Oud for Highness 75 Krigler 2010

Which ambitious perfume brand doesn't launch "its" Oud today? It seems to sell like hotcakes, so a critical look is warranted. What is chaff here, and what is wheat?

Krigler comes right out with Hussein I of Jordan. In 1975, they supposedly served this perfume exclusively to the Hashemite king. Now, however, we are all supposed to buy it and experience the shine of this truly royal fragrance - who believes that!

Amber, honey, oud, saffron, sandalwood - these are notes of traditional Arabic perfumery. I think very delicious perfumes can emerge from these. It is understandable that the Jordanian king ordered something like this from Krigler. Krigler must have delivered something good - but perhaps not exactly what is being presented to us here!

There is something that bothers me about Oud for Highness - the oud! My previous experience makes me skeptical. I primarily know the ouds from Montale and Micallef, but also some rather inexpensive Arabic perfumes that include this note. What I lack is experience with expensive, high-quality, natural oud oils, which seem to be available from Oriscent or Agaraura.

Oud is not just oud. Oud oils differ by region of origin. The age of the trees used plays a role, and surely the expert knows other quality characteristics. However, oud can also be imitated by synthetic substitutes.

The oud note in Oud for Highness reminds me fatally of a cheap Arabic perfume that I own, less so of Micallef and Montale. There is this pronounced sharpness, this medicinal note that strongly resembles hairspray. Hairspray is known at Montale too, but somehow not like here. With Oud for Highness, expert advice would really be needed.

However, I do own a few treasures, namely a sample of Fairouz from Arabian Oud and an unnamed but excellent Arabic perfume oil that was sent to me by friends on Parfumo. Both contain oud, and in both, the oud note is much less sharp and piercing than in Oud for Highness!

Otherwise, Oud for Highness is a great scent! It lies halfway between the rose/oud fragrances that we primarily know from Montale and the more honey-toned oud perfumes from Micallef. In addition, there is this pleasantly musty-spicy saffron - that has something!

Like a bomb, the scent explodes upon spraying and covers everything else. With this oud, it holds true - when you go to try different perfumes, you test the oud last. But then the next flaw comes into view - Oud for Highness loses its scent intensity very quickly. After just half an hour, only about half of it remains. This phenomenon is often encountered in the realm of less expensive perfumes (up to €50). A really good perfume - whether strong or subtle - ideally retains its scent intensity throughout the entire duration (Guerlain can do that!). However, Oud for Highness is quite difficult to apply. Dabbing is of course not possible; only refilling into a travel bottle for cautious reapplication is an option.

With the loss of scent intensity, the oud note recedes somewhat, which is good in this case. Honey and saffron particularly benefit from this. Perhaps there is also some musk in play. The very subtle base scent resembled very much the two perfume oils Tagreed and Atheer from Al Rehab, which I really like. Furthermore, I detected traces of a very dark, licorice-like note - it reminded me of cashmere wood, unless my skin chemistry deceived me. Thus, Oud for Highness managed to reconcile me in the end, but not to convince me.

In conclusion, a recommendation: If you are looking for an oud perfume that lies halfway between a dark rose like Montale and the honey-sweet style of most Micallef Aouds, then take a look at "Emir" by G.Nejman, the husband of Micallef!