Chapter N° 4 - Everything But The Oud

Once again, ZARA managed to surprise me. Four new fragrances from the Chapter N° 4 collection dedicated to oud are available in the store. After trying them all, I opted for Bohemian Oud and Endless Oud, which in my opinion are something amazing and disruptive. The other two, on the other hand, seemed to be similar to something I have already heard, with Perpetual Oud making the line to Montale Rose & Musk series, and Hipster Oud taking up the vanilla gourmand trend. In all of this, I wonder where the oud is. Maybe it's just a hint, but my sense of smell fails to perceive the syrupy and the medicinal note of the resin. Honestly, I catch more leather than oud. In fact, I find them exorbitant.

Bohemian Oud - A greedy smoky dark chocolate

Bohemian Oud could be polarizing, due to its strong incensed opening note. If you like churchy incense, then this is for you. Otherwise, you'd better stay away from it. The combination of cocoa and incense fits perfectly, with some liquorice facets, a little spicy and a little vanilla. There is a fresh explosion of pepper and immortelle. Then leathery vanilla combines with the irresistible greedy cocoa and the delicate, balmy, and smoky notes of incense.

Endless Oud - A burnt and fumy leather

It is not mentioned in the notes, but Endless Oud has a decidedly leathery look. It is leather embellished with woods, leaves, and roots. A dry essence, with peppery, earthy and herbaceous touches. There is a breath of freshness, pushed by the acid and spicy note of citrus peels and the spicy facets of pink pepper. Cedarwood shavings with modern facets, dark shades of the patchouli, and sinuous vetiver root release a leathery appearance. You might recognize a certain resemblance to some leather perfumes, for example, Guilty Absolute pour Homme, Tuscan Leather Eau de Parfum, or Ombré Leather (2018) Eau de Parfum, but smelling it closely, and for a long time, you will find that it does not resemble any of them.

Read more The Groom Of The Thoroughbreds.

Right off the bat, I don't know which one is better. If I were forced to choose, I would dare to say both or neither, all or nothing. I will write detailed reviews soon, so stay tuned.

Perpetual Oud - The darkest rose in the world

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. As I already mentioned, it has a Montale's style in the way roses, spices, and musks are blended.

Read more The Genderless Soul Of The Rose.

Hipster Oud - A jammy and candied rose

I finally got it, and it's cute, even if it's the least favorite of this Oud collection. To my taste, Bohemian Oud tops the list; the way incense is used here is supreme, followed by Endless Oud in second place, a smoky, manly, and leathery vetiver, and then Perpetual Oud in third with its dramatic dark rose. But this ranking is subjective, and it is only an order of preference because each of them has a singular character, and none is unpleasant. I get the same sensation of eating candied rose petals spiced with pink corns. In this one, the oud is ephemeral

Read more Candied Rose Petals.

I am not a blogger, influencer, or part of an affiliate program. My reviews are based on perfumes I own and purchased in June 2022.

-Elysium