Borneo Prism (2017) Oud Oil Review

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Brief Review
29 April, 2019
It is 28°C. Celsius (but outside it feels like 35). So I’m going through some ‘softies’.

 Borneo Prism begins like a mid-phase of oakmoss absolute - very very green - but with more intensity. I also get camphor, galbanum like greenness, a wisping caress of of pleasant hay. Those who are used to Hindi oud - or more specifically wore some Hindi with an intense barnyard strong just before BP will probably not get the soft hay. It happened in my case. Initially there is no sweetness what so ever. Its medicinal sharpness somehow reminds me of smelling salt!

 Do not get nervous with its intense start. After 5 minutes, it softens and becomes a little sweet and resinous/balsamic – some people may use the term ambery (but I’ll stick to formers). At this stage the balsamic facet has some similarities with benzoin (but only), and Himalyan cedar. The sweetness I get now is somewhat a combination of beeswax absolute and benzoin, with an earthy note playing the main role throughout (start to mid). I also get a Sri Lankan sandalwood type marine note in it.

 At dry down, it becomes drier, with gradual reduction of sweetness, petrichor, and with increased oudiness with sharper incensy facets - typical characteristics of oud from that region. One subtle point: it gets a bit leathery on me - probably because of the hot weather, which was absent when I wore it in colder weather, below 15°C.

 Interestingly, from mid to dry down it is quite similar to Ard (from HabzOud), which is a Merauke oil. I asked Hasan (of HoM) if it is a Merauke too. He told me no! This is what I love about oud. Longevity is about 6 hours here. But in colder weather, I was getting about 8 hours before it became a skin scent and remained for another 1-2 hours. 

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