Vanilla Oud

Right after application, I definitely get vanilla and I also get something that really smells like it's out of a New Age store…incense, but not the usual kind? A tiny bit of sour apple, maybe, or rhubarb (later I smell the rhubarb, initially the apple). There's a sweet fruitiness here, but it's not the key note and it's a touch sour (the oud, I think). It's a fresh fruit bite - the cashier at the New Age store is having a fresh fruit salad as you walk in, maybe. That distant. This one is heavy on the vanilla for me (which I like) and very gourmand on my skin. There's a hit of ash, but freshly-burned ash from a leaky, resinous wood. After it sits a bit, I get pure vanilla and sappy, oily resin with a touch of smoky wood and fruit. No floral notes, which I enjoy as a change. It's a little masculine on me, but not in a way I dislike so I would call this truly unisex. After it sits maybe 20 minutes, I get a slightly-burnt caramel note (like a fresh crème brulée). It stays complex on my wrist and doesn't go one-note on the dry down. It does go a bit more feminine and sweet as it wears. Loses some of the initial smokey, resinous quality (but not all). This is warm and inviting. Your hippie aunt who is into crystals, dresses in long flowered skirts, is a professed follower of modern paganism and collects rare books about...science circa 1850 or something (the kind with weird, creepy drawings of animal skeletons). But she's also pretty and nice and smiles a lot and you like visiting, especially because she always has fresh pastries baking. Or it's your uncle who reminds you a bit of Hugh Hefner, for some reason. As it sits longer I get a little bit of...almost a boozy quality? Whisky smoke, but light. Which is great because I love boozy notes. Really, to boil this down, this is like a slightly-burnt oil resinous vanilla caramel with a hint of smoky whiskey-ness. Very nice. Probably a 9.5/10 for me - I bought a bottle. I just wish it leaned more into the smokiness? My only critique. Also, as someone with a super sensitive nose this does not trigger me at all (rare, due to the modern over use of musk-heavy scents imo). It really made me realize I want a VERY smoky vanilla in my life (this isn't quite that).

Every few months you'll see in the Facebook groups a fragrance getting rave reviews from everyone, then you try it for yourself, and it's not the same. Vanilla Oud is one of those fragrances that's actually worth the hype. I'm not saying they're directly similar, but I'm getting major Layton vibes from this. They're both what I would classify as "Vanilla Florals", sweet floral scents that could be worn in the day as easily as the night. Like Layton, Vanilla Oud opens up with a crisp green apple note, this time surrounded by a very fragrant saffron and tart rhubarb. The apple doesn't last that long, maybe about ten minutes, then the saffron becomes the main character at play. The rose-oud-saffron combination is one that I've experienced before, but here it's not as elegant and rich as the others. Vanilla Oud is very easy to wear IMO. After about 30-45 minutes, the sweet, burnt caramel vanilla triumphantly arrives. This with the touch of oud present is a joy to catch whiffs of in the air. Fresh and sweet, this can be worn in the spring as well as the fall and winter. Longevity and projection is great, can still smell this on clothes a couple days later. Maybe this shouldn't be worn with sweatpants or whatever, but this also doesn't seem like it should be reserved for special occasions and formal wear either. Just a very wearable, enjoyable offering from a house that I'll get more familiar with over the upcoming months. One of my favorite pickups this winter. 9/10

I’m coming back to give a full review as I have now worn this perfume 5+ times. Vanilla oud is interesting to say the least. Theres a candied saffron opening and a very prominent and smooth cashmere wood. The oud in the base is prominent throughout the entire perfume, but it acts very uniquely to my nose. It’s not woody in a way that cedar is woody, and it’s not animalic or fecal in a way that real oud acts. It’s neither metallic nor medicinal either. What it offers is this subtle warm sensation with the tiniest bit of funk. The funk is something I haven’t smelled in any other perfume…not fecal or animalic, but different. The vanilla doesn’t act normal here either. It’s not light and airy, it’s not even very dominant to my nose either. In fact, it gets overshadowed by a burning caramel smell (guaic+ethyl moltol). The vanilla is more of a dark vanilla that’s hiding behind warm spices, absolutely NOTHING like the vanilla note in manceras aoud vanille which is a lot more creamy and has more of a vanilla ice cream type of vanilla. Nevertheless, this is a great perfume… plus, I’m not rating it based on its name. It’s blended to perfection, it’s smooth and high quality, unique without trying too hard, and fun without being too youthful. I really enjoy this, but it for sure needs a sample.

I will say, this really did surprise me. I blind bought this because of reviews I've seen on Youtube. It originally came in and was very faint after a couple of sprays, smelled like a dense vanilla with 0 top notes. I was pretty disappointed. I left it in my drawer where the fragrances I don't like go to die because I can never bring my self to sell anything from my collection. I pulled it out after a month or so and jesus christ. It's probably the most interesting vanilla scent I have. Its such a nice smooth vanilla with this great mass appealing oud that runs through the entirety of the fragrance. It starts off with an amazingly well paired blast of fruity citrus. I'm a chef and I took note of how well rhubarb, apple, lemon, caramel (saffron) and vanilla goes together. Then it starts drying down after about 20 minutes into this incredible floral, saffron, and cashmere supporting cast giving it this seriously elegant and superbly well blended creation. Which carries pretty linearly into the ultimate dry down, thank goodness too because I really couldn't get enough of it.

You have to let this baby sit for a while in order to appreciate the magic found in Vanilla Oud. I purchased VO earlier last year and when I sprayed it, I was immediately underwhelmed and turned off. Fast-forward to now and thought I'd just spray it again for sh*ts and giggles and WOW!!! What a surprise to be enveloped in a warm, inviting vanilla. The oud is blended exceptionally well. It's not skanky, but rather smooth and it anchors the fragrance without overpowering it. VO is definitely unisex and is a beast. Spray lightly to fully enjoy and appreciate this fragrance.