AZMAN Naked Forest courtesy of the brand

The dawn was apple green,

The sky was green wine held up in the sun,

The moon was a golden petal between. ~ excerpt from Green, by D.H. Lawrence

Husen Baba courtesy of AZMAN

Last week, a sample of AZMAN Naked Forest was included with my order from Indigo Perfumery. I have long admired creative director Husen Baba and his body of work – and I feel similarly about the fascinating compositions of Thai perfumer Prin Lomros. I immediately applied AZMAN Naked Forest and experienced a deep affinity towards it – which resulted in my desire to review it. One may admire and appreciate any number of perfumes without feeling compelled to wear them, but it is always preferable if you love them – and I do love this, so let’s begin!

 

Prin Lomros, perfumer courtesy of the brand

There is a strong South Asian presence in AZMAN Naked Forest: its tendrils infiltrate this perfume on multiple levels – from the olfactive materials pressed into service to the backgrounds of both creative director and perfumer. Husen Baba was raised in Mumbai, a city from which the surrounding hills and mountains disclose a panoramic view; Prin Lomros’ native Thailand is no stranger to mountain ranges as well. Husen and Prin share familiarity with the charms of dense tropical forests and monsoon rains; the facets of sea, mountain, and sylvan air commingle in their collective memory. Naked Forest touches upon each of these aspects in an unforced, natural fashion which is exceptionally haunting.

 

Unsplash/iStock photo of Tamhini Ghat at the beginning of monsoon season, credit MudaCom

AZMAN Naked Forest breathes anticipation of a high-altitude atmosphere replete with the salinity of the ocean, such as one finds with the Arabian Sea: a salt accord is wed to ambergris, and it is bracing. Black tea flourishes here, the Ceylon tea to which the given fragrance notes refer: tannic and leathery, the absolute sings with an arnica-like herbalcy, a touch of hay and smoke, lightly animalic in its drydown.  A symphony of precious woods provides a sumptuous alliance of contrasting elements – the silky texture of Australian and Mysore sandalwood, the potent smoky/leathery tones of nagarmotha (cypriol) and oud. Mango and amla (Indian gooseberry) are both sweet and tangy, tinged with sourness. Amla, which is utilized in many South Asian medicines, is a relative of the peanut and chickpea – and it possesses a pronounced sweet date/sweet tamarind-like aroma which augments Naked Forest’s exoticism. Tea-like magnolia is an intuitive fit; orris concrete and frankincense conspire to contribute their silver sacred character, so emblematic of the mystical mountain. Galbanum and vetiver are working pieces of the perfume puzzle; they exemplify the veracity of the forest with aromatic immediacy. Naturally, I cannot speak to the accords described as salt accord, green accord, or mountain air; every perfumer must preserve his secrets, and I respect that. What would a mystical mountain be if every element were revealed?

AZMAN Naked Forest is an extraordinary piece of work, shrouded in mystery: it is its own creature, as fully fleshed as one could hope for. Chameleon-like, it changes form and develops with a prismatic accuracy. Even if you can’t see your way to purchasing a full bottle, it is certainly worth sampling for the pure joy of the juice itself.

Notes: salt accord, orris concrete, green accord, Australian sandalwood, Mysore sandalwood, vetiver, frankincense, nagarmotha (aka cypriol), Indian gooseberry (aka amla), Ceylon tea, ambergris, oud, galbanum, magnolia, mango, mountain air

 Sample kindly provided by Indigo Perfumery – many thanks!  My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

AZMAN Naked Forest courtesy of the brand

Thanks to the generosity of AZMAN we have a 50ml bottle for one registered reader in the EU, UK. If you live in the USA,  thanks to Indigo Perfumery who is offering the bottle. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what intrigues you about Ida’s review, and where you live. Do you have a favorite from AZMAN perfume? Draw closes 7/19/2023.

Please Read: AZMAN Majnoon Review by Nicoleta Tomsa, AZMAN RIAD, by Nicoleta, Karl on Killer Vavoom, Two Minutes After The Kiss and AZMAN I am Darkness Review by Lauryn

AZMAN received Michelyn’s 2022 Best Independent House as well as her Top 10 of 2022, Karl as well, Nicoleta awarded Majnoon Top 10 of 2022, Lauryn awarded I am Darkness Best of 2022.

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