FRAGRANCE | Nassak EDP by Thameen: Oud and rose with an animalic edge

halfwhiteboy - Thameen Nassak EDP 01

My introduction to Thameen fragrances left me a little underwhelmed, generally speaking. I went through a couple of samples to see what was full bottle-worthy for me. While there were a couple that I liked, admittedly their pricing played a factor into why I haven't decided on anything yet. Fast-forward to a few weeks later and our bottle of Thameen Nassak arrived. Ironically we made a blind buy, as this wasn't part of the samples that I tested.

I wouldn't say it's extra but I'm happy with the presentation. The squarish box pulls open from the side, similar to the bookcase style of Nishane and Amouage's The Library Collection, only those are way slimmer. The royal blue bottle looks elegant, which fits perfectly into a cutout foam laid inside the box.

halfwhiteboy - Thameen Nassak EDP 03

As with anything Thameen, Nassak is named after a precious gem. The fragrance opens with a strong but beautiful oud and rose, sweetened considerably by a succulent fruity note, perhaps plum since I sense a similarity with Tom Ford Plum Japonais. There's also something mildly spicy coursing through its veins, adding some depth to the fragrance. The oud here is not pungent but is more on the woody side of things, infused with just a hint of smokiness. At this point the scent appears linear so far.

Nearly an hour in, however, an animalic accord reminiscent of Diptyque's Oud Palo surfaces. Has the oud revealed its true character? Maybe. It's not particularly strong but it's enough to be noticed up close. By now the sweetness is dialed back, which is forced to share the stage with this new animalic character. Nassak is unrelenting, going on for hours on end. Sure, its initial strength wanes eventually but even when it already stays close to the skin, it's still able to give off random soft bursts of olfactory goodness, which by now has incorporated a soft musk to the fold.

In hindsight, I think I made a good buy with Thameen Nassak, more so since I got it discounted. It's a powerhouse of a fragrance with a beautiful scent that's nicely blended and is oozing with quality. Because it's a little rich, it leans more toward cold weather or evening use. I can't say it's redundant to have if you already own a few oud and rose frags because of its animalic edge. For me, this is a must-try.

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