The different kind of "Oud" fragrances are released all the time. First I was so excited but now after one year of continuous disappointment of the quality of them or the lack of uniqueness I'm not so excited anymore. If not counting the real Ouds and the high quality artisanal houses which are concentrated in Oud perfumes the most of the releases are somewhat terrible. The truth is as well that the more there are scents with Oud the more demanding we become and the new releases really has to have something extraordinary to offer. Adamo Numero V is opening in a very promising way. It's deep, dark and opulent with some of the most common notes with Oud - coffee, chocolate and leather. The smell of Oud in the opening is astonishingly beautiful but how it fades so quickly makes me think how much (or rather little) there is exactly the real Oud. It's not in an animalic side in the beginning either but it has a slightly edgy character. Coffee and chocolate are blending very well together like all the other notes here as well and those notes are first utterly recognisable but the best parts of them fades away as well like the note of Oud did. Leather is mild all the time. First I was thinking that now I found a very special scent but unfortunately it evolves on the skin too quickly into the light and gentle aroma which is very safe to wear and is pleasant even for the beginners. The blend is not bad in any way and there is actually nothing which bothers me but still it makes me think of for example Majnoon | Azman or Khanjar | Omanluxury which both convinced me in their own way. If you are considering to buy some scent from this kind of friendly western Oud category, I do recommend you to try this one. If you are used to the real Ouds, animalic Ouds and you really want something challenging this is not for you. But still, I want to say that the smell is not bad at all. Thank you for reading and if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes
I agree with @Baltabarin: Jardin du Poète feels like wearing a white linen suit to a European garden party. It’s a refined, classic citrus-cologne profile with bright basil and grapefruit top notes before a really nice angelica and immortelle take over—there’s no tomato leaf listed, but you get a hint of that herbaceous, stemmy green plant flavour. From that fresh, aromatic opening it dries down to a warmer cedar-vetiver musk that’s quiet and grassy but sticks around for a surprisingly long time. I’d say it’s similar to Profumum Roma’s Ichnusa in its herb-garden leafiness and to Vilhelm’s Basilico & Fellini with its equally green citrus-basil notes, but it lasts longer than Ichnusa and I like the drydown better than the soapy violet of B&F. It’s too bad they discontinued the EDT version, though—I like its more typographic bottle design better.
20 minutes after spraying and I can't smell it without putting my nose on my skin. Nobody in my family can either. It's an OK scent but the performance on me is terrible. It may be the weakest thing I've tried in the last year. Bizarre that on other reviewers this is a strong performer.
Mantes-la-Jolie is almost shockingly minty at first: it's an ultra-refreshing wintergreen blast of eucalyptus-mint-basil-bergamot that you might expect to come across as artificial or toothpaste-y, but it's amazingly natural. That lovely, invigorating opening quickly develops through the other notes in a tidy sequence, growing sweeter with green currant leaf and warm fig before the cedar wood creeps in and it starts to mellow into mild notes of mate, honeyed jasmine, and faint ginger that somehow combine to create the effect of a complex but subtle woody vanilla. Normally, both mint and vanilla would be a "no" from me but the presentation of every facet of this scent is so original and interesting, it's got me hooked. The initial notes do fade fast, but the delicious drydown sticks around at a low level for a solid 6+ hours, periodically surprising me with how good I smell. I love this one, a truly unique aromatic take on a green fig. Pricey, but I appreciate that Astier de Villatte gives you varied size options at different price points: 100, 30, and 10 ml. I'd like to try more from this house.
This perfume has been a huge mystery to me since it was released but not because it would have been difficult to understand but I just can't decide if I like it or not. I like that dense Oud which is there but somehow it feels unpolished and sharp. This blend is very spicy, mostly Cardamom heavy and from time to time it feels like smelling that spice straight away from the spice jar. Oud with Cardamom is not my favourite combination, I love when Cardamom is combined with florals. Later, when all those spices start to soften, Oud is accompanied with Lavender which is very weak but since it's not my favourite herb it pushes through into my nose. The whole concoction is utterly fresh and somewhat green, I like much more softer and velvety texture. On the other hand I like a lot when Oud is animalic but this Oud is not - at least for me. I love different kind of Rose Ouds as well but it's impossible to find here a whiff of a rose. That's not necessarily a bad thing in overall, sometimes it feels that the combination of Oud and roses is overdone. Oud 31 has something else to offer. Personally I think that Oud 31 would be more enjoyable if there was just a hint more sweetness from Vanilla. Anyway I always love Oud together with some sweet notes or fruits even if it would animalic or even barnyardy otherwise. Finally after wearing my decant I'm sure that this scent is not for me but if you love very spicy Oud I recommend you to try this one. I would say that this is on the masculine side. Just to give you a perspective which are totally unisex imo I mention Elevation from Al Shareef Oudh, Khanjar from Omanluxury, Kemi original from kemi and even 'Ilm go from kemi. Accords above are totally misleading. This is definitely not powdery, Vanilla dominated nor Rosy. This is pretty much very spicy, sharp unpolished Oud. Thank you for reading and if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes
Craaaazy perfume. This is as old-school as it gets. I got a miniature EDT from Vinted, and it's perfectly intact. Smokey, sweet, explosive, dirty and boozy. It reminds me of Tabu, not that it smells the same, but the style and effect of the perfume. Not sure I can pull it off outside my apartment (same as Tabu).
This scent has such a humble, polite, comforting, reassuring quality. It radiates innocence and pure intentions. It feels like a person. It’s clean and distinct, while lasting a crazy long time on my skin. It’s been 12 hours, a full work day, and a shower and I’m still picking it up on my bare arm. Really, really, well done.
A+ for bottle originality. That’s the only thing I can get behind. This smells like an 80’s televangelist who gets caught cheating on his wife with an actress in a soap opera. Maybe like the magician at your birthday party (also in the 80’s) who hits on your mom. Loud, spicy, ambery, powdery full on assault on modern society. If someone wore this at work, I would try to work in a different part of the store.
Sprayed a card, walked out of the store, smelled it about 30 seconds later, walked right back in to write down the name because I forgot what reality was after my olfactory glands were embraced by an angel. Warm, soft, clean, comforting, totally worth adding to your collection. I want to smell this every day of my life. UPDATE: revisited the shop, sprayed more on a card, didn’t like it as much. UPDATE 2: Not unisex, not too exciting. If you caught a slight whiff in the air, yes…yes. It’s great. I wore one spray on my sleeve/wrist and it lasts on fabric for days. I also know now why my wife doesn’t like to wear Glossier You. Up close to the wearer it’s not very exciting or interesting. In the air though, on someone else (with the right chemistry), it’s really beautiful.
Opening: Smells like you walked into Milk Bar and Christina Tosi hit you in the face with a cake. Pleasant but I don't want to smell like frangipane and buttercream. Dry down: Fortunately it dries down into something a little less cakey. I agree with the root beer float analogy but the balance seems to be more on the ice cream with a little IBC hiding behind. Smells good but not complex enough for the money. Projection is good. More feminine to me. Might work in limited situations but just not sold on this as something I need a full bottle of. P.S. This would be a great candle scent.
This smells way beyond its price point. One of the smoothest fragrances I've found. I have 135 bottles in my collection and this is easily Top 10. If you see it, buy it. Bottle is fantastic, very heavy cap. Feels premium.
This perfume got my attention because of the notes in it. I was thinking that it has to be something extraordinary and it is. Bloody Wood has a beautiful opening with a bouquet of roses which changes quickly into the scent of Rose Oxide together with aroma of Cherries and Raspberries. Rose oxide is a fragrance chemical found in roses and rose oil and it has a little bit sweet and fruity smell, like the flavour of some wines - such as Gewürztraminernot - as well. Bloody Wood is not the deep and dark, thick smell of wine straight from the glass but it’s like a wine with a lot of Raspberry and Cherry juice diluted a little bit with a water. That makes this utterly enjoyable, sophisticated and classy scent despite of the cold, bloody like gothic feeling in the background. Raspberry and Cherry are not jammy or sticky nor too sweet. The base of the scent is woody but I visited last time in Italy in one friend’s wine cellar which was full of old dark oak barrels and i bet you don’t want exactly that smell in your perfume. It’s beautiful for sure but it’s as well damp, musty and aged. Oak barrel and woody note here is younger and smooth, Sandalwood making it even smoother. It’s anyway transparent and the colour of the juice tells actually the intensity of this concoction. I adore this scent but if you want a very long-lasting scent you may be disappointed. This last few hours and it’s enough for me during those days when I need to change the scent during a day. Thank you for reading and if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes
Crystal Saffron Extrait is already on sale at Dover Street Market in Paris. As if there needed to be a stronger version! Now I've tried it, and it's as expected, obnoxious chemical stench. It smells good but it's unwearably chemical and loud.
The new Esprit de Parfum rendition of Ambre Nuit is glorious, I love it; it’s everything you’d want from a warm, cosy amber fragrance. It retains the thick, sweetly vanillic amber accord of the original, but replaces the gentle rose with a much warmer, spicier base. The smooth, buttery warmth of cardamom mingles with a sharper, dusty cinnamon which awakens a comforting festivity in the back of your mind. This addition of warm spices is similar to that of the new Oud Ispahan Esprit de Parfum. Overall, I think I love this. The original Ambre Nuit was already fantastic but if you ever wanted a thicker, darker, spicier version then this is it. I understand the disappointment regarding the loss of rose, which draws it away from its iconic scent profile, but as far as scent alone goes this is fantastic. If only it wasn’t so ridiculously expensive.
The new Esprit de Parfum of Oud Ispahan achieves everything you’d want from an extrait rendition of a fragrance, I suppose. It takes the westernised idea of a jammy rose water combined with a basic synthetic oud accord, but takes it that step further into something a little more exciting and interesting. Others have described this as smelling more animalic, I would disagree. It certainly has a degree of subtle filth about it, but this is quite clearly from the dominant presence of cumin - which gives the scent this overall dirty, slightly sweaty feel. A medley of other spices mingle beautifully with the rose and the oud, leaving you with a very bold and intoxicating scent trail. Oud Ispahan was never among my favourites from Dior, although it is a very pleasant scent, but this version I enjoy much more. Despite how lovely it is however, £380 for 80ml cannot be justified for something that overall still smells fairly synthetic and plasticky.
I didn't think I could love an Amouage more than I love Interlude Man, but this is it for me. Imitation Woman is spectacular. I normally can't stand blackcurrant in any guise in perfume, but this is some sort of addictive magic. And, it has distinct stages (three or four I reckon), all of which are as beautiful as each other. Stage one - floral psychadelia with minty blackcurrant Stage two - blackcurrant buds come to the fore with aldehydes and church incense wisping in and out Stage three - warm resinous incense with the sweetness of the initial florals coming back as a garnish Stage four - incense embers and smooth woods Incredible! Side note: this being for sale on Amouage website doesn't mean it's not being discontinued, they have to sell the remaining stock. They seem to be getting rid of all but the best selling perfumes from the Chris Chong era to focus on crowd-pleasers and expensive flankers. I'd say get this while it's there, as it is too weird and artistic to be retained by Monsieur Salmon with his anodyne commercial vision.
A fairly straightforward and mostly linear offering. I love seeing a cherry fragrance that isn't weighed down with things like almond, marzipan, and/or heliotrope. The cherry here is a bit deeper without being heavy or syrupy and reminds me greatly of the cherry note in L'Occitane Cerisier Rouge (which is divine!) It's really delightful until the midpoint where I would have sworn it was a saffron note and not Haitian vetiver (for reference, I'm extremely anti-saffron/leathery notes). This saffronic element is not as harsh as some others I have come across, but it's just evident enough to be distracting and slightly nose turning. Once this fades, the musky drydown is rather muted and becomes a skin scent. Overall, I think this is a respectable fragrance that was maybe priced a little higher than it should have been for Avon, but is definitely of better quality than their standard fare. Discontinued now and getting harder to find.
What comes to the bottle it gives many expectations about the scent and in this case those don't mach with the reality. I was waiting something more rosy and feminine, something alluring and attractive. Actually I was about to blind buy this one like almost all of my perfumes but luckily I didn't. Some may expect something girly as well but no, this is not. This scent is quite mature. There is nothing pink here imo if thinking only this bottle. But if I compare for example with "Pink Me Up | Atelier des Ors" the bottle looks exactly like the scent is smelling - pink, uplifting, sweet and rosy - and therefore this scent is like a totally faded and dried version of that, very, very light baby pink and totally light petals which barely has a smell. I love roses and different kind of rose scents like Iris scents as well but I feel that this scent is not for me. Roses and iris are there but they seem to come and go and they are very subtle. They are dry but not powdery and there is missing a soft, a slightly sweet aroma from the combination of Ambrette and Musk. Instead of powdery this feels earthy on my skin which is strange. I don't find here any lipsticky vibe nor vintage feeling. It would be nice if there was just a little hint of sweetness but I don't get it, not even in the opening where should be Pear. This has nothing to do with Delina either. Villa Primerose is not a bad scent but it's a bit boring scent without a soul. Normally I get some associations by smelling different scents, I see different kind of scenes when closing my eyes and smelling the perfume but with this one nothing happens. Because of that, I see this as an utterly safe scent for the office or anywhere where you have to be "neutral" and not showing your own personality. If you need that kind of scent I think you should try this one. If you are trying to find some unforgettable scent or signature scent, this is not what you are looking for. This review is based on a sample (3 wearings) and I will edit this one if I get something more out of this scent. Thank you for reading and if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes
So, so sweet I feel like my teeth are going to fall out. The florals are very cloying with the sweetness. It's a struggle to get past this opening, but after a while the sweetness calms down and the ambrette becomes apparent, which is more pleasant. Barely perceptible "oud" that doesn't smell like oud. Meh, for this price (and for less) there are hundreds of other things that do this better, and I really hate the first 30 mins.
I agree with the below reviewer. There are many things in here. Given that there is no oud in this perfume (at least it certainly doesn't smell like it), and that this is therefore an oud accord, that one note will in fact be a combination of many woods, woody ambers, possibly patchouli, possibly cypriol, who knows, and I definitely agree that there's sandelwood too. If the brand insists there's oud, they must be doing a Guerlain, putting homeopathic amounts in so they can say it's there. It's not an oud perfume, it's a scratchy woody-amber perfume. It's not bad, but it's probably the least wearable of this collection I've come across (although I haven't smelled them all). It's a scratchy, screechy aroma-chemical soup, and certainly seems like an acquired taste to my nose. "I shouldn't say this but it's kind of a fake oud" - Pierre Negrin interview on Amouage's YouTube channel Update: 99% identical to Gucci Guilty Absolute, and 100% identical in the drydown.
This is just magnificent in every way!. Boozy, fruity, juicy summer frag. This is truly 1 of the greatest summer fruit scents I've ever smelt
Painter is stunning, gorgeous, and I absolutely adore it. Black Pepper, Laminaria Seaweed and Vetiver, which is not noted here. It's amber woody and feels so chic and luxurious but in an airy, aromatic way, like something Ellena created for Hermes. It's in the same wheelhouse as Poivre Samarcande perhaps. I love it so much and it feels so much a part of me, this really could become a bit of a signature scent. While the scent is nicely understated, I find the performance and durability excellent with a noticeable sillage - in my personal space at least. I have a lot of love for what Genyum do generally - their range is strong throughout and worth sampling - and Painter is my favourite of them. @thescentiest
Too sweet for me (sample kindly sent free of charge by MFK). They are really playing it safe nowadays. I can't remember the last time they released anything even slightly challenging. It's prestige blandness for people who aren't very into perfume. This one smells like a Xerjoff sugary oud nightmare with the oud part taken away.
Aside from the ones named for specific collaborators (Another 13, the Colette ones), this is the only Le Labo fragrance I know of that isn’t named for an ingredient, which makes sense given how abstract it feels—to me, anyway. Baie 19 implies a bay of water, and it does make me think of the still, reflective surface of a cold mountain lake, with rocky, mossy shores under a silver sky. Rather than the moist earth of petrichor, it calls up damp stones. I get mineral, medicinal juniper and a combination of metallic, ozonic, herbal, green, and synthetic, almost latex-ish notes, and then some earthy musk as it settles down. It’s the natural world in vivid detail, but as if you were seeing it in VR, or a dream. It’s disorienting and magnetic, very subtle but continuously surprising—“What am I smelling?” I keep asking myself. I imagine this being what a mirror would smell like if it had a smell—the scent seems to arrive in my nose as if it was getting refracted through a lens, bent or inverted, like rays of light. Unlike a lot of other “molecular”-type skin scents, this one also lasts, though it doesn’t really project. I’m deeply intrigued by it. Maybe my favourite Le Labo fragrance? Certainly one of their weirdest. Expensive, of course, and it also suggests a mood I might only occasionally want to inhabit, so not an easy purchase. Incidentally, the first time I tried this, I also sampled Aesop’s Eremia, Tacit, and Ouranon, which I think aim for similar territory: understated, meditative, herbal, earthy, abstracted…and overpriced. Those three are all interesting and cool in their own ways, but if I was going to spend over $200 on 50ml, I think Baie 19 delivers more.
@IamdrinkingBeer oh god, I guess you're right. How embarrassing! 😅 Though, imo, they should have called it "Genévrier," then! This definitely doesn't evoke "berries" in general.
