As I said with FK Oud the other notes really complement and make it shine...The same is true of this wonderful Oud scent. Even though there is oud in the title it’s largely a resinous sandalwood. Smells incredible though, great stuff from Armani.
This is a re-review due to my silly nose and it's habit of making hasty decisions on my behalf. Having subsequently tried MFK OUD and Armani Royal Oud against each other in a more comparative and comprehensive trial. I must confess they are not that alike really. I'd sniffed out many Oud fragrances that day and this just chimed with me as being like MFK...without knowing what was in it. When I raced back to check the notes after the first time I tried them, I felt vindicated and quite pleased with my olfactory skills as I'd identified a similarity that I put down to them both containing saffron. This one is much smokier than the MFK for a start and the saffron is far less prominent. All of these are characteristics that I love in perfume so I actually really like this one judged on it's own merits. If you're a fan of the smokey incense type fragrance then this is not a bad choice I'd say. update: The more I wear Oud Royal the more convinced I am of it's worth and the more my faith is instilled in the Privé line as a whole. It's not as vivid with oud as the MFK in fact this smells more of a vaguely woody, synth material and sandalwood note but with such a choice of ouds out there why choose this one? Well because it's awell put together fragrance!
Oud Royal is one of my favourite offerings from the Armani Privé line. It follows a very simple structure and stays relatively linear throughout the life of the scent. A soft, sweet amber accord, smoky myrrh and some faint warm spices act as supports for the main note of oud. The oud here does not smell real in the slightest, or even particularly high quality, but for some reason it keeps drawing me in. Everything is so smooth and well blended that it creates the most addicting scent trail and will easily have others asking you what you’re wearing. This for me is a fantastic Westernised interpretation of a clean cut oud fragrance, with some degree of darkness and mystery to it. This is not for those searching for an authentic natural oud - instead more suited to smart, formal occasions that call for something easier on the nose.