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Cologne that made you think of the Middle East or India?

post #1 of 34
1/2/08 at 3:51am
Thread Starter 
Even if youve never been to these areas its okay if you use your mind's eye of what you think it would smell like(or Mind's nose rather).

I tried Opium and my wife said it smelled like Toothpaste and bugspray. I tend to agree sadly...
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post #2 of 34
1/2/08 at 3:56am
Arabie and Montale Ouds
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post #3 of 34
1/2/08 at 4:32am
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L'air Du Desert Marocain by Andy Tauer would fit the bill I think.
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post #4 of 34
1/2/08 at 4:44am
Montale Greyland
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post #5 of 34
1/2/08 at 4:45am
Araby: SL Ambre Sultan & Arabie, Penhaligon's Hammam Bouquet, Tauer LDDM, Villoresi Incensi, Montale Royal Oudh & Attar.
India: SL Santal de Mysore, Creed Royal English Leather, Capucci Punjab.
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post #6 of 34
1/2/08 at 5:01am
The fact that aoud is omnipresent in Montale's line gives them the real Middle Eastern edge for me. I find Lutens' take on the Arabic theme a bit like the Orientalism of Gérôme's paintings and Flaubert's faux-exotic Salammbô. Pleasurable, yes, but teetering on the edge of kitsch. Opium represents another monster in the closet: Chinoiserie!
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post #7 of 34
1/2/08 at 6:22am
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Perhaps I have been influenced by their advertising text but Parfum d'Empire Fougere Bengale evokes thoughts of Indian forests, tigers and mahouts washing elephants in the river..
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post #8 of 34
1/2/08 at 6:43am
To Montale's cumin-y Greyland, I must add all the ouds and attars I've tried, of course. Speaking of cumin, btw, we mustn't forget Rive Gauche (which also has the very Eastern star anise). In terms of ingredients alone, Rive Gauche has a less-than-Western thang working for it, IMHO.

Arabie? Hmmmm -- I don't know -- I suppose a Moroccan boulangerie that's exploded and covered the surrounding souk with painfully sweet loukum and hot, sticky treacle and mountains of cloying spices. Yes, in that regard I definitely get a Near East vibe.
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post #9 of 34
1/2/08 at 7:14am
Jaipour for me.
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post #10 of 34
1/2/08 at 7:16am
Yes, TOOOOTALLY... For me, the three answers which fly into my head without pause are:

Serge Lutens Arabie
Pafum d'Empire Fougere Bengale
Dior Eau Noir
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post #11 of 34
1/2/08 at 7:38am
I have lived in the middle east for 21 years and I don't know how Lutens Arabie recalls the middle eastern atmosphere - as TVlampboy said, maybe if "a Moroccan boulangerie that's exploded and covered the surrounding souk with painfully sweet loukum and hot, sticky treacle and mountains of cloying spices. Yes, in that regard I definitely get a Near East vibe."

Lutens Rahat Lakhoum maybe...just because its the smell of Turkish Delight, the delicacy. Some of the Montale oudhs and MPG Santal Noble with its wooden chest like sandalwood smell remind me of walking in UAE souks with my friends. I don't recall the name now but theres another fragrance which smells a lot like the arabian spice and hookah markets...maybe if you mix the top notes of Arabie and Fumerie Turque and remove the overly sweet bases of both you might get a similar effect .. an idea for a new Lutens perhaps?
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post #12 of 34
1/2/08 at 7:45am
Doesn't the cumin note in Greyland (and Rive Gauche and Kingdom, for that matter) remind you a lot of Moroccan tagines and Indian curries and so many other Near Eastern dishes? I also get some souk sweat in there, too. I for one find cumin to be an incredibly sensuous scent, as it puts me very much in mind of human sweat. (And this, for me, is not a bad thing.) Granted, cumin-y frags are not always appropriate. Definitely not frags you wanna bathe in before going to a stuffy board meeting, lunch with your grandmother, an Episcopalian funeral etc.).

Jaisalmer by Comme des Garçons, definitely -- think Hindu temple incense meets Gucci for Men (the cedar-y one, not the original fougère nor the "Gucci #2" of recent memory.)

Impérial Opoponax by Les Néréides is a remarkably rich, Byzantine fragrance -- oodles of warm, rich sweet myrrh. I've been really, really wanting to try Oriental Lumpur by Les Néréides as well, but have yet to have that opportunity.

I'd love to try Frankincense & Myrrh by Czech & Speake sometime, too. Has anyone else out there tried it? If so, mind commenting upon its Near Eastern qualities (or the lack thereof)?
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post #13 of 34
1/2/08 at 7:59am
Michael Kors for men, it smells like curry
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post #14 of 34
1/2/08 at 8:37am
I agree with most of the recommendations listed above and add one: Kretek by Ava Luxe
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post #15 of 34
1/2/08 at 8:39am
Oh, yeeeee-uhhh. All I could think of when I first smelled that one was walking along the streets of Jakarta, clove cigarette smoke everywhere. I just kept expecting a betel nut seller to approach me when I first sampled Kretek.
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post #16 of 34
1/2/08 at 8:50am
L`Air Du Desert Marocain
Montale Line
SL Arabie
Eau Noir.
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post #17 of 34
1/2/08 at 9:07am
Many! The entire Montale "Aoud" line, any number of Lutens scents, including Arabie, Ambre Sultan, Fumerie Turque, Cuir Mauresque, and Chergui. In regard to India particularly, I could add L'Autre, Saffran Troublant and of course Fougere Bengale.
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post #18 of 34
1/2/08 at 9:32am
Oriscent ouds such as Borneo 3000 and Royal Oud remind me of the middle east for sure. Lime Aoud from Montale also reminds me of middle east - probably the aoud. Also Duro from Nasomatto reminds me of middle eastern spice s - I suspect there is either oud or some type of incense wood in this one.

Palisander from CdG reminds me of India - it is probably the saffron in front of the dry incense woods. Palisander has that smell of open air temple incense mixed with dry cooking spices.

For me also, Equipage smells sort of middle eastern in a casual way.
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post #19 of 34
1/2/08 at 10:00am
L'Artisan Dzing and Tea4Two, because they smell like smoldering houses.
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post #20 of 34
1/2/08 at 10:41am
Another mention for Tauer's L'Air, with the addenda that the impression is far more Indian restaurant than Moroccan desert to my nose.
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post #21 of 34
1/2/08 at 1:29pm
Dior's Eau Noire
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post #22 of 34
1/2/08 at 5:13pm
Padparadscha:

Warm, glowing sandalwood and cedar.
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post #23 of 34
1/2/08 at 5:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevolution View Post

Padparadscha:

Warm, glowing sandalwood and cedar.

I swear that's what I was about to post before stumbling unto yours.
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post #24 of 34
1/16/08 at 5:30am
India - Indian SP Aloeswood from Oriscent. Smells like strong incense.
Middle East - Akif A. Noori fragrance oil (I picked this up while in Saudi Arabia many years ago and still have a little left)
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post #25 of 34
1/16/08 at 5:52am
Guerlain's Shalimar and L'Heure Bleue.

When I was in India, I got a Ayurveda massage with a fragrant oil with EXECTLY the same smell as L'Heure Bleue.
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post #26 of 34
1/16/08 at 11:29am
Kingdom
Feminite du Bois
Black Cashemere
Opium
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post #27 of 34
1/16/08 at 12:31pm
Diptyque L'Autre, and to a lesser extent, Opôné.
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post #28 of 34
1/16/08 at 12:34pm
The two standout scents that remind me of India and the Middle East are:

Tam Dao - Diptyque and
L'Instant de Guerlain PH.

Also, Czech and Speake's No.88 is a mix of rosewater and Indian incense, to my mind.
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post #29 of 34
1/17/08 at 6:33am
CdG White for Middle East. All the proper fruit, flowers, and spices are in there.
RM
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post #30 of 34
1/17/08 at 2:25pm
I agree with most that have been mentioned, but especially:

Parfum d'Empire Fougere Bengale
Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan
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post #31 of 34
1/17/08 at 4:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tvlampboy View Post



I'd love to try Frankincense & Myrrh by Czech & Speake sometime, too. Has anyone else out there tried it? If so, mind commenting upon its Near Eastern qualities (or the lack thereof)?

I bought a sample of it from TPC and I really liked the scent. I moved from a more incense type to a very nice warm wood - however... for me, as is the case for CdG 2 Man and Helmut Lang Cuiron, the C&S F&M just doesn't last more than a couple hours. I really love C&S F&M warm woody glow, it doesn't shout and doesn't carry far from the body, but it gives you (the wearer) the warm-fuzzies! :-) Just so sad it doesn't last longer on me...
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post #32 of 34
1/17/08 at 4:24pm
The Middle East: most certainly 'ouds (Montale, Arabian Oud, and Oriscent) and rose attars; sandalwood and pure misk. If it is Egypt, then Egyptian Jasmine, or "ful", as it is known in Arabic.

I have never been to India, but two scents that really come to mind are both oils: Jannat al-Mawa and Jannat al-Firdaws
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post #33 of 34
1/17/08 at 4:28pm
Nice thread ....
From my humble lot i think .. Basala is the closest . maybe ?
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post #34 of 34
1/18/08 at 10:43am
i always thought l'artisan's eau du navigateur goes on a bit like an indian spice market.
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