Essence No. 4 Oud

I must concur with MarkoPeeko who mentioned the vetiver comparison. I too detect vetiver. Perhaps there are some types of oud that activate the same olfactory receptors as vetiver. Essence No. 4 Oud Isn’t the oud I was expecting or wanting, but as it so happens, it is the type of oud I need. It is slightly medicinal and rubbery with a birch bark tar aura yet manages to feel fresh and light. It doesn’t feel loud and the silage is respectable. Or so I thought but an hour after just two sprays, my partner came home and immediately on entering the room said, “Whats that smell!? You smell like a rich Arab. Can I have it!?” It is an interesting and classy scent that I think will go well in any environment, be it at work or play, summer or winter, day or night. And I believe it would take on a different personality in each scenario. Speaking of which, the scent does seem to subtly and effortlessly evolve after application. It quietly screams quality in a way that is self assuredly assertive. The bottle comes in a nice if somewhat superfluous little black velvet bag that I suppose might serve a purpose to protect the bottle if wanting to carry the perfume in a briefcase or weekend bag. The box is also black and on the back it says: “An infinite variation around a black monochrome, a tribute to the mystery and nobleness of oud wood”. There is well known myth that artists won’t paint with pure black pigment. John Singer Sargent and Claude Monet used to go out and paint together. One day, Sargent had left his paints behind and asked Monet to lend him his to work with. “Where’s the black?” asked Sargent. “I don’t allow myself to use black,” replied Monet. “It’s against the impressionist theory. In nature, all colours are made by mixing.” Sargent refused to understand how anyone could paint without black. Personally, I’m on the side of Monet. To me, black is too absolute, it is devoid of life. This perfume is anything but dead. It is very much alive. Whereas some perfumes are beautiful yet synthetic, Oud Essence No.4 is beautiful in a seemingly natural way. If Oud Essence no.4 is black, then it is more a sensation of black made from multiple hues and depth. It is not so much a black void filled with nothingness, but rather a deep alchemical cauldron where the miracle of new life is formed. I might even buy a backup bottle. And for someone that has many dozens of different perfumes, that is indeed a rarity.

Stunning fragrance, signed by Francis Kurkdjian. This fragrance is completely oud-focused. One can spot several expression of oud, typical of the multi-faceted laotian oud that has been used here. (considered by many as the most interesting oud, the reason why F. Kurkdjian uses it for his creations at MFK - together with aromachemicals, let's not be blind -, as well as Guerlain in their higher-end fragrances) It starts with a very medicinal/balsamic oud scent, very vegetal and minty. It is nearly astringent (probably the benzoin), and to be honest, I was worried about my blind-buy at this point. I have been reassured shortly after, when the green freshness and the mint both disappear, and the oud morphs into an asphalt/rubbery oud, and black pepper starts to show up, (only as a supporting note, not in-your-face). Then, the oud becomes pure heaven: it tames in terms of scent, but not in presence. It becomes (and will stay from now on) a beautiful dry woody but round oud, with hints of smoke (but not burnt). Hard to describe at this point, this is the smell of laotian oud, pure luxury-smelling bliss. I may suspect the presence of a very light rose, and a hint of saffron, but very subtle. Like other comments stated before, the notes in this fragrance help the oud to develop, but only as supporting actors. The oud is the main and only star here. Interms of performance, it's not a beast, but has a great projection in the first hour, then keeps having a moderate/good projection for the follwoing 5-6 hours (I kept sometimes smelling whiffs several hours on, without placing my nose on the skin). Longevity is overall average. The drydown shares some similarities with Santal n.8 of the same line, but the fragrance os Santal n.8 is the opposite: low projection and very long lasting. As of today, THIS is my best oud fragrance, and my favorite fragrance in my 50+ bottles collection. In the past, you would have gotten what you payed for ($250). Except in this case: you get much more than what you pay for, because at currently $55 for 3.4 oz at discounters, it's just the best steal ever!! Note: the pyramid is unaccurate. According to Francis Kurkdjian, this fragrance has been blended with the following oils: laotian oud, black pepper, cinnamon, cedar, sandalwood, and benzoin.

This fragrance does one thing and does it very, very, well - Oud. In fact, I would say that this is one of the best oud fragrances I've ever put my nose on. Elegant, smooth, and incredibly well blended. I was shocked when I heard that Francis Kurkdjian was the perfumer for the Elie Saab Essense line. The quality of no. 4 is amazing. This oud is not "skanky" or "barnyard" in the least. Nor is it overly medicinal. In short, it is almost perfectly balanced and opens with the slight boost of Pepper for the first 30 to 45 minutes. After this, the pepper diminishes and a barely detectable benzion appears to soften the edge. But the oud is the star of the show for the lifetime of the fragrance. Longevity is outstanding on my skin, with 4-5 sprays lasting 9+ hours. Projection is arms length for 3-4 hours, and this leaves a nice scent trail without being overpowering to those around you. Completely office safe, and I have received a number of compliments wearing this at work. I was actually pretty shocked, honestly. I wouldn't think twice about wearing this in any scenario - and that certainly isn't something that can be said about a lot of oud scents. This could certainly be worn by both sexes, but in my opinion leans masculine. If you've been wanting to get "into" an oud fragrance for the first time, but were hesitant because of the potential of getting an "offensive" scent or didn't want a rose/chocolate/etc blend - this is a perfect starting place. Full bottle worthy.

Много приятна изненада от покупка без тест. Първото ми впечатление от кутията беше за намек на ветивер, което за мен е ок, страхувах се от сладостта, която други усещат, защото очаквах сух натурален уд. Е, това и получих. Има кожен акорд, ще е супер кожено яке. Смолист и разкошен, стилен, присъствен без да крещи. Красота. Като жена, която обича също чисти и пудрени аромати, признавам си, че очарована и се радвам, че го купих. Имам още един шедьовър от тази колекция - туберозата. Ако обичате истински смолисто дърво, малко пушек, щипка черен пипер, това е за вас. Няма нищо излишно и нищо не липсва."A very pleasant surprise for a blind buy. My first impression from the box was a hint of vetiver, which is fine by me; I was afraid of the sweetness that others experience because I was expecting a dry, natural oud. Well, that is exactly what I got. It has every accord; it will go great with any leather jacket. Resinous and gorgeous, stylish, present without being loud. Beautiful. As a woman who also loves clean and powdery scents, I must admit I am enchanted and glad I bought it. I have another masterpiece from this collection – the tuberose. If you love true resinous wood, a bit of smoke, and a pinch of black pepper, this is for you. Nothing is redundant, and nothing is missing."

No. 4 opens soft smoky wood with a lightly medicinal smelling oud. As the smoke starts to fade off a hint of sweetness pokes through. This is a very smooth and well blended fragrance. I really love it. No. 4 smells like a softer, smoother version of Acqua di Parma Oud. But, due to No. 4s light and airy feel it reminds me of Tom Ford Oud Wood or MFK Oud. It's not an exact smell as those mentioned, but they would definitely be grouped together in the same category of light airy fresh Western oud fragrances. I've worn this now in NYC (75° to 90°) and it hasn't lasted for more than a few hours. Maybe, I've been nose blind to it, or it has just vanished after a couple hours. Each time I've varied the amount of sprays. Each time I've worn No. 4 for the first hour the silage to me is amazing. I am enjoying this immensely, and look forward to wearing it more especially as the weather cools off a bit this fall. Underrated fragrance for sure I eventually sold this because it did not last on me. If it had longevity it would have been a keeper.