Art and Olfaction 2023 Nominated!

OLFACTIVE NOTES:

TOP: Mangosteen, Saffron, Dark Fruits

HEART: Incense, Jasmine Rice, Vietnamese Spices

BASE:  Vietnamese Oud, Tumeric, Amber

WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?

Alter Oud is a woody incense perfume with spices and fruits in the opening.

This scent began from the contrast I felt every day: moving through the rush of modern life, chasing productivity, speed, and progress, then coming home to something slower and rooted in tradition.

The first time I smelled real Vietnamese agarwood after starting perfumery, I was shocked by how complex and alive it was. My immediate thought was how many Vietnamese people I grew up with had never smelled the real thing. Instead, we burned synthetic versions, stand-ins for something sacred that once belonged naturally to our religious life in Vietnam.

I wanted to explore the alter-ego of growing up Vietnamese in the United States. The feeling of safety returning home after a long day and being greeted by the family altar (bàn thờ).  The scent is ingrained in me.  Even with the artificial floral-wood aroma of manufactured incense carries warmth in my heart as it burns down into a bowl of jasmine rice.  Tropical fruits and small treats left as offerings release their sweetness drifting into the room blending into the familiar spices and herbs of a Vietnamese home.

At the heart sits natural Vietnamese oud that is deeply revered yet increasingly commodified and inaccessible. A reminder that some things are lost not through neglect, but through being priced out of our own inheritance.

Concentration: 26% Perfume + 50% Tinctures

Naturals: Agarwood Vietnam,Saffron, Jasmine Rice, Black Pepper, Red Pepper, Pine, Oakmoss, Vanilla Bean Madagascar, Patchouli, Black Frankincense, Boswellia Serata, Anise, Fennel, Coriander, Cinnamon, Clove, Cardamon,  Star Anise, Spearmint, Lavender, Lemongrass, Turmeric