INITIO Oud For Happiness Black Gold Project official banner via INTIIO©
For someone who owns every single fragrance by the brand, any new release comes with a high amount of anticipation and excitement. INITIO Oud For Happiness sure did not disappoint. A spicy aromatic blast of citrus with a generous pinch of ginger greets you upon the opening, promising a wild ride for your senses.
Cannabis photo via Unsplash apped
A sweet-savory delight of fresh-cut or, better yet, freshly-rolled grass and a bowl of ginger cookies sitting next to you. An olfactory translation of a gourmet quality joint, full of spicy flavors and sensual aromas. It makes me think of the Super Lemon Haze strain, which won the Cannabis Cup back in 2008. Cannabis smells like lemons because of the presence of limonene, a terpene responsible for the aroma of citrus fruits. Terpenes are part of the molecular building blocks of all plants, with a wide variety of different terpenes working simultaneously to create the complex, luscious aromas of different cannabis strains. Compared to its older brother, Oud For Greatness, which feels more sophisticated and grown-up, clad in a cashmere coat, INITIO Oud for Happiness is more of a sparkling energetic youngster in a leather jacket much zestier attitude.
INITIO Oud For Happiness over leather by Olya Bar
The composition provides an addictive, sensual means of relaxation as if you were entering into a secret dimension where one can live and experience deep harmony, and everything surrounding you feels at peace. The usage of cannabis in perfumery has been a trend for quite some time already. I, however, enjoy a play on the theme without the apparent usage of the ingredient itself. How do you tell a story without being too obvious? How do you translate the journey of the senses that anyone who ever (or never) experienced smoking a joint felt? The feeling of comfort and deep state of relaxation, the endless chain of creative thoughts, and the overall vibe of euphoria. A vibrant green opening amplifies the Indian oud note through a puff of freshly cut narcotic grass, energizing and uninhibited.
Bowl of cookies via Unsplash apped
The colors are enhanced, the flavors are more potent, and the scents imprint deeper into our psyche. The refreshing peppery opening soon switches into the second phase, full of gourmand nuances that kick in shortly after that initial puff of happiness—time to get back to that bowl of delicious cookies I mentioned earlier. INITIO Oud for Happiness’ dry-down makes me think of Pfeffernusset, a traditional Christmas cookie in Germany, and a popular delicacy in Denmark and The Netherlands. The recipe calls for molasses, pepper, anise, and other seasonal spices. These cookies are chewy and coated in confectioners’ sugar. Biting into the soft, warm dough feels like the fragrance’s base, the delicate whiff of vanilla wrapping the whole structure with its sensual aroma. Perhaps another bite, another puff, and one more spritz. Inhale…exhale and I’m ready to call it a night and drift away into the land of pleasure.
Notes: Bergamot, Ginger, Licorice, Vanilla, Cedar Wood, Indian Oud, Musk.
Fine Fragrances generously provided a bottle of Oud For Happiness. The opinions are always my own.
–Olya Bar, Senior Contributor
photo by INITIO
Thanks to the generosity of Fine Fragrances, the USA distributor we have a draw for a 90 ml bottle of INITIO Oud for Happiness for one registered reader in the USA ONLY. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoyed most about Olya’s review of INITIO Oud for Happiness, If you have tried INITIO fragrances before. Draw closes 10/14//2021
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