Sweetie Aoud Roja Parfums 2015

Finally, my bottling for testing has arrived. I was already so excited about this fragrance.

As so often with me, I have approached the original via a fragrance twin. The fragrance twin has pleased me so well that I have forced my husband to test it too. After all, it is unisex - a fragrance that we can both wear. That was my ulterior motive. Thus, when the bottling of the original arrived by mail, he could not shirk, but had to try him too.

Not that you think I would have exerted any pressure here. You must know that before Corona, my husband had a larger fragrance collection than I did. But because of the lockdown, I overtook him with waving flags especially fragrance flags.

Since we unfortunately only live in a small apartment, I always test my perfumes or fillings in the living room. Then the whole room smells of all kinds of fragrant and less fragrant essences. Which, I admit, can sometimes be a little exhausting on the nose. Just a little bit exhausting. Teeny tiny. Sooo small.

But now to the much anticipated fragrance: Tatatataaaaaaaaaaaaa (drum roll):

Sprayed once and breathe deeply ....

... immediately I get the full broadside. Man oh man, is the fierce. Honestly, from the top note I recognize none of the listed notes. Also the heart note is completely skipped with me. It goes straight into the base notes. Of which I can identify oud, the woods, cardamom, incense and patchouli.

I can certainly understand the comparisons of the fragrance on Parfumo with the smell in a patisserie. It also smells on my skin like in a bakery. But unfortunately not so pleasant after sweet cakes, but here clearly rancid butter was used for baking. What a shock.

In addition, the damn baker has also baked the cake too long in the oven. Because when Rausholen first of all a gush of burnt smoke with out of the hot oven. Phew. What a disappointment.

I switch to the wrist of my husband. Also here. A cracker, but not quite as unpleasant as on my skin. Here, too, the oud is held only with difficulty by the balsamic fragrance notes in check. Plus that patchouli smelling of dirty earth. Slowly I get the feeling that for me "Sweetie Aoud" is absolutely no women's fragrance. So nothing with unisex.

With my husband he also smells very strong and powerful. He himself can not associate a bakery or patisserie with this perfume. Instead, it smells for him, after the first bustle has settled, after sweet-tart incense. I think the balsamic and spicy notes come through better on him. It makes the scent seem a bit softer. Of course, the sweet notes that slowly combine with it also help. But the fragrance does not become soft, just a little bit softer.

At least the rancid butter smell on my wrist fades into the background. What remains is a sweet-smoky note with emphasis on smoky. Not at all mine. I just can't do anything with oud. At least this time I'm spared the fecal smell of oud that I've smelled in other fragrances. A little progress.

Still, I'm sorry. Even if I oute myself here as a philistine who kicks the high art of perfumery with feet, I like the fragrance twin better. Probably because he turns out sweeter and more pleasing than the original and thus perhaps not as artfully woven. For this he can also be worn really unisex.

Of course, this is just my personal opinion. Everyone sees this differently, due to the different scent preferences and individual skin chemistry, which makes perfumes smell different on each skin. And that is also good so. Would be otherwise boring if everyone loves or rejects the same perfumes. The sillage and durability are unfortunately very good.

My husband also can not get excited about the original. But I think that this fragrance can inspire enough fans. We are just not one of them.