Routes NomadesSpicy Woody Eau de Parfum

Routes Nomades by OJAR is a woody, spicy, amber eau de parfum, unisex, created by Nanako Ogi. It uses the cinnamon leaf rather than the bark — the same plant, an entirely different scent.

A house born from Dhofar frankincense

OJAR is an Omani house founded by Sheikha Hind Bahwan. The name comes from HOJARI, the world's most renowned quality of frankincense, harvested in the mountains of Dhofar. The founder summarizes her project in one sentence: "OJAR is a fusion of East and West — I have brought together the best expertise from each region." The catalog is organized into six collections by ingredient, three of which come from Oman — Dhofar frankincense, Jebel Akhdar rose, and Rustaq honey — complemented by sandalwood, musk, and oud. The formulas are entrusted to perfumers from around the world: Dalia Izem, Gaël Montero, Jordi Fernández, Michel Girard, Nanako Ogi.

An opening of cypress, ginger, and cardamom

The cypress opens with a cold green resin, that of standing wood rather than cut wood. The ginger brings its grated spiciness and the cardamom its camphorous freshness. Three dry ingredients, without any citrus: the opening is lively but never sweet.

A heart of ylang-ylang, vetiver, and cinnamon leaf

The cinnamon leaf is the unusual ingredient in the formula: distilled from leaves rather than bark, it smells of clove and pepper much more than baking cinnamon. The vetiver gives it its smoky root, the ylang-ylang a floral roundness, almost banana-like, which softens the whole.

A base of patchouli, frankincense, and leather

The patchouli brings its damp earth, the frankincense — the house's founding ingredient — its dry and peppery gum, the leather its tanned and supple skin. Three ingredients that last a long time and give the perfume its most Omani part.

The house's signature

Cinnamon is almost always used in the form of bark, warm and sweet, that of desserts. Here it is the leaf of the same tree that is distilled, and it gives a peppery and clove-like spice, without an ounce of sugar — which completely changes the reading of the perfume. Around it, the formula aligns ingredients that transport: resins, woods, and leather. The house presents this perfume as a celebration of the traditions of frankincense harvesting, and the title refers to the routes they have traced.

For whom, for what occasions?

For those who love dry spicy woods and are looking for a spice that does not lean towards the gourmand. It is an autumn and winter perfume, wearable day or night, with good longevity and a measured sillage. Routes Nomades OJAR will appeal to those who prefer pepper to sugar.