Oud & Spice

I've got a 180ml bottle of this coming in the post this week, I just couldn't help myself. I've had a sample for a couple of years and used it so sparingly that each time I sprayed it felt like a magical and clandestine meeting with a gorgeous stranger. This is truly my most favourite perfume ever, I have never smelled anything quite like it. It is NOTHING like any other Aqcua di Parma scent - I am not a fan of many of them honestly. It opens with a mature, resinous and powdery oud, topped with beautifully blended citrus and spices, and as it settles it becomes more of a amber floral. The oud note remains throughout, aging wonderfully as the fragrance sits on the skin, and the rose/labdanum combo whispers through for hours and hours. Fruity pink pepper sparkles in the scent throughout its duration. A couple of sprays on the wrist (which is all I have ever allowed myself with my tiny sample bottle) is enough to last confidently for 8+ hours. As with many fragrances the performance is hindered by sweating, so if it's a hot day you may find that it doesn't last quite as long, but the scent is definitely still there if you give it a good sniff. I'm 18 as of writing this so quite surprised that such a put-together, mature feeling scent is about to become a go-to once I get hold of this full bottle, but I couldn't be happier. It's one of those fragrances where you just KNOW that's a bit of you, an extension of the personality if you like. I think the combination of warm spices and oud with fruity citrus and pink pepper means it can adapt to any season, with the different notes matching the vibes of the different times of the year. I also think this works beautifully both day and night, although perhaps more suited to night time. 10/10 ✨✨

The scent of a bonfire when the darker, damp, and decomposed woods start to burn. An abundance of rose around, plump, in its dark and animalistic facet, occasionally cut by a breeze of sweet fruits. Smokey from the peat of Islay single malts (to me, the best drinks in the world), deeply organic and medicinal (from here also comes much of its "spicy"). This incense-like quality is where the deepest and darkest of the vegetal, in the oud and the rose, meets and mingles with the animalistic. It is the decadent brother and accursed poet of Oud edp (formerly Colônia Oud), but with the same warm and sentimental elegance of the family, wearing the coat of the elder uncle, the Colônia Leather (now, Leather edp). Profound, mystical, but not loud or showy, rather quiet with an aura of comforting and inviting languor. This facet is what most differentiates it from its Brazilian counterpart, the Odor de Rosas from Phebo. The word that comes to mind to describe this perfume is depth. It smells of what lies beneath the darkest and richest soil slowly turning into smoke, it smells of the dark wooden log that was floated and soaked by a while in a lake and now lays in the dark rich ground in the shadowy and even gloomy woods of a Bouguereau painting, with nymphs and fauns amid sensual pleasure, languid sleep, and animalistic violence. 10/10.

Oud & Spice by Acqua di Parma has truly won me over—this is already my second bottle, and for good reason. The scent exudes a stunning blend of elegance and sophistication, making it a standout in any collection. What I love most about this fragrance is how it balances the richness of oud with a polite, refined touch. It’s not overpowering or harsh; instead, it’s smooth and inviting. After the dry down, the rose notes shine through beautifully, adding a soft, luxurious dimension to the scent. In terms of performance, it’s exceptional! When I spray it on my clothes, it easily lasts 10+ hours. I always receive compliments whenever I wear it, which makes it even more special. If you’re considering this fragrance, I highly recommend it. Whether for formal occasions or special evenings, Oud & Spice is a masterpiece that deserves a spot in any fragrance lover’s collection.

Tried a few sprays of this on my arm today. For the first 2 hours it was literally the smell of a bonfire for me, maybe a bonfire with some resinous wood burning on it. Not unpleasant, but still not convinced it's something I want to smell of - perhaps if my house smelled like this it would be ok but not sure about skin. After a few hours the smoke is still there but now there's rose or raspberry coming through and it seems more wear able. A little like the smell of a floral insence. If it was cheap I would grab it as an unusual option to wear but I could not justify the high price. Definitely not a blind buy!

I love this one. It starts out very similar as Ombre Nomade, which I also love, but then softens and quiets down into something else. As it dries down it gets close to the skin and you catch whiffs that remind you of Sauvage Elixir, but only briefly, before it turns into something else. I love Ombre Nomade, but it stays so powerful and potent which makes it hard for me to wear because other people around me don't really appreciate this fragrance. With Acqua Di Parma Oud & Spice I can still get my Ombre Nomade "fix" but in a more elegant, not so punchy, manner.