Very Warm, Potentially Old Fashioned to Some?
This was a complete blind buy for me, I've never smelled the Gucci (The Voice of the Snake) that this is said to be duping, but the notes suggested I wouldn't hate it.
For the low price, the packaging and bottle are very decent. Sturdy box, heavyish bottle and lid, doesn't feel like a sub £15 edp to me based solely on first impressions of opening it up. Doesn't necessarily scream expensive either, but I guess I'm trying to say it's not totally naff.
An aside is the notes listed on the website I purchased this from (Emirates Oud in the UK) are different to what's on here, and I can definitely smell some of the extra ones. I get the powdery iris in the opening, which is my least favourite part, but it's not at all overwhelming and doesn't stay powdery for long to me, so it's not a write off. There's a definite rose scent and the rose / patchouli combo is what drew me to make the purchase. Well, and that it was £12.99 with an extra 10% off didn't hurt.
You get the warmth of the saffron and there's a slight smokiness that could either be the woods or the patchouli, or both, though this softens as it dries down. You definitely lose some of the florals in the dry down and are mostly left with an earthy, woody, slightly sweet and spicy scent.
It's not a light scent at all, and I would warn against overspraying. Three sprays of this and I could be smelled from another room, so potentially not appropriate for work / more daytime events. I'm not someone who loves to go "beast mode" so I might test it out with just one or two sprays tops.
Something about this reminds me of my nan, but I mean when I was a child so she would have been in her late forties at most. Not because it's feminine particularly, I actually think this could be worn by any gender. It just sort of feels like someone who isn't "young" anymore, maybe has a job that involves travel, that's the image my brain has conjured. Being sat in her car with those beaded wooden seats. Not sure this will be popular with younger women who are looking for something sweeter, or anyone who prefers citrus with their ouds, but that's fine, not everything is for everyone.
I think without the powdery iris I would consider this a contender for an evening go-to, but as it is, scent is probably a 7.5/10. Unusual and interesting though, I do keep coming back to do a deep sniff to see what pops out as time moves on.
Projection is probably more than I personally would like, longevity is good.
I will definitely keep revisiting this one.
Notes listed on emirates oud are:
Top Notes: Patchouli, Iris, and Mimosa
Middle Notes: Rose, and Saffron
Base Notes: Patchouli, Agarwood, Oud, and Amber
