Agarwoud Heeley 2011

Many oud x amber x rose fragrances today feature the sacred scent of oud beautifully complemented by the vibrant rose. The rose's elegance raises and elevates the tone. While many other oud and rose combinations create a complex depth, the rose's elegance seems to uplift the oud.

The key element, after the rose, is the incense. The rising, almost smoky atmosphere of the incense seems to elevate the fragrance.

As stated in the official description, I felt the aim was to create a modern, clean impression. Among oud fragrances, this one seems relatively suitable for enjoyment regardless of the season.

In the recent history of perfume - that is, over the last hundred years or so, during which a multitude of fragrance ingredients from various origins have become available - there have repeatedly been combinations of two or more such fragrance ingredients or accords that have stood out against others. Some of these combinations were given their own names and established fragrance families, such as Chypres or Fougères. Presumably, the leading combination of the present seems to be that of Oud and Rose - once emerging from a niche and initially used in the high-price segment, Oud-Rose fragrances can now also be found on drugstore shelves - and it is becoming increasingly difficult to succeed with a Rose-Oud fragrance.

What still makes the duo of Oud and Rose, which can sometimes be almost tiresome to smell, particularly special is that it is a dialogue between two similarly strong fragrance characters: Oud, the legendary resin from the heartwood of the Southeast Asian agarwood tree infected by a rare fungus, whose scent is deep and dark - and once almost mystical - yet reminiscent of the cry of a bird of prey, and the Rose, perhaps the most iconic of floral scents, which can range from girlishly playful to lasciviously lustful. These two stand opposite each other like kings - and the essence of the fragrance they shape is determined not solely by their quality, but also by their balance and harmony - and their dialogue.

Agarwoud is: an Oud and Rose fragrance. To call it 'best-in-class' would probably be unfair to the many other Oud-Rose fragrances that I may not even know, but among those I am familiar with, it is one of the most beautiful in terms of the aforementioned quality of its ingredients and their balance. One reason for the popularity of the Rose/Oud combination is its high-quality appearance; in short: Oud-Rose fragrances often smell 'expensive' - at least in the sense that inexperienced noses imagine an 'expensive perfume.' And like much that appears superficially expensive, the line to the ordinary is a narrow one. This does not apply to Agarwoud, likely due to the incense that elegantly calms this capricious duo.

World literature is full of touching, lengthy love stories, and the tragic and dramatic ones, it seems, have always fascinated people and fueled their imagination the most - whether it was Montagues and Capulets in Verona or other unfortunate lovers. And when the Cornish prince Tristan and the Irish princess Isolde were buried together at the end of their ill-fated and tear-laden love, it is said that a vine was planted on Isolde's grave and a rose bush on Tristan's. And as the rose and vine grew over the years, they intertwined so closely that one day a rose blossom sprouted from the vine, uniting the lovers in death.

Conclusion: whether the pairing of Oud and Rose will leave more than a fleeting trend of the 2010s - or whether they will grow inseparably into each other, remains to be seen. As long as there are such fragrances as Heeley's Agarwoud, I would regret their disappearance.

Meanwhile, the last remnants of the fading Oud hype are becoming noticeable. So-called perfumes are appearing that contain no recognizable traces of the well-known Oud or Agarwood notes at all. Rightly so, because only a minority can and wants to wear something like that.

From the well-known combination of rose and oud, this fragrance has focused solely on the floral side, enhancing it with fruity notes.

After a very alcoholic opening that reminds me of vodka, a magnificent, deep dark fruit note emerges. Rarely has it been possible to present a juicy, almost overripe blackberry in such a way. Images of hot late summer afternoons come to mind: standing amidst sun-drenched blackberry brambles - with a collecting bucket in hand, fingers blue-black and sticky. Only a rich harvest of overripe fruits can gift us such a scent.

The dark fruit note is splendid, almost a little awe-inspiring. I can easily imagine this on women who are no longer very young, wanting to present themselves with opulence, or on those with a darker complexion.

But suddenly, this fragrance grows blonde streaks. The fruit note becomes increasingly lighter and also rosier. The color shifts from blackberry black to bright pink.

That's just how it is with beautiful scents - much of what you want to hold onto is fleeting. Agarwood now becomes quite girly and flashy, while still maintaining a strong projection and excellent longevity. Powdery notes emerge that balance the sweetness a bit.

This perfume comes across as very straightforward, almost with a certain brutality. The wearer will need a bit of experience and sensitivity in dosing; otherwise, it can go awry. By the way, it's remarkable to experience a scent that rejuvenates throughout its development - I usually find the opposite to be true.

Well, my description would fit perfectly with the notes of Bubblegum Chic, but I am quite sure I had the right tester in hand.

And not a trace of oud.

"Agarwood" by Heeley is far less dark, grim & woodsy than its name and presentation might suggest. The agarwood/Oud is only prominent in the first few minutes, then forgotten faster than yesterday's lunch. However, this absence of Oud should not directly imply that it is a soft, feminine scent. It remains unisex & even somewhat distinctive at times. While it does lean towards a rose fragrance, even with fruity nuances, there are still enough components in the background that roughen it up, making it appear masculine on my skin.

It even comes across as somewhat old-school and heads in the direction of "Ungaro L'Homme III" or "G-Man." Soapy, masculine, pure, natural, alcoholic (vodka!) with flair & extremely erotic. A wonderful gift for romantic evenings & for rose fans like me, perhaps even with a slightly feminine side, a revelation. Because this rose certainly has not lost one thing: its thorns. "Agarwood" applied, slipped into the gray-silver suit, red tie on & off we go. This is how a stylish ladykiller might smell, who has picked up the right things from the past. If I didn't already have so many great roses in my collection, it would definitely be a candidate. Grand, romantic & confident cinema.

Bottle: gray & stylish
Sillage: discreet for a rose-Oud flagship; strong, objectively speaking.
Longevity: 9 hours is excellent for me.

Conclusion: a very distinctive, rough, sometimes masculine, sometimes feminine rose (70%)-Oud (20%) combo - stands out in this subgenre & I like it very much! For rose cavaliers of the old school who are not afraid of the new.

even though I’m probably writing here quite differently than my predecessors… I perceive this perfume 100% differently and in no way like the other writers so far…
until now, I only knew Heeley’s "Sel Marin", which had little chance with me because my "Aqua di Sale" convinced me more and more….
Yesterday I wanted to find out…..Agarwood on my skin…..
The first 10 minutes I wanted to quickly put it in a so-called rose drawer and almost wash it off… but then I had to keep sniffing my wrists and it started to interest me.
Rose had always been for me an immediate mix of Diva Ungaro, Paris YSL, and new fresh cool young women’s fragrances like Rose/Chloe…. but here I discovered a completely different and actually distinctly masculine variant of the rose.
Cool, strict, clear, and very distinctive, masculine and zero sweetness!!!!
Associations to girly, bright, pink scents are in no way present… quite the opposite!!!
And even the environment perceived me differently yesterday… 2 middle-aged women approached me saying, "Young man, what a robust and fresh aftershave you are wearing, it smells so masculine and fresh, wonderful"….
The scent lasted all day for me…. after about 4 hours, the mix was indeed weakened but still had the wonderful hint of the robust rose and also the pleasant incense and oud, together robust and not musty or anything like that.
I always find it amazing how different the reviews or for me better yet feelings towards perfumes are… But that’s exactly what makes it so infinitely exciting and thrilling….