, Zodiac Suite by Mary Lou Williams, and Jazz at the Vespers by George Lewis.

During the 1960s in the United States, the civil rights movement was occurring, causing societal change and political movements. As a result, African-American people gained more freedom to celebrate their culture and to express themselves religiously. This led to a desire to push the conventions of jazz, with some artists choosing to search for transcendence and spirituality in their music.

John Coltrane's 1965 album A Love Supreme is generally considered the genesis of spiritual jazz though Coltrane can be heard developing the sound on the song "Spiritual" recorded four years earlier. Treblezine wrote "Spiritual jazz begins, essentially, with John Coltrane," while Pitchfork wrote "This musical exploration [of spirituality] was epitomized by tenor saxophonist John Coltrane". A Love Supreme and other works by John Coltrane inspired other jazz musicians to create music searching for transcendence. For example, Pharoah Sanders and Don Cherry were considered to have taken inspiration from Coltrane's spiritual works.

After John Coltrane's death in 1967, his wife Alice Coltrane and Sanders—both who had previously played with Coltrane—were some of the first to continue the sound of the genre. Coltrane's 1971 album Journey in Satchidananda combined spiritual jazz with influences from Hindustani classical music, after her journey into spirituality with help from Swami Satchidananda. Journey in Satchidananda used ragas, harps, sitars, and ouds to achieve its sound. Pharoah Sanders took inspiration from Arabic, Indian, and Afro-Cuban music to create early spiritual jazz albums, including Tauhid (1967) and Karma

[jordanianroyals]

Cultural Traditions at Princess Iman bint Abdullah’s Henna Party, 7 March 2023

The henna party is the Arab version of the West’s bachelorette party. “Henna usually takes place one to two weeks before the wedding night,” (x)

“Henna was largely used in ancient Egypt and India as a form of temporary tattoo for religious ceremonies, wedding festivals and for simple body decoration and even to dye hair. Brides usually have their hands and feet decorated as part of wedding rituals.” (x)

Henna styles differs across regions. “With time, henna application has become an art form, and today, brides book professional mehandi artists keeping their aesthetic sensibilities in mind. Generally, Arabic (Middle-Eastern) mehandi features large, floral patterns on hands and feet (but only till the wrists and the ankles), while Indian (Asian) mehandi is characterised by fine lines, lacy, floral and paisley patterns covering hands, forearms, feet and legs. And African mehandi is usually large and bold with geometrically patterned angles, often created using black mehandi.” (x)

Fragrance: In the video, guests were seen scented with bakhoor (wood chips that are soaked in fragrant Oud oils). It is used during special occasions such as weddings, or simply for relaxing purposes. In Arabian culture, it’s a traditional gesture to pass bakhoor among guests, so they can scent their hair, clothing and hands. This is believed to be a as integral to hospitality as serving coffee and dates. (x)

[cleolinda]

Tyrannosaurus Rex (Zoologist, 2018)

(Zoologist Perfumes)

Zoologist Tyrannosaurus Rex is a gargantuan scent that sinks its teeth into the world of delicate fragrances and rips it wide open. Primitive woods and florals seize you and snatch you away to an ancient era. Smoky, charred wood warns of the danger of smouldering fire, setting your senses on edge, while droplets of metallic rose oxide offer a chilling premonition of blood-lust. The mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex is sometimes menacing, sometimes fascinating, but never, ever ordinary.

Perfumer: Antonio Gardoni Top Notes: Bergamot, Black Pepper, Fir, Laurel Leaf, Neroli, Nutmeg Heart Notes: Champaca, Geranium, Jasmine, Osmanthus, Rose, Ylang Ylang Base Notes: Resins, Cade, Cedar, Civet [synthetic], Frankincense, Leather [synthetic], Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla

As is my wont, I read user reviews across various sites first. These reviews described Horrors. The word "barbecue" was used more than once. But once again, I look at this list of notes and I think, all of this sounds fine. Civet musk can be a little hard to handle; I haven't worn or smelled it much. But I actually like the scent of black pepper, that's fine. "Cade" seems to be smoky distilled juniper tar, and the Parfumo listing replaces the word cade with "Canary Islands juniper." Love a juniper, sounds good. Not sure what "resins" we're talking about, but I enjoy some incense, and "resins" are frequently in that ballpark. Let's give it a whirl.

For some reason, I opened the sample without gloves or even a tissue in my hand, which is what I usually do. I get perfume headaches, after all, and if I get one from just opening a vial, we're putting it back. So I wasn't really ready to wear it, but I was curious. Tyrannosaurus Rex got on my fingertips—

(Troubled Birds)

—and there was nothing I could do about it.

T-Rex does not wash off. It doesn't. I went back to the notes to figure out why. And also, to figure out HOW it opens with a huge belch of slaughterhouse.

Like, I knew, I KNEW this was going to happen, I keep saying that I did my research and I knew what was going to happen when I put this or that fragrance on and then somehow I'm still left reeling when that's exactly what happens. The first thing—well, let's skip to the second thing right now. The Fragrantica note listing specifies "kyara incense" rather than "resins," and that's a precious Japanese incense that—ohhhh, it's oud. You have to follow this linguistic chain of kyara to aloeswood to agarwood to oud, but that's what it is.

Raw materials such as agarwood are becoming increasingly rare due to the depletion of the wild resource. [...] The highest regarded wood, ranjyatai, dates back to at least the 10th century and is kyara wood from Laos or Vietnam, and was used by emperors and warlords for its fragrance. It is said to contain so much resin that it can be used many times over. (Wikipedia: Incense in Japan)

If patchouli is the funk of kings, oud is the odor of emperors. It's not going to wash off, and perhaps more to the point, it would be an extravagant waste if you tried. Oud is valued in Indian perfumery, but it's particularly loved in Arabian fragrance—and I'm talking about both ancient traditions and modern industries here. It's been getting more popular in European and American fragrance for maybe the 10+ years or so, softened for the Western market as "the new patchouli." If I'd known that T-Rex was going to lead me here, I would have scoped out some oud fragrances and planned a whole deep-dive post; instead, we'll do that sometime in the future. For now, I'm aware that oud is—"polarizing," that's a good word:

Maybe you've had a whiff of some popular fragrances featuring oud, like Tom Ford Oud Wood, Byredo Our Immortel, or Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Satin Mood. They're distinctively different compositions that all share telltale qualities that oud offers. For one, they last a long time. Even after an oud fragrance dries down on the skin, you can still detect a trace of it radiating from one's body heat — musky, earthy, woody, and a bit smoky, like an incense. It's difficult to describe, but once you've smelled oud, you can most likely recognize it anywhere. On its own, it's quite polarizing, but when combined with a fragrance's note composition, it can add depth and complexity to any kind of scent. (Allure)

To be blunt about it: what this article dances around is the fact that a lot of people think that some ouds smell "sweaty" or even "fecal." I've personally seen this over and over in English-language user reviews at Fragrantica, Basenotes, that kind of all-encompassing database site. And I think there could be a cultural lack of appreciation at play there; it’s also true that some things just do not work with some people, biochemically, no matter how open-minded they are. I wanted to fistfight some European aldehydes. It happens. It’s also true that oud genuinely contains indole, a chemical that also makes some jasmine, ylang ylang, and gardenia flowers smell unpleasantly animalic or, yes, like shit. (Notice that jasmine and ylang are also in T-Rex.) I've never had a problem smelling white florals as unpleasant—and I’ve had jasmine and gardenia plants in my yard—just strong as fuck. I’ve also been lucky enough that the "urine" note in Mitsouko doesn't come out on me. Maybe, in trying T-Rex, the chemistry odds will actually be in my favor.

And I have to say, as a disclaimer: "kyara incense" isn't the official wording on the Zoologist website; I don’t know where this information came from. But after smelling the perfume—I'm not very experienced with oud, but I'm going to say, it tracks. Especially if your goal is to make a—let's say, "confrontational" fragrance.

But I don't think indolic notes are really the big news in T-Rex. The first thing I got was the rose: "Droplets of metallic rose oxide offer a chilling premonition of blood-lust." Bear in mind that rust is iron oxide; T-Rex gives off a very similarly rusty, blood-coppery note from that rose oxide, rather like raw beef. And I can tell it's truly the oxide note, because I can smell actual rose kind of trailing behind it.

My first thought was, who the fuck has ever used rose oxide in a perfume before? Well, it turns out that it doesn't smell like an rogue episode of Hannibal broke out when it's used in a rose accord or a fruit context:

Rose Oxide is the perfect aroma chemical for [a] vibrating, elegant and pulsating rose scent. It is used in many fragrances and [has a] highly impactful high cis quality, fresh, radiant and powerful. It is ideal for all kinds of compounds, used as an ingredient in cosmetics, personal care products, fragrances, cleaners, detergents, home care, perfumes etc. [...] It also adds to the flavor of select fruits like lychee and Gewürztraminer [a wine grape.] Rose oxide is a flavor rich component and can be seen in some essential oils like the Bulgarian rose oil and in roses. Rose oxide is one of the important fragrance materials in creating rosy notes for perfumes. (essentialoil.in)

(That link includes a lot of actual chemical notation, if you're interested in that. Note: "Cis" in this context refers to the spatial arrangement of atoms, "all on one side," not in an opposing "transverse" setup. Today I learned!)

Along that line, the supplier Pell Wall describes their rose oxide as "Floral-rose, green-geranium, bright-clean, metallic, wet. Diffusive and powerful." You'll notice that geranium is also in T-Rex; I would imagine, to boost the rose note, but also to underline the green notes of laurel and evergreen that create a dark, earthy wilderness under the raw meat aspect. I'm guessing that the juniper tar (an interesting nod to the tar pits people associate, however incorrectly, with dinosaur bones) adds some volcanic smoke, although it doesn't actually blend with the "meat" for me. Animalic civet and indole notes must be what give some flesh to the blood. And then of course, you also have the leathery skin of the dinosaur, combined with that (synthetic) civet musk. I'm not sure if the black pepper functions as the darkness of the forest, the wearer's sensation of encroaching threat, or, uh, seasoning.

So, on my skin, I’m getting both a dark dinosaur habitat sort of foundation, and then also “bloodlust” lurching through, with perhaps also the indolic effluvia associated with an abattoir, and I am using fancy words to dance around how gnarly this is. I do not like the slaughterhouse accord. Somehow, who could have guessed, I do not like it. I don't get much leather in the drydown, but in my experience, my skin just eats leather notes, I never get them. The "habitat" base is not very Me, but I actually do enjoy it a little? I already had essential oils of half the notes; I’m down with a lot of them in theory. It’s mostly the oud, the black pepper, and the juniper tar that lend such a menacing tone, I think. It's kind of stony and green, but a very dark and trampled green; it reassures me that I could try more oud and be okay, probably.

And of course, The Funk of Kings is in there—a patchouli that may be as harsh and peppery as the one I got at the beginning of Coco Mademoiselle. Between the stay-funkt patchouli and the immortal oud, I never had a chance of washing this off. (In fairness to me, I tried it twice and I did ride out the second wear.) If you're going to try this, buckle up and commit to it. Tyrannosaurus Rex is the Fuck Around and Find Out of perfume, and I'm not sure who actually wears it for the sake of wearing it. Maybe that suits an extinct animal, on some level: it's stored in your fragrance collection to be exhibited now and then, a marvel of creation, but not given life very often on the skin. You know what would happen if you did—you saw the end of Jurassic Park, and this perfume did too.

Perfume discussion masterpost

[tilbageidanmark]

Movies I watched this week (#169):

3 by forgotten [re-discovered?] Turkish director, Metin Erksan:

🍿  Dry Summer, a mesmerizing 1964 Turkish masterpiece I never heard of before. It tells of a greedy peasant who refuses to share the water on his field with his neighbors, as well as his scheme to steal his younger brother's new bride. (Photo Above). A rustic tragedy featuring one of the most insidious screen villains ever. Highly recommended. 9/10.

It was championed and restored by Martin Scorsese's 'World Cinema Project'. (I'm going to start chewing through their list of preserved classics from around the world.)

🍿 Time to love (1965) is a fetishistic, probably-symbolic, melodrama about a poor house painter who falls in love with a wall portrait of a woman, but who can't or won't love the real person. Lots of brooding while heavy rains keep pouring down, and traditional oud music drones on. Strikingly beautiful black and white cinematography elevates this strange soap opera into something that Antonioni could have shot.

🍿 "May Allah's mercy be upon her! May Allah's mercy be upon her! May Allah's mercy be upon her!"

In 1974 Erksan directed the cheesy Seytan ("Satan"), a plagiarized, unauthorized Turkish rip-off of 'The Exorcist'. It was a schlocky, nearly a shot-by-shot copy, and included the blood spurting, head spinning, cursing, stairs, a young actress that looked strikingly like Linda Blair, and even extensive use of Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells'. But it eliminated the Catholic element and had none of the superb decisions of the William Friedkin's version. 1/10.

🍿  

Agnès Varda's deceivingly blissful drama, Le Bonheur. Exquisite, subversive and beautifully simple, about an uncomplicated man who's completely happy with his idyllic life, his loving wife and two little children. But one summer day he takes on an attractive mistress, while still feeling uncommonly fulfilled and undisturbed. Varda lets the Mozart woodwind score do all the heavy interpretive lifting of this disturbing feminist take of the bourgeoisie. Just WOW! 8/10.

At this point, I should just complete my explorations of Varda's oeuvre, and see the rest of her movies. Also, I'm going to take a deep dive one day into the many terrific movies from 1965 (besides the many I've already seen, 'Red Beard', 'Simon of the desert', 'Repulsion', 'The spy who came in from the cold', 'Juliet of the spirit', 'Pierrot the fool'...).

/ Female Director

🍿

2 by amazing Bulgarian director Milko Lazarov:

🍿 Ága, my first Bulgarian film, but it plays somewhere in Yakutsk, south of the Russian arctic circle. An isolated old Inuit couple lives alone in a yurt on the tundra. Slow and spiritual, their lives unfold in the most unobtrusive way, it feels like a documentary. But the simplicity is deceiving, this is film-making of the highest grade, and once Mahler 5th was introduced on a small transistor radio, it's transcendental. The emptiness touched me deeply.

Together with 93 other movies, this was submitted by Bulgaria to the 2019 Oscars (the one won by 'Parasite'). How little we know; If selected, we might have all be talking about it. Absolutely phenomenal! The trailer represents the movie well. 10/10

(It also reminded me very much of the Bolivian drama 'Utama' from 2022, another moving story of an elderly Indian couple living alone in the desert, tending to their small flock of llamas.)

🍿 Milko Lazarov made only one earlier film, the minimalist Alienation in 2013. It tells of Yorgos, a middle age Greek man, (impassively played by the father from 'Dogtooth'), who crosses the border to Bulgaria to buy a newborn baby. But it's not as bad as it sounds, because he's actually helping the impoverished surrogate mother (who looks like young Tilda Swinton) who can't effort to keep him. Another stark and snail-like drama about quiet people who barely speak, told with the masterful language of a true poet. Like 'Ága', it too opens with a stunning close up of a lengthy incantation in an unfamiliar language. I wish he made more movies. 8/10.

🍿  

2 more arctic dramas:

🍿 The original movie about indigenous Inuks, Nanook of the North, from 1922, was the first feature-length documentary to achieve commercial success. An engaging slice of life of an Inuit family, even if some of the scenes were staged. 💯 score on Rotten Tomatoes.

🍿 "Many of the scientists involved with climate change agree: The end of human life on this planet is assured."

Another fascinating Werner Herzog documentary, Encounters at the end of the world. About the "professional dreamers" who live and work at McMurdo Station in Antarctica; divers who venture to explore life under the the ice, volcanologists who burrow into ice caves, etc. Herzog's 'secret sauce' is finding the most outrageous, interesting spots on earth, and then just going there and letting his camera do his bidding.

🍿

2 fantastic shorts by Hungarian animator Réka Bucsi:

🍿 Her 2014 Symphony No. 42 consists of 47 short & whimsical vignettes, without any rhyme or rhythm; A farmer fills a cow with milk until it overflows, a zoo elephant draws a "Help me" sign, a UFO sucks all the fish from the ocean, wolves party hard to 'La Bamba', an angry man throws a pie at a penguin, two cowboys holding blue balloons watch a tumbleweed rolls by, a big naked woman cuddle with a seal, etc. Earlier than Don Hertzfeldt's 'World of tomorrow' and my favorite Rúnar Rúnarsson's 'Echo', it's a perfect piece of surrealist chaos. 10/10

My happiest, unexpected surprise of the week!

/ Female Director

🍿 Love (2016), a lovely meditation on nature, poetry and cats in the cosmos. 8/10.

/ Female Director

🍿

Françoise Dorléac X 2:

🍿 Her name was Françoise ("Elle s’appelait Françoise") is a fluff bio-piece about the utterly gorgeous model-actress, who died at a fiery car-crush at 25, and who left a legacy of only a few important films. It includes previously-unseen, enchanting clips and photos from her short life. But then is cuts into her and sister Catherine Deneuve practicing their "Pair of Twins" song-and-dance from 'The Young Girls of Rochefort', the most charming musical in the world, and life is sunny again.

/ Female Director

🍿 That man from Rio, her breakthrough film, was a stupid James Bond spoof, inspired by 'The adventures of Tintin'. Unfortunately, it focused on protagonist Jean-Paul Belmondo, and used Dorléac only as eye-candy. It's the first film I've seen from Brasília, just a few years after it was constructed. 2/10.

🍿

Paintings and Film X 3:

🍿 'Painting Nerds' is a YouTube channel by 2 Scottish artists, putting up intelligent video essays about the art of painting. Paintings In Movies: From '2001: A Space Odyssey' to 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' is an insightful meditation which explores the relationship between the two art forms. Among the many examples it touches on are the canvases in Hitchcock's 'Rebecca' and 'Vertigo', 'The French Dispatch', 'Laura' and 'I'm thinking of ending things'. They even made a Wellesian trailer for that essay, When Citizen Kane met Bambi : The Lost Paintings of Tyrus Wong!

🍿 So I decided to see some of the movies mentioned above, f. ex. Hitchcock's The Trouble with Harry from 1955. Famous for being Shirley MacLaine's film debut, his first collaboration with Bernard Herrmann, and this being his only "real" comedy. However, the only engaging element among the idiotic machinations on screen were the stunning VistaVision landscapes, painted in true Vermont autumn colors.

🍿 All the Vermeers in New York is my [5th film about Vermeer, and] my first film by prolific indie director Jon Jost. The Scottish essay above interpretated it as a "Charming mirroring of art and life, but also a deeply sad film... The gallery scene shows the transmission of feeling from painting to person, and ultimately, the vast amount of space between them. It plays out the entire drama of the film in microcosm.." But that Met Gallery scene was the only outstanding one in an otherwise disjointed experiment about the NYC art world. The abrasive stockbroker who falls for a French actress at the museum and mistakes her for a woman from the painting was mediocre and irritating. 3/10.

🍿

First watch: Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, an homage to Melville's Le Samouraï. An RZA mood piece about a ritualistically-chill black assassin / Zen Sensei, who communicates only with carrier pigeons, and who drives alone at night in desolate streets on mafia missions. 'Live by the Code, die by the Code'.

🍿

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Scorsese's only melodrama with a female protagonist (? - haven't seen 'Boxcar Bertha' yet). It opens in a tinted Wizard of Oz scenery, and tells of an ordinary single mom who dreams of becoming a singer. Hardly a feminist story, as she navigates between one unloving husband, an abusive lover and eventually bearded Kris Kristofferson, who ends up beating her son and promises not to do it again. 3/10.

[I finally watched it because of this clip of 15-year-old Jody Foster singing Je t'attends depuis la nuit de temps on French television].

🍿

The new well-made HBO documentary The Truth vs Alex Jones. About the collective mental sickness that is Amerika. It's hard to imagine how insane are the crazies over there. 💯 score on Rotten Tomatoes.

🍿

3 more shorts:

🍿 The Most Beautiful Shots In Movie History, a little mash-up clippy from The "Solomon Society" with an evocative Perfect day cover.

🍿 Joana, a beautiful tribute of a Spanish father to his little daughter. Reminds me of better times and another daughter.

🍿 From hand to mouse, a mediocre 1944 'Looney Tune' short from Chuck Jones, with the same dynamics that the Coyote & Road Runner did much better.

🍿

Ramy Youssef X 3:

🍿 I discovered first-generation Egyptian-American stand-up comedian Ramy Youssef. In his funny 2019 special, Feelings, he comes across as a sweet dude, a sensitive, observant Muslim, on a complicated spiritual quest in New Jersey. Recommended!

🍿 Ramy was his A24 TV-series that expanded on the themes. It had more of a sitcom vibes, reminiscent of 'Master of None', another one that dealt with an unexplored ethnicity, previously marginalized. I only watched the first season, and liked how unapologetic he was in having large part of the dialogue in other languages, Arabic, French, Etc. Episode 7, "Ne Me Quitte Pas", starring his screen-mom Hiam Abbass was a terrific stand-out.

🍿 “Where were you when the floods happened in Pakistan?”

More feelings, his brand new stand up which just dropped is dark and gentle. It opens with some dark truths from his friend Steve who wants to die, and moves right into the situation in Palestine.

(Later: He hosted Saturday Night Live this weekend.)

🍿  

(My complete movie list is here)

[sereperfume]

Buy Luxury Perfumes Online In India

Experience the #1 Perfume that brings long-lasting experience is really great.

To meet the Luxury - there were many stipulations that a perfume should meet. Obviously - Sere Perfume India met the same and for sure - you will experience a long-lasting feel when you try this perfume.

If you are looking for Men Perfume, Women's Perfume, or Unisex Fragrance, there are options at Sere Perfume.

A lot of Alternative perfumes you can experience Online like Sere Perfume.

But the thing is - Long Lasting Fragrance for Men and Women - and this is where Sere Perfume stands at No. #1 position in the Perfume providers.

The taste of Men and Women in the case of Perfume is really different. Even men and men will have something unique taste. In fact, some men like women fragrances some like unisex and some like mild ones - likewise, each individual taste differs.

If you smell the top 10 perfumes - you may like or you may not. It depends on one's interest in the fragrance that he loves it.

Have a look at the top 10 list of perfumes liked by men and women in 2024

Top 5 Perfumes for Women:

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Tom Ford Black Orchid

Lancôme La Vie Est Belle

Yves Saint Laurent Libre

Dior J'adore

Top 5 Colognes for Men:

Bleu de Chanel

Creed Aventus

Dior Sauvage

Tom Ford Oud Wood

Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio Profumo

But, many of us haven't heard the names - such that, you need to experience once. As an individual you need to experience other says like - he smells amazing or she smells amazing.

Sere Perfumes - Smell Amazing...!

As an Indian brand - everyone looks for the perfume that apt for their climate. Well, surprisingly, Sere is an Indian brand, and obviously, the people of India - love this perfume collection. In terms of colognes, Sere Perfumes is the Lion in the industry of Perfumes. If you want to experience unisex perfume by Sere Perfume concerning gender visit the official store www.sereperfume.com for the best and to avail amazing offers.

[vxctorx]

things your muse will notice about mine. ( repost, don't reblog. )

what they look like : as far as looks are concerned, Victor very much represents his class. His outfits are all tailored to his body, except for those he wears in the comfort of his home, of course. His curls are often brushed back to give them a more tamed look, though sometimes he does let them loose when he's trying to make a certain impression, and therefore seem more approachable. In his older years, he crops his hair shorter, which makes them appear darker in color.

what they smell like : handmade perfumes that carry a small hint of Indian oud, though the scent can get masked by his cigarettes and cigars. He generally carries a soft, earthy scent that always has a natural hint of flowers.

what they taste like: refined tobacco and whisky. The aftertaste of his cigars is not too hard hitting, but obviously not everyone might take a liking to it. He also tastes like tea and sometimes coffee, depending on the time of day. He's a secret glutton for sweet things such as fruits and treats, and he might taste distinctly like chocolate at times.

what they sound like: his voice is notably deep, to the point that it might seem shocking at first, coming from his lips. His voice is memorable much like everything else about him. His has a distinct, smoothed down public school English accent owing to his educational background. He speaks softly and and unhurriedly, and though he is more than capable of raising his voice, he usually avoids doing so.

what they feel like: his skin is smooth and unblemished, and because of his inherent fairness, he doesn't have much hair on his body. Even in his older years when he has put on a decent amount of muscle, his body still retains its welcomingly pliant feel. He's warm-blooded and it's part of the reason why he sleeps in the nude.

tagging: @smallergcd (Alfie), @ronmanmob, @richardxoliverxmayhew, @spidersdance, and whoever would like to do the thing!

[titleleaf]

Vampire perfume recs?

For 3 pieces of vampire media:

Jane Gaskell's The Shiny Narrow Grin -- Prada Candy! ("[...] caramel accord with warm benzoin resin inside a cloud of white musk.") But mostly I think the heroine probably smells like hairspray and soap.

Simon Raven's Doctors Wear Scarlet -- Penhaligon Hammam Bouquet (lavender, rose, sandalwood) or Tom Ford Tobacco Oud. (Again. I just really love and really hate Tobacco Oud.)

The Lost Boys (1987)-- in honor of Star, Coty Wild Musk Patchouli Blend or something else extremely musk-y, I know that girl smells very good but I also know that she also smells like hairspray. For a modern perfume, Nemat International's amber oil. Honorary mention of Sixteen92's wonderful Death By Stereo!.

So many of my fave vampire-y perfumes are indies :

BPAL Penny Dreadful ("Soft perfume evocative of noir heroines over rich red grave loam")

BPAL Othello ("Arabian musk with two roses and a bevy of Middle Eastern and Indian spices")

Sixteen92 Pyromancy ("Green cardamom, fireplace embers, agarwood, smoked tea, white tobacco, hearth smoke")

Whisper Sisters 1984 ("clove bud, sweet clove, vanilla bourbon, tonka bean, burnt sugar, aged red cedar, dark musk, myrrh")

Whisper Sisters Detroit ("smoky incense, spicy musk, cannabis, patchouli, Egyptian musk, clove" -- Mira, you specifically need to check out Whisper Sisters' scents because they rule.)

But my bulletproof vampire perfumes are the canonical BPAL Only Lovers Left Alive perfumes, which frankly I ended up loving a lot more than the actual movie. I own Ian ("shaggy leather, sweet rum absolute, and patchouli") and Adam ("black leather, pale sandalwood, ambergris accord, and the memory of a long-lost Victorian fougère. His internal life seems to be reflected in his lair, so his perfume also possesses the scent of the wood of his guitars, the rosin from his violin bow, the musty wool of neglected Oriental carpets, the plastic, metal, and magnetic tape of his reel-to-reel, the dust that permeates everything.") and to my regret they're both so good. IIRC they were both either gifts from @allthestoriescantbelies or she introduced me to them so they have a lot of really affectionate feeling attached to them on top of good smells + cute guys.

[rosinaperfumery]

Notes:

Top Notes: Bergamot, Cardamom, Amber, Orange

Heart Notes: Rose, Jasmine ,Cinnamon, Cloves, Myrrh, Castoreum,

Pink Pepper, Nut Meg, Tonka Bean

Base Notes: Oud, Indian Oud, Sandalwood, Tolu Balsam, Opoponax,

Cedar, Lotus, Labdanum, Vanila

#mysteriousoud#bortnikoff#pasotti#umbrella#rosinaperfumery

[sassie-sims]

It was his second time in Magnolia Promenade and Devin had something else on his mind instead of opening up the restaurant. The weather was too nice to spend the afternoon indoors over here as well, and thus Devin decided to check out the surroundings and find out if there is something to collect as well. And as he was strolling through the park that bordered Magnolia Promenade’s small commercial district, Devin found a frog hiding in an old log and also a rose bush in bloom! Of course he picked some roses, they would be a nice addition to his growing garden. 🌹

/AN: I like the coloring of the park and the lighting in the second screenshot, it gives me early fall feelings (and maybe a bit Indian Summer as well –Indian Summer like weather does happen where I live but , it happens here more often in September (and sometimes in October) and it’s also known as ‘old women’s summer’ (‘oude wijven zomer’ or ‘Altweibersommer’) here.

[parfumery-wiki]

Oud Loukoum (extrait de parfum) Bortnikoff

Woody amber

Turkish delight (also known as Loukoum) is one of the most tantalising delicacies of the southern Mediterranean region. This stunning unisex fragrance combines the delectable qualities of the famous middle eastern dish with several contrasting yet complimentary olfactory flavours to create an irresistible scent.

Evoking images of a stroll through a middle eastern market, the scent is at once exotic and familiar – beguiling and comforting. Like a first visit to a new country, it will open your senses and inspire your imagination.

The opening notes of tobacco and dried fruits draw us into a charming and enjoyable journey. In the heart of the perfume, a particularly beautiful and uncommon ylang-ylang note has been utilised to stunning effect – providing a delicate and refined heart and reinforcing the image of subtly floral Turkish delight flavours.  At the base of the composition, organic oud from Trat Is combined with Indian wild oud which has been personally distilled by Dmirty Bortnikoff. Crisp and smooth cedar and distinctive guaiac wood are found in the base. Finally, the sweet and balmy note of peru balsam completes the journey.

Despite the Turkish delight theme, Oud Loukoum transcends the boundaries of a gourmand with its delightful floral tones, oud and woody notes.  The perfume is concentrated at Extrait de Parfum strength, ensuring a rich and satisfying aura. This is a fragrance which can be enjoyed by anyone who revels in sensual and evocative scents and who appreciates the finer things in life.

Top notes: Tobacco, Dried fruits Heart notes: Ylang ylang Base notes: Oud, Indian oud, Cedarwood, Guaiacwood, Peru balsam

[annapurnakitchen]

Savor the unique tastes of India at our real Indian Food Restaurant Near Rosarium Vondelpark. At Annapurna Kitchen, we provide a delectable culinary experience by combining classic recipes with modern flair. our restaurant offers a diverse menu featuring classic Indian dishes such as butter chicken, biryani, and paneer tikka, as well as innovative chef's specials. Each dish is crafted with care using the freshest ingredients and aromatic spices, ensuring an unforgettable dining experience. Join us at our Indian and Nepalese food Restaurant near Rosarium Vondelpark to delight your senses with our authentic dishes.

[classicschronicles]

Hi lovelies,

I went to an engagement party yesterday, except it was a full out Indian affair and that meant heavily embroidered outfits, massive jhumkas, gold bangles, oud, and a lot of food. The whole event reminded me of Classics lesson I had last week in which we discussed the concept of Orientalism in the Aeneid, and how the East in the Ancient World was seen as the embodiment of barbarism. I’ll be honest, as a South Asian person I still see a lot of negative perceptions of the ‘East’ in every day life, and ask almost any brown girl she will tell you that when she was a child she wished to be less ‘brown’. A lot of us grow into our cultures, accept them and embrace them, but Orientalism is massively damaging and has been around since, well, the ancient world. So today I wanted to talk about the ‘East’ in the Ancient World and why it was so villainised, with specific reference the Aeneid.

Before I start it might be helpful to explain the concept of the ‘self versus other’ and ‘Orientalism’. What that means is the self is seen as ‘Us’ and the other is seen as ‘Them’. To the ancient Greeks, Other meant anyone who was not Greek speaking, and therefore different to them. They described themselves by showing how they were different to the Other. To them, Us meant masculinity, order, Greek, democracy. And so the Other was feminisation, chaos, extravagance, not Greek. They defined the Other with the word barbaros (or barbarian, meaning uncivilised). It was everything that was different, and therefore a threat. Orientalism is a post colonial term ending the the representation of Asia in a stereotyped way that is regarding as embodying a colonialist attitude. Whilst the term is relatively modern (also everyone please go read Edward Said’s book ‘Orientalism’) its negative stereotyping has been around since basically forever.

A great first example to show this, is the portal of the Amazons (a mythical tribe of all female warriors) in Ancient/ Classical Greek art. The concept of Amazons, as both women and women who could fight, was threatening to Greek ideals of masculinity and so the portrayal of them in art became villainised. They showed them wearing Phrygian caps, which was associated exclusively with Phrygia (modern day Anatolia) and any country further East. To show the Amazons as threatening by associating them with the East was essentially Orientalism.

When the Greek initially won the Graeco-Persian wars, for a while the art that was produced of the Persians was pretty accurate to Persia, in a sense of the armour they wore. However, the concept of the Other, and therefore everything the Greeks were not, soon meant that the way Persia was shown changed. They began to feminise the Persian warriors, giving them longer and curlier hair. Before you know it, the Persian warriors stopped being Persian men and instead became Amazons. So now when you art of the Greeks fighting Amazons, you start to realise that the Amazons were a petty excuse for Persians, as a way of exemplifying the Other and villainising them.

I think, perhaps, one of the most prominent examples of Orientalism and the Other is how it is personified through Dionysus and the Maenads. Dionysus, an Asian and most likely Indian God, appears to be one of the most feminised and mocked of them all. He is often seen as having perfumed hair, womanly features, the god of wine, revelry, and excess- not the order that was associated with Greece. In Euripides ‘Bacchae’, they describe him as being associated with the smell of incense. Literally verbatim, this is what Euripides says, “Dionysus is glad when someone in the mountains falls to the ground from the whirling bands, wearing the sacred cloak of fawnskin, hunting the blood of goat-slaughter, the joy of eating raw flesh”. I feel like I don’t even have to explain how that is blatantly Orientalist. But also they call the Maenads barbarians simple because they have followed him from Asia, and the fact that they are women. Also I’ve noticed that in a lot of ancient literature if a Roman or Greek woman is acting in a way that is unbecoming they strip her of us ‘Us’ and make her ‘Other’ by calling her a Maenad and therefore ‘Eastern’.

In the Aeneid, Virgil is just as guilty of this as everyone else. Aeneas, on two occasions, is described by his enemies in a way that highlights his Eastern background as a way to insult him. Iarbas says this about him, “now this second Paris, with eunuchs in attendance and hair dripping with perfume and Maeonian bonnet tied under his chin”. The hair dripping with perfume again feels a bit obvious, and the Maeonian bonnet is a Phrygian cap. However, the bit that is really fascinating is the ‘second Paris’. In the Iliad, Paris is seen as a philanderer, the reason for the war, and ‘queer’. They describe him with such negative attributes whenever they blame the war on him. On numerous occasions he is depicted with his Phrygian cap, lounging on sofas, refusing to fight, oiling his hair, polishing his armour, and acting in a way that was seen as effeminate. Essentially, all the way that’s the Greeks wanted to personify the Trojans (modern day Turkey). So to call Aeneas the ‘second Paris’ is to equate him with this villainised feminisation of Paris. At some point, and you’ll have to forgive me because I cannot find the quote, but Turnus makes a comment about how Aeneas as a Trojan spends too much time curling his hair with hot iron. It’s worth noting that both Iarbas and Turnus are outwardly more Roman that Aeneas initially appears to be. They are masculine, leaders, and warriors, and whilst Aeneas is every single one of these things, he is Other and therefore stripped of them. It’s weird to me that the whole Aeneid is essentially a book describing the evolution of these barbarous Trojans into civilised Romans, insinuating that they are better at the end than at the start, not because they are better people but because they are Roman and no longer Eastern.

Another Orientalist description in the Aeneid is literally everything to do with Dido, the Carthaginian queen. When we first meet her, we have a lot of respect and admiration for her even though she is a woman and a a foreigner. This is because she is a city builder, a term which Romans liked to think they embodied. However, her descent into furor and her lust for Aeneas and as the queen on the foreign shores is, well yeah. A lot of scholars suggest that her character is the archetype of Cleopatra, and after the Roman civil wars and the Battle of Actium, Cleopatra became the prime example of Other and the corruption of the Eastern lands. If we take that to be true then Mark Anthony is meant to be Aeneas, the general who is seduced by the sexual woman from an exotic land. Also literally read what Virgil says about Cleopatra later on and it explains it all, “with him sailed Egypt and the power of the East from as far as distant Bactria, and there bringing up the rear was the greatest outrage of all, his Egyptian wife!… In the middle of all this the queen summoned her warships by rattling her Egyptian timbrels – she was not yet seeing the two snakes there at her back – while Anubis barked and all manner of monstrous gods levelled their weapons… In terror at the sight the whole of Egypt and of India, all the Arabians and all the Shebans were turning tail and the queen herself could be seen calling for winds and setting her sails by them” Again, this image of the East being other and the women being monstrous, and the Indians and Arabs and Egyptians and Shebans uniting together in an attempt to defeat the ‘pioneer of civilisation’ (Rome).

There is so much more I could say, for instance Nisus and Euryalus and Camilla, but I feel like this is turning into a rant. As amazing and as beautiful as ancient and classical literature is, it clearly has its own stereotypes and unfortunately, because of how much Classics influences us today, it manifests itself in the post colonial term that is ‘Orientalism’. This is something that is so fascinating to me so I might do a part two at some point. Anyways! I hope you all learnt a little something from my ramblings and hopefully I’ll see you all next week xx

~Z

[cristinaitaliani]

The music of the concert `` MY MEDITERRANEAN '' by the trio of Cristina Italiani, Gulami Yesildal and Sibel Durgut is inspired by the colors and scents of the Mediterranean with the fusion of African and Southern Italian rhythms, not neglecting the Arab and Eastern maqam. A meeting between the two shores of the Mediterranean: three musicians from two different cultures with the same approach to improvisation, in an atmosphere of freedom, spontaneity and openness.

CRISTINA ITALIANI - flute

Cristina Italiani, flautist, grraduated from the ‘’ Luisa D’Annunzio ‘’ Conservatory of music in Pescara , continuing her training in France and in Germany.

She has held concert in various cameristic formations and in orchestras in Italy and abroad.

Cristina Italiani is active as musician and performer playng with actors, dancers and jazz musicians.

.From February 2014 he joined the collective Improvvisatore Involontario. Since 2015 she has been a member of the Duo Hayet with the Algerian oud virtuoso Hafid Moussaoui with whom he performed in important festivals and reviews (Terra Mia, Piazza Verdi on Rai Radio 3, Mediterranean Orchestra).

GULAMI YESILDAL  saz,oud  and  percussion

Coming from a Bektaşi Sufi family, music Gulami Yesildal has always been the centre of his up growing. Listening to the ancient mystical songs from childhood and replicating it on the traditional Saz was my first steps into the musical world.   He has  a multi-instrumentalist and play saz, sarod, oud, Iranian tar, Darbouka and Davul.  He has studied Turkish and Indian modal music with different masters in Arabic, North African music.

SIBEL DURGUT voice

She was born in Samsun/Turkey. And she completed her bachelor's degree in Turkish Music.. She came to Portugal as a volunteer to do a music project in 2019. After the project she was very impressed with Portuguese music and started to her master's degree in Portugal. She continues to improve herself and give concerts.

[nagchampaagarbatti]

Unveiling the Mystery: Exploring the Tradition Behind Nag Champa Agarbatti Incense Sticks

For centuries, the captivating aroma of Nag Champa agarbatti incense sticks has stuffed temples, houses, and meditation areas, growing an atmosphere of serenity and consciousness. But what precisely is Nag Champa, and wherein does this charming tradition originate? Delve deeper with us as we explore the records, components, and cultural importance of these beloved incense sticks.

The Enigmatic Origins of Nag Champa

The exact foundation story of Nag Champa remains shrouded in a chunk of thriller. Some believe the exercise originated in historic India, with its roots in Ayurvedic medicinal drugs and religious rituals. Others trace its beginnings to Buddhist monasteries in Tibet or Nepal, wherein incense played an important function in non secular ceremonies.

The name itself gives some clues:

Nag: Sanskrit for "snake," possibly referencing the serpent deity Naga, a parent determined in Hinduism and Buddhism.

Champa: Refers to the plumeria flower, recognized for its sweet, floral perfume.

However, the precise flower utilized in Nag Champa incense can range.  While a few traditional recipes may also have covered plumeria,  the most common flower used nowadays is possibly the Michelia champaca, also known as the champaca tree, which boasts a wealthy, honey-like fragrance.

Aromatic Alchemy: The Ingredients of Nag Champa

The specific perfume of Nag Champa is a complex combo of natural substances. Here are a few generally used components:

Sandalwood: A prized ingredient recognized for its calming and grounding aroma.

Resinoids: Natural gums from trees like frankincense and myrrh, adding depth and sweetness to the incense.

Essential Oils: Extracts from aromatic flora which includes agarwood (oud) and spikenard, contributing to the perfume complexity.

Charcoal: The base that binds the elements together and allows the incense to burn.

Beyond the Fragrance: The Significance of Nag Champa

Nag Champa incense is used in numerous ways across cultures and religions:

Religious Ceremonies: The incense is burned all through prayers, offerings, and meditation practices to create a sacred surroundings and purify the distance.

Aromatherapy: The calming and mood-boosting houses of Nag Champa make it popular for relaxation, stress alleviation, and selling recognition.

Ayurvedic Medicine: In conventional Indian remedy, Nag Champa is assumed to have various healing benefits, together with aiding breathing issues and promoting intellectual readability.

The Legacy of Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa

Today, Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa incense sticks are a number of the maximum extensively diagnosed and commercially to be had sorts.  This brand, originating from Bengaluru, India, has become synonymous with the Nag Champa experience.  Their manufacturing techniques involve hand-rolling the incense sticks and the use of natural elements, preserving a connection to the conventional techniques.

Choosing Your Perfect Nag Champa Incense

With the growing recognition of Nag Champa, a wide variety of manufacturers and smells are available.  Here are some suggestions for selecting your best incense:

Look for respectable brands: Opt for brands acknowledged for the usage of natural substances and traditional techniques.

Consider the fragrance profile: Some Nag Champa sorts may additionally have more potent floral notes, even as others lean toward the woody and musky side. Explore extraordinary alternatives to discover your preference.

Start with a small amount: The sturdy aroma of Nag Champa can be overwhelming for a few. Begin with a single stick and modify the amount based for your space and personal tolerance.

A Fragrant Journey

Nag Champa agarbatti incense sticks offer greater than just a fascinating aroma.  They constitute a wealthy cultural heritage and lifestyle, selling relaxation, recognition, and a experience of well-being.  So, light a stick, close your eyes, and permit the captivating perfume of Nag Champa to transport you on a journey of tranquility.