Luxury French perfume house, Initio Parfums Prives are looking to turn traditional perfumery on its head. In the latest offering from their Black Gold Project collection, they are looking back into the ancient times of perfume making and not only how scent uses our olfactory senses also how it effects our spirituality, reviving the therapeutic nature of perfume.
This unisex fragrance has its roots 5,000 years ago, when the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians used resins from natural ingredients for protection, benevolence and to commune with the Gods. Their wisdom was in using scent to satisfy not only the olfactory needs but also maintain the harmonious balance between body and soul. Fascinating, enchanting, and purifying, Oud for Happiness unveils another facet of Oud, an ancestral material with a recognized psychoactive and spiritual dimension.
With distinguishing marks, this unique creation amplifies the benefits of oud through a puff of freshly cut calming grass; energizing and uninhibited. According to Australian researchers, oud referred to as “wood of the gods” elicits a calming sensation by activating the regions of the brain connected to well-being. Thus, this composition provides an addictive means of relaxation that stimulates self-confidence.
The supernatural yet scientific dimensions of Oud for Happiness are designed to stimulate and take you back to ancient times using woody oud and spicy bouquet of bergamot and ginger that hit the nose first, followed by lively middle notes of licorice, oud, and cedar. Base notes are composed of vanilla, musk, and ‘magical’ herbal notes. This is complex and heavy with the warm spices coming through on the skin hours later. It brings an intriguing mix of the bright and aromatic producing a positive energy which will be around for a long time. Exuding authenticity, every note and accord is magnified by its raw materials, captivating the senses with natural beauty. Ginger is infused as an exhilarating aphrodisiac to ignite the senses and melds with Virginia cedar, a wood rich in Thujopsene with toning properties. Furthermore, Liquorice is mixed with vanilla to further heighten the olfactory narrative and liberate with irresistible energy.
The packaging of the product is also a lovely surprise with the use of various good luck talismans from around the world. The protective eye dating back 6,000 BC and popularized by the Greeks in glass beads but now found all over the world with its source of wonder and Wings of Egypt are on the sides of the bottle which is one of the oldest symbols of the Early Old Kingdom for royalty, divinity, and power. If you look very carefully there are so many other ancient symbols including horseshoes which are considered very lucky for good fortune and protection. The packaging has some ingenious ideas and has been thought through to show how the product has been made with not only by love, dedication and is well executed to encompass some of the most harmonizing symbols of the world over. Captivating luxury, INITIO bottles the synergy of oud in all its vibrance and power, housed in an original design depicting the dynamic forces of sacred geometry, represented by the tree of life, a symbol of happiness and abundance. A therapeutic encounter, Oud for Happiness is rich in terpenoids, which wield natural sedative and anti-anxiety powers, to rebalance energy levels while relaxing the body and mind.
The price is worth it; the fragrance lasts a long time as a little goes a long way. The Black Gold Project has been three years in the making with the Master Nose creating this interesting and complex scent will be a firm favorite for those who are looking for something unique not only in the aroma but also in the way this unisex perfume looks.
With Oud for Happiness, INITIO offers a distinctive creation destined to procure strong emotions. Better than an imaginary paradise, the fragrance transports its wearer into a secret dimension where the experience of deep harmony can be lived. It is more than a scent; it is a door to fulfilment. Like invisible forces, the brand’s creations are known to push instincts and infuse life with a newfound intensity that goes beyond the rational.
Oud for Happiness will be available at the INITIO Parfums Privés boutique in Perfumery & Co, The Dubai Mall and all other points of sale in November.
Oud for Happiness Price: AED 1,449 for 90 ML
By: Melanie Gordon