Hey there Posse, Oud Ispahan is one of mt favourite DIOR Privée fragrances. Discovered when it was first released in an AndreaW split. When I went to Paris in 2013 with Jin on our first big trip together it was one of my big ticket purchases.
Oud Ispahan by Francois Demachy for DIOR 2012
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Labdanum
Heart: Patchouli
Base: Sandalwood, rose, agarwood (oud)
New story? No. Oud Ispahan retells a fragrant story nearly as old as fragrance, oudh & rose. It’s a typical middle eastern fragrance but put through the DIOR mill. A few perfumistas complain about how so much of our current fragrant offerings are oud based or designed for the middle eastern market. I like that fragrance embraces the whole world’s scent histories. It’s like fragrance has become the great joiner, a link and look into another culture.
Ous Ispahan feels like I’m wearing an oil based fragrance from the middle East but in the cleanest, most modern way. The note list is exactly reverse to how I smell the fragrance. Oud (no don’t freak out, it’s a pretty tame recreation. More of an oud nod that full blown poopy, medicinal, animal extravaganza) and rose in the forefront, the patchouli riding alongside is almost transparent, all the bits I love have been sawn off and truncated but you can still tell it was once patchouli, this is a Disney patchouli suitable for even the most exquisitely discerning western noses that don’t really want to smell like a souk, or as if they’ve been up a camels ass, but who do want to hint at far away places and mysterious travels. Oud Ispahan is perfect for exactly this. Fragrant armchair travel, Oud Ispahan would be the perfect scent to wear to watch a TV show about the middle east (He He He).
Drying down gives me a dusty, amberish and honeyed animal oud. Sandalwood? I get hardly any but still the memory of a garden rose, spicy and sweet weaves in and around the remnants till it’s faded and gone.
I love Oud Ispahan and when spritzed with abandon I am lounging in the harem of a desert king or am a fabulously jewelled Indian Maharajah.
Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Katie Puckrik
Oud Ispahan can be found at some large department stores and all DIOR stand alone stores.
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml
What in your collection sends you on journeys in your mind?
Portia xx
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