FRAGRANCE | Dahn Oudh Al Shams EDP by Ajmal: Simply put, it's a gorgeous celebration of oud

I find oud fragrances fascinating. Whether glossed over to cater to Western tastes (the likes of Tom Ford's bestselling Oud Wood, MFK's Oud Mood collection, Ralph Lauren's Polo Supreme Oud, and many more), or whether it's another oud and rose combo (like Octavian by Electimuss, Thameen's Nassak, etc.), chances are I'll enjoy them. And then there are oud fragrances that are often described as pungent, barnyard, or even fecal. This last group, I'm not always brave enough to try but I do come across some that I'm fine with or that I even end up loving. I'm not quite sure if Ajmal's Dahn Oudh Al Shams fits this rather nasty category but I'll lay it out there just the same.

Let me start with how arresting the bottle looks. Clearly, the house has put much thought into the design. It's heavy enough for a 30ml container and manages to look both edgy and elegant with the frosted glass accents and the silver and gold metal finishes. It puts a lot of other more expensive frags to shame, what with their uninspired, generic-looking flacons.

Dahn Oudh Al Shams opens strong with an in-your-face kind of oud. Personally, however, I don't find it repulsive at all although I completely understand if some people do. There's a barnyard, but not necessarily fecal, character to the oud, swirling around with a dry, woody tone, a deep smokiness, and a touch of sweetness to balance the scent. There's none of the obligatory citrus openings, or of any fruity or floral distractions. Simply put, this is a fragrance that celebrates oud.

Whether the oud here is synthetic, natural, or a combination of both, I don't mind because it just smells so damn good, and is complex enough despite being fairly affordable. Kuya, my fraghead of a cat, goes nuts over it. One time when I started petting him, he immediately grabbed my arm and began sniffing it intently. I forgot I wore it on the back of my wrist. He then proceeded to lick the spot where I sprayed and kept rubbing his face and neck against it, all while clutching my arm tightly. Although he often stops and sniffs every time he senses a frag on my arm or wrist, he never went as crazy as this.

As a Middle Eastern creation, I suppose its exotic scent profile will have no problem fitting right there. Elsewhere, however, you have to wear it with confidence and conviction, preferably in a colder or temperature-controlled setting. Coupled with a little restraint on the sprayer, you simply have to own it. But to somehow assuage any fears, the scent mellows into a less assertive manner in no time following its strong start. And yes, it lasts. All said, Dahn Oudh Al Shams is a gem worth trying, especially for oud lovers and adventurous noses in general.