Harrods Swarovski Limited Edition

One word...amazing. It is no wonder that the few reviews of this I have read are so positive. This starts with a powerful blast of wood, oud but marked with a little bit of sweet green, probably the vetiver and there is something a little bit sour here too. Not a lemony sour or a milk sour, but something sour I can't put my finger on. Is this the oud or the vetiver? Whatever it is it adds a remarkable note to the opening and it stays throughout. Amber is noticeable and so is the myrrh adding a nice layer, but make no mistake, this is an oud fragrance, just uplifted with other notes that are done so well. Pepper adds just a touch of sharpness to balance out the sweet of the amber. Cumin adds a slight dirty note but I have to search to find it on me. The scent is rather linear after a brief opening. I have never been a big fan of vetiver, but the vetiver here adds nicely to the oud, a coupling that really, really works! This fragrance is indeed a rockstar. If there is a downside to this it is the longevity (or is my nose getting used to the smell when I wear it?). I get maybe four good hours and then it seems weak and I will have to admit, I freshened up the scent with a little spray to make it more apparent. I asked a co-worker what she thought of this one and her reply was simply, "ummm...that's a really good one!" It occured to me that this one shares a lot with Dior's Leather Oud. I may get slammed for this comparison, but I am wearing Harrod's Oud on my left wrist and Leather Oud on my right wrist right now (and I smell wonderful!) and I get a very similar vibe. Harrod's Oud is a bit more resiny and a bit greener, Leather Oud is more leathery and has that touch of animalic civet but both are oud heavy and both seem to share what I will call the same "fragrance space". Leather Oud seems to be more about oud wood and Harrod's seems to be a bit more about resin and oud. I may get slammed for this too, but I absolutely love both of these even if I see them as a bit redundant. If I were to choose one, I would go for Dior's Leather Oud for two reasons. First, LO lasts for a very long time and is very strong. I easily get 12 hours from it and it clings to clothes. I love the dirty edge of it. Bond's Harrod's Oud is equal as far as enjoyment but the longevity for me is not nearly as good as Dior's. Then there is the price. Harrod's Oud is certainly worth the price if you can get the plain bottle, not worth it for the blinged out bottle IMHO. Dior's Leather Oud is just plain cheap if you buy the 8.5 ounce bottle.

This is a truly interesting fragrance, one that I have chosen to be in my top 5 fragrance list. This oud has shown me yet another facet of its dynamic smell that is less offensive than the typical oud found in may popular fragrances. I couldn't put my finger on what I enjoyed the most about this one, but now I'm starting to realize that to me, this fragrance has a gourmand like quality to it. It has a hint of a blue cheese accord from the type of oud thats used, which confirms the quality of this fragrance. At first application this fragrance may come off as smelling like motor oil if applied too generously, that eventual calms and develops into a beautiful composition with a smooth and pleasant oud smell which has a light, smooth smokiness. A little spice is in play from the pepper and saffron, and a very slight sweet undertone compliments it all. The oud is definitely the star of the show here, and it shines beautifully. Its far from being a offensive fragrance, but its not a truly safe for everything and everyone kind of fragrance either. I would still wear this in any season. Longevity is around 7-10 hours for me and the performance is average. This juice is a masterpiece! Some say it smells like Tom Ford's Oud Wood and I can see where the comparison is made, but It's not exactly like Tom Fords's Oud Wood, it's more like a upgrade, although I would definitely own both of them. I've tried them side by side, they are two different fragrances that share a slight 25% -30% similarity in the beginning, then after about 15 minutes they both go down their own separate paths, and this percentage declines from there on. Definitely worth a try if you can find it. 10/10 Quality 10/10 Smell 8/10 Longevity 7.5/10 Sillage Overall rating: 10/10

Oh my, i want to bade in this one! This is a heavenly oud in a bottle!!! I bought this one blind on Ebay and i must say that this is my first blind buy that is really fantastic! For me it is a mix of Pure Oud By Kilian and Savane Oud by Torre of Tuscany. Both already in my wardrobe and this delicious poison complements them very well! It smells good on me (woman) but on my father aswell!! I can recommend it to other oud/ leather/ spicy lovers! Big thumbs up!!

One of the best Bond no 9 scents available. I cannot add any more after my predecessors have summed up this scent so well...

Harrods oud has similarity with tom ford oud wood but without the vanilla, more dry, more smoky and better performance. Both have never been my favourites but i think harrods oud shows a little better quality although i think oud wood is easier to wear. Harrods oud has something special but at the same time it is pretty linear. This smells like some kind of industrial, thick plastic packaging, (especially when sniffed directly from the wrist) almost dusty, in a good way. I never get animalistic barnyard where some speak of. There's very little sweetness in this and it comes forward pretty late, just a touch. That's why for me the best part is the drydown. This is quite a safe, dry, "fresh" oud scent with ambery smokiness and very subtle sweetness. I do not like the house of bond in general but this one steps away from their usual annoying bond dna and that,s why i can appreciate harrods oud. I like it but for me also a little bit to "avant garde".