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The Narcotics

Rose Oud Kilian 2010

7.9 / 10 245 Ratings

A popular perfume by Kilian for women and men, released in 2010. The scent is floral-woody. The longevity is above-average. It is being marketed by Estēe Lauder Companies.
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Main accords

Floral

Woody

Oriental

Spicy

Sweet

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Bulgarian rose

Cinnamon

Saffron

Heart Notes

Rose absolute Lychee

Lychee

Base Notes

Nagarmotha

Atlas cedar Leather

Leather

Perfumer

Calice Becker

Ratings

Scent

7.9245 Ratings

Longevity

8.2184 Ratings

Sillage

7.4168 Ratings

Bottle

8.5174 Ratings

Value for money

6.341 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 07/31/2025.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the The Narcotics collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Perfume Calligraphy Rose

Shades Wood Eau de Toilette

Falling in Leaves

Musk Oud

Les Sables Roses

Armani Privé - Rose d'Arabie

Reviews

13 in-depth fragrance descriptions

04/01/2012

8Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Sherapop
1240 Reviews

Sherapop

3

A Gorgeous Saffron Rose--but the Oud seems MIA

The rose in By Kilian ROSE OUD is very pronounced, which makes this perfume feel rather feminine to me. There is also a strong saffron presence, so the first time I donned this composition I thought immediately of Bond no 9 NY OUD. However, when I re-tried the Bond earlier today, I discovered that the saffron was far more dominant than the rose in that composition.

What I am not detecting a lot of in these rose-saffron-oud perfumes is the third member of the triad: oud. It may be that I am more sensitive to saffron than to oud, and so the oud note ends up being overwhelmed by the saffon. In any case, what's in a name?

ROSE OUD is a beautiful perfume which blooms as a rose and dries down as a saffron rose. The rose abides through and through. I highly recommend this creation for testing by rose lovers. It may not give the oud-ies the fix they're looking for. To my nose, this is a floriental, not an oriental woody perfume.

I suspect that ROSE OUD may be too feminine for some gents. I, on the other hand, would love to have a bottle.

07/31/2025

ClaireV
969 Reviews

ClaireV

1

A subtle masterpiece in the rose-oud genre

One of the easiest rose-oud fragrances to wear, as well as the most serenely beautiful. It has none of the exciting harshness of the oud accord used in most other Western oud fragrances, and is all the better for it. Think of the most beautiful supermodel you've ever laid eyes on - but one who nonetheless fails to either move you or turn you on - and that's Rose Oud by Kilian.

The secret to the success of Rose Oud is this: all the major elements (the rose, the oud, the gaiac wood, and the saffron) do not possess a strong character of their own but instead melt together to form a small black velvet pocket into which you find your hand fits perfectly.

So the green, slightly sour wet rose at the start gains a dulcet depth from the subtle oud, growing sweeter, jammier, and fuller as time goes on. The oud provides the dark backdrop without muscling its way into the composition in that bullying way oud tends to have. The saffron casts only a fine patina of sweet gold dust rather than its usual iodine-y leather scream. It's a very subtle, smooth fragrance - almost ephemeral. When I think the show has ended, eight hours on, I am surprised to find that golden, almost pudding-like saffron emerge on my skin, and a pleasantly sour tinge of oud.

The oud, by the way, is synthetic but has the virtue of not smelling like it, so carefully woven into the fabric of the fragrance has it been. Rose Oud is a beautiful, delicate piece of work whose subtleties could easily go unnoticed if you weren't paying attention. It is by far one of my favorite rose-oud fragrances, and despite the cost, I have a feeling that I will own a (refill) bottle of this someday, even if I have to sell off some of my (many) other oud fragrances to afford it. I have finally reached the stage where I am content to do away with five or six inferior bottles of perfume to get my hands on just one bottle of something that satisfies and pleases from every angle.

Rose Oud may not be the most exciting or unusual rose oud on the market - many think it is pretty but mundane - but I think it's one of the best-smelling rose-ouds around, alongside Tom Ford's wonderful Noir de Noir or Guerlain's Rose Nacree du Desert.

11/10/2016

9Scent 9Longevity 9Sillage

Terra
646 Reviews

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Terra

Top Review

Completely harmless, completely unoudy - and yet so beautiful

I’m not really a big fan of by Kilian. Too many of the fragrances seemed to me more about appearance than substance, not worth the money, uninspired. Now, Rose Oud doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but it is simply beautifully crafted. You can’t smell Oud here at all. No Oud accord, no real Oud. The name seems to me like pure fantasy. Rather, Rose Oud reminds me of fragrances like Calligraphy Rose by Aramis, Un Rose de Kandahar by Tauer, or 13 Brûlure de Rose by PG. Rosengourmands. Fragrances that don’t emphasize the lush, dark rose but rather incorporate it into a delicious context. However, these comparison fragrances have a small weakness: they are incredibly lush, and both the Aramis and the Tauer have an amber note that I find a bit dusty-dirty.

That wouldn’t be appropriate for by Kilian. By Kilian plays it safe. That’s how I know them, and that’s why I haven’t liked their fragrances so far. But here... here it’s simply wonderful.

The rose in the opening is more reminiscent of rose jam, accompanied by a light, transparent beeswax. It’s not about the consistency of wax. The scent feels quite airy for a rather sweet and oriental fragrance, which is wonderfully done. It’s just a delicate, soft smell that reminds one of beeswax.

The development is quite linear and unspectacular, yet the fragrance never becomes boring. I wore Rose Oud today at work, and a colleague, who can sometimes be a bit snappy, was surprisingly lovely and often came quite close to me, as if she wanted to sniff me. Apparently, Rose Oud is well-received, and I liked it too, even though I doubted for a moment whether it was too feminine for me.

Rose Oud goes through phases where the rose smells a bit more narcotic and less jam-like. It never loses its elegance, never becomes cloying, too thick, or exhausting. In those moments, it simply feels less sweet and, in an interesting way, particularly sexy.

At other moments, the delicate jammy or sweet honey-wax aspects come to the fore.

Of course, you can always smell all of this, but there isn’t a proper development; rather, it’s more of a slow shifting of the scent-defining poles.

In the end, a velvety, delicate, silky veil remains on the skin, which reminded me most of this beeswax note. Mind you, some special, transparent, silky luxury beeswax. Imagine silk that smells a bit like beeswax.

Now, my sentence about the comparison fragrances from Tauer & Co. may have sounded as if I valued them less. No, not necessarily. I actually find the Tauer to be the most unisex-friendly, because nothing about it is as delicate and cleanly polished. The Kilian is, I believe, more for women. But it is beautiful. And I say that as someone who is not the biggest fan of this brand.

09/20/2012

9Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Chris185
72 Reviews

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Chris185

Top Review

Well-Known Duo - Extraordinary Appearance

Rose and Oud. Aha. Upon reading the title, I already had no desire to test this fragrance - this combination has simply come my way far too often lately. Whether Montale, Micallef, Armani, or Fréderic Malle, they all have at least one Rose-Oud fragrance in their lineup. The brand by Kilian is not exactly known for innovative, daring scent experiments, so I expected nothing more than the familiar from Rose Oud.
Wrong! Calice Becker has approached this often-explored theme in a completely different way. So much in advance, you don't have to like either Oud or Rose to be captivated by this fragrance.

Both main players take a back seat in Rose Oud; the Oud is subdued to the point that I can't identify it as a standalone note at all. There is a subtle woodiness present deep in the base - however, I search in vain for the distinctive, characteristic Oud.
But the Rose is also given no more space due to its restraint. At the beginning, it is clearly recognizable, a delicate, light pink Rose with green nuances, but soon Rose Oud takes a different path. And the fragrance strongly leans into the gourmand genre. Rose Oud smells VERY edible. It doesn't go in the dark, chocolatey direction, like in Noir de Noir, but rather in the fruity-creamy one. Cinnamon and cardamom contribute a fine, equally delicate spiciness and further enhance the edible character. Incredibly delicious and sensual. I also distinctly smell honey, which inevitably reminds me of Micallef's Oud creations. Amidst all these treats, the Rose is not really tangible for me in Rose Oud; the familiar scent of rose petals or rose oil does not characterize Rose Oud. If the title didn't already suggest the Rose, I probably wouldn't even think of it as a note! Because for hours, I am solely seduced by this original, softly gourmand, and truly non-floral main accord.

Rose Oud feels tidy, clear, and remains stationary in its development for hours; despite its high intensity, it maintains a consistently transparent, floating character. The creation bears a great resemblance to the works of Kurkdjian, as it is so effortlessly, lightly, and perfectly blended. For me, it is the most beautiful Kilian fragrance - I have now tested them all.
Calice Becker is said to have created Rose Oud in just a few weeks. And in contrast to the two namesakes, I perceive this technical finesse, this skillful naturalness very distinctly.

08/22/2014

8Scent 10Longevity 10Sillage

Dexter82
105 Reviews

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Dexter82

Very helpful Review 17

Opulent, Luxurious and Erotic

I'll keep it brief for once.

I received this fragrance as a sample a year ago, and it hasn't left my mind since. So, after months, I treated myself to it. At this price, one must do so.

This creation needs to be applied very sparingly; otherwise, it overwhelms not only the surroundings but also oneself.

My first impression was a rose in full bloom, vibrantly supported by luxurious oud.

The sillage is strong, and if you make the mistake (as I did at first) of applying a full spray, you will be overwhelmed at first.

The scent is very, very intense, and I wear it to the theater or for a night out. But VERY sparingly. :) I was told at the beginning that I smelled like a "brothel madam." Outrageous, but understandable, because with excessive application, you only perceive the development of this creation after hours - if you haven't fainted by then. ;)

Haters gonna hate! I love bold fragrances, and Kilian is a master at creating something special.

Conclusion: The scent may not please everyone, but a refined nose will be delighted! Roses and oud are exactly my thing. I have certainly never encountered such a creation in such perfection.

Thumbs up and give it a try? ;)

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