Oud 07 Swiss Arabian 2021

Ah, one might think, another Oud-rose combination, yawn. But wait: some time ago, I tried Oud 01 and Oud 07 as well as Amber 01 and 07, which had just been released, at the Swiss Arabian Shop in Dubai, and Oud 07 is the one that ultimately won the race and was purchased. So the fragrance does have something that sets it apart from the sea of Oud-rose scents.

The Oud note is quite subtle, gentle, present but not intrusive, much more elegant than animalistic. In the opening, saffron dominates over Oud and rose, then a distinct gourmand note of sweet pastry comes into play, which is listed in the fragrance pyramid as praline and vanilla, but also evokes a hint of honey. The restrained amber note gives the fragrance some depth, but the success of the composition is likely due to the musk base, which ultimately banishes all the dirty, 'stable' associations of the Oud and gives the fragrance an overall bright, light, clean quality.

It all seems so well-balanced to me that it is a pity that Swiss Arabian hides this fragrance behind a loveless numbering ("07") instead of giving it a resonant name, which would surely bring it greater success. Because fundamentally, it is a much 'rounder', better composed - one could also say: more elegant or mature - version of their bestseller Shaghaf Oud, and what distinguishes the two fragrances is precisely the amber and musk base. Oud 07, however, is not as 'loud' as Shaghaf Oud and, according to my tests, does not quite have the same sillage and becomes a skin-close scent noticeably faster overall, but this should not be a disadvantage for more elegant occasions, for which it is clearly more suitable than Shaghaf Oud.

From my perspective, it is unequivocally a unisex fragrance that, despite the Oud and due to the sweetness of the gourmand character, displays a slight tendency towards the feminine.