Boond Attar Review | Khus | Sandalwood

Internationally well-known perfumes are usually a mix of most parts alcohol or a base and a blend of essential oils. Even though we Indians have bought into those compositions and subscribed to the idea of fancy-looking bottles of perfumes, what we should not forget is our country's rich history when it comes to perfumes and fragrances. The numerous native ingredients of the country that make up a good percentage of western perfumes, like sandalwood, are a matter to take pride in. 

And what better way to be proud of something than flaunting an Indian perfume oil? I was fascinated when I learned about attar, or as some people like to call it, Ittar/ittr. The production of which started in the northern frontier of India when the Mughals started using the deg bhapka method to extract rose and other floral and herbal oils from the native ingredients found in the country. 

Kannauj became the capital of perfumery. And it still is. The perfumes made in the region get the GI tag to make sure the artistry is given the position it deserves on the world stage.  

Staying in Bangalore, I was not able to get my hands on GI-tagged attars from Kannauj, so I started my search. That's when I came across Boond Fragrances, an Indian attar brand based in Kannauj, India, shipping across the globe. 

I decided to give the perfume oils from them a try because of the claims the brand made and the features they had in leading publications. 

The Ethos of Boond Fragrances was enticing to me. Sustainably made, sustainable packaging made locally, authentic methods used for creating the perfume oils, such as the aforementioned Deg Bhapka method and a mission to bring Indian perfumes to the world. 

Now that I have introduced you to the brand, let me walk you through the review of the Boond Attars. 

Two variants I have here are Sandali - The sandalwood attar, and Khusa - The vetiver attar and usually these are my favourite kinds of scents. Like I mentioned in the After Bath Oil review here, I do not prefer floral fragrances; I much prefer woody and earthy ones. 

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Hence, Sandalwood and Khus were my preferences as my first attars from Boond. 
Let's go with the 3Ps - price , packaging, product experience 

Price:

1549 INR for Sandalwood and 1499 INR for Khus for 3 ml of attar, here I have 6 ml bottles

Packaging:

This (packaging) is overall a very heartwarming aspect of the product. The packaging is made in-house by the Boond team of women and packed with lovely notes written on handmade paper. 

The paper is made and printed in-house, and the care shows; the packages are all different for each variant. The packaging, however, doesn't talk about the GI Tag-related information. 

The attars themselves are packed in glass bottles and are pretty tiny, which can be expected for 6 or 3 ml of product. The screw cap of the attars comes attached to a glass stick, which carries the essential oils/attars for you to be able to apply onto your skin. 

The little tassels are a nice detail to denote the attars in the bottle based on the colours associated with the overall packaging. 

Product:

Basically, the heart of it all is this, however much I like the packaging or not. The Attar itself is amazing, and now that I am writing this, I am remembering how much I have missed applying this over the last few weeks, as this is perfect for drier weather and I am in between the monsoons. 
Why do I say this is better for drier weather? Just my experience. Attars are potent essential oils, and when the humidity is extreme and the temperatures are low, they tend not to perform as well. Another thing to think of why Attars are amazing in tropical climates is that it's mostly warm! Think about it. 

The attar needs to be applied to your pulse points, just a little bit. And on warmer days, the fragrance starts to dissipate almost immediately and stays on for a good 4-6 hours. Since these are all single notes, there is no change in the fragrance; a subtle change may happen based on your body temp in the intensity of it throughout the day, but that's it. 

I did not have any issues with the attars on my skin, but if you have sensitive skin, make sure to do a patch test, because there are highly concentrated oils, and it is perfectly fine to do a test for suitability for your skin. 

Fragrances :

Sandalwood: A warm, woody, almost musky fragrance. Can be easily equated to freshly rubbed chandan stick on the stone. Just a few time multipied in intensity. I love how fresh it feels once the day goes by, in how it smells and feels. Gives an almost herbal note at the end of the day. 

Khus: Not the right way to equate it, but I can say this is the mini version of a woody fragrance as compared to sandalwood. A fresh, almost woody petrichor fragrance that makes you feel like you're sitting in a field of grass cut a few hours back. I love how subtle yet strong this fragrance is. 

Product Experience:

Overall, I loved the attars or ittra, however you'd like to call them. My personal favourite is the Khus attar. All in all, I would definitely recommend these attars. I am also looking to try their floral variants. Will keep you all updated here if I do end up trying.