Aoud Melody Montale 2014

How I love the "left-hand-right-hand battles:)!!! Today, "Oud" by Maison Kurkdjian and "Aoud Melody" are going head to head! Thanks to Aunt Lilly (one of the warmest, most patient, and generous people here on Parfumo!), I got a sample of Aoud Melody... also because she rediscovered a lot of "Oud" from MFK in this fragrance, which is currently my absolute holy grail. Mille Grazie a Vienna:-)!
Yesterday in the "stand-alone test," it was a 99% twin to "Oud" for me...almost identical! Today in direct comparison, you can pick out tiny nuances. AM starts off a tad less sweet in direct comparison...the saffron is a touch less sweet than in "Oud," to be precise. But still a 98.9% twin...the same dreamy note...the same beautiful creaminess and melt as in Kurkdjian's Beau. I could use the same words as in my Oud comment...they would all apply 1:1. In a blind test, I would have no...not a chance at all to separate the two. It's basically like "Red Vetiver" to "Terre d'Hermes"...you "know" immediately which fragrance you have in front of you, yet it is a bit different without knowing exactly what is different. With Red Vetiver, it's the slightly lower (grape) fruitiness...here it's the lower sweetness...somewhat like vanilla to tonka...subtle...but recognizable. I can't detect the usual Montale touch (overloaded and a bit too much of everything) here...and that is not(!) to its disadvantage. The same dreamy and delightful balance...the same unforgettable fragrance experience! Apicius writes in his Oud comment that "Oud" smells like a luxurious body lotion, and he is not entirely wrong...that's what I mean by creaminess and melt; I got the "Oud" body lotion (I'm addicted to the scent...I admit it;-)) about 2-3 weeks ago...you can still notice the small differences there...the lotion is a bit warmer and smoother, which of course is not completely surprising for a cream;-)! Therefore, I agree with what he wrote...lotion and fragrance together create a dream.
AM is a bit "brighter" and at times seems a bit more complex to me...also because it takes a small development...which I couldn't detect in "Oud"...but I don't really care. However, AM does have a little surprise...no, it's not the usually expected monster longevity from Montale and expansive sillage...it is just as stylish as its twin...but after 3-4 hours when "Oud" is at its creamiest, AM even becomes a touch fresher...with an even smaller bitterness...especially in the base note, that is of course not to be expected! That is another super beautiful nuance that enriches the fragrance!

I do have 2 comments though. Since both fragrances from Montale were released after their twins, one might think of blatant copying...I'll leave that open. My second comment is that it is impossible that the same Parfumos could have tested both fragrances...otherwise, such a blatant difference in ratings would not arise...it is too large for me! However, from my own experience, I can well imagine that many are annoyed by the almost monthly "Montale Oud" (i.e., a new Oud fragrance every month) and that the image has suffered somewhat due to the flooding with these fragrances. For me, MFK also has a small bonus...due to the exclusivity and the noble presentation. At least, that's my feeling.
Longevity is, like with "Oud," easily over 6 hours with a similar subtle but still well-perceivable sillage.
T H E big plus of AM is definitely the price, 100ml/139€ online compared to 70ml/165-206€...that is quite a significant difference. I love both equally...and they have both (inevitably) replaced Gris Montaigne as my holy grail...albeit narrowly. What two fabulous fragrances...2x thanks to France and 1x to Austria with a kiss:-)!