The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Manar landed in December 2016, composed by perfumer Abdulla Almarzooq for Touch Of Oud. The fragrance opens with a bright raspberry note that cuts through the denser materials underneath, giving the composition a fruit-forward entry that settles quickly into something heavier. As the top notes recede, cedar takes hold with a dry, slightly resinous character, and the leather accord builds in slow waves rather than arriving all at once. There's a smoky undertone threading through the drydown, not aggressive or ashy, more like the warmth that lingers in a room after a fire has gone out. Musk grounds the base, rounding off the sharper edges and lending a skin-like softness that keeps the leather from feeling stiff or overly polished.
The interesting choice here is raspberry seeded inside a smoky, leathery accord. Most fruity-leaning orientals sit in the dessert register, vanillas and ambers stacking sweetness on sweetness. Manar refuses that shortcut. Raspberry arrives at the heart as a sharpened edge, its tartness bracing the cedar and incense underneath. The cedar does double duty, woody in its own right but also acting as a buffer between the fruit and the smoky base. It's a construction that asks the wearer to pay attention, rewarding the people who notice how raspberry and styrax talk to each other an hour in.
The evolution
First thirty minutes belong to leather and black pepper, a dry, almost tannic opening that reads more like the interior of a vintage car than a perfume counter. Violet leaf cools the edges, slightly metallic, slightly green. Then the shift: raspberry surfaces around the forty-minute mark, unexpected, almost jarring against the smoke that hasn't yet released. Cedar grounds the heart, warming up with incense into something churchlike but not religious, more cathedral lobby than service. The drydown starts slow, around hour three or four. Styrax takes over, sweet-balsamic and faintly floral, with amber underneath heating the whole arrangement. Musk is the last to arrive and the last to leave, a soft skin-warmth that holds close to the body into the next morning. On fabric, the leather-and-styrax accord lingers well past twelve hours, a quiet reminder in a scarf or jacket lining.
Cultural impact
Manar tends to draw wearers in during cooler months, where its warmth settles comfortably against jackets and heavier fabrics. The raspberry note gives it a brightness that keeps the composition from feeling weighed down, while the leather and cedar anchor it with enough gravity to feel substantial indoors. It wears close to the skin in the opening hour, then gradually opens up as the leather accord softens and the musk rounds out the base. The smoky undertone becomes more apparent in the drydown, lending a quiet depth without tipping into incense territory.
The House
Touch Of OudTouch Of Oud curates a line of oud‑centric fragrances that balance the depth of traditional Middle Eastern wood with a restrained, contemporary sensibility. Each scent unfolds with a clear structure, allowing the rare heart of oud to speak without overwhelming the wearer. The brand positions itself as a bridge between heritage craftsmanship and modern niche perfumery, offering compositions that linger long on skin while remaining approachable for daily wear.
The Creator
Abdulla AlmarzooqAbdulla’s technique centers on a disciplined layering of base notes. He begins with a pure oud extract, then adds a measured dose of sandalwood to soften the edge.
