This review is for the OG Oud Yusuf Pure Parfum.
Oud Yusuf Parfum. A benchmark Oud perfume. The oil is a different story. Not my style, as I prefer "wiser" Oud Oils for my swiping sessions. For me, the parfum version delivers what the oil could not. And going back to what Ensar said, if there was one oud oil to be used in a spray perfume, it was Oud Yusuf.
If I were to keep one Oud perfume, it would be Oud Yusuf.
If I were to recommend one Oud perfume to anyone, it would be Oud Yusuf.
If someone tells me they hate Oud with a passion because they were lied to and olfactory assaulted by the commercial Oud junk accords, I would enlighten them with one spray of Oud Yusuf.
I would have them close their eyes, spray it on their wrist, and have them inhale with their eyes closed. And just like that, witness how their whole Oud world built on lies crumbles. They see the light and are reborn. I'm considering doing this experiment, as I am sick of hearing nonsense about how Oud smells like this and that from people who never tried something as pristine, as Angelic, as Oud Yusuf.
One doesn't need to be versed in artisanal oud oils to appreciate this beauty. It would appeal to anyone who loves all things fragrant. Like walking into a well-kept garden full of flowers. It's something that would find appreciation even among people not initiated into the art of olfaction.
Oud Yusuf parfum is a benchmark Oud perfume. For one, it was Ensar's first true Oud perfume. Second, it came on the market offering an alternative universe to what all the other Oud perfumes offered, and still do today.
Now, even though the main star of the show here is Oud, present front and center, clear as day, throughout the lifespan of the fragrance, it is embellished with a very well-chosen mix of aromatics that complement its profile. They never distract from the main character, only help to showcase its facets further. And I feel here is where the Parfum triumphs over the oil. The latter is great, yet in the parfum, the oud opens up more, and due to the aromatics used alongside, it paints a more colorful picture, brighter, livelier, and full of buzz. Something the oil never did for me, not in the same way, for sure.
The opening is lush, bright, and juicy. Ripe apricots and peaches, juicy citruses, and warm spices embrace you in a golden-hued aura and immediately transport you into the middle of nature. Pure, pristine, naked.
The heart showcases various floral accords such as Lilacs, Tuberose, Jasmine, Frangipani, and Osmanthus. I pick up facets of all these florals. There is also a prominent green chord running through the heart of the perfume alongside the florals and the oud. You're in the Garden of Eden, and oud is flowing from its fountains.
The base is deep, brownish, thick, and oleoresinous. Oud, oud, and more oud for many hours to come. Even after the flowers wither and the juicy, sparkling fruits and spices disappear, the oud continues to push further. Deep and resinous, highly satisfying.
As I said before, this perfume is all about the oud. The other elements are minor embellishments. It is an oud-forward perfume, make no mistake about it. Anyone familiar with neat oud oils would easily recognize that.
One of the best EO perfumes in my book. A legendary one, for good reason. If I could marry an oud, it'd be Oud Yusuf.
IG:@memory.of.scents
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