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Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
08/16/2023
NicheOnly
44 Reviews
NicheOnly
2
When you want to attack noses
Mandala Oud is the most offensive scent I've smelled so far this year. This is one of those "I appreciate the art of it" type scents. The original II-II Mandala was an acquired taste, smelling kitchen herbal from the angelica with the cinnamon-cardamom adding some sweetness to help blend out the green-herbal tonalities.
But with Mandala Oud, nothing is here to help. The scent opens with the same angelica that the original Mandala has, albeit here it is accompanied by a medicinal amber note. Gave me olfactory fatigue within a few seconds. Unlike the original, the cinnamon/cardamom don't really pop here. An Eastern oud starts to appear, but in the air, it predominantly smells of the green-herbal angelica and a mild Eastern oud.
But in the air isn't where this scent will be offensive, it's when you smell the scent up close. Take a deep whiff, and it will wake you up like smelling ammonia before a set at the gym. Harsh, animalic, dead fish vibe oud just like the Assam in Opus XV - King Blue. The oud is overwhelming to the point where it feels like the rest of the scent pyramid doesn't even exist. It has mild aspects of smoky and minimal aspects of leathery; reminding me a little bit also of the vibes of Hamdani. Initial performance assessments for Mandala Oud: sillage 7/10 (pops in arm's range when outside), longevity 9/10 (expect 10-12 hours).
As a whole, the biggest issue with Masque Milano's Ruby collection is the price. This sure is a hefty price tag at €650 for 100ml. The value is a 1/10 on the whole collection. Only 2 of the scents feel like they have any oud, the scents don't feel upgraded, the blend quality isn't mind-blowing and I'd argue it's not even "good" for a majority of them - it just doesn't feel like there's justification for the pricing on any level.
But with Mandala Oud, nothing is here to help. The scent opens with the same angelica that the original Mandala has, albeit here it is accompanied by a medicinal amber note. Gave me olfactory fatigue within a few seconds. Unlike the original, the cinnamon/cardamom don't really pop here. An Eastern oud starts to appear, but in the air, it predominantly smells of the green-herbal angelica and a mild Eastern oud.
But in the air isn't where this scent will be offensive, it's when you smell the scent up close. Take a deep whiff, and it will wake you up like smelling ammonia before a set at the gym. Harsh, animalic, dead fish vibe oud just like the Assam in Opus XV - King Blue. The oud is overwhelming to the point where it feels like the rest of the scent pyramid doesn't even exist. It has mild aspects of smoky and minimal aspects of leathery; reminding me a little bit also of the vibes of Hamdani. Initial performance assessments for Mandala Oud: sillage 7/10 (pops in arm's range when outside), longevity 9/10 (expect 10-12 hours).
As a whole, the biggest issue with Masque Milano's Ruby collection is the price. This sure is a hefty price tag at €650 for 100ml. The value is a 1/10 on the whole collection. Only 2 of the scents feel like they have any oud, the scents don't feel upgraded, the blend quality isn't mind-blowing and I'd argue it's not even "good" for a majority of them - it just doesn't feel like there's justification for the pricing on any level.
NicheOnly
