Oud - no fragrance has been more popular & hip since the turn of the millennium. Even if one thinks the train has long left the station, masses are still boarding. If it is a trend, then it is a defining one. And the mysterious agarwood is always in the spotlight when it comes to how raw, pure, fine, and natural Oud truly smells. If I could choose a fragrance that comes closest to that, it would be this incredibly strong oil, Black Oudh by Al Haramain. Because no fragrance has come closer to the sample of concentrated Oud oil that I was able to test at the perfume fair last month. Leaving aside the origin & the various types, stages & purity levels of Oud in a semi-professional manner, please pay more attention to my fragrance description than to the fact that pure Oud smells exactly like this. There are far more experienced Oud specialists here on Parfumo. For me, however, this Black Oudh is quite the crowning achievement & a sort of conclusion on the topic.
Even if it borders on cheap advertising: 12 ml of oil for €8. A few drops are enough to last for years. A fine thing, great price/performance ratio.
Black Oudh is a fragrance to rave about & is actually more than just a perfume. It inspires & slightly intimidates, it’s a scent that deserves an elaborate poem from me. So incredibly dark, Arabic, masculine, wicked & sexy - one thinks they have experienced everything, and then there’s this. Oils have never been my specialty either & perhaps this sublime strength & presence is completely normal for them. However, I believe that Black Oudh also plays in the top league when it comes to oils.
Without further ado, excuses, or brakes - here you get Oud in abundance, in almost all its variations, some more hidden than others. The most prominent facet here is the creamy chocolate Oud, but without becoming overly sweet or sticky. More than dark chocolate, more than dark patchouli. Then there’s the animalistic component - slightly rotten, sweaty, physical. It screams for the world’s favorite pastime. It hits the female world like a black comet. Then there’s the smoky side of the fragrance - not incense, more like soot, campfire & the most expensive cigar. And of course, the all-encompassing woody impression, against which Encre Noir feels like a sun-drenched field in spring. Against Black Oudh, Fangorn Forest feels airy & bright. A pleasant extreme that appeals to almost everyone. Incredible!
Minimal drawback & deduction from the highest rating: no matter how versatile a note/a fragrance can be, it remains ONE fragrance without excessively long development.
Bottle: it already smells extremely - small & fine. With a kind of pipette stick for dabbing.
Sillage: more potent than a bull farm.
Longevity: for ever... ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever?... Ever! Oil & skin become one, after 20 hours it’s a sexy mass.
Conclusion: you probably can’t get closer & cheaper to pure & yet gentle Oud - what a hellishly dangerous oil! Black as night & mysterious as a legend.
maybe a masterpiece by the perfumer.... in an oil that costs 8 euros for 12ml, is oud supposed to be included? If that's the case, then Santa Claus exists and the Earth is flat. Seriously: how is that possible with the prices you have to pay for real oud? The oud hype has mainly brought fake ouds to the market... Besides, every natural oud oil smells different and unique, so it's hard to say that a scent smells like oud. It's quite complex.
in an oil that costs 8 euros for 12ml, is oud supposed to be included? If that's the case, then Santa Claus exists and the Earth is flat. Seriously: how is that possible with the prices you have to pay for real oud?
The oud hype has mainly brought fake ouds to the market...
Besides, every natural oud oil smells different and unique, so it's hard to say that a scent smells like oud. It's quite complex.