Maddyfor

The Perpetual Oud was such a typical checkout purchase. The fragrance shelves at Zara are usually located near the cash register, if not even serving as a divider for the waiting lines (Zara, if you’re reading this, it’s a silly idea; you have to squeeze through the waiting customers to test).

At that time, I was not yet a Parfumo user and had no idea what Oud actually is.
The scent had something very special for me back then. I perceived it as very warm and soft. So it spontaneously came home with me and was worn extensively. This was - without knowing it - my entry into Oud.

Today, my description would be a bit more detailed:
Rose and leather, both soft. The rose does not come across as old-fashioned at all and fits beautifully into the overall picture. The leather is more of a light leather, not musty.

Saffron is noticeable, but it doesn’t stand out for me.

I perceive a lovely pear that is not sticky at all. It does provide sweetness, but just the right amount.

And of course Oud. Not extreme at all, rather a velvety soft Oud. With patchouli and amber, a beautifully warm base is added. However, patchouli does not become earthy-musty but remains very soft here as well.

For me, the scent does not undergo a significant transformation; it remains relatively consistent, which is absolutely not negative for me. The pear fades a little over time.

Perpetual Oud is, for me, a very nice, warm Oud for beginners. Absolutely velvety and soft scent (- also quite wearable for men!). Completely office-appropriate, but also well-suited for evenings due to its warmth.

The longevity is absolutely fine for the price. It lasts well for a workday. Sillage is noticeable in the immediate vicinity but does not overwhelm anyone here.

For me, a lovely cheapie that will accompany me several times this autumn/winter.

A few weeks ago, my mother and I wandered through a shopping mall. From time to time, we browse through all sorts of stores, and we don’t skip the drugstore and perfume shop either.

So we strolled through the shelves... sniffing new fragrances. Opinions were exchanged, and we kind of encouraged each other. That’s how it is when two perfume enthusiasts are out and about. I mentioned that I was still looking for a scent that is nice and warm... for autumn/winter.

So we sniffed our way through the bottles with this mission. Many were nice, but none sparked a "must-have" feeling in me. After a few moments, my mother held this gem up to me: Joop! Femme Eau de Toilette To be honest, the bottle is really not what would have tempted me to test it. Before I knew it, the scent was on my wrist.

WOW! - Hold on! This is a knockout. The first moment feels like a KO punch in the first round. I felt like the 80s were hitting me all at once. But it definitely has something... it is warm, without a doubt.

Mom says: "Just wait, it will round out soon!"... and indeed. The punch softens. What remains is a scent that hugs the wearer. Comfortably warm, it leaves me with the image of a very elegant lady. Teased hair and red lipstick, elegant black clothing, and gold jewelry. All of this is Femme, but she is by no means over the top. Don’t get me wrong, she is definitely a presence, but what she wears is believable. She is many things at once, but remains soft, like a sinfully expensive cashmere scarf, only more opulent. This 80s signature remains throughout the entire scent journey, but later it pulls back a bit and doesn’t feel overwhelming anymore, rather accompanying.

Unfortunately, I can’t give you a description of the notes, as I truly can’t separate them due to the intertwined interplay. This scent works for me as a whole.

Conclusion: Mom is right, a great fragrance that doesn’t get enough attention. It does have that 80s touch, but for me, it is still very wearable. Don’t be put off by the unremarkable bottle. It is definitely worth a test. Give it time to settle, and it will draw you into its comfortably warm and nostalgic spell - without coming off as "grandma-like," as some like to say. For me, it’s a very nice autumn/winter scent that I enjoy wearing to escape the wet rain and biting cold, and to indulge a little in nostalgia, or at least the idea of it.

After initially falling in love with its predecessor Devotion Eau de Parfum on a second glance, I had to test the Intense version as well.

However, since I was unsure how closely the two are related, I obtained a sample in a sharing. I was quite uncertain whether both were really necessary if I already had the first one.

In direct comparison, the two have a lot in common. I would like to go into the differences in more detail here:

Devotion Eau de Parfum starts with significantly more lemon, which evokes cleaning product associations for many. That was initially the case for me too, but now it’s a lovely sweet lemon.

Devotion Eau de Parfum Intense starts off warmer and denser with a roasted hazelnut, which I can also perceive distinctly. Nevertheless, a citrus note also appears in the scent development for me here, but not such a bright lemon... I would rather say mandarin or something similar. This is probably due to the orange blossom. It accompanies me throughout the entire scent development of the intense version.

After the top note, you can definitely tell that the two are closely related. The hazelnut diminishes for me over time and takes a back seat - but is still perceptible. From here on, as in the first version, orange blossom and vanilla dominate. Still, Intense feels much denser and warmer to me. Again, there’s a grand sweet vanilla here, just like in the first version.

The two also differ in longevity, as the Intense version is significantly stronger, although I wouldn’t describe the original as "light" anyway.

Devotion Eau de Parfum feels more like summer with a fresh touch, but I would also use it in autumn and spring.

Devotion Eau de Parfum Intense is definitely the golden autumn for me. Warm, nutty, and creamy. It will most likely accompany me in winter as well, since I associate the note I perceive as mandarin or a similar fruit with the pre-Christmas season. For me, it’s a great companion for "miserable weather."

I fear that a bottle will find its way into my collection once my sample comes to an end.

Holy smokes! Because that’s exactly what it is:

Sacred incense - not timid but also not scratchy. A pleasant church incense, where you’re not sitting in the front row and getting the full blast. This one lingers comfortably in the air. It has just the right dose to make it feel pleasant.

The flowers make it very soft and feminine. They give the incense a certain gentleness.

The vanilla is a dream, as it rounds things off. Not too artificial or sweet, rather warm.

The incense diminishes over time, but is still easily recognizable. The scent remains rather linear; it doesn’t undergo a major transformation, but it doesn’t need to.

Overall, a very elegant fragrance for anyone who loves a truly special incense. It is sweet, but not cloying. A very nice smoky vanilla that will surely accompany me more often.

Thanks to a bottle from a very nice Parfumo user, I got my hands on "Yara (Eau de Parfum) | Lattafa / لطافة".

Admittedly, I never intended to test it, let alone buy it.

Based on the reviews I read beforehand, I didn't really have any hope that I would like it.

But it actually proved me wrong.

Yara starts off very sweet, floral, and fruity. I don't smell strawberry, rather a sugar-glazed flower, garnished with candied citrus fruits.

In the drydown, I get milky notes, very creamy and fluffy; the milk is more like freshly whipped cream. For a brief moment, I even catch a whiff of a small mint leaf that has wandered into this sweet mix, but to my delight, it disappears as quickly as it came.

In the end, the vanilla comes through even more, while I personally wouldn't have been able to detect the sandalwood here.

For me, it's a very nice sweet creamy fragrance for anyone who loves gourmands and finds fresh scents too often leaning towards the cool side and almost minty.

The bottle has found a place in my collection and, although unexpectedly, has won my heart. It's not a standout, but a solid option for the price.