The first time I was introduced to authentic deer musk was from a meeting with Taha Syed, the founder of Agar Aura, way back before 2019.
During one of our meetups, he shared with me some leftover Siberian musk grains, and the scent was mindblowing.
Smooth, alluring, earthy, leathery, what I would imagine "pheromone perfumes" should actually smell like . Not too furry, no pissy notes.
A couple of years back, we got our hands on some Central Asian Deer Musk grains, specifically from the Kyrgzstan region. It was subtle, not too strong, yet present.
Having strong sentimental memories with the musk from Taha, and considering how difficult it was for me to source, I never got to using it in a blend.
Macerating for more than 2 years, finally the inspiration and determination to use it arrived.
In the Arabian perfumery culture, rose-oud-musk is a classic staple in a collector's repertoire. A must-have, as some would say. Sometimes included in the "ghaliyah" theme perfumes.
Here's Hikayat's version of it, though not a ghaliyah (to my personal standards), is still worthy to be in your collection.
A challenge to myself, incorporating the minimalist theme of "Sudaasi" , using only 6 ingredients, most of which are rare and cannot be reproduced.
Rose Damascena. Aquilaria Crassna. Kyrgz Deer Musk. Black, Brown & White Ambergris. Vanilla Planifolia. Santalum Album.
You'll be greeted with a dense medley of syrupy thick rose, laced with the woody sweetness from Crassna Oud, and a touch creamy sandalwood.
The musk and ambergris plays a supporting role, asserting its presence without dominating the blend, while the vanilla planifolia, the boozy, woody, resinous kind, adds complexity and wearability to the blend.
Hikayat's first ever release which uses deer musk AND ambergris together.
Take a swipe, a couple of dabs on the pulse points, and enjoy your day.
Limited Bottles, one-off release. Will it be reproduced in the future? Maybe, but not anytime soon, but it will never be 100% the same.
