DufterMann

And once again I couldn't help but buy a fragrance blindly from Mr Duchaufour. But since this one seems to be a Love-it or Hate-it scent, the risk of kissing the ground with the nose was quite high. Thanks to a very dear Parfuma here, I could not resist the offer and have struck. At this point again many thanks. :-)
But since I also like Vert d'Encens so much, my fear of blind buying was a little dammed again.

So the package was quickly scissored and I was greeted by a beautiful square blue cardboard with an opulent golden flower print reminiscent of the painting of the last century. When opened, you are gleamed by the golden mirrored lid, which rests on a black roundish bottle, where again the attention to detail has not been spared. A laughing moon and a sweeping swan already show that the brand also attaches great importance to the presentation. The velvety soft fabric in which the bottle is embedded is the icing on the cake
But as we know, it's still about the content, so hand out, gold spray head actuated and up with it.

In the first moments I was a little flabbergasted. No forest far and wide in sight, however a very strong fruity sweet cassis note spreads in my nose. If the fragrance continues to develop like this, it might be better in the future if I do without blind purchases completely. At first I thought I had a woman's scent under my nose again. But if you give the fragrance a little time, the doors open to the exhilarating forest everyone here talks about. Partially dark, gloomy, resinous, then again some sunrays shine through the treetops, one currant bush follows the next and one never has the impression to stroll through an ordinary forest, even if the fir trees here definitely attract attention and together with the cassis note conjure a very unique scent into our trunk. Towards the end it becomes a little creamier, but without missing its main theme. To make things a little easier, I would say that the Vert d'Encens has been dumped in a fruit sorbet of currants.
The shelf life of just over 6 hours is in the good mid-range. The projection is very strong in the first 1-2 hours before he withdraws bit by bit. Just right and discreetly dosed, it can also be worn in the office. In my eyes he is wearable in casual outfit, as well as in a suit.

So I would say: mission successful and I can still trust my nose for blind purchases. ;-)

Driven by the negative reviews here on Parfumo and also a review on Youtube I would like to share my experiences to Al Oudh with you.
I had ordered the Oriental Set to get to know the brand better, because Bertrand Duchafour created some fragrances for L'Artisan Parfumeur and he is very well known in the perfume world. With a total of 6 fragrances (4 miniatures and 2 free samples) there was not a single one that I did not like. That's a respectable achievement. But for me and my better half two fragrances have crystallized: Al Oudh, who we're talking about today, and Timbuktu, to whom I might also dedicate a review.
With Al Oudh I was very excited anyway, because he is often associated with sweat and some have already received negative feedback.
The scent at the beginning reminds me of a fruit cocktail. Somewhat tart, a slightly alcoholic flag and just as fruity. However, this equally light note disappears very quickly and becomes spicier and drier overall. He doesn't even try to hide his oriental veins here. Especially in the first 1 to 2 hours the projection is also very tidy and you should dose carefully. As I got to know Oud so far, or as he was portrayed in the scents I had under my nose so far, he is not represented here. Neither medical, nor sweet. I can't even make out animal notes with my nose at any time. With time, a smoky note is added, which underlines the spice a little more. Towards the end I also hear a light woody note. The only thing I can chalk up to him is his short shelf life. After 4-5 hours I notice it only minimally on my skin.
Al Oudh is definitely not a crowdpleaser for me to get one compliment after the other. However, it is perfect for a style break in a casual outfit, or even in a suit. With such an Oriental one does not reckon in our circles certainly not.

To get back to the headline - Is Al Oudh a stinker? Not for me at all, because after 2 previous tests I ordered a bottle (30 Euro for 50ml) and I feel very comfortable with it. The bottle is also very high quality processed, especially in view of the price.
But maybe I'm bored of the mass-produced goods and am happy to have found a fragrance with him that is once again different from the others. With L`Artisan Parfumeur I have definitely discovered a very interesting brand, of which I will try out even more fragrances.

Granted, it wasn't love at first sight between Terre d'Hermes and me. It must have been between December and January when I got my sample from the Eau de Toilette. The first time I was applied, I thought to myself: And that's it now? A little citrus freshness with a woody base, the pepper only easy to guess, a little vetiver and that's it. But nevertheless I emptied the sample, because something had the smell then nevertheless, why it did not go to me also from the head. A few months later and I stood there with mainly heavy scents, some of which were simply too strong in summer, so I looked around for alternatives. When a forum member asked for nice summer scents, I remembered Terre d`Hermes. He had such a nice orange note that didn't make me think about detergents. Just quickly read the comparisons between the EdT and the EdP and ordered the set, which contains 12,5ml of the EdT, 75ml of the EdP and 40ml of the After-Shave. Seems to have become very rare in the meantime, but can still be ordered with 74 euros at a very good price.
Immediately the comparison test made and the EdT starts immediately a little more lively and fresher, with a slightly dirty note, which reminds me also of a freshly tarred road, which hides itself however discreetly in the background and makes the orange vetiver smell a little more interesting. Right from the start the perfume seems a bit rounder, softer but still with enough charisma. In general, the two fragrances are very similar, also in terms of durability. It's really not that easy to choose a winner here. At the EdP the next morning I had heard a slightly sweet woody note on my forearm, the orange had completely disappeared. However, I would generally rate the durability as very good. Not beastly, so the scent robs you of your nerves, but you don't have to think about a pocket spray.
I'm a little ambivalent about the bottle. The metal plate on top of the flacon seems to be put on a little unkindly. It is not glued, but can be turned without great effort. However, the closure itself is cleverly designed. The black plastic cap is turned down to spray over the silver atomizer and turned up again to close it again.

To get to the bottom line: For those who like it a little rounder with a juicy orange, the Eau de Toilette is the right choice for the more lively tastes among us. I'm glad that such a beautiful everyday and summer fragrance is on the designer shelf between all the crowd pleasers. It doesn't always have to be the expensive niche that makes the heart happy.

For a long time I have been racking my brains as to whether I should now dedicate a comment to the Beloved Man, or whether I should let it go, as many fragrances have been fiddled with, which I cannot remember from the smell in their original form. But especially those who are looking for a beautiful summer fragrance with a long shelf life, for whom a Sunshine Man might be too heavy and not refreshing enough, might find what they are looking for here.
As far as durability is concerned, we have a typical Amouage in front of us. Apply in the morning, go to work, take a shower afterwards, go shopping and then in the evening again with your nose to the sprayed area and it still hasn't warped. The Sillage doesn't play in the league of an Interlude or a Sunshine, but it's not a fragrance that's so quiet that you'll only be noticed on direct body contact.

Already in December I got myself a bottling of the fragrance and when I smelled myself blind through my collection, he always belonged to the best, the best. Last month the time had come and the bottling was drawing to a close. One last splash on your left hand and enjoy this wonderful loud sound again at the beginning. I feel as if I am entering a swimming pool, it is hot and it tickles my nose a little. Through the open roof windows one gets a fresh breeze in between, which cools the skin a little. From a little distance I perceive the scent of fine oranges, which with this light note develop into a very tasty, refreshing, summery scent. I can understand, however, that one does not like the garish, slightly tingling sound in the nose. But about an hour later it becomes calmer, sweeter, spicier and reminiscent of the Reflection Man. This could be the time when some people see parallels in the designer scent of Paco Rabanne, but the Beloved doesn't seem so monotonous and fresh to me. In general, I have the feeling that the perfumer who worked for Amouage wanted to achieve with this perfume a balancing act between niche and mainstream, which I think he did very well. Over the hours, the fragrance weakens more and more until the next morning you can only sniff a hint of this sweet-spicy fragrance. In any case, the perfume didn't let me go, so I finally bought it this month.

The fact that Beloved Man is not among the Top 10 Best Pantydropper Fragrances will either be due to its own top note or to the price, which with 171 Euro upwards certainly does not fit into every budget. He was worth every cent to me personally and I am happy to have discovered him quietly and secretly for myself. He's earned a permanent place in my collection.

... if only you'd kept your shine after the first test. I was so overwhelmed by your beauty, you were so varied and I had a hard time not sending the order the same evening to welcome you to my collection.
I didn't understand the parallels to Epic Man, which some users write about here. I had rather a sweet citric scent in my nose, surrounded by a light spice in the background. Sure, you weren't really loud with me, but when I smelled the sprayed-on area, I just thought you were beautiful. In the same evening I wrote a statement, how much I like the scent and that it comes off much too bad here. Of course a 7.1 is not a bad value. Considering that this is a fragrance from Amouage and exceeds the 100 Euro mark, it makes you wonder. Rightly so, as I was allowed to find out from the second day on.
Sprayed on at 6 in the morning and on the way to work by bike I noticed you spicier this time. Together with the fresh breeze at 15 degrees outside temperature it was really pleasant, but I didn't hear that citric sweetness this time. Anyway, this time you seemed even quieter than the day before, despite the fact that I didn't use 4 sprayers from the bottling. Weakened Epic Man meets it here already very well. But what then came, made me a little suspicious. I have to say that I work in a closed room until half past nine and after that I continue in the fresh air. I think that in my job it already got around that I am fascinated by perfumes and I can't leave the house without them. Shortly after 8 a colleague passed me, maybe half an arm's length away. He sniffed briefly and then said: "Oh, I can't smell anything today. Did you not smell yourself today? I went out onto the balcony and indeed, only the base was barely audible on my wrist. What a pity. But I assumed that maybe it wasn't warm enough and that I would give the scent another chance in warmer temperatures, especially since my nose perceived the scent so differently.
It is Saturday, 05.05, 6 o'clock in the morning and this time I empty the bottling completely. Neck, neck, the backs of both hands and the hair are sprayed. At the start you cannot deny your "kinship" to Epic Man. This typical Amouage-feeling comes up, fully on the 12th, but you calm down again quickly after I leave the house. Until I reach the workplace I am accompanied by a slight musty spiciness. This time you also show that your breath is not so short after all and before I continue my work outside in the fresh air, you show me again that the first impression was not so wrong after all. This citric freshness, painted with light sweetness and spiciness, flashes up again. Then you say goodbye so slowly and after just over 6 hours the spell is completely over.
Sorry, but that's the way it turns out and nothing. Maybe I didn't quite understand you even after the third day, but I already had much better and above all more consistent scents under my nose, which last even longer. But at this point I would like to thank Kovex again for the bottling! And now I go out and enjoy the beautiful weather. I wish you a nice Sunday ;-)