bryanscents

Odyssee II has a really unique bottle. I am not sure I like it, and it scares me a little because it gives me Fahrenheit vibes. The atomizer is weird too, very different from the other Anfar I tried that day.

The scent smelled very familiar to me. It is green and citrusy, similar to Secret Oud but not as green, and the citrus reminds me of dalandan, the local Philippine orange. The notes on the box are citron, bergamot and grapefruit on top, mandarin orange, green tea, ginger and apple in the heart, and geranium, incense, musk and moss at the base, which makes sense for what I smell.

According to my research it is inspired by Creed Silver Mountain Water, and I can see it. It is a little less aggressive and not too punchy, and it is very green. I like that scent profile a lot. I have not tested how it performs yet, and I plan to do a full wear review of this one.

Secret Oud was a blind buy and it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. The bottle design is really elegant, and the atomizer is good. I expected a regular oud and got something very different. The oud is there but subtle, and the opening is green and woody, like a lighter vetiver with green grass and some apple notes. It is the first time I have met a green, fruity opening with just a hint of oud.

As far as I can tell there are two versions, a green oud and a green fruity one, and I believe mine is the version with rose, floral vines, peach and magnolia on top, woods, oud, caramel and agarwood in the heart, and fruity accords, patchouli, iris and oud at the base. The oud is very light. What I get is a tad fruity, grassy, green oud fragrance, and I like it a lot.

Research says it is supposed to be inspired by Tom Ford Oud Wood. I have smelled that several times, and this is very different: fresh and green. Oud Wood is dark, while this is a light, airy floral and green with hints of oud. I have not tested the performance yet, but from the notes I am fairly sure it will hold up. A very good take on an oud fragrance and a blind-buy success.

Niswah is an extrait de parfum with 48 percent fragrance oil. The box is purple with gold accents, which looks regal and modern, and the dainty bottle has a flower ribbon. It is advertised as feminine. The first impression was strong, darker fruits like plum, and a thicker scent than I expected, maybe with some vanilla sugar. The notes list is enormous. What I smell on top is the blackcurrant, the red berries, the raspberry and the apple, and as you get absorbed in it the florals come through: rose, gardenia, a jasmine that is really there, and orange flower. Underneath are oud, tobacco and patchouli.

At first I called it unisex leaning feminine. It reminded me of Glitch but heavier toward sweetness, with floral undertones and then a darker, earthy side from the patchouli and the oud. Do not get me wrong, it is not a dark scent in the usual sense. It is more of a dark feminine scent for the boss girl, and you will definitely get noticed.

An hour later it won me over, and I called it truly amazing. It is fruity and sweet but not gourmand, sexy and confident, something a young lady or a good-looking guy could wear with confidence. It is a little floral, inviting and airy, the kind of scent you feel go into your nostrils and fill you up deep inside, with the sweetness pulling you forward. A masterpiece, and I recommend it.

Ahl is a fruitier, younger take on another of my favorite fragrances from Ahmed Al Maghribi. It is an original creation, so do not expect anything designer-like or an inspired-by of a popular niche scent. The atomizer is solid, and the opening is really fruity: citruses, tropical fruit, dried fruit and candied fruit, with some darkness and woodiness underneath. As you inhale and get wrapped up in the sweetness, the oud shows up at the bottom. Oud is very reactive to skin chemistry, so it will not smell the same on skin as on paper. The sweetness puts it along the lines of Oud Maracuja, but with a soft touch of flowers.

The list of notes is huge: banana, coconut, lavender, raspberry, melon, cardamom and Brazilian orange on top, a heart of jasmine, iris, magnolia, orange blossom, rose and tulip among others, and Thai oud, amber, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla, white musk and caramel at the base. That mix gives a complex, fruity, floral scent with darkness in the base and so much character.

An hour in, I would call it a masterpiece. It is a good mixture of floral and sweet that is straight-up unisex, like Glitch but significantly better, with more character and depth. There is a cooling effect when you inhale that invites you in. It is sophisticated, signature worthy with light sprays, and the 60 percent oil concentration gives good performance. Women should not skip it, especially if you like oud.

Rawdha comes from one of my top three houses, which I treat as niche because so much of its work is original rather than inspired by something else. It is an eau de parfum in an olive green bottle, 50 ml with an oil concentration of almost 60 percent. The box is lovely and the finish on the bottle is elegant.

The atomizer test gave me a floral, green, unisex leaning feminine opening. On paper it is fruity, floral and green, and very elegant. I thought I smelled jasmine and maybe some magnolia. The notes I found online first were mostly oud, which is not what I smell, so I went with the brand's own list: aldehydes, rose and powdery notes on top, dry woods, patchouli, geranium, orange blossom and roses in the heart, and musk accord, sandalwood and dry woods at the base.

What I love is the contrast. It is deep and dark yet surprisingly sweet, flowery and uplifting. When you sniff it you get a powdery, airy, likable sweetness, and as it lingers you sense a woody, darker vibe underneath. The rosy, powdery florals pull you in, and the dry woods that you only notice a few moments later are what make you stay. I think it will be a staple in my collection, and I am sure my girlfriend would like it.