Taklamakan
Stéphane Humbert Lucas (2016)

Well well. I never thought that I would smell anything more potent than Nasomatto's Absinth but here we are at Harrod's Stephane Humbert counter today. Three good sprays on the arm.
This is a beast of spicy oud resin amber and something a bit off putting, reminding me of an unpleasant smelling and intimate bodily part although after a couple of hours this largely settled. I really cannot imagine any possible scenario where this would be servicable. It made Nasomatto's Absinth look mild and meek in comparison but in reality it left me appreciating Nasomatto's smoothness refinement warmth and depth even more.
I think at this price there must be an Emperor's New Clothes effect with Cognoscenti delving into their imaginations and wishful thinking . So far I have smelt 3 of S H's creations and none really smell especially pleasant. The least offensive and even mildly interesting being Mortal Skin.
This gets a neutral because of the dry down otherwise it would be a hopeless thumbs down and off with its head.

Fragrance: 6.75 --in the drydown/10
Projection: Beast mode
Longevity: Best mode.

Dry and gritty. Light, molasses sweetness. Sweetened various woods. Iris is drowned but, I can smell it at times. This one, is well-blended. It's smooth. It has a good, old-fashioned resinous oriental feel. Not as amber-laden as some oriental frags. I have tried many of this ilk - It's nice. Nothing really stands out from others I own nor, is it as deep as I prefer, for my orientals. The vanilla is really good here. Benzoin and labdanum shine here, as well. A good, solid 3 and a half stars.

dry sands of desert with vanilla and benzoin.
such a fragrance which will talk more about it. 9/10 for me.

Smooth, rich, benzoin heavy marvel from Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777!

I am moved by certain fragrances in a way where I say, "This one is perfect!" L'Air du Desert Marocain N.02 by Tauer is one of those scents: From application to end of day slumber, the scent continues to caress my senses and eases the mind in an almost supernatural way.

And here is another remarkably pleasing fragrance that fits into that category: Taklamkan. A very innovative concept in reference to the huge desert in China, and also a truly enjoyable fragrance that is quite similar to the Tauer scent, with several tweakings here and there - not as spicy, more luscious from the caramel and vanilla accords, woodier, and a bit more balmy. One would get the sense of an arid, dry landscape that isn't depressing, but awe-inspiring. Taklamakan fills with a soothing, elegant feeling, leaving you with the sense that this is a really well-constructed, high quality product.

This one - like other outings from Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777 - is well-mannered, dignified, not loud, and full of layers that is an experience worth checking out. Scents like Taklamakan remind me of some of the truly amazing, moving scents that are out there to discover and relish!

its dyness totally remindes me of desert as its name is.
sweet benzoin vanilla on dryness base and smokiness of gauiacwood and labdanume while wood notesexist in background.
taklamakan is like a vanilla baked cake in oven .
its well balanced and quality scent.its really masterpiece.

The Taklamakan desert is the largest desert in China and is the worlds second largest shifting sand desert. The namesake of this Stephane Humbert Lucas 777 fragrance is the arid dry sands and shifting winds of this desert desolation and by indirect association and similarity of ingredients, I detect a reference to Tauer's L'Air du Desert Moracain which I think is the inspirational category leader for this type of fragrance. Compared to LDDM Taklamakan is more - more of everything - including more ingredients to achieve the effect, more coordination and artistry to smooth all of these dry incense woods and spices into a stunning cozy but elegant composition. Takalamakan unfolds in a slightly more subtle way and because of this receptive natured softness it might be seen as more refined, possibly more feminine while still being very unisex.

The notes listed for Taklamakan: Bergamot, rose, patchouli coeur, black vanilla, tonka absolute, birch, cade, gaiac, cedar, myrrh, orris, tolu balsam, labdanum, ambreine, amber gris, benzoin, sandalwood, musk; and this list feels more accurate to me than the directory notes printed above. Amberine, ambergris, black vanilla, benzoin and sandalwood are an accurate amber woods description. While the cade, birch, myrrh, patchoui and gaiac brings a moody darkness noticeable earlier in the development that is not present in other desert inspired amber incense brands. These darker parts coupled with the very smooth amber melange creates a dark amber or black amber that is very attractive and has considerable depth. The prominence of benzoin, sandalwood and musk adds a cozy almost cuddly sheen to the mix that is very alluring. Taklamakan is an amber incense fragrance that uses desert references through its soft dry wood notes and then becomes even softer. This is an exceptional fragrance that is comparable to dozens of other fine and rare fragrances but, Taklamakan holds its own place of uniqueness. I think this is an excellent value of quality for the price of this bottle. This creation adds another superb jewel in the crown for Stephane Humbert Lucas.