Oud & Musc

Typically @rbalkris is spot on in his assessments on perfume. He's my go to reviewer for getting a true assessment. However, either, at the time of his review, his nose was over worked (it happens) or his formulation is different, but this stuff here is fecal. Out of the whole oud lineup from Cartier, this one is a stinker. Oddly enough, I think the stank is coming from the musk and the oud only heightens it. Is this a bad fragrance? Not even at it's stinkiest. For me, it's the dry down that caused me to fall head over heels with this. I've had a sample set for ages and fluctuated between liking this the most or liking Oud & Oud the most. Now I have bottles of both and while O&O has won me over, the dry down (about 1hr) of this always brings me almost similar joy. But, getting there... Wow lol So, no knocks against @rbalkris, who, I believe, has the best collection on earth. And I say that objectively with no superlatives. But this STANK! Lol. In the end, this hobby can be akin to a rorschach test in which you see what you see. Or in our case, smell what we smell. *Shrugs* NOTE: This was acquired before O&O. O&O can very well be my last purchase. I'm content. Let's see! Lol

Everything that I disliked about Creed Royal Oud, is pleasantly absent from this scent. I want to like RO but the green notes throw the whole scent off track, and I find the whole experience to be much too sweet overall. Not a skanky or bright oud, but smooth and silky. Definitely a strong musk, not too sweet though a little on the floral side imo. Both are present throughout, its a fairly linear scent, which in this case im fine with. Once in a while I get a hint of a pharmaceutical scent, generic acetaminophen specifically. Very well done and wearable in cold weather, though certainly not for those that prefer trendier, crowd pleasing scents. This is pure class, for whatever its worth. I can't see anyone under 30 getting away with this one. Unisex 7.5/10

Cartier Oud & Musc isn’t a loud, smoky Middle Eastern oud, it’s a refined, silky interpretation where clean white musk wraps around a smooth, slightly woody oud. The result is airy, luxurious, and incredibly classy. It smells expensive without trying too hard. Soft, skin-like, and intimate, yet unmistakably niche in character. The oud here is polished and modern, never animalic, making it very wearable even for those who usually avoid heavy oud fragrances. Projection is moderate, but the longevity is excellent. It lingers beautifully on clothes and skin for hours. Perfect for formal settings, evening wear, or when you want to smell sophisticated without being overpowering. A wonderful creation by Mathilde Laurent.

I have Oud & Santal, Oud & Musc and Oud & Ambre. I love them all so it is very hard for me to be biased against any of them. It is a lovely Fragrance, the projection and performance is better than Oud and Santal but I would wear Oud and Ambre for winters more than this. The dry down of this fragrance has a soapy smell to me, but I somehow love it. I got women compliments on it and I feel confident wearing this or Oud and Ambre to be honest. Oud and Santal has the most amazing smell but I can barely smell it after an hour unfortunately.

Update: I’ve been finding myself craving this, a lot, lately. So much so that I’ve been liberally spraying this on before bed. I wore this out the other day and, to my vindication, a FEW (3-4) people moved away from me. Which is a first in all my years of wearing fragrance. This being in its early phase. Later in the day, no one batted an eye. Albeit, i noticed a few deeply inhale. No doubt trying to determine if the scent was friend or foe lol So, yeah, it’s an acquired taste.