Cristal Oud Mauboussin 2018

I have been living in Bulgaria for six months now and am literally soaking up this small but historic country. The rose is the national flower of Bulgaria - what the tulip is to the Netherlands. A large part of the world's rose oil production takes place in the 'Rose Valley', south of the Balkan Mountains. A genuine, recognized quality product!
Mauboussin's 'Cristal Oud' fits the bill! It has always been outstanding. Probably the best fragrance for men that Mauboussin has ever put on the market - and the price is a total joke!
I'm not at all fond of oud in midsummer. Nope. It just doesn't fit. Cristal Oud is the big exception. Because rose always works in combination with oud. The way Mauboussin manages to bring the two together tastefully is a masterpiece. Not to mention the wonderfully designed flacon - minimalist, tasteful, elegant, which I would only award to high-price niches. But Mauboussin has always been good at great flacons!
The fragrance is not even complex, it is relatively simple and wonderfully apt. It is immediately present on the skin. The development on sweaty summer skin is interesting! The oud comes in and even becomes a little 'stalky', which in turn is always softened by the rose. A wonderful blend of yin and yang, a constant oscillation of poles. Later on, the mustiness of the oud predominates, but always with an elegant western twist. Everything seems expensive here. How did they manage that? A trade secret. Buying tip? Absolutely. For everyone. For use. To give as a gift. To love.