Oud Malaki

There is an awful lot to like here. Oud Malaki (which basically translates to "Oud Happy") in Arabic, is a creamy, very refined oud fragrance of a refinement level and class that sits well above its price point of US$50-60, in my view. The bottle is a pleasingly heavy glass cylinder with a really fine metal magnetic cap that feels very premium. The atomiser is really good quality as well. On opening you get a grapefruity, slightly floral burst that frames the mainstay heart and base. It is almost like a fresh, fleeting cue for a rich and creamy mid and woody base; like a zesty introduction. It fades very quickly and the heart accords step front and centre. There are spices, a wonderfully rich tobacco and some polished, refined leather as well. The tobacco isn't smoky but has almost a pipe tobacco feel, and the leather is old and worn like a saddle from a really fine stable. I don't see any amber in this but there is a rich, slightly musky creaminess here that comes from the blending rather than a specific accord. It isn't sweet but it kind of suggests a brown sugary sweetness. The oud is supposed to be star of the show but it isn't aggressive or strident. It is whatever the opposite of sour, animalic oud is. It sits against the rich mids in very pleasing unison because there is no one accord that juts out or stands above the rest. This is one of those fragrances that is good because of how well blended it is; where the accords work together to make it more than the sum of its olfactory constituents. It is smoother and less intense than Mr Sam and I can certainly see the comparisons with the OF Halfeti as well, although the latter is certainly spicier and has a much more insistent amber in it than Oud Malaki doesn't have. Sillage is modest and restrained and it is a gorgeous, sensual, even erotic skin scent from the moment you put it on. I get eight hours on the skin from this one. It isn't a very strong or projecting scent but it does last, only quite close to the skin in a quietly assured way. As hyper-refined office scents go, Oud Malaki is absolutely magnificent but it is relaxed and friendly enough to wear casually as well. Interestingly, it has the classy chops to wear in formal settings as well if you are a bit more liberal on the nozzle. Oud isn't known for being this wearable and versatile. For a scent with this DNA, that Chopard themselves say is only for men, I do think it is creamy and soft enough for a woman to really rock this because the leather and tobacco in it are sweet almost, very restrained and not at all masculine. Not all the Malaki series are considered to be masculine only, but whilst Leather Malaki is undeniably masculine, I do think this is unisex. I'd go as far as saying that Oud Malaki is an oud fragrance people who don't know oud or enjoy oud. Although in fairness, I love oud and it is my all time favourite fragrance note and I really love Oud Malaki. Maybe it is a safer, crowd pleasing oud for days when you don't want something that brings the heavy oud energy. We all have days like that, right? There is a lack of pretence here that is very appealing to me. Oud Malaki isn't emotional or evocative really and it isn't telling a story or selling me and those around me a dream. What it is, is niche quality blending in a very refined and unchallenging package that smells about as mass-appealing as any oud fragrance possibly could. I do not know anyone who wouldn't like this. I've actually gone out and bought five (yes really) more bottles of this to give to my two brothers and my Dad in London, my best mate and a buddy of mine in Rotterdam who comes to Dubai a lot and who asked me to recommend him some "starter oud fragrances" that I think he will enjoy. That tells you all you need to know about this one. Three Word Summary - Oud For All (and all for oud!) Scent - 9/10 Sillage - 6/10 Drydown - 7/10 Bottle/packaging - 8/10 Performance - 7/10 37/50

Hi fragheads; This is a very pleasant and beautiful scent, although it's a bit old (2012) it feels like it is timeless. I tend to think that this is the predecessor to the current black incense malaki. Anyway, let's get right into it. Although this fragrance is aimed at men, it is still a unisex perfume. This is most suitable with a middle-eastern complexion (olive skin i think its called), imo this suits men / women 35+ its an elegant fragrance, so it requires some fashion to it, smart casual, semi formal, formal works best, casual stuff do work, but not the usual casual if you know what i mean (this is a unique scent in its own merits). (shorts and tshirts is a big NO) but a nice jeans with boots and a good cardigan or leather jacket is a WOW. its a winter/fall perfume ~ evening/night (for best results) (but yet you can still pull it off in the day); for summer it is possible to wear it if you live in a hot humid environment, like the arabian gulf. humidity is it's friend ;) Classy, calm, intriguing and sensual (that's how i would describe it). Although they don't mention it to be sweet, it is definitely sweet (not cloying or syrup type of thing) sweet in a very elegant and classy way, and the spiciness that comes along with it is just mesmerizing. (it says here that it is fresh spicy, i actually don't agree!! i find it warm spicy really) it has an intriguing and a mysterious fruity note (that smells like mango peach combo) but in the faar faar end, perhaps that the effect of grapefruit mixed with lavender. the opening of the perfume is strong but settles down within 20 minutes; the opening is sweet "fruity" and spicy. mid stage becomes quiet, elegant, well rounded and harmonious but with some power (it has a presence really) and this perfume demands respect; the mid stage is still sweet but a notch less than the opening and it is about spices and tobacco mainly and a little tiny hint of ambergris and leather that doesnt become offending to those who dont like leathery perfumes. I can NOT smell oud anywhere (real or classic oud) but rather an extremely refined oud version that suits the western nose (it is so refined that it is anything but oud if you know what i mean). Mid stage stays with some good projection and sillage of around 2-3 meters for 4-6 hours on skin. And then the end stage, here it is like a new mid stage that is more about the ambergris as it is quite there but what a beautiful deep and sensual note it becomes, spiciness is there in the far end and leather is almost out of reach, just a slight whiff, it is more ambery than woody at the end, but you could say it is woody because it is deep and warm, it is very close to you at this stage, could be smelled from an arm length or so away and it stays there for around 5-7 hours (but it is fainter when reaching a total of 10 hours+). RATING: Sillage: 8/10 (in the first 4-6 hrs 9/10 then 6-9 hrs 7/10) Projection: 8/10 (same as sillage) longevity: 8.5/10 (7 sprits on skin stays for 12+ hours) uniqueness: 8/10 versatility: 5/10 (cold humid weather is amazing for this) price: 6/10 (~140$) i got an amazing deal from a source on this for 30$ original, while debenhams and tryano sell it for around 140$) considering it is old, it should be sold for around 80$ tops. Performance: 8.5/10 overall rating: 8.5/10 Enjoy :)

Stay with me here. This isn’t one of those quick, punchy reviews where I get straight to the point. No, this is one of those long-winded, meandering breakdowns, like when you’re searching for a simple recipe online and end up learning way too much about the blogger’s Aunt Fran, her childhood in Vermont, and how she discovered the magic of saffron on a backpacking trip through Spain. To get to this fragrance was a journey that started with me feeling like I took a major L and ended up taking a major W. Fragrance journeys are like bad relationships; you start with high hopes, ignore the red flags, and convince yourself it’ll work out. That was me with Penhaligan's Halfetti. I trusted Cal Cologne. His reviews are honest and usually hit the mark, so when I found out it was his favorite fragrance I blind bought it, thinking I was in for something special. I was wrong. Instead of a creamy, luxurious scent, I got something... off. It had this sour note that I felt made me smell like a cat pissed on me. I kept trying, hoping it would grow on me. It didn’t. And the final nail in the coffin? My girlfriend took one whiff and said it made her want to throw up. So I cut my losses. I let it go. And yeah, I was disappointed...not just in the purchase, but in Cal. But then he reviewed Oud Malaki by Chopard and totally redeemed himself. It’s everything I wanted Halfetti to be. Rich, unique, intriguing, and with a creamy smoothness that becomes more prevalent in the dry down and without the weird sourness that made me self-conscious every time I wore it. It’s refined, classy, gets compliments, and unlike Halfetti, for me, actually works. If you're familiar with Penhaligans this off the rip smells like Mr. Sam and lands somewhere in between Mr. Sam and Halfeti only it has all of the good parts of each of them and none of the bad. Oud Malaki is a winner and to sum it up a great fragrance: Great smell, great value, great projection, great performance, great at pulling compliments.. this stuff just makes me happy. Also, shoutout to Bloomingdales for allowing me to return / exchange the cologne I didn't like after opening it and for their great customer service.

There is underrated and then there is UNDERRATED!!!!!!! Oud Malaki is easy to overlook or even underestimate, but as an oud based fragrance Chopard's Oud Malaki is a rich and original take on oud and tobacco, that earns its' praise and deserves more hype. The opening of Oud Malaki is sweet and spicy, but not in that typical sense of most woody spicy fragrances. With Oud malaki we get a good dose of oud, and it isn't hidden or tamed, it is framed by tobacco and spices. There is almost a dusty effect to this mix of notes and its really fantastic. After the opening subsides we get a bit of salty freshness with the grapefruit and ambergris. The arrival of these two notes gives the scent another dimension breaking up the dusty element and giving the scent a pulse of freshness. The dark woodsy notes and leather eventually enter the fold and add this time a layer of richness to Oud Malaki. Finally, Oud Malaki ends on a retro vibe and an herbaceous touch of class with a bit of lavender and artemisia. The note separation is remarkable with this fragrance and the Chopard quality is very apparent. Oud Malaki is not an in your face oud scent. Nor is it a rich tobacco scent. What you actually get with Oud Malaki is balance and versatility. This fragrance is well put together, this isn't a composition of a slap you across the face explosion of one or two notes, there is instead progression and variety that is unveiled to the wearer. Oud malaki is clearly a cold weather performer and slays under a sweater, scarf or heavy coat. OM is very long lasting so easy on the trigger. OM can dress up or dress down, so you can use this fragrance casually or formally. This is a real pleasure to wear so keep it out of the office and share it with those you hold dear. Give Oud Malaki a spray when you want to feel seductive and regal against a strong fall or winter breeze.

UPDATE: Earlier in 2020, I gave my initial thoughts on this fragrance. Here are my thoughts after some wear and time... I still really enjoy this one. I liked it at first but it keeps growing on me. The tobacco and woody notes are immediately evident, with more spice and oud making themselves known 5-10 minutes after spraying. I personally find this to be a very smooth fragrance. The tobacco and spices are somewhat held back in the sense that I dont get any piercing projection of spices, rather a smooth and even slightly creamy profile. Moving into the mid, the notes continue blending together beautifully with the oud and tobacco having similar strength and projection, as the spices continue fading. Into the dry down, the "ambergris" (smells like a slightly dirtier take on ambroxan) and leather come through, but always as supporting players. Now, the reason I am revisiting this is that I have recently heard a few people talk about the slightly animalic edge, especially through the mid and dry down. Fragrantica also has this facet listed with decent prominence, but we all know that this u is often not a great way to describe a fragrance. Any how, I personally do not understand this description much as all. I never really get anything that I would describe as animalic. Maybe you could stretch and say the leather and "ambergris" provide a slight animalic edge, but i dont really smell this facet either. For the majority of the fragrance. I get a smooth and creamy combo of the notes I described above with an ever so slight hint of sweetness going along with the other notes. All in all, I still very ,much enjoy this fragrance. Scent: 8.5/10 Projection: 6.5/10 Longevity: 7.5/10 Sillage: 8.5/10 Overall: 8.5/10 (projection, longevity, and sillage are all above average and have little weight on my score)