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Madagascan Vetiver
This Madagascan Vetiver is a beautifully comforting oil that is full of smoky warmth and baked earth goodness. The scent wafts with deeply warm notes of wood-fuelled campfires intertwined with dusty rain, clay, roots, woods, nuts and spicy earthiness (the spicy earthiness, strangely enough, has a somewhat umami feel to it and reminds me, almost, of Far East Asia’s dried fish delicacies!).
Often regarded as one of the finest vetivers, Bourbon vetiver traditionally comes from the island of Reunion. This vetiver, however, has been grown in neighbouring Madagascar and then steam-distilled in Reunion from the roots of the plant. Its viscosity is thick and its colour is a golden, earthy brown.
Overall, this Madagascan vetiver is complex and unique, and markedly different from Ruh Khus – the wild North Indian variety. For vetiver collectors and enthusiasts, this is one for the collection.
Reviews (7)
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Santal Signature 2020
NEW BATCH: Please note that I've renamed this Mysore sandalwood series to Santal Signature - India. The reason is that many Mysore oils today are likely distilled using at least some sandalwood from other regions of India or further afield - due to high demand and scarcity of supply of course. Therefore, I'm simply erring on the side of caution and will only use the Mysore label in future when I can personally oversee the provenance of the wood, selection, grinding and distillation etc.
Aromatically speaking, however, this oil is nothing short of gorgeous. Bearing the hallmarks of al-Hind's exquisite santals, it opens on the skin with a deeply sweet and smooth buttery goodness that's simply hard to beat. The sweetness here is especially beautiful, and the woody facets are smooth, rounded, and devoid of any sharp notes, almost as if caressed by the rich buttery nuances flowing around them.
Overall, the profile is deeper, woodier and richer than most, trading the light citrusy nuances for a deeper, almost musky, rich woodiness. Exquisite, whether worn on its own or in blends and macerations, this is Santal Signature, 2020. An oil that reminds you why the finest Santalum Albums of al-Hind are the true crème de la crème of santals.
Ruh Khus 2018
There's vetiver, and there's vetiver. And then there's time. Time is an often overlooked ingredient in natural perfumery. When I first smelt this I instantly stopped what I was doing and listened. I listened intently. It was so rich, lush and mesmerisingly beautiful. This is how vetiver should be.
It's not that there's anything outlandishly unique about it. Quite the opposite in fact, it's just an excellently soothing vetiver. For vetiver fans, you'll know that not all vetivers are equal of course: some are too rooty and earthy, others too smoky and leathery, and others yet too light and watery.
But this to me is perfectly balanced. Opening with fresh grassy and sweet green hues, its lush notes are beautifully contrasted with dark, earthy and leathery qualities that keep everything in beautiful harmony.
Distilled at the end of 2018, this is by no means an old batch, but it also isn't new. Much like oud, sandalwood and a few other oils, vetiver improves with age, and the 2+ years this has spent ageing has really rounded it off into the exuberantly rich oil it is today.
To me, this is a benchmark of how an excellent wild North Indian Ruh Khus should smell. I present to you: Ruh Khus 2018.
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Javan Vetiver
Comparable in profile to the Madagascan variety, yet sweeter and lighter, this low-temp Javan distillation opens with a gorgeously sweet earthiness that's simply a joy to behold.
While not quite out-and-out floral or vanillic, it carries wonderful hints of those facets, intertwined together with earthy, woody and lightly smoky notes that all combine to create an incredibly beautiful and balanced opening.
As the scent progresses, it gradually becomes more tobacco-like, with dry-earthy, smoky, and astringent nuances - akin to red tea - as the sweetness recedes and its darker facets come to the fore - lasting for many hours with typical tenacity.
Overall, this is an incredibly complex oil that can be worn alone or used in blends, and a great example of just how beautiful vetiver can be.
Refund Policy:
Please note that we offer refunds on all items excluding sample sizes (0.3g), subject to our refund policy as stated.
Lesley –
Quite strong but good quality oil
Oliver –
Complex rich and earth like vet with dried fruit, myrrh, spice. Excellent
Sulaiman –
Very good khus, smells exactly to Muhammad’s description. I’ve actually bought some bourbon khus from another vendor for twice the price but this is definitely on par.
Jonathan E. (verified owner) –
This is what I look for in a vetiver: smooth and earthy with good depth and a touch of smoke. not too thin or watery. really nice vetiver.
compustar82 –
This Madagascan vetiver completely stole my heart from Khus! The smokey aspect is so so good. I bought 2.5ML initially and immediately returned to buy 10ML’s. It’s THAT GOOD!
The entire buying experience with Ashworth has been a total pleasure. They have the nicest packaging I have ever come across and quality far exceeds the price point! Highly recommended 👍❤️
Mick –
Great oil and amazing packaging from AshworthOud. Muhammad was great to communicate with – thanks for the extra samples!
Elise –
A beautiful deep vétiver, starting off smoky and a little bitter, with some moss, becoming soft and caramel, like a warm blanket. Super. Will definitely buy again.