Perfumes

Alas Purwo

Despite its aromatic and herbal profile Alas Purwo seems to be almost refreshing. The way Ijen’s dna carries entire scent from slightly bitter oranges reminiscent of meditative tea on the opening through lots of aromatic sandalwood to soft oceanic ambergris and oud in the base. Entire scent crafted in a gentle and meditative way that’d bring a moment of peace to the busiest out there. Sometimes perfume is more than just a perfume, it’s a story, escape from our bothers into a world in which everything seems to be perfect. Sometimes it’s not even worth diving into details about the notes. When everything is so perfectly blended and harmonious and nothing particularly stands out from the note breakdown I try to look at the scent from different perspective. Instead of breaking it down trying to explain myself each ingredient I close my eyes and focus on overall experience. I see a vision that’s currently unobtainable in my life, I see nature and peace, freedom. The genius trapped in a bottle makes my nose see things eyes cannot. Danis from Ijen is an artist and art speaks a way words cannot compare.

Alas Purwo

30ml XDP

230€

Ambra Al Hambra

Spanish Labdanum Absolute, Hojari Incense, Myrrh Essence are just a few of its ingredients that create a thick, ambery cloud that floats around the wearer like a shield protecting the nose from anything disrupting the moment of enjoying quality materials. Each adding its own influence, trying to reshape the whole to its own liking. From making the scent feel polished yet sticky, adding a refined touch of darkness to highlighting composition’s clear oriental roots showing itself throughout its entirety. The magic hidden within this creation is the statement it leaves. You don’t need years of experience to appreciate it, in fact every nose would be able to appreciate this blend without having a clue what they’re smelling. Does it mean it’s simple? No, nor is it boring or common. It’s simply the art of blending versatility with charisma which Duftkumpels mastered to perfection.

Ambra Al Hambra

10ml XDP

SOLD OUT

Animal Liquor

Within the first second of its opening there is a motive that lasts throughout the entire scent. Uncommon, unique, something that I’ve previously stumbled across only once in a scent that is already close to impossible to get a hold of. A contrast of slightly sweet, cozy gourmand melting synonymously with rich and dry resins while the entirety of it is withered by a hint of whisky and a mix of animalics. Both darkening the atmosphere and adding appropriate amounts of dirtiness and smoke. This scent is so much at the same time it’d be easy for everyone to find their own meaning in it. It could be a soul of a jazz club, cozy night next to a fireplace, visualization of a desert or a lingering memory of animal fur. It’s honestly surprising how much can a scent like this touch your imagination in many ways you wouldn’t realize nor wish. After all a perfume is a perfume, it’s just supposed to smell good, right? Of course but it’s also a form of art and I’m glad Cuiavia knew it while starting his brand.

Animal Liquor

32ml EDP

SOLD OUT

Arjuno Rebirth

Arjuno-Welirang is an active volcano in Indonesia with the last confirmed eruption happening in 1952. For hundreds of years the wild occurrences in nature have been an inspiration for all kinds of art. But the one specific form of art I'll be uncovering today is perfume. With ingredients locally gathered straight from the lands of Indonesia it's no surprise that the scent inherited its wild nature. Arjuno Rebirth starts like an intense, refreshing explosion like there isn't any. Piercing ethereal mint and pine accompanied by a slight touch of sweetness that awakens the brain more than stimulants and sends chills down the spine. I wouldn't like this description to sound exaggerated but without a doubt this is the mintiest mint I've ever tried, like a polarizing whiff of menthol air. Once the first impression wears off so does the opening which begins to continue telling its story in a much more relaxed way. A noticeable addition of sandalwood and gentle spiciness which start to mix up with the ethereal mint is what makes the composition feel much warmer instead of piercing. It takes on softer and comforting side while still visibly having attributes from its opening. You can feel how the sun has risen after a cold morning filling the surrounding nature with life and joy. Once the spicy notes fade away Arjuno Rebirth dries down alongside oud, green and fresh enough to not seem out of place, as well as vetiver. Their charismatic presence and dominant character is noticeable throughout entire base which adds a perfect amount of maturity. It’s a story that describes nature of Indonesia in a way that words and pictures could never. That’s why perfume will remain to be my favorite form of art.

Arjuno Rebirth

30ml XDP | 5ml XDP

200€ | 61€

Assam De Mai

Intense yuzu opening with rose, spicy and oriental notes and mind blowing animalic - oud base. This is how you could describe Assam de Mai in one sentence. However one sentence is never enough to visualize a complex perfume and even an entire poem is not enough to describe some scents. It’s a Barzakh style take on a classic mukhallat scent profile which we can easily notice because of the present notes, deeply implying traditional middle eastern perfumery. But what I wanted to focus on the most is my favorite part of the entire composition and it’s the base. Throughout half of its existence the scent is rather masculine and heavy with lots of saffron. Yet despite finishing off with animalic notes it takes on a refined manner. It transitions from slightly sweet amber onto a luxurious Siberian deer musk and sandalwood. On top of that there is a deep leathery and resinous contrast of castoreum and Assam oud. Most interestingly whenever I wear it myself I keep noticing how different it is each time. Not widely different but it’s enough to keep me invested each time, trying to keep a track of what’s currently happening inside my nose. Without a doubt under it’s simple facade there’s a ton of complexity hidden in this bottle that takes time and experience to fully understand.

Assam de Mai

15ml XDP

150€

Kintamani Drip

Since the very first second of its opening Kintamani marks its character with a unique contrast of notes. Herbal, slightly green and fougere but smooth and meditative opening is what caught me by surprise. “I was expecting a sweet coffee gourmand” I thought to myself. My expectations weren’t let down but it’s only after a long while that the scent surpasses this stage. Coffee in Kintamani is presented in such a unique way, it takes a few tries to understand its genius. It doesn’t hold any of qualities common to itself, at least in my opinion. Thanks to the previously mentioned opening that carries on thoughtout most of the composition it’s not a dark, sweet or empowering type of coffee you’d expect for a cold winter night. No, it’s fresh, aromatic, realistic and almost melting like a natural smelling candle. Like a soft seduction, it whispers calming tales though the air. In its late stages a spark of sweetness appears. It guides the composition into warmer tones, oud and coffee wrap around you like a soft and cozy scarf. Against all my expectations Kintamani turned out to be just different. In a world of generic songs it’s a symphony.

Kintamani Drip

30ml XDP | 5ml XDP

177€ | 57€

Oud d’Orange

Under its simple name lies a hidden treasure of many more notes that unleash massive amounts of complexity. Not just oud, not just orange but entire spirit of fall trapped in a bottle.

Oud d'Orange

10ml XDP

SOLD OUT

Solanki Verde

A drop of water just fell on your face. You wake up surrounded by trees, laying on the slightly wet forest litter, gentle mist caressing your skin. Humid morning filled with the intense aroma of preceding rainy night. Your nose has picked up a scent of bushes covered in soil and inflicted with fog. Green, dirty, realistic. As you get up and take a step forward you can notice more aromas accompanying the first impression. Wet bark peeling off the trees revealing their souls. After a moment you get a glimpse of sun. Its beams shine through the leaves drying up the litter and bark. The scent becomes brighter yet dryer with at times noticeable tiny sparks of sweetness, something that only complements the composition without changing its trajectory. Soul of a forest inspired by nature surrounding Cuiavia’s life since his early age.

Solanki Verde

30ml EDP

70€

Sopoku V3

The original version of Sopoku is what started my interest in this brand. Soft-spoken, calming and natural ode to sandalwood, sweet florals, tea and vanilla. It became one of my favorite scents for when I needed a moment of tranquility. I remember how it left me so impressed that I messaged Danis to share my thoughts and when a year later I heard that the V3 version is coming soon I knew I had to get it. And here it is, the grandchild of Sopoku, batch 3. It’s not a disappointing re-release, it carries the names legacy and despite small differences the vision remained the same. Lots of sandalwood distilled by Danis himself, lots of delicate vanilla, sweet white and yellow florals as well as charming tea. Everything blended seamlessly, soothing showcase of natural ingredients.

Sopoku V3

30ml XDP

230€

Tonkin Sunset

Sweet, candy-like essence. When you're already bored of citrus scents but you can't imagine to not wear perfume during summer, that's when Tonkin Sunset comes in. Sweet cloud of tonka bean, carmelized grapefruit which adds purplish touch and delicately lingering saffron. Fresh enough to not be cloying but not weak by any means.

Tonkin Sunset

10ml XDP

SOLD OUT