Nebulous

Honestly, if you think that Malle's Al Layl was too hardcore do not even look at this. Put aside hopes of golden strands of saffron, promises of sweet rose delights, the delicacy of violet or even the warm embrace of oriental amber until hours into the dry down or even the next day. But I doubt that most casual oud lovers would even have the stamina to reach that stage. What we have here is a bona fide assault of Cambodi/Hindi oud that combines all the smells you could encounter if you were to spend a weekend on a farm in the middle of nowhere. There are moist and dark moldy aspects, fecal and feral animalics and even a selection of ripe Limburger cheese will tantalise your senses - and initially there is literally nothing at all that would tame the oudian onslaught. There is a sexiness about this that would escape all but the most serious oud heads - and it's those that would happily embark on a pilgrimage to Harrods and ravage their bank account to the tune of £1250 for a bottle that would make a pair of stinky socks appear a cheap and readily available olfactory delight, whilst most mortals would assume rigor mortis or turn away in horror holding their heads in their hands. When I woke up in the morning Nebulous had dried down into a wonderfully fresh-spicy woody-animalic scent as eventually the rest of the combo was allowed on stage. But make no mistake, this juice is more uncompromisingly oudy than the Malle (and less flashy) and is definitely more challenging than, say, for example, Ys Uzac's Oud Ankaa, which is more like the dusty and dry woody darkness you'd imagine to emanate from a Pharaoh's tomb. It's nothing at all like the sweetly safe Roja gum resins, the homeopathic oud dosages of the likes of Xerjoff or the innocent spicy nichey samey rose ouds. Nebulous is definitely worth a try if one is up for a challenge. I felt so sorry for the guys in the overcrowded subway last night :-)

This is a stunning Rose-oud by BTV and probably the best on the market. It's very addictive and masterfully blended by Provenzano. If you don't enjoy really wild and stinky ouds then this might suit you as I feel it is a bit more palatable compared to some of it's counterparts and therefore may suit western noses a bit more, especially as it settles down after it's opening blast. Let's put it this way, you can at least go out in public with this on whereas it would be a risk wearing say..Oud Damascena by Katana for example which is really pungent. It does unfortunately have outrageous pricing which has grown in recent years. The price of this perfume currently is £1500, only two years ago it was £1300. The greed of perfume houses knows no bounds it seems. Let's address the notes list which Fragrantica never seem to get right: Top notes: Saffron, Pink Pepper, Cinnamon, Raspberry, Aniseed. Heart Notes: Violet, Rose, Geranium, Indian Tuberose. Base Notes: Musk, Amber, Oud, Cypriol, Sandalwood, Benzoin, Cistus Labdamum, Vanilla. As a final note, the alternative for his perfume is to buy Octavian by Electimuss. It's the same perfumer - Christian Provenzano. It's basically a lower budget version with perhaps more synthetics but still very good in it's own right.

I’ve had Nebulous for about two and a half years now and every time I wear it, I’m reminded why I fell so hard for it. One spray on my wrist and it erupts into full BEAST mode: this dense, woody‐musky‐animalic cloud that feels like stepping straight into a dark, velvety heaven. Among rose‐oud powerhouses, Nebulous doesn’t just compete; it obliterates most of them. And with rumours of a 40%+ oil concentration floating around, it honestly wouldn’t surprise me. It behaves like an extrait on steroids. That first spray is unforgettable: a sharp, gorgeous burst of rose and saffron that hits instantly, followed by the ouds rolling in like a warm, resinous tide. Hours later, 13 and counting, it melts into the most divine skin scent. The drydown is most euphoric, almost intoxicating, with amber and musk weaving together in this sensual, lingering hum that feels like it’s part of your own skin. Yes, it’s pricey. Painfully so. But we only get one life and sometimes a little indulgence is exactly what the soul needs. If you can swing it, Nebulous is one of those rare luxuries that genuinely feels worth the splurge. And trust me, one spray is all you need. This bottle might outlive your Tinder or Grindr hookups - sorry, pun intended.

This short review is based on a few wearings but being such an incisive fragrance I don't think you need months. I didn't buy the bottle just because of the price , around $1400. The fragrance is one of the best if not the best oud-rose combo I've even put my nose upon. It's start pretty harsh & skanky but after about 30-45 min is starts to settle down. And when I say starts I really mean starts because this settles for hours. The best part of it only start after 3-4h and goes way beyond the 12h mark. The dry down is superb and insatiable. It's a combo of leathery rose and oud kept middle eastern but pleasant. Now, comparisons. I like this way better than The Night and I need to put my nose on Electimuss Octavian (also done by Provenzano) as it's the only one I can afford from the bunch of similar DNA's. If this would be around the 300-400 mark I would get it in a heartbeat and settle for my need of oud rose. This needs to be smelled with patience to be understood but as it's such a rewarding fragrance after the initial "battle".

This is currently my favorite perfume in my collection. As a couple others have mentioned, the opening on this can be rough. The official notes mark it as saffron, but I don't smell that on card nor on skin. In the first 15-20 minutes, I smell strong animalic oud. It veers close to a fecal scent. However, once the opening dies down, the perfume is the pinnacle of rose/ouds. Nebulous conjures feelings of a dark night, but at the same time provides a comforting warmth, maybe from some residual saffron that lingers into the heart and base. This is one of those perfumes that has the power to cheer me up regardless of my mood that day. I know the price on this is prohibitive to many folks, but many consider performance when purchasing expensive perfumes. This fragrance will last forever. I can smell this on myself well beyond 12 hours, and I have received comments from my SO the next day after spraying.