Top Notes 
Saffron
Black pepper
Heart Notes 
Lily of the valley
Base Notes 
Sandalwood
Moss
Oud
Vetiver
Tobacco
09/17/2023
NicheOnly
101 Reviews
NicheOnly
3
An "Oud for Greatness" derivative
The only people buying this should be the ones who don't know that the Initio boutique in Paris (320 Rue Saint-Honoré) is a 3 minute/~200 meter walk from the Ex Nihilo boutique (352 Rue Saint-Honoré).
Not much of a secret that the original Outcast Blue Eau de Parfum is a dupe for Initio's "Oud for Greatness | Initio". When I first tried the EDP of Outcast Blue, I just could not figure out why a niche house selling 100ml for €280 would want to dupe the Initio, knowing the value edge is ~0 since Ex Nihilo's accessibility is too poor to find the scent at most discounters, unlike Initio.
After getting my first experience with Ex Nihilo's extraits earlier this year, I was surprised that they just feel like concentration flankers, as was the case with Gold Immortals Extrait de Parfum which is basically the same scent as the original at a €70 mark-up for a small performance improvement. So naturally, I come into this scent expecting another Oud for Greatness dupe.
I first tried the scent without looking at the scent pyramid. First 15 minutes: First spray smells a little bit darker. Smelling it up-close on skin I feel like there are more ambers in here, and a bit of a menthol vibe too. I'm starting to think it might be OFG + medicinal ambers. Feel like there's a shred of animalic oud in the base as the darker tones continue to persist. As it first dries, what I get is menthol/medicinal amber with a moderate saffron and a prominent dark woodiness.
After looking at the pyramid/accords, I was a bit surprised by the simplicity of the pyramid. I'd say I get the saffron and the oud (predictable), but I find myself surprised by the lack of ambers which suggests that the freshness is likely coming from the vetiver and/or moss.
I remember how the original Outcast Blue (the EDP) opened mildly fougère. I'd say the Extrait is more like Oud for Greatness with mild chypre tonalities in the base. As such, it adds very little that's new to the puzzle. It doesn't bring improved performance vs. OFG, it's priced higher than OFG (€350/100ml vs. OFG €295/90ml), and the unique edges are not prominent. Take that 3 minute walk down the street, as it will also save you some money.
Not much of a secret that the original Outcast Blue Eau de Parfum is a dupe for Initio's "Oud for Greatness | Initio". When I first tried the EDP of Outcast Blue, I just could not figure out why a niche house selling 100ml for €280 would want to dupe the Initio, knowing the value edge is ~0 since Ex Nihilo's accessibility is too poor to find the scent at most discounters, unlike Initio.
After getting my first experience with Ex Nihilo's extraits earlier this year, I was surprised that they just feel like concentration flankers, as was the case with Gold Immortals Extrait de Parfum which is basically the same scent as the original at a €70 mark-up for a small performance improvement. So naturally, I come into this scent expecting another Oud for Greatness dupe.
I first tried the scent without looking at the scent pyramid. First 15 minutes: First spray smells a little bit darker. Smelling it up-close on skin I feel like there are more ambers in here, and a bit of a menthol vibe too. I'm starting to think it might be OFG + medicinal ambers. Feel like there's a shred of animalic oud in the base as the darker tones continue to persist. As it first dries, what I get is menthol/medicinal amber with a moderate saffron and a prominent dark woodiness.
After looking at the pyramid/accords, I was a bit surprised by the simplicity of the pyramid. I'd say I get the saffron and the oud (predictable), but I find myself surprised by the lack of ambers which suggests that the freshness is likely coming from the vetiver and/or moss.
I remember how the original Outcast Blue (the EDP) opened mildly fougère. I'd say the Extrait is more like Oud for Greatness with mild chypre tonalities in the base. As such, it adds very little that's new to the puzzle. It doesn't bring improved performance vs. OFG, it's priced higher than OFG (€350/100ml vs. OFG €295/90ml), and the unique edges are not prominent. Take that 3 minute walk down the street, as it will also save you some money.
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