Heya Indie Frag Fiends,

I love Independent Perfume Houses. They are less restricted in their ingredients, much more creative in their styles and are unafraid of taking enormous chances. Many Indie perfumers make sensational fragrance for a fraction of the mainstream prices; filled with love and a little bit of magic. Today’s fragrance from La Via del Profumo is part of a BaseNotes creation thread where AbdesSaalam Attar asked everyone their thoughts on Oud Caravan No 1 and how he could make it more wearable to a greater audience. Here then is the outcome…

Oud Caravan No 2 by La Via Del Profumo 2011

Oud Caravan No 2 by AbdesSalaam Attar

Photo Stolen La Via Del Profumo

I love the dirty leather and poo opening, it doesn’t last long so you have to be quick before Oud Caravan No 2 goes slightly Band-Aid and medicine. A prettier (if that term can be applied to a scent still quite outrageous) and smoother version than number one with a creamier feeling, a suede leather, an earthy, vegetal dankness both beautiful and alarming. When I wear Oud Caravan No 2 I get a big, dumb, happy grin on my face. When I smell this treatment of oudh that has a sweetness and warm humus rich, fecal waft teamed with whatever it is. The blurb says tuberose but my nose reads fatty cream, birch tar and amber. A resinous and woody poo. He He He. Not making it sound very appealing am I? It is appealing, enticing and sensational.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

While the initial 40 minutes of Oud Caravan No 2 are big and alarming the whole fragrance softens and calms considerably after that. It melts into my skin and becomes very lovely. An expensive leather item, vanilla and resins. Still with a soft fecal overlay, an earthy, rich and peaty smell that becomes softer and sweeter, and softer and smoother till all I can smell is a very slightly sweater and sweatier me somewhere around the 6-8 hour mark depending on the day and my application rate.

PS. This morning I woke up with quite decided fragrance residue, mmmmmmm. It’s really good.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

From the La Via Del Profumo site: I have added Laotian Oud to the Bengali and also a subliminal flowery note of Tuberose, more woods to give substance to the heart and I diminished the spices.
A somehow nobler and deeper Oud perfume that may also appeal to more and may also entice many women.
A perfect Rubi can be exhibited and admired for itself, but when you set it into a golden ring with small diamonds, the rubi’s perfection is underlined and even enhanced by the other gems. This is my idea, an Oud better than Oud, “the ultimate Oud fragrance”.
This is a very ambitious aim and I have asked help to Basenotes Oud fans and perfumistas to realize it.(Oud project)

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Perfume Pharmer and Ca Fleure Bon has a very interesting interview with the perfumer
La Via Del Profumo starts at €49,59/10ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $11/.5m

Yes, this is a spendy fragrance but something so fabulous and far away from anything else you’ll get to smell of the genre. I think AbdesSalaam Attar is so connected with his creations and really cares that he is pushing boundaries and creating fragrant masterpieces. I am happy that we live in a world where it’s possible for La Via Del Profumo to be a viable and available concept.

Try it.
Portia xx