ENSAR OUD
IRIS GHALIA PURE PARFUM

2019

PERFUMER
Ensar Oud

Violet
Peach
Blackcurrant
orris
Blue Lotus
Desert Spices
Vintage Bakul Attar
Carnation
Himalayan costus
Mysore Sandalwood
Hyraceum
Castoreum
Muskrat
Ambergris tincture
Tibetan Musk tincture
Siberian Deer musk
Vintage Maroke Filarias (Agarwood)

Iris Ghalia is an Ensar that I had to get used to, but eventually ended up loving before finishing my sample of it.

Ghalia refers to ‘Royalty’ and this fragrance is meant to exude opulence and this definitely does. I initially had some issues with the opening as I get a hint of what I’d call ‘barbecue’ smell here, similar to the opening of Areej’ Ottoman Empire III. However, with more wearings, it didn’t bother me as much and it’s only short-lived.

What isn’t short-lived is the fruitiness. I mainly get peach here and it’s an even more fruity and masculine-leaning fruitiness than in Ensar’s Tonkin Musk, which I do feel shares some similarities in it’s mid-section.

This is iris unlike anything I’ve tried before and I have trouble picking up on the ambergris-iris combination, or at least, I don’t know what it’s supposed to smell like. I mostly get a warm, animalic sweetness akin to Roja’s Parfum de la Nuit 1 throughout Iris Ghalia (which remains much more fruity and uplifting).

It’s a real gem, that I appreciate more now my sample is emptied and it’s not far behind Tonkin Musk, which was a love at first sniff.