Description
A spicy, smoky oriental, Gujarat is made with just about
every spice you can name and some you probably never even heard of, softened and
sweetened with tropical flowers, supported on a base of smoky woods, resins, and
balms, and garnished with a dash of chili and a twist of lime. The nose behind the
fragrance is Ellen Covey. Gujarat is available as a parfum extrait or EdP and features
notes of saffron, tulsi, lime, tagetes, jasmine, rose, cardamom, cumin, fenugreek,
ginger, curry leaf, turmeric, mango, spikenard, olibanum, vetiver, patchouli, choya
loban, black agar, and sandalwood. Scheduled for release July 2011.
“description: Like a full-scale Bollywood extravaganza, Gujarat is made with
just about every spice you can name and some you probably never even heard of,
softened and sweetened with exotic tropical flowers, supported on a base of smoky
woods, resins, and balms, and garnished with a dash of chili and a twist of lime. Don’t
worry – it doesn’t smell like curry. Gujarat is like nothing you’ve ever smelled before.
You may love it, you may hate it, but either way you’ll have a unique and exotic perfume
experience.”
themsag – :
This is my second Olympic Orchids sample, and while I appreciate it’s spice cabinet frankness, it is not how I like to smell :-). Would that I had discovered it 10 years or so ago when I was infatuated with spice scents, Corso Como, Oriental Lumpur, Divine L’Homme Sage and SL Borneo and Arabie come to mind …… if this is your perfume world Gujarat will be perfect for you! I get full unmitigated indian spice drying down to a sweet sandalwood and a bit of curry, without the floral, fruit or woody nuances some people are getting. I have a feeling that this line doesn’t suit my chemistry …. darn!
tsymb – :
‘Gujarat’ by the extremely talented Ellen Covey is a bold stunner. The perfume starts off in a cloud of spice and smoke, like the frantic cooking in an Indian kitchen. The list of spice ingredients is a mile long but prominent are notes of turmeric, tulsi, fenugreek, ginger, chili, and saffron. This can be a bit overpowering for some. But it quickly begins to dry down to reveal its base of mostly just beautiful sandalwood and holy basil. The perfume is amazing because it does truly capture the essence of this vibrant state in India whose culture is defined by the amazing food and bright colorful happy people and their artistic creations. This is not a crowd pleaser and many will be put off by the rather strong opening of this oriental spicy beauty. Give it a bit of time to evolve and settle into a true Western Indian beauty on your skin. Very bold and beautiful!
Note: Tulsi [Holy Basil] is an expectorant. Some may experience slight coughing at start but this is a medicinal property of the herb used.
Williamisfmm – :
Wow. Smells like cooking a nice indian feast with lots of tumeric curry and chilli, and even a mango lasse on the side. It smells like that indian meal you love eating. Very interesting, not sure if I could use up a full bottle though.
**Drydown is more subtle, the strong curry goes and what is left is a nice warm but softer spicy lovely complex oriental floral.
alexei.bazaev – :
This is one of the most complex fragrances I have sampled in a while. The closest I have been to India is a few square blocks in Manhattan called Curry Hill which is primarily Indian restaurants and shops. The smell aroun there is primarily food and Indian body products, spices, and incense that is soldd in the stores. Nice smell actually. This fragrance is nothing like the sanitized version from that neighborhood.
On me it is a spicy,dry, smoky experience. The florals aren’t evident but may add some faint softening to the mix. It evokes a bustling, hot, overcrowded city. It makes me feel like I’m on an overcrowded bus in some Indian big city at the end of a hot day with sweaty people and bus exhaust coming through the window. The sweaty cedar and smoky oud make me slightly queasy as if I’m getting car-sick from that harrowing bus ride. This is not a pretty scent but it is one of the most evocative scents I have tried in recent days. It has overtaken Tauer’s L’Air Du Desert Morocain in that respect. I think this is a brilliant scent but I would probably never wear it.
Elisey38 – :
Im hit with a wall of spices. It really captures India beautifully. It transports me home in one sniff. Many of the notes in this I cant stand but they work beautifully together. The initial brocade of notes is way too much for me but after a short while it has calmed down and now a spicy unisex oriental . A not overpowering woody spicy dream. I think this is what hoped Kenzo Jungle Elephant would be on me. Anyone fancy a takeaway?
sikinefr – :
There’s something very amazing about this complex fragrance. When someone smells Gujarat, one of these two situations would occur:
Either (1) you haven’t ever visited India, then this fragrance is a spicy & woody fragrance that smells exotic, Or (2) you have visited India, then Gujarat evokes India for you.
I tested this on some of my friends & this theory was proven 😀
The opening is really amazing; simultaneously bitter & sweet, floral & smoky. I can clearly smell high dose of saffron in the beginning, and also dried vanilla fruit. It is spicy, herbal, floral & a bit woody in total.
The dry down is mostly woody (oud & sandalwood) and a hint of specific herbs and spices combination makes it very special. Unique in my opinion.
You may find it odd, but if you have enough audacity & love eastern scents, I suggest this one to you.
I think this is kinda personal; I feel something divine when I smell Gujarat.
valera-de – :
Here are my own two experiences:
SAMPLE:
Interesting! Beautiful!
This smells exactly like the green casing from a walnut picked off the tree. Spicy and aromatic. We had a tree in the woods near our home when we were growing up and even though the casing would leave a nasty brown stain on our skin, we LOVED the spicy exotic smell.
I need a full bottle
FULL BOTTLE: BLECH!!
The full bottle smells of harsh cumin and coriander oil concentrate that can’t be washed off.
I’m dismayed that Ms Covey is unwilling to return it,
consistency between sample and bottle weren’t experienced,
and it’s too bad.
Had I experienced consistent product,
OR had I experienced customer service
I’d feel better about Olympic Orchids.
serhio155 – :
In brief flashes, I can tell curry is in the mix, but to my nose this is a well-blended mélange and not simply one particular note. Quite soon after spraying, I get a very strong accord of marigold, which I was surprised to find quite pleasant in this setting. (I garden, and I’ve always found the smell of marigolds to be rather off-putting, so this was a revelation – a pleasant surprise)
This is not for the faint of heart– though I didn’t find the fragrance to be huge and overpowering– it’s just that distinctive and will not be to the taste of those who crave fruity florals, I believe. There’s a very herbal quality in this, almost medicinal, but I find the whole to be quite pleasing and worthy of further exploration. When I say this smells medicinal, I must distinguish that as therapeutic in the way of a lovely herbal bath or massage, rather than the idea of choking down a nasty cough syrup. This one soothes me.
With the proper energy, this fragrance could have a tractor-beam effect on others, but attitude is everything. The juice is light in color, but the smell is almost a dark olive green. The quality of the materials seem true and impressive throughout on this fragrance. I’m looking forward to exploring this further, as well as other offerings from Olympic Orchids.
vakut – :
Unfortunately, this one does smell like curry on me. I love spices in perfumes and loved Kenzo “Elephant”. And I use my fragrances for aromatherapy at home. However, Gujarat just does not work for me. It is too culinary to enjoy it. Also my 6 year old offered his unsolicited opinion when I was applying it: “Mama, I do not like your perfume. You smell like a tiger.” Whatever it means.
andryha – :
I won this scent (among others) in a giveaway on Ellen Covey’s (owner of Olympic Orchids) blog. I really, really adore the beginning of Gujarat! It has one of the most complex openings I have experienced so far, full of oud, varm spices, a hint of curry, something a bit coldly medicinal and a bite of chili if you put your nose too close! I am intrigued by the dicotomy of hot and cold here! The drydown is less complex but equally lovely, I get mostly tumeric and oud. The sandalwood is mysteriously missing on my skin, but I’m not very fond of sandalwood so that’s just fine with me! Great projection and longevity!
ElEmEnt222 – :
There was something in Gujarat that I couldn’t quite place. It reminded me a bit of dirty laundry. Well, I did some research and it would appear that smell is spikenard/jatamansi. I like it. It’s interesting.
In addition to this note I get a mango verging on rotten, curry tree, caraway & tagetes.
Sort of a mix of food, sweat and medicinal herbs.
Gujarat is a fragrance that paints a picture, that of a hot, bustling Eastern city. I appreciate that, but I don’t know that I would actually wear Gujarat.
priligynusy – :
A masculine and strong oud opening, heavy sandalwood, with tumeric, saffron, and vetiver. It a complex composition, the frankincense and vetiver couple nicely with the saffron and spices, the notes are easily noted, especially in the opening.
After a while the fragrance mellows into a smokey, spicy, rose – oud melange, under a smokey frankincense haze with saffron, tumeric and cardamon as predominant notes, and a very mild, light overture of green curry leaf. Mild fruity accords and marigold are late to enter, softening the fragrance even more to become more feminine as wear time progresses.
Longevity with this one is great, 7+ hrs easily, and sillage is very nice. Cautious initial application is warranted, the opening may be a little harsh for some users.
The quality in this perfume is wildly evident, the notes are complex, deep and luxurious. If you are an oud lover or a fan of herbaceous indian spices then this fragrance will be one to love and own.
Jerhoorpogele – :
It’s maybe a bit much on the sandalwood for me. I do like the curry leaf smell, but I wish it did smell like curry!
rengen13 – :
For me a sandalwood fragrance.
mcp424elipseskism – :
The Olympic Orchid line boasts natural high quality ingredients and this is evident throughout the range. I was excited to see the mouthwatering combination of lime and ginger in this creation, but like other reviewers, this turned to a soft oud. Gujurat is predominantly an oud fragrance on me, however the oud is softened by the fruits and flowers. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…..
alex70707 – :
The opening of Gujarat is a thing of rare beauty. Birch tar in all it’s smoky glory, tropical mango, something bittersweet and herbal(maybe the marigold) and the greatest baritone of all, agarwood. The first images are a sidewalk on a burning afternoon in New Delhi. A raven-haired girl with a mango lassi sits in an old wodden chair. Kids palaying and laughing in the background. Mouthwatering vapours escaping from the windows from a home nearby.
I ‘m going to give it the ultimate compliment. Only L’ Artisan’s Timbuktu gave me the same sheer excitement the moment i put it on.
This one is a modern classic and it’s a surprise because it doesn’t go the well travelled route of spice load to portray India. Indeed the spices are here but the lighthanded treatment gives them a whole new weight, like gauge hoovering above everything else. In the end the perfume settles in a slightly sour rose-oud combo, not so unique as the beggining , beautiful nevertheless.
sirenkos – :
Gujarat’s huge ingredient list sounds like a recipe for an exotic Indian banquet, but on me, the fragrance opens with a large dose of sandalwood and oud.
The latter are not the entree, they are the doorkeepers which bow your way into the rose, saffron and cardamom main course, which feast is comfortably consumed on a pillow of mango and marigolds.
Yet despite my culinary similes, this is NOT in any way a foody perfume on my skin.
Much as I adore Indian food – one of my two greatest favorite cuisines (with French) – I don’t cherish smelling like it. I was a little afraid of the curry leaf and the cumin, and am decidedly unfond of lime notes, which often turn too masculine for my tastes.
However, the blending of Gujarat is so well done that I don’t get anything but an exotic wonder laid over an equally exotic base. Each component triggers a little olfactory memory of Asian spices and spaces, but none stands out as reminiscent of any other exotic perfume, not even an Arabian attar.
Gujarat is a brilliant exotic composition, unlike anything else I have ever smelled, and definitely full bottle worthy, a 9/10 for the fragrance, the projection and the staying power.
PS: If you haven’t purchased Olympic Perfumes’ tester package, then I suggest you run and do so – generous samples, so you can really get down with each sensory experience, all gorgeous discoveries, and at a very reasonable entrance fee.
Disclaimer, because I do tend to gush so : Not affiliated, just a fan.
alex_d294 – :
I love the smell and taste of all the Indian spices that I am aware of, and I do appreciate the smell of Gujurat. However, I found that I do not want to personally smell like this, as it is rather masculine and evocative of import shops and SE Asian restaurants. It develops over the day, and is richer and deeper as time goes by, and it is evident that it is made with quality materials, with thought and creativity. So instead of wearing it, I have dabbed a bit of it onto the walls of my foyer, linen cupboard and bathroom, as it is lovely in those settings. I think I would like it on a man, but cannot quite imagine the kind of man who could carry it off – as it really is so exotic.
Ezio13 – :
Wonderful! The smokey notes cut like a knife through the sweeter elements making this fragrance totally unique. Probably more masculine than feminine, it is ideal for a cooler summer evening. It isn’t often that one gets a chance to smell a completely new idea; most current perfumes are copies of what is “trendy”. Not this beauty!
stat8629057 – :
Oh! One whiff of Gujarat and I’m back in India! The spices. The rose attar. The incense. The food. The ever-present haze and aroma of wood smoke from family cooking fires in the air.
Gujarat lasted a good 12+ hours on me, drying down over time to a beautiful, warm and true sandalwood. Very complex, very unusual and very appropriately-named. If you enjoy rose, sandalwood or Indian attar perfumes, give this one a try.
Meofk083Diobtetty – :
I received Gujarat in a box of samples that I purchased from Olympic Orchids. When I tried it I was immediately struck by smoke, lime and tagetes, caraway (cumin?) and turmeric. Upfront this is a very masculine scent. As it dries down the fruits, olibanum and flowers barely appear with a sharp chili accent and then a sandalwood finish. I have tried it several times and can’t say if it is too masculine for me or not. I am still trying to get my nose around it. I can say, though, that it is complex and interesting and that I enjoy trying it again and again. The deluxe sample box I purchased was filled with many very generous samples making lavish use of the Gujarat sample possible.