JK DeLapp
JK DeLapp of Rising Phoenix Group is dedicatedly protecting the production as well as changing the conception of the oud. Two of his latest offerings show the remarkable versatility of oud and merge Middle Eastern perfume aesthetic with Western distinctions..
Vicente Romero Redondo
Musk Rose is deceptively simple in formulation; simple if you have access to some of the richest, aromatically unique distillations in the world. Russian rose centifolia is the center piece- light, bright and with the uncanny ability to 'clean' an oud of anything unkempt or even nearing a barnyard. It gives the impression of wild roses along roadsides and trail ways. An Indian distilled champa, again clean and fresh, adds apple blossom notes, which relieve the Indian staple of its unfair head-shop duties. The result is a silken face-in-flower rose, the same air-diluted aroma of the living plant. Musk is provided by yet another rare Indian distilled Hina attar* and everything is fixed into a traditional menstrum of sandalwood. This provides immense longevity and surprising sillage. In fact, much of Musk Rose is a surprise- the cleanliness of the musk, the sweet, bright nature of the rose accord… 'musk' is definitely there, but in such a demure way I would call it “muskette” for this is not a heavy nor animalic rose. JK has managed to turn musk and oud into sunshine and sublime summer. Notes: Russian centifolia rose, Indian champa, Hina musk attar, sandalwood
painting by Turkist Artist irfan önürmen
In contrast, City Oud is the comfort of your cashmere pashmina, the soft warmth of angora sweaters and a sophistication one would expect from a bustling neighborhood in any metropolitan city in the world. Yet, it is formulated within the traditional parameters of Arabic mukhallat compounding. This means there will be no top notes and only containing a minimal rose heart, which serves merely to bind and blend the other ingredients. Tonka beans are macerated into sandalwood, to which proprietary blend of ouds are added and as is the norm- everything is carried by sandalwood instead of a fatty oil or alcohol carrier. Again giving outstanding longevity (overnight in this case), and a projection which again belies the dense formulation. City Oud gives credence to idea of using ouds as replacements for synthetic pre-made bases such as Ebanol and Cashmeran.
The Joy of Being Together III, by Syed Thajudeen
All these beloved synthetic bases are present, clarified and simply more beautiful in the experienced oud crafting of The Rising Phoenix. City Oud proves natural perfumes can perform and produce at levels a commercial perfume can- and beyond. Musk Rose and City Oud are easily two of the most accessible creations to come from Rising Phoenix. Notes: A lack of top notes, Rose, Tonka bean, Sandalwood, proprietary Oud blend
Disclosure: Samples were sent to me by The Rising Phoenix Group; opinions my own
–Einsof, Natural Perfume Editor
*Hina attar can vary although some raw materials include: lichens and moss, choya, bakul, mehndi, ambrette, turmeric, spikenard, valerian, juniper berry, clove, saffron, ambergris and rose water. The entire process can take between two and four months.
Art Direction-Michelyn
Editor's Note:Interested in learning more about creating natural perfumes? Join Aromatic Artist and Chinese Medicine Practitioner JK DeLapp in this free DIY Video Series
Thanks to JK Delapp of The Rising Phoenix Group we have a worldwide draw for a registered ÇaFleureBon reader for their choice of 1 gram ($85USD) of EITHER Musk Rose or City Oud. To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Einsof’s review, where you live and your choice of fragrance. Draw closes 7/13/2015
We announce the winners on our site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume