Oud John Varvatos 2014

By chance, as she passed by, her gaze lingered on this large, somewhat clumsy-looking bottle in golden knight's armor on her way back to the escalator. "Oud" was written beneath it on the shelf, which piqued her curiosity. However, spraying it quickly was not so easy when you have small hands...

Nevertheless, she managed and was pleasantly surprised that a very delicious, spicy-warm scent greeted her. Oud, as she knew it from the namesake of some fragrances in a medicinal or agricultural-fecal form, she could not identify.
Instead, for the next few hours, this captivating blend of tobacco, spices, and balsamic resins occasionally brushed against her nose, gently and quietly embedding itself in such a way that it wouldn't leave her mind.
Individually, she couldn't filter out any of the noble ingredients that, in their entirety, created a perfect, rounded, soft scent aura, suitable for all genders.

Her imagination took flight and transported her to mysterious exotic places, where she felt protected and secure by the side of this oriental fragrance. This was how she wanted to smell-now and in the future. Varvatos Oud had sneaked into her heart with its subtly gentle nature.
Her former love for Idole was forgotten, which now seemed almost rough and distinctly more masculine in comparison.
Instead, she saw a kinship with M7, which she also loved very much.

Despite its regrettably restrained sillage, the scent still boasts decent longevity.
Depending on temperature and humidity, further enhancements are certainly possible.
The bottle, as mentioned, is difficult to handle for small hands, with the "chain mail" made of plastic. It may not give a very high-quality impression when viewed up close, but it does protect the glass bottle underneath.
The outer packaging is very elaborately designed and also tactilely appealing, reminiscent of the velvety surface of Moleskine notebooks.
When considering comparable fragrances, this one does not need to hide in terms of price/performance ratio.