Kama
Ava Luxe (2005)

Kama is a musk fragrance with a briefly fecal topnote that sees it frequently compared to the famous Muscs Khoublai Khan by Serge Lutens. Beyond the fecal note, however, the two fragrances are quite different. Whereas Muscs Khoublai Khan draws on a complex mixture of musk, castoreum, civet, and ambrette to achieve a warmly-furred texture, Kama employs a much simpler structure, leaning instead on the poopy facets of cedarwood and a synthetic musk molecule for its animalic effect.

Cedarwood can smell of feces and coffee breath in dilution, an odd effect that is cleverly accentuated in fragrances such as Santal Noble by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier and Woody Sandalwood Oil by The Body Shop. This facet of cedarwood is brought out in Kama by way of a particularly ‘unclean’ musk molecule – possibly Tonquitone. The overall feel of the fragrance is musky in a plain, sharply woody manner, with a hint of medicinal herbs lurking at the corners. Is Kama properly dirty? Oh yes. Does it stand up against a more complex creation such as Muscs Khoublai Khan? Nope.

Like others have said, I find this fragrance enormously comforting, sexy, unique, and [the EdP] lasts for days on me. I started with a tester, and it went quickly, as it's a fragrance I reach for again and again. I am a fan of Lutens's Muscs Koublai Khan, and I also love Serena's masterful composition.

On me, I find the opening notes to be woodsy, resin-rich, and mysterious. Then it settles into what I imagine are the animalic notes, the sandalwood, the Bulgarian rose. It has a balanced richness (the musks) and dryness (powdery aldehydes) that I find absolutely delightful.

I had (and loved) a sample of No. 23, and Madame X, and while I long for both of those fragrances to return--as well as Midnight Violet--Kama has a special place in my heart.

This opens with tarry woods, underpinned by a dark amber. A few minutes in, the animalic musk & civet begin to show themselves, until one hour in the amber is sweeter, the labdanum is nuttier, & it's furry, warm blanket of a comfort scent, highly reminiscent of perfumes like L'Ombre Fauve. It's a little powdery, a little salty, & dirty in a very soft & subtle manner. I don't find it anything like as filthy as Salome, for example. It all lasts for a good eight hours before fading.
It reminds me of Neil Morris's Prowl in the opening phase, & I think that fans of animalic orientals, particularly L'Ombre Fauve, would love this one. I'd also say that if you regret missing out on the discontinued MadameX, then you should give Kama a try.

Wow. This one almost defies definition or depiction. (But I'll give it a go simply because it fascinates me so!). This is akin to a month's worth of mentholated cigarette butts sitting in an cedar wood ashtray, in the unopened, utterly curtained attic room of someone who needs a shower and a root canal. And I love it!

If only my husband wouldn't object so vociferously, I would wear this all winter long. There is something so oddly comforting and reassuring about this scent that it calms me every time I put it on. It's like that old thrift store coat you bought nine years ago and that mostly hangs in your back room closet. Its fur collar has collected the musky odor of various bodies and perfumes and a tiny bit of naphthalene, and it smells the way a crowded urban cafe does on a cold afternoon right before it begins to snow. Smoke, stale perfume, musky body odor, coffee, and too many humans packed together closely. The scent of humanity, preserved and entombed.

One of the more truly strange and weirdly enrapturing scents, ever. For animalic lovers only.

I tested Kama Luxe Edition. Regular Kama is not in the directory as of this writing.Kama--Exotic musks, Ambergris, Civet, Black Amber, LabdanumBulgarian Rose absolute (from the Ava Luxe web site)Lots and lots of cedar, very woody cedar, and a light musk base. As the cedar calms, a nutty note comes out. Now that I read the notes, the woodyness could also come from the labdanum, and that would also account for the nutty quality. I really don't smell any rose or civet, but this frag is definitely musky and ambery. As the sweetness fades, the cedar note smells rather unbalanced. I wouldn't say hamster cage, but certainly it has a sawdust quality to it that is not well attenuated by any of the other notes. Of the two, I prefer this one, perhaps because it reminds me of Body Shop Woody Sandalwood. The drydown is pleasant--cedar note fades, and a vanilla amber base (with a hint of play doh) remains.

This is now called Kama -- I emailed Ava Luxe. It may be a toned-down version of the original, not sure.I am not a musk-o-phile -- this is the first musk-centered perfume I appreciate. I own MR, bought to please my husband who likes it, and can't bring myself to wear it. I loathed L'air de rien and MKK, yet enjoy Kama, which recalls aspects of each. Kama seems fresher and suaver than all of these to me; there is something delightfully mentholated that floats above the fragrance when you first apply it, before it dives back down in to keep everything secretly civilized. After a while it takes on an amber-y aspect. I'm still not a musk-person, don't find it bedroomy-comforting or -provacative as many do, but there is something about Kama that makes me think I ought to have a bottle.