My Journey into the World of Aromatics
Many of you know me personally, while others have only seen me posting and sharing my personal collection. My journey in the world of aromatics has been quite fascinating, and at this point in my life, things are taking a turn in a direction I never imagined.
I started collecting perfumes at the age of 16. Growing up in Oman brought me closer to the world of perfumery, but my defining moment came when I visited the Amouage factory. It felt like being a kid in a chocolate factory—every part of the experience was mesmerizing. From the first visit, I knew this was my thing. Even though I didn’t understand much at the time, I was captivated by the process—smelling countless blotters, exploring the different notes, and immersing myself in the craft.
Like most fragrance enthusiasts, I started with designer fragrances. I read about different ingredients, extraction processes, and the science behind perfume-making. But as the years passed, my nose evolved. I craved more complexity, which led me to explore niche and ultra-niche perfumery.
Back then, I wore fragrances to please the crowd. But as my taste developed, I started looking deeper into perfume notes. That’s when I discovered oud and oud oils—but I wasn’t quite ready to go down that rabbit hole yet. I tried various Hindi barnyard oud oils, but they didn’t satisfy me. Then a friend introduced me to Taha’s Clean Cambodi, and I was stunned by how pristine an oud oil could smell. That moment changed everything. As a purist, I wanted to go deeper into raw materials, the distillation process, and the nuances that made oud so special.
This led me to artisanal perfumery. I knew this was the right path because my brain craved complexity, and the oud in niche perfumery wasn’t enough. I started collecting oud oils from Oriscent and other vendors, immersing myself in their unique compositions. I would swipe an oud oil and sit with it for hours, deciphering its scent profile. Sometimes, I’d get so lost in the aroma that I lost track of time, completely absorbed in the notes and their transitions.
It was mind-blowing to experience how an oud oil could smell like berries, guava, mango, or even saffron—despite there being no plantations of these fruits anywhere near the agarwood regions. This was the scent of nature in its purest form, unmatched by any man-made creation. Wanting to understand this even further, I began comparing oud oils to the raw agarwood from their respective regions. To my surprise, the scent profiles were often different. I questioned vendors about these variations, but their answers never fully satisfied me. Many were simply resellers and didn’t have in-depth knowledge of the oils they were selling.
Two people played a key role in guiding me through my oud journey—Taha from Agar Aura and Marius from Jinkoh Store. They often told me, “Man, you’re going too deep into this.” What they meant was that, as a consumer, I should simply enjoy the experience instead of questioning every detail. But I couldn’t stop myself. I did my own research and discovered that distillers have techniques to manipulate scent profiles during distillation. The type of pot they use—copper, steel, or glass—along with small tweaks in the apparatus, can significantly alter the fragrance and even increase the yield.
Here’s a big revelation for fellow oud enthusiasts: Anyone who has smelled Oriscent or Taiwanese oud oils knows about that metallic, petroleum-like, pesticide-type note. I challenge you buy the most expensive agarwood from these regions and heat it at different temperatures. You will never get those same notes. Why? Because they don’t come from the wood itself; they are a result of the distillation process and apparatus used.
While I was deep into my oud expedition, I started exploring other natural aromatics musk pods, ambergris, rose oils, and many more. Initially, I just wanted to study them. But as I spent more time with these materials, I realized they were more than just perfume ingredients; they had their own unique presence.
I began experimenting with macerations and tinctures. Zakir Bhai from Ahom World played a huge role in educating me about the intricacies of handling musk and ambergris everything from ratios and dilution percentages to the patience required for the final result. Eventually, I started making small batches of macerations and tinctures while collecting noticeable quantities of these rare raw materials.
As my curiosity for natural animalics deepened, I came across a school of perfumery and decided to enroll in a short foundation course. Although there were many online courses available, I opted for physical classes because I wanted hands-on experience learning about ingredients, dilutions, the perfume pyramid, and the art of blending.
This course opened my eyes in ways I never expected. Up until then, I had only been an end-user. Now, I was stepping into the world of creation. However, my first perfume blend at school was disappointing—it wasn’t deep enough to satisfy me. But instead of giving up, I took the knowledge I gained and continued my exploration.
This journey, from being a perfume enthusiast to immersing myself in raw materials, distillation techniques, and blending, has been nothing short of extraordinary. And now, as things take an exciting turn, I’m eager to share this passion with you all through Kinamic.
Stay tuned. The best is yet to come.
