website Skip to content
Free Shipping On Orders Over $75 ~ Flat Rate Shipping (USA) ~ Military & Veteran Discount
Free Shipping On Orders Over $75 ~ Flat Rate Shipping (USA) ~ Military & Veteran Discount

Otra Esoteric Aftershave & Cologne | Sister Scent to Al Fin | Mystical, Mythical, Whimsical & Festive!

$25.95 USD

Otra is a True Cult Classic! 

{a scent w/ intent} 

Scent Profile: French Lavender, Bergamot, White Trefoil, Petitgrain, Rose Geranium, Tonka Bean, Clary Sage, Fir Needle, Pine, Juniper, Chamomile, Bamboo, Cedarwood, Haitian Vetiver, Rosewood, Purple Sandalwood, Rose Absolute, Hay Absolute, Oakmoss Absolute.

Otra or “Other”, in English, is Al Fin's imprisoned Twin sister, held against her will in a windy, mystic river. How she got there and who imprisoned her will be revealed at a later date. Until then I encourage you all to get lost in this sublime, whimsical & wondrous fragrance!

Otra is built on a fougere base that I constructed from the ground up, note for note and drop by drop. I could have just stopped there but I chose to go further and build on top of this very green foundation, imagining it to be the mossy green wrappings around the riverbed. Next comes the sandalwood and rosewood trees that populate the forest, swaying in the warm winds that rustle their perfumed branches. next I sprinkled the fertile forest bed with white clover and watched it shoot to life, full & four leafed! Then the river itself; reeds and water plants were created with the addition of white sage hydrosol, rose water, and organic seaweed extract, not overpowering but in the background, you wouldn't notice them sitting on the banks but you might if it was absent. Lastly our star player, Centaurea Cyanus or in plain english, CornFlower. There was something very familiar about this scent, a definite family resemblance with Al Fin. This could be attributed to the Leitmotif running through both, being White Clover...but I prefer to think it magic. Judge for yourself & Enjoy in good fall cheer!

A Note On The New, Epic Art (& new drastic turn of events)

Forever seeming to live in the shadow of Al Fin, Otra’s Jealousy & resentment began to manifest in her dammed prison river. No longer was she a victim to her situation but now a thick-skinned lava queen in full command of the fever dream! The shadow she lived in was now her direct source of power!

Being the guy who regretfully, made the call to originally discontinue Otra so many years back I feel a little guilty if not completely responsible for such a sudden & dramatic shift in what was once a sweet & shy natured river nymph. But heck, it is the spooky season, no? And the circumstances certainly make for a most epic origin story... & never wanting to be accused of not taking advantage of a toaster oven not in use...um... Sorry, lost my train of thought.

The fact is, Otra is at heart, a baddass scent, her own scent, who doesn’t need anything from anyone, even her perfect sprite of a sister!

 

Original Listing From Many, Many Years Ago:

Otra: The Saga Continues...

For those who have fallen in love with Al Fin, Otra is for you. The muse is a funny thing, be you a poet, or perfumer; she will strike when you least expect it or are prepared to drop everything and go cut up the rug with her. But you will, for you must. In one of these moments Otra was born.

Al Fin was (and is) always more than just a aftershave/cologne to me. She is magical, mystical, deep and always out of reach. In my head a story or tale has always been evolving around her, the scent inspires such fantasies. Those of you who have splashed on Al Fin knows of this spinning reverie I speak of. Someday I hope to pencil out the tale of Al Fin and possible include it with each bottle but until then, I'd rather just let it play out in my head...then came the Voynich Manuscript.


I will not take up the space needed to explain this untranslatable text but will rather start you off on your own pilgrim trail to learn more about it if you so desire. What I will say is a certain illustration in the ancient text caught my eye, it really resonated with me, Centaurea cyanus.

Centaurea Cyanus is simply corn flower but the way the author caught this image moved me and drove me to find out more about this thought provoking flora (I still can't explain the drive I felt). The image seemed magical, as if it would jump of the page...what could it possibly smell like? Middle Earth I suspected and I wasn't way off. I needed to do something with this scent, I had to. 

I lay in bed that night staring at the ceiling, letting my mind wander as it so often does when i'm am having a creative spell...most call this insomnia. Al Fin kept popping into my head and I had to keep pushing her out. Was she jealous? Off and on all night, I didn't really get too far conceptually with my new "Centaurea" scent. The next day in the lab I pushed and pulled at the scent yet still couldn't bring it to life. That night again I was visited by Al Fin while I mentally tried to build a recipe, it was futile to resist...I gave in.

Al Fin wasn't jealous at all.  She was reaching out to help.  This was no new competing scent but her sister scent! Of course, they were both born out of similar experiences! Otra or Other in English, is Al Fin's imprisoned sister, held against her will in a windy, mystic river (my mind?). How she got there and who captured her will be revealed at a later date. Until then I encourage you all to get lost in this sublime, whimsical & wondrous fragrance, Otra.

 

The End...for now. (Happy Halloween!) 


100 Ml Glass Flask Style Bottle w/ easy pour top

Ingredients: Denatured Alcohol, White Sage Hydrosol, Rose Water, Essential & Fragrance Oils, Organic Seaweed Extract, Aloe, Glycerin, Benzoin Resin