Photo representing DSH Perfumes Aoud Blanc and DSH Perfumes Oudh Noir by The Silver Fox aka Alex Musgrave © for DSH Perfumes

When the nights grow long as shadows and cold sets up house, the waft of warm, enveloping perfumes can beckon as deliciously as a mug of cocoa. DSH Perfumes Aoud Blanc Heirloom Elixir #2 and DSH Perfumes Oudh Noir Heirloom Elixir #3, collectively named “Oud in Chiaroscuro”, (representing the artistic term of the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition)  are just the ticket.

 

The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame by Georges de la Tour, 1640

There’s an initial rustic coziness in DSH Perfumes Oudh Noir that makes me think of glowing embers in the fireplace, wind rattling the tree branches in melodramatic warning of encroaching cold. Out of the bottle, it is smoky tonic, warming and spicy. The oud is apparent but not aggressive, its medicinal woodiness melding perfectly with the profusion of arid notes that follow: sandalwood, with its violin scratchiness, the smell of old cedar chests, a rich, earthy tobacco. Dawn Spencer Hurwitz is brilliant at roasted notes, and the crackly smell of firewood, tobacco and oud marry perfectly. You could settle down with a dog-eared book and comforter and breathe contentedly. But wait until the middle stage.

Photo by Paolo Roversi for Vogue Italia, Mar 2013

Oudh Noir abandons the hearth fire to light one in the bedroom. Civet and castoreum positively growl their way out of the bottle and a rubber note prowls around the edges. Resins and the bitter chocolate of patchouli hum quietly in the background while leather slowly brandishes her whip. And yet, just when it seems Oudh Noir is going to go all S&M, the composition softens, and flower and spice notes peek through: carnation, saffron, and toasty hints of cinnamon and clove. Over time, the roasted wood, spices and oud mellow, and Oudh Noir becomes downright snuggly.

DSH Perfumes Oudh Noir 

Notes: Rubber accord, Oude/agarwood, saffron absolute, Atlas Cedarwood, Australian sandalwood, black leather (accord), brown oakmoss, castoreum, civet, East Indian patchouli, frankincense (olibanum), Indonesian vetiver, Mysore sandalwood, tobacco absolute, carnation, cinnamon bark, clove bud, damask rose absolute, grandiflorum jasmine, labdanum, aldehydes, bergamot, holy basil, lime peel, silver fir, leather, musk.

Persian cat, stock photo

Where DSH Perfumes Oud Noir is tiger sauntering around the boudoir, DSH Perfumes Aoud Blanc is a Persian pussycat curled up on a satin pillow. The opening is all marshmallow-y rose and peach. The peach dominates, getting a juicyfruit tang of bergamot. The oud is noticeable and adds a dry counterpoise to the fluffy opening notes, lending a wine-like savor. Sandalwood – sleeker and more lowkey than in Oudh Noir – comes forward. The woodiness is accompanied by an unexpected, delightful note of beeswax that adds a lighthearted touch.

Chiaroscuro by Rosie Sanders

But while flowers and fruit command the first stages, suede is the heart of Aoud Blanc. The peachy, rosy notes hover, joined by a pinch of powdery ambrette, and soft greyish suede makes its way into the center of the fragrance. Iris becomes apparent, and the dusty odor of saffron. A trill of jasmine joins the suede accord; soapy, breezy, girlishly sweet. The longer Aoud Blanc wears, the more the floral and suede notes take precedence. This is a perfume of early Spring, lovely to wear when you need a hit of April.

Photo  DSH Perfumes

Notes: Arabian jasmine, peach skin accord, ta'if rose, white oud accord, white suede accord, ambrette Seed, Australian sandalwood, Mysore sandalwood, French beeswax, honey, orris concrete, osmanthus absolute, saffron absolute, bergamot.

Nude, photo by Erwin Blumenfeld, 1952

Both DSH Perfumes Aoud Blanc and DSH Perfumes Oudh Noir are delicious, but they are also lovely foils for each other. Layer them together (Aoud Blanc on top), and they turn almost gourmand: the Aoud Blanc brings a vanillic quality it doesn’t have on its own; Oudh Noir lends its sister a delicious savoriness. Together, they are cocoa for the soul on an unkind night.

Disclaimer: Samples of DSH Perfumes Aoud Blanc and DSH Perfumes Oudh Noir graciously provided by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz. My opinions are my own.

–Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor

Note: DSH Perfumes Aoud Blanc#3 and DSH Perfumes Oudh Noir#2 are the newest additions to the DSH Perfume Heirloom Elxirs,(the first was Essenza dell Ibisco, my collaboration with Dawn) of limited edition perfumes – with a twist. Customers who buy one of the numbered bottles will be able to have them refilled at any time. DSH Perfumes Aoud Blanc and DSH Perfumes Oudh Noir are available for initial sale until December 31, 2018. There are Heirloom Elixir subscription sets available for 1 release ($20), 3 releases ($50) and 6 releases ($90) in 3ml deluxe sprayers. If you are a perfumista or a fan of DSH Perfumes, I think this is a fantastic gift! -Micheyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

 Oud in Chiaroscuro Collection

Thanks to the generosity of DSH Perfumes, we have a Oud in Chiaroscuro Holiday Sample set of Aoud Blanc and Oudh Noir to give away to one registered reader anywhere in the world

or

DSH Perfumes Aoud Blanc and DSH Perfumes Oudh Noir extraits 

If you live in the CONUS 1/4 oz Extrait of your choice and a 3ml EdP of the other so that they get to try both.  There are  two winners.  To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what appealed to you about DSH Perfumes Aoud Blanc and DSH Perfumes Oudh Noir, where you live and which you think you’d prefer based on Lauryn’s review.  If you are in the USA, please leave in your comment your choice of  both the ¼ oz Extrait and 3ml EDP that you prefer. Draw closes 12/2/2018.

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