Behind the Scent
Between the two of us, we have roots on both sides of the world.
One of us was born and raised in the Middle East. Half our family and relatives lives there. Growing up, luxury fragrance wasn't a special occasion — it was a way of life. Oud, musk, rose, amber — these weren't just scents, they were identity. We knew what real fragrance felt like. We knew how it should open, how it should develop, how it should last. It became a standard we carried with us everywhere.
So when we started looking for attars and perfumes that matched that standard — the disappointment was real.
The affordable ones didn't perform. The good ones weren't affordable. It felt like the Indian market had accepted a compromise that nobody had actually agreed to. We hadn't. We knew what was possible. We knew what people deserved. And that frustration became the seed of everything that followed.
We wanted a great attar — something that actually lasted, something that genuinely smelled premium. But every time we found something affordable, it disappointed us. And every time we found something truly good, the price was out of reach. It felt like quality fragrance was a luxury only a few could afford. We didn't think that was fair.
So we decided to do something about it.
We didn't have a factory. We didn't have connections. We just had a question — where does great attar actually come from? — and the determination to find the answer.
That search led us to Kannauj. If you don't know Kannauj, it's a small city in Uttar Pradesh that has been the heart of India's attar industry for centuries. We thought we'd explore it in a few days. We were wrong. What looked like a small city turned out to be a world of its own — over 500 manufacturers, distillers, and dealers, each with their own craft, their own secrets, their own story. We spent nearly two months walking into every shop, every factory, every back-alley workshop we could find. Asking questions. Smelling everything. Learning what separates a great attar from an average one.
It was exhausting. It was overwhelming. And it was worth every single day.
But we weren't done. We wanted our customers to have the full experience — not just a great scent, but something beautiful to hold, to gift, to keep. So we travelled to Delhi. We spent days roaming through markets, testing bottles, examining caps, comparing packaging, looking for every detail that would make an Asaar attar feel as premium as it smells.
Five months of research, travel, trial, and error. Five months before we launched our website on 1st of May '26.
We launched Asaar with one belief that still drives everything we do — ultra luxury and premium perfume performance should not cost a fortune. Quality over quantity. No shortcuts. No compromise.
We're still learning. We're still growing. And we're always open to your suggestions — because at the end of the day, we built Asaar for you.
— Tariq & Kamran,
One of us was born and raised in the Middle East. Half our family and relatives lives there. Growing up, luxury fragrance wasn't a special occasion — it was a way of life. Oud, musk, rose, amber — these weren't just scents, they were identity. We knew what real fragrance felt like. We knew how it should open, how it should develop, how it should last. It became a standard we carried with us everywhere.
So when we started looking for attars and perfumes that matched that standard — the disappointment was real.
The affordable ones didn't perform. The good ones weren't affordable. It felt like the Indian market had accepted a compromise that nobody had actually agreed to. We hadn't. We knew what was possible. We knew what people deserved. And that frustration became the seed of everything that followed.
We wanted a great attar — something that actually lasted, something that genuinely smelled premium. But every time we found something affordable, it disappointed us. And every time we found something truly good, the price was out of reach. It felt like quality fragrance was a luxury only a few could afford. We didn't think that was fair.
So we decided to do something about it.
We didn't have a factory. We didn't have connections. We just had a question — where does great attar actually come from? — and the determination to find the answer.
That search led us to Kannauj. If you don't know Kannauj, it's a small city in Uttar Pradesh that has been the heart of India's attar industry for centuries. We thought we'd explore it in a few days. We were wrong. What looked like a small city turned out to be a world of its own — over 500 manufacturers, distillers, and dealers, each with their own craft, their own secrets, their own story. We spent nearly two months walking into every shop, every factory, every back-alley workshop we could find. Asking questions. Smelling everything. Learning what separates a great attar from an average one.
It was exhausting. It was overwhelming. And it was worth every single day.
But we weren't done. We wanted our customers to have the full experience — not just a great scent, but something beautiful to hold, to gift, to keep. So we travelled to Delhi. We spent days roaming through markets, testing bottles, examining caps, comparing packaging, looking for every detail that would make an Asaar attar feel as premium as it smells.
Five months of research, travel, trial, and error. Five months before we launched our website on 1st of May '26.
We launched Asaar with one belief that still drives everything we do — ultra luxury and premium perfume performance should not cost a fortune. Quality over quantity. No shortcuts. No compromise.
We're still learning. We're still growing. And we're always open to your suggestions — because at the end of the day, we built Asaar for you.
— Tariq & Kamran,
Founders, Asaar.