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Wonderful warm Oud manly fragrance with a lovely balance of sweet spicy under notes (saffron and lavender) Worth the price and I need it ASAP
This is ok and nice scent BUT this is definitely not oud scent in any kind of way. There is not even a hint of oud, not in a technical way neither as a smell. This is earthy, fresh, airy and a little bit “cold” Saffron and Lavender scent. Oud in the name is very misleading and people who doesn’t even like oud has been made “fan of oud” with this scent. It’s a commercial trick which made this scent so popular in the hype of oud and unfortunately this is copied by many dupe houses. I love oud scents, when there is oud and I like this one as a Saffron scent. Longevity is eternal and projection and sillage are strong.
I have postponed making review of this since I was thinking first I don’t do it at all. The reason was that this is one of the rare perfumes in my collection which makes me a little bit mad. Not because of the scent itself but the misleading marketing and information about it and the hype based on those. OFG was launched in 2018 when the precious ingredient Oud started to be in fashion. It was one note which everyone wanted to like and the huge amount of “friendly Oud perfumes” was launched. Unfortunately a huge amount of perfumes have been sold just by mentioning the word “Oud” without even thinking is it there or not. This is one of those perfumes. Despite of the other opinions what comes to this scent I think there is not even one person who could deny the associations which this majestic name Oud For Greatness evokes. For me it tells that firstly of course this is a real Oud scent and secondly this is something amazingly talented what comes to using and blending Oud. Well, this is not the first one neither the latter one. From Initio’s web page: “The natural essence of Oud Wood”: Why it’s not mentioned for example like Oud from Cambodia? Is that misleadingly enough expressed and to try to avoid straightforward lying for the people who are not familiar with real Oud at all? Oud from Cambodia doesn’t sound cool enough? I don’t know, just thinking. Anyway in THE MAIN NOTES list there is mentioned Natural Oud Wood and Agar Wood Oil and if it’s really the main list, Oud should be there and it should be detectable in this kind of scent which is not even complex at all. But the problem is that it’s not there. And shortly about the scent itself: it’s great, it smells good and the performance is amazing. But this is not an Oud scent: this is airy, fresh, cold, slightly metallic Saffron scent with Lavender and Spicy Patchouli in woody base with Musk, that’s it. Amazing Saffron scent, nothing else. If you like Saffron a lot, get it. If you are looking for the great Oud scent, this is not that. If you want to find “a friendly Oud” or you want to learn to love perfumes with Oud this is not the scent for that kind of purposes either. Thank you for reading and I would appreciate if you follow me IG @ninamariah_perfumes
Oud for Greatness opens with a sharp and sweet saffron bomb, darkened around the edges with an oud accord and patchouli. The lavender and nutmeg quickly present themselves in the heart of the fragrance to give it an aromatic and spicy kick which is blended very well with the other notes. As it hits the dry down you’re greeted with an intensely sweet yet smooth saffron and oud combination which is undeniably alluring and captivating. The nutmeg lingers in the background to create a warm spicy bubble while the patchouli starts to dwindle and this fragrance becomes more sweet than dark. This is a head turning and addictive fragrance, perfect for classy nights out when you’re looking to impress - and the performance won’t let you down. This is one of my favourite saffron based scents, however if you’re looking for an oud scent specifically then this one is not it. Unfortunately it does not smell like real oud has been used which is disappointing for the price, however it still smells incredible nonetheless.
I absolutely adore this! Going to have to really sample it to make sure but initial spray had me bowled over. Not much in the way of Oud synthetic or real, certain not real but I don’t doubt it’s there because there’s a woody, amber heft to this fragrance. It’s warm and stunning in the opening with quite a sweeter saffron note and I get nutmeg in there too, it’s a heady brew of stuff I like. Hugely powerful and having said all this nice stuff about it and loved it so much am I left mouth agape standing back in awe of this thing...well No. Not really. I love it. I’d like to wear it and own it and I know that love would grow into a real fondness but does it have the wild chemical attraction of a love at first sniff? Not quite. That kind of relationship is doomed to fail anyway so maybe this is ‘the one’ for me? Just a sensible one. I will update this when I acquire proper samples.
Initio Oud For Greatness is much more than a fragrance; it is a state of mind. It is a dose of liquid confidence, a declaration of personal power. It has democratized oud by making it accessible, charismatic, and irresistibly alluring. Although its price is high, its quality/performance/emotion ratio is unmatched. This is not a purchase; it is an investment in your aura. A modern and essential masterpiece.