Pure Oud Kilian 2009

I got to know Pure Oud by Kilian for the first time at the beginning of my perfume journey. Oud fascinated me from the very beginning, because for me (like for many) everything started with Tom Ford Oud Wood, due to several appearances of the fragrance in interviews and YouTube blogs. Relatively early I learned that TF-OW should not contain so much oud, which sent me on a journey to explore the ingredient
I quickly learned that Oud smells "somehow hot and smoky". Therefore, when I first sniffed Pure Oud by Kilian, I would probably have given it a 10/10. Because he's smoky, with a slight medical acuity. If the fragrance DNA were to develop over the course of the fragrance, it would have been able to perform very well even now, but unfortunately the (in itself quite beautiful) fragrance remains pretty much the same over its lifetime as after the first spraying on. On the positive side, it doesn't smell as sweet and spicy as "His Majesty The Oud" by Atkinsons, which reminded me more of a Christmas candle than of real oud. Yet the DNA here is slightly dull and flat.

Which brings us to the point: I doubt there's much oud in here. And what's in it doesn't come from an exquisite part pervaded by resin, but probably from a bright part of the tree. Under the "smoky" smelling roof I can hardly perceive the "main star". Sure, there's "something wooden"... but "something" isn't enough anymore. As a rule, oud distillates are bright, complex, long-lasting. It's a pity this is all missing.

Compared to other fragrances of this size (e.g. the XerJoff Oud Stars collection or Tom Ford Oud Wood Intense), durability and projection are moderate. I don't notice anything after two hours, it's four to five on the skin. I should mention that many fragrances feel weak to me today that didn't a year ago (Tauer's L'Oudh would be another example). If the durability were better, I would be a fan despite the linear fragrance. But that's not enough for me anymore (unfortunately).

Therefore, Pure Oud by Kilian may be worthwhile for those who like a smoky fragrance that shows this typical medical oud facet without containing much of the actual active ingredient. And those who want to get rid of the scent quickly. For the price I paid, I'm satisfied. But I wouldn't lay down full retail for it under any circumstances.