Alex2506

…uh, excuse me?
Yes, you read that right. 12 years ago, I had my first time with you - my first time with Oud.

I was 20 at the time, just freshly immersed in the niche world thanks to Creed Aventus. I was curiously testing everything on the shelves, trying anything that sounded different, special, or exciting. And then I came across you.

I had never smelled a fragrance like this before.
I was instantly enchanted: woody, deep, oriental, spicy.
Different - but incredibly accessible. It was exactly this combination that caught me right away.

So I just had to go for it:
My very first Oud fragrance - “Oud Wood” by Tom Ford.

And folks, the longevity and sillage back then? Really strong.
Not beast mode, but definitely much stronger than today.

For me, Oud Wood remains one of the best and most accessible Oud fragrances ever. Inextricably linked to beautiful memories and my personal entry into the world of Oud.

Thank you, Tom Ford.

and that was you: Creed Aventus.
The King.
Why "The King"?
Because you - I am sure of it - have opened the door to the niche world for countless fragrance enthusiasts.

But how did I actually come across you back then?
YouTube reviews? TikTok? Instagram? Jeremy Fragrance?
Nope. Forget it. Thirteen years ago, none of that existed in this form. So let's completely scratch that.

The truth is much less spectacular - and that's exactly what makes it so special.

I was 19, already wearing fragrances like One Million, Boss Bottled, Invictus since my early teenage years - the typical designer DNA that many of us started with. And then came that one day.

I was sitting on the train on my way to work when someone walked past me.
And suddenly, this scent hit me.
I thought only: WTF - what is THAT?!
A real "Wow" moment, like I had never experienced before.

And then I had to do what I had never dared to do before:
I approached a complete stranger on the train. Just to find out which fragrance had blown me away.

That's how I got to know him - the King.

When I then saw the price (I mean, it was about €125 back then), I thought:
“Wow… that's intense.”
But I bought it anyway. Luckily.

The sillage and longevity were simply incredible back then.
I'm not exaggerating when I say: Over the years, I was approached at least 80 times - often by complete strangers - with the question of what I was wearing.

I must have bought about twenty bottles of Aventus in total.
But at some point, around 2019, you could tell that the magic was slowly fading. Longevity, DNA… something had changed.

And still: Aventus remains a beautiful fragrance, firmly linked to many memories, moments, and a time that won't come back.

Thank you, King - for all the years.

So, this is now my very first detailed perfume review on Parfumo - and Oud31 by Kai Porten inspired me to write it.
I will be evaluating solely the scent itself, completely independent of the person behind it.

First, a small note: I am neither a lyricist nor a poet, not a writer and certainly not a bestselling author. I am simply writing this review based on my feelings - and I will try not to lose myself or digress too much.

Fragrances have fascinated me for many years, certainly for almost 20. I have always been the type of person who perceives scents (even the less pleasant ones) more intensely. I believe many here in the community feel similarly.

I still vividly remember how my father would apply his perfume before work in the 90s - Dior Fahrenheit. As soon as he left the house, he was somehow still there. You probably know that feeling. I think most of us don’t see perfume merely as a grooming product, but as something emotional. Something that evokes memories and touches us. Many surely have that one scent that brings a specific scene from the past back to life.

Oud31 is exactly such a scent for me.
It touches me. It triggers something in me - a memory I had almost forgotten. Something beautiful. A piece of childhood perhaps. A fragrance that goes so deep, it takes me to a place that feels incredibly soothing.

And no, I don’t find this scent cheesy or stinky or anything like that. Anyone who has dealt a little with Oud knows that there are far more animalistic candidates out there. Oud can be very intense in the first few minutes - especially for someone who has never smelled anything like it before.

When I was able to spray Oud31 for the first time, I thought only: WOW.
For me, Oud31 is near perfection - if perfection in fragrances even exists. The scent starts immediately with an intense, incredibly high-quality Oud note. After a few minutes, a wonderful rose joins in, becoming more and more prominent. The Oud note remains present in the background but doesn’t feel animalistic at all after a short time. It perfectly holds together the rose and the beautiful cardamom accents that come later.

Everything feels harmonious and finely tuned. I am almost certain that only high-quality raw materials were used here.

The sillage is luxurious - you can just feel that this scent is something high-quality as soon as it is in the air. And the longevity is enormous.

For me, Oud31 belongs to the very few fragrances that deserve a 10/10.

So far, I only own a sample, but the bottle will definitely be joining my collection.

Thank you, Kai, for this masterpiece.

(And folks: Don’t read too much on Parfumo - better test the scent on your own skin.)