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Black Gold Project

Oud for Greatness Neo Initio 2024

8.0 / 10 193 Ratings

A new perfume by Initio for women and men, released in 2024. The scent is spicy-oriental. The longevity is above-average. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Spicy

Oriental

Woody

Green

Fresh

Fragrance Notes

Fir balsam Musk

Musk

Oud

Saffron

Bergamot

Lavender Orpur®

Ratings

Scent

8.0193 Ratings

Longevity

8.1178 Ratings

Sillage

7.9176 Ratings

Bottle

8.6182 Ratings

Value for money

6.3165 Ratings

Submitted by multiple users, last update on 10/08/2025.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the Black Gold Project collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Oud for Greatness Eau de Parfum

Haltane

Oud for Glory

Song of Oud

Layton Exclusif

Reviews

5 in-depth fragrance descriptions

06/20/2024

7.5Scent 5Longevity 5Sillage

NicheOnly
112 Reviews

NicheOnly

4

It's just Torino22...

The Harrods exclusivity month is long gone and Oud for Greatness Neo is now available. That definitely doesn't mean you should go out and buy it though as the product has nothing to offer that is worthy of your time.

In the opening Oud for Greatness Neo definitely has some qualities from the original "Oud for Greatness | Initio", but the scent smells more like a light-aromatic version of it. It's almost as if you crossed a standard sweet-aromatic masculine fragrance into the profile like PDM's Layton. Due the lack of darker tones, the saffron that is reminiscent of the Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum class of fragrances feels more prevalent.

When smelling the fragrance up-close, the aforementioned sweet-aromatic-fresh qualities from scents such as Layton, DesirToxic, Papilefiko and others are even more clear. At first it really felt close to DesirToxic, but as the drydown progresses, the fresh qualities here from what I believe to be the lavender and fir combine to offer a minty feel which at first I was associating with a fragrance like Enclave before the ultimate comparison fragrance came to mind: Xerjoff's "Torino22 | XerJoff". The contrast between the sweet-airy saffron and the minty-aromatic style flank accords offer a huge accord overlap in the ultimate drydown of Oud for Greatness Neo.

In the end, Neo was nothing more than a typical Harrods cash-grab attempt. It doesn't do the original Oud for Greatness any justice because as a flanker, it does so little. Within the last 6 months we have seen how brands can make significant changes with flankers to produce effectively a completely different fragrance as was the case with Silky Woods Elixir, but it appears Initio had no aspirations to even try. I get dead-average longevity of say 6 hours on an average sillage, aided by the saffron performing well in hot environments. "Torino22 | XerJoff" retails at €195/50ml vs. Neo's €315/90ml, so the value here is below average as well. I am not expecting more releases from Initio in 2024 and after they released Paragon in November 2022, I don't think they've hit either of these last 2 releases particularly well.

06/25/2025

Demond
1 Review

Demond

3

Fresher, more versatile

Top note: It begins with a slightly fresh note of masculine lavender and a citrusy note of bergamot; it smells more modern and contemporary than the OG.
Development: It's a combination of a classic, sweet, and aromatic masculine fragrance, with the Layton profile, with a light touch of Dextertic Toxic, a minty note reminiscent of an Amouage enclave.
Yes, it smells very similar to the OG, but more elegant and less aggressive.
Use: It aims to become a year-round perfume, a very versatile scent, ideal for the office. It could even become a signature fragrance.

Summary: It's a much more versatile perfume, very tasty, and this should garner compliments.
Compared to its predecessor, a lighter, more wearable, and more citrusy version, the green and spicy notes are rounder and less pungent.

05/23/2024

10Scent 8Longevity 9Sillage

Aikj55
10 Reviews

Aikj55

1

My fav from 2020-2022

This fragrance was absolutely fantastic back in the day, such a massive sillage & a big crowd pleaser (in u are into crowd pleasing). The blend from the oud to the saffron, come together very & leave the wearer very cheery & the people around asking what it is.

However, the recent iterations seem to be a lot lighter & lack the previous boom & longevity from the earlier batches, its still a good enough fragrance to wear regardless.

06/05/2024

8Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

Segel
8 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Segel

Top Review 28

Oud for Half-Greatness

When the original "Oud for Greatness | Initio" came onto the market, I wasn't even born yet (here on Parfumo). I only had the chance to smell it last year at the Wigger perfumery in Dortmund. When I first sprayed it, I was completely taken aback, but I took the scent strip home with me. On the way, I kept sniffing it. By the time I got home, I was already in love, so I immediately bought the "Oud for Greatness | Initio" here.

The original "Oud for Greatness | Initio" is pure greatness. I won't say much about it here, as many of you know it (and probably like it - I definitely do). I associate it with a young, mid-20s version of myself, full of energy, a "me" that always wants to party, always wants to be in the spotlight. For me, the original has the same energy as, for example, Ombre Nomades.

Between the original and the Neo, six years passed quickly - the "me" got a bit older, calmer. I work and like to look for an everyday scent, perhaps a signature scent, one that isn't too loud (disturbing), but still has that "quelque chose." This is where the Oud for Greatness Neo comes into play. Not every flanker is as good as the original. And here it’s about the same. The magic is about half gone. The beautiful musky opening is gone. Wasn't that what made the "Oud for Greatness | Initio" so special? Instead, at the beginning, there's a citrus note, here referred to as bergamot, paired with a masculine lavender. I can smell the lavender for the next 2-3 hours, in the background with an oud. In the middle, I smell a saffron, but not a strong one like in BR540, rather shy, well blended among the other notes. The whole combination is extremely masculine, well balanced between fresh and sweet. Very elegant, serious, I dare say even sexy.
Later, I smell a warm musk and the fir balsam.
If I were to organize the scent notes, it would be like this: Top notes: bergamot, lavender; Heart notes: lavender, saffron, oud; Base notes: fir balsam, musk.

Performance, the eternal comparison to the original.
The sweet, spicy, gourmand notes always become stronger than the fresh notes. It's the same here, which causes the Oud for Greatness Neo to lose from the start. The lavender-saffron-oud combo feels a bit weaker than the musk-saffron-oud. And I noticed it in the sillage. Good at the beginning, but not as loud anymore, it fades quite quickly. The longevity is there, comparable to the original. On my skin, it is still noticeable for hours after spraying.
(Helpful info: the initial "Oud for Greatness | Initio" had an alcohol content of 77%, nowadays it is marketed with 80%. The new Oud for Greatness Neo has 78% alcohol content.)

The Oud for Greatness Neo tries, in my opinion, to be all-season. While I would wear the original more in the evenings, when going out or on colder days, I can also imagine the Neo on warmer days as well as at work. I find it ideal for the office. It could even become a signature scent.

I am totally in love with the original. I rated it a solid 9. I would give the Neo an 8. The longevity is comparable for both, perhaps 0.5 points less for the Neo. Sillage is also 1 point less for the Neo.

Price/performance - buy/not buy, yes/no/maybe.
Here, I would give the Neo a 7. Good scent, but I can't justify the price.
It currently costs €315. The original can be found for about €200. Given the performance delivered, I personally wouldn't buy it (yet). Maybe at half the price.

Here’s a parenthesis about the P/L:
Many fragrances are rated 10 and 9 for scent-longevity-sillage, but then receive a 6 or 7 for the P/L ratio. I find that unfair. If I find a scent rated 9 to 10 that is really very good, lasts long, and projects strongly, then the price is completely worth it for me. Even if it costs €2-3-, even €400.

Thank you for your patience! It would be nice to read more opinions about the new Oud for Greatness Neo here.

Best, Segel

11/07/2024

7.5Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

Cimi
373 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Cimi

12

Oud for Greatness Neo I The Office and Daily Version of the OG I Brief Comparison

I was finally able to test the Oud for Greatness Neo the other day. Since I have known the Oud for Greatness Eau de Parfum the OG - for years, I was curious about this flanker. Those who know the OG know that it can do one thing well: project. Oud for Greatness Eau de Parfum is very linear, performs well, and for me, it was difficult to find situations for this in everyday life. The sister company, PDM, has already announced a good alternative with "Haltane | Parfums de Marly," which fills this gap perfectly.

Of course, it's better to cash in twice and scoop up the much-needed money from both houses :) So, let's get into Oud for Greatness Neo:

- Unlike the OG, the Oud for Greatness Neo starts with a slightly fresh lavender-bergamot note; it smells more modern and contemporary than the OG and also more revitalizing. Here, they have borrowed quite a bit from the success of "Haltane | Parfums de Marly." Yep, it becomes clear that this fragrance is now effectively designed to be much more suitable for everyday wear.

- Even though the typical OfG saffron-oud DNA comes into play quite quickly, this less overpowering fresh base DNA lingers for a long time, giving the fragrance a certain lightness and everyday usability. Yes, it smells very similar to the OG, but more elegant and less aggressive. In the drydown, there is a bit of differentiation from the OG, but also from "Haltane | Parfums de Marly," as there is a bit more warmth and calm in the scent, thanks to the balsamic accord of fir balsam and gentle musk.

- The H/S is of course milder than with the OG, but let's be honest, it's still good and above average. You are well perceived, and the fragrance projects well.

Overall, the Oud for Greatness Neo is designed to be much more elegant and suitable for everyday wear than the "Oud for Greatness (Eau de Parfum) | Initio," with a certain freshness at the beginning that resembles "Haltane | Parfums de Marly." In the drydown, a bit of balsamic character has been added, which distinguishes the fragrance in this phase from the Oud for Greatness Eau de Parfum and from "Haltane | Parfums de Marly."

Who is this fragrance worth it for?
- People who love the OG but can't wear it in everyday life because it's too loud
- Absolute Initio fans who haven't switched to Haltane or aren't ready to yet
- People who are into these conspiracy theorist flacons :)
- People who aren't deterred by the price (pretty good markup)