Oud Aaron Terence Hughes 2019

… and thrown right in the face! - That’s how I perceive this fragrance. No fruity notes, rose only with a whole lot of imagination. It doesn’t really smell animalistic, as one might expect from some oriental scents, which can indeed be quite appealing, but simply dirty. If you think of 'earth' in terms of forest floor, you have a fitting association; however, this scent should not be confused with the forest itself, but really only with that of slightly damp humus.

I see a similarity with the first version of Zoologist's Bat, as it also has a terribly earthy and, for me, moldy quality that makes it one of the worst scents I have ever smelled. Aaron Terence Hughes' Oud does not remind me of mold, but it still has a morbid aura, as I can almost only perceive dry, musty wood alongside the earth.

Testing the scent - the word perfume does not deserve this concoction in my opinion - on the skin was pure torture for the sense of smell. And I couldn’t notice any significant changes during this time. Based on my experiences, I can definitely assert that I am not too stupid to filter out the other notes.

And if I trust the statement of the perfumer that real, expensive oud is used here, I must inevitably conclude that the quality of it is simply inferior. In comparison, I much prefer most (semi-)synthetic oud accords or pseudo-oud fragrances - at least they demonstrate a certain level of skill.