The flavour of rose petals differs depending on which type of rose plant produced them. There is a massive difference in taste between tremendous and so-so petals. They can have a floral sweetness or a tartness similar to that which comes from citrus fruit. Sometimes the nuance can also be mildly spicy. Roses are often intensely aromatic, and that variety takes part in the Persian Spices. Besides, Persian Gourmet rose petals are edible, naturally sun-dried Persian Rose petals from the Damask flower. Persian spice mixes known as Advieh feature rose petals, and someone even infuses the latter with saffron for an aromatic pilaf. The fields of Kashan produce the best Persian rose petals: the rose capital of Iran. The Damask Rose, by its smell and its history, has seduced our minds. Born in Persia over 2000 years ago, it is now grown in Turkey and Bulgaria. The Damask Rose is a hybrid of Rosa Gallica and Rosa Moschata, two European species. This flower is used to produce essential rose absolute, which scent lasts in time by its depth and richness of honeyed notes and essential oil that is more volatile, fresh, and flowery. Rich in geraniol and citronellol, its smell is deep and fruity with liquorice accents.
Perpetual Oud is craving for Persian dried rose petals and appears to be an earthy, dark rose scent. It welcomes me with an explosion of fresh, fruity and spicy accords. A ripe yellow William pear is the first note that hits my nostrils, topped with a hefty dose of freshly ground black pepper and a slightly dirty, earthy undertone. I like the note of pear in fragrances, little used in cologne classified as masculine, and I prefer it to the overly abused one of the now-ubiquitous apple. Initially, the blast hits me straight in the face. Powerful, bold, dare I say, insolent. But then it fades a bit and leaves plenty of room for the flowery aspects.
And it is precisely in the heart that Perpetual Oud releases together the dark notes of the petals of the red rose with the more leathery notes of the honeyed flowers of the saffron. The notes of saffron take over the fragrance after a short time, while the bite of pepper is always present for the entire duration of the perfume. Unlike
Hipster Oud, here, the combination of rose and saffron is divine, created in the manner of Middle Eastern perfumes, and generating a spicy and opulent rose. Perhaps it is because of this resulting bouquet that many people link Perpetual Oud with Montale's Roses series, for example,
Roses Musk Eau de Parfum or
Deep Roses, to name a few. Saffron leaves a full suede, and leathery imprint felt throughout the bouquet. However, it is delicate skin, not too animal and far from its
Endless Oud sibling.
I realize that the perfume enters the last phase when the earthy notes of the vetiver root combined with the dirtier ones of the patchouli leaves take over. The fragrance takes on mossy and amber tones. It covers the leather accord with musky notes, maintaining a rosy profile. After a few hours, what remains on my skin is amber rose, dark, dense, semi-sweet with a dusty leather nuance. I must agree with ZARA's description. The fragrance shines on noble vetiver and patchouli with an ultra-dark leathery finish.
I've read some reviews comparing Perpetual Oud to a past version of ZARA's Rose Gourmand. My instincts and my nose find no similarity between the two. The former is a dark, dramatic rose with a leathery musky tone and a masculine leaning, while the latter is more of a sweet, caramelized rose in gourmand territory with a feminine leaning. Regardless of inclination, both are unisex in my view, but still two different fragrances from each other. This perfume's almost velvety softness and grace make me prefer it for mid-seasons, more akin to evening and night events, but never out-of-place if worn during the day because it is dark and dense but never intrusive or annoying. The performance leaves a little to be desired. The fragrance stays on the skin for a long time but changes almost immediately into a perfume on the skin.
I base the review on an 80ml bottle I have owned since June 2022.
-Elysium
Elysium
