"My God, what a scent." was the first thing that came to mind when testing "Rose Oud" by Les Senteurs Gourmandes. But the perfume has nothing to do with "gourmand" as the name of the fragrance house might suggest.
This olfactory delight goes in a completely different direction. Rosy, spicy, and woody.
Indeed, there are many fragrances that head in this direction. However, it is executed wonderfully in "Rose Oud" for me.
It is a kind of light and shadow play. In olfactory form.
Once I look into a room with a large window that almost takes up the entire wall, through which the sun shines. And depending on the time of day or season, the shadows of the furniture and objects are cast differently, giving a different shape, length, and direction.
On a summer morning, when the sun casts almost harsh, long shadows, it is quite different on a spring evening, subtle and almost "translucent." And on a winter afternoon just before sunset, the shadows have a slightly "gloomy" quality to them.
The oud and saffron that appear first announce an autumn afternoon that is still light and bright, but the shadows already have a "good length," and the light is milder and softer.
When the beautiful roses then join in, I find myself in early summer, around noon, when the sun is almost vertical and casts short little shadows. The light is radiant and bright, awakening all spirits of life.
And (at least I smell it this way)... patchouli not listed in the fragrance pyramid and certainly also vetiver, make me think of a December evening when the low sun mysteriously announces the soon-to-come darkness with super long shadows.
The "room" then becomes an "open-air stage," where large chess pieces play with their shadows according to the position of the sun.
And every imaginary "move" perceives everything in a completely different light.
For me, "Rose Oud" has a structure that reminds me of the "better" Lutens fragrances, also in terms of longevity and sillage....
Aus-dem-Ärmel-geschüttelt-Pokal ;)