Hindu Kush

6 reviews for Hindu Kush

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   Luka – January 15, 2023

   A multi-layered masterpiece. Meditative, sensual and arcane. If I had to describe Hindu Kush in colours, I would describe it as a combination of the darker shades of green, brown and grey. Neither too smoky nor too woody, yet all about both of these categories of scent.

   After the familiar opening experience typical for AbdesSalaam’s fragrances, which in a matter of seconds reveal the entirety of the perfume (in this case a blast of moss, incense, myrrh, spices, pine and cedar), this perfume settles to a very unique top note of ivy. I cannot be sure whether this is a by-product of a similar-smelling note or a combined accord, but it took me a few wearings to figure out what the first 15 minutes of this fragrance vividly remind me of, and it’s ivy. It is at the same time bitter/sour and sharp, yet also syrupy, reminding me of cough pastilles that contain the extract of said ingredient. While it’s not my favourite note, it is soothing and a very unique top note which screams of quality. It also serves as a wonderful introduction to this incredible perfume.

   The ivy-like top fades and transitions into a soft waft of incense so delicately that, for a time, they seem to be one, impossible to pick apart. Eventually though, the incense takes centre-stage. It is a very smooth, almost non-smoky incense experience, possessing all the aromatic qualities without the sharper, spicier effect I have come to associate with frankincense. For this reason, it doesn’t remind me directly of church and religious ceremonies but of solitary meditative moments in nature or its vicinity. An occasional church-like waft does sneak in, but it is in no way a primary feature of this perfume. Every fragrance from Profumo I’ve tried so far that features spices has been exceedingly light-handed and reasonable with them, and this one is no exception. The spices present themselves in the early middle stage as a smooth supporting note that is hard for me to pinpoint and even harder to take apart. Focusing well, I detect pepper most prominently, combined with a very faint note of ginger and an even fainter note of nutmeg. There is also a piney, coniferous air surrounding the myrrh, never in front but also not completely in the back, providing a sense of freshness to the already light incense.

   After a while the “typical” dry and medicinal myrrh is joined by a deeper, richer and also slightly sweet note, blending perfectly in it and adding a profound depth to an already deep and complex scent. To me, the notes joining here smell almost leathery, perhaps even slightly musky, while at the same time sweet, resinous and rich. This aspect of the fragrance is very carefully measured though, as it comes to the front only for an hour or so and then fades into the rest of the perfume. In my case that is rather unfortunate, as this is my favourite part of the fragrance. I am not well versed in the various shades of incense, but based on what I’ve read, this could be sweet myrrh? Whatever it is, it invokes a sensual and almost carnal response/feeling in me, an experience that seems to go beyond mere olfaction and registers on a physical/bodily level. This is the first time in my life that I truly experienced a “nose glued to my wrist” experience and while I have experienced other fragrances from this master that smell very nice and I would gladly wear, none have provided this unique transcendent experience.

   As the perfume settles into the base notes, the incense blend is slowly joined by mossy and musky notes. I mostly detect oakmoss and cedar in the base, which makes this perfume take another turn, from the serene meditative peace of the myrrh to a slightly sour, at times even a bit bitter mossy fragrance. While again, like the ivy opening, this mossy/musky note is not my absolute favourite, it is very well executed and smells really good. In the deep dry down I can even smell a bit of the ivy from the top, although this is perhaps just an association with the bitter/sour aspects of the moss. At this stage, all the layers of this perfume can be smelled at once, a combined smell which could best be described as standing in a clearing of a coniferous forest somewhere in the mountains, in front of an old log-cabin overgrown with moss and ivy, with a trail of incense coming through an open window. At other times, this stage of the perfume reminds me simply of a slightly dusty, old and very expensive leather sofa. I would recommend this perfume to anyone, regardless of whether you like any of the notes in it, just to experience what a true multi-layered fragrance smells like, beyond the commercial “pyramid”.

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   Curious Nose – February 28, 2022

   Imagine a deep forest, resinous woods, incense and add some Indian market spices. Donna Tartt (one of my favourite writers) loves this mystical scent too.
   First seen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B5pYOA9hEol/

3. Rated 5 out of 5

   LESCUN – September 13, 2021

   Jérôme
   C’est un parfum masculin épicé (muscade, poivre, cardamome) avec un sous-bassement résineux (encens), presque terreux (mousse de chêne).
   La première note, hespéridée (limette, petit-grain), est explosive et très volatile (mais il faut s’habituer avec les parfums naturels à accompagner successivement plusieurs vies)
   C’est sombre, austère, mâle, pas du tout vénusien, et en même temps exotique, faisant songer à des odeurs de rue que l’on peut sentir quelque part en Orient.
   A ce titre, Hindu Kush est un peu une évocation de voyage, retraduite olfactivement. C’est très dépaysant.
   A terme, la fragrance s’adoucit, s’arrondit, s’ennoblit, se civilise sur le derme, laissant une empreinte pastorale charmante derrière son apparente austérité.

4. Rated 5 out of 5

   Tony – April 4, 2021

   Hindu Kush is a wonderful spicy, woody and incensy perfume, which give me wooded and outdoorsy vibe. Fresh and green forest with some smoke and spices.

   Although Hindu Kush have deeper and even spiritual feeling, this is still very easy to wear. I think Hindu Kush fits best on casual and outdoor settings where you are in connection with nature and yourself. But of course, if you want to have this natural spiritual emotion even in bustling and urban metropolis, you can then wear this spicy and incensy elixir with confidence!

5. Rated 5 out of 5

   Blackincense – July 29, 2015

   My friends Veejay and his wife, Nirmala bought some of this in Italy for me as a gift. They wanted to know what I thought of it, and I decided to share those thoughts here.

   First, the clarity of the elixir is interesting — there is no cloud, and the consistency of the oil is topnotch. On opening the bottle, my first impressions were:

   Real Bombay sandalwood – the real deal!

   Silk sliding over cotton and getting caught on wood.

   Calcutta merchants crying out to sell spice

   The basenotes of this perfume is oak moss, real sandalwood, and a hint of pepper. Overtones being what they are, I would classify it as green, but without being another boring citrus. This is an exciting perfume and it captures an image of the Indian orient. The surprise in this perfume is the nutmeg — not too overpowering, but very much present and it’s almost a sustaining force in the elixir.

   This is a very resinous perfume, incense based, and I am glad to see it and grateful for the opportunity to have it. My friends are too kind to give me such a gift!

   A very fun perfume, this scent is an adventure in forest filled mountains with a lot of soul searching. I hope for more like this in coming years. This one is a true ‘eastern perfume’, for men or women. But I suspect that very “professional” women might find it too heavy for daily wear. This is a very exotic and eastern oil.

   Blackincense

6. Rated 5 out of 5

   Mike P. – July 29, 2015

   Fantasitc woody, mossy, green, spiced mix that is never heavy but rather airy and ethereal.
   Prominent in the mix are a green grass/hemp note and a note of fresh cut conifer lumber.
   In the background are Indian spices – I pick up saffron, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, a hint of caraway – oak moss, and transparent frankinscense.
   Truly a scent for the soul.