Midnight Special

Going to be forward here, this is one of my favorite scents, but I'll try to be nuanced (Update: I failed and started glazing). I have smelled Armani's Rose d' arabie, its beautiful, but I've smelled better. My brother has MFKs Oud Satin Mood, its lovely, but I've smelled better. And the reason I've smelled better is because I smelled this. This is a scent that sort of ruined Rose-ouds because it really set the bar (this and Ombre Nomad). It is so sensual, and each element of this plays its part really well. The blending is really good, and this wears so smooth. The grapefruit is tart, and mixes well without making this too fruity. The cinnamon floats around and brings a bit of spice here and there and that might be the X factor here. This scent elevates your mood in a deep way that is difficult to describe. Its a romantic burgundy haze. It will make you feel like a hopeful protagonist in an Italian Noir film - A person with deep responsibility, who is determined despite the compromised world they trudge through. If you're a serial asshole, this scent might heal you and turn you into Mr.Right. If you have smelled Oud Satin Mood, Midnight Special is pretty close, and I wouldn't be surprised if OSM was the basis for what Midnight Special was supposed to be. To me OSM is the lazy, sedated version of Midnight Special. Midnight Special is much more sure of itself, and flexes a lot more, all while never ever trying to impress you (but you will be impressed). It has great projection and fills a room. It will project for 7+ hrs. Skin scent for 14+hrs. This scent gets added to the list of those very special fragrances that are dark, sensual, timeless, beautifully bold, and gorgeously masculine. It stands with Tuscan Leather, Ombre Nomad, and Noir de Noir. If all of those scents had spectacularly lavish, towering mansions on one block, Midnight Special would be the 4th house up from the cul-de-sac. A home not as lavish as the others, but properly groomed, and humbly designed. All of the other houses would come to Midnight Special for advice regarding their problems. Midnight special is modest and considerate with accomplishments that could justify being as pompous as the others, but MS chooses to stay grounded. If you are not a fan of those dark scents, then I don't know that you could appreciate this scent, and that's the fragrance world for all of us. And if you love this scent then prepare to have your wallet spanked by both retailers and discounters as pricing is crazy. I apologize for just talking about feelings, but scents that are the best of the best will always skip your nose and move right to your heart. They make you blab about feelings when you try to talk objectively.

On the initial spray of Midnight Special you get a blend of Roses that smell very authentic. Also, within the scent profiles of those Rose notes you get nuances of a dark berry jam, as well as bright Citruses. Blended within that Rose combo you get subtle hints of Black Pepper, Cinnamon, & Saffron. The spices are not very loud but you can still smell them, with Saffron being the dominant spice.. The fragrance quickly begins to sweeten up with Vanilla. But not to a point where it becomes a Rose Gourmand like MFK Oud Satin Mood Extrait. Midnight Special remains Rosey & moderately sweet from Vanilla, while lending subtle earthy green nuances from Patchouli on top of a soft almost Sandalwood/Cedar-like Agarwood base. As the fragrance goes deeper into its base you're left with a beautiful skin scent that smells of a sweet dark fruit jam-like rose, & Saffron. The Saffron at this stage smells mildly Leathery. And that combination of Jammy Rose & Leathery Saffron smells like Prunes with a very subtle spice from Cinnamon. This fragrance is VERY sexy. Its a dark & mysterious fragrance suitable of its name. It smells like luxury. Its the second highest complimented fragrance in my entire collection, with Roja Parfums Amber Aoud being the first. When I wear Midnight Special I almost always receive compliments, or I'm followed & flirted with. Fellas, if you're secure enough in your masculinity to wear Rose Based fragrances this is the one. But be warned. Your wife or girlfriend isn't going to allow you to wear this one out alone lol.

The oud/rose combo has been done a million times, I myself have 8 bottles from different designers, but this one I admit is "special". Maybe its the addition of grapefruit, but this one is cold and aloof. Rose and oud usually conjures up feelings of warmth and intimacy, but here it is coated in a clear hard glossy veneer. There a metallic sheen to this that makes this feel impersonal, professional and distant. The overall effect, is stunning and unlike any oud/rose scent I've experienced (and I've tried a lot). I describe this is classic and extraordinarily chic, just don't get too attached or emotional about this one, It's just not that kind of scent. It possesses a beauty that meant to be appreciated from a distance.

Arabic Rose Syrup. Sweet, syrupy rose. Orientalized with warm saffron and a touch of oudy incensy woodiness. Warm, sweet, rosey, Arabic, oudy, incensy. It really smells very luxurious! This a wonderful Arabic scent. Smells like a middle aged Arabic princess on Eid..or so I would imagine. It reminds me a lot of Aramni's Prive icon Rose d'Arabie: sweet Arabic rosey scent. I find Midnight Special to remain sweeter while RdA's sweetness dials down rather fast without disappearing completely. This make Midnight Special the more feminine of the 2 but still unisex. This was not on to-test list but it goes straight to my want list. A mature cool weather wear, unisex but leans feminine with it's sweet rose. "Love".

Super interesting woody Oriental which is a modern update of the traditional Rose Oud. The perfume opens with aromatic notes of cinnamon, pepper, saffron and grapefruit before slowly revealing the rose heart. The perfume dries into a powdery bed of Hindi (non skanky) Oud surrounded by patchouli and vanilla. The unisex perfume is earthy, sensual and modern and has very good projection and longevity. Absolutely not unique, but there is something sexy, sleek and adventurous about this offering that makes it easy to love and reach for. Enjoy!

Oud and rose has been done plenty of times but not in this manner and that's what makes this 'special'. A beautiful Turkish rose absolute paired with rose & grapefruit jam accord along with spices like cinnamon, black pepper and vanilla as well as a lovely oud accord (no real oud as far as I know) and patchouli. Lovely deep and sensual scent perfect for cold winter nights. Great longevity as well. Definitely need this in my collection. Rest In Perfume Paradise Olivier Pescheux 💐

If I were in a different tax bracket, this might be my signature scent. It reminds me a lot of Delina or Atomic Rose, with sparkly top notes that give way to a sumptuously rich and jammy rose, but with less sweetness throughout. If Delina is is a perky 26 year old with great hair who loves getting dressed up and going dancing with her friends, Midnight Special is her sophisticated older sister who prefers the champagne bar down the street.

this is one of the most beautiful perfumes on the planet. the transition from the opening saffron/oud to vanilla/patrouli is world class, guided all the while by cinnamon and a touch of grapefruit jelly. exquisite. regarding the below review, as a man I think Midnight Special is the more masculine choice, whether it be compared to Armani prive Rose d'Arabie or MFK Silk Mood. I prefer Midnight Special to both.10/10 perfection in a bottle.

Wow! For the first time in a long time I stopped a man to ask what he was wearing. This fragrance is sublime and as he walked ahead of me I was caught in the most heavenly scent trail. I was reminded of the rose note in Majda Bekkali’s Mon nom Est Rouge, it’s definitely no ordinary rose and certainly not the standard rose oud offering. Now if I can only get my hands on it...

This is absolutely stunning. It is jammy rose with some fruitiness scent mostly. It also has saffron and oud, but it is well-blended and not animalic at all. I highly recommend this rather than mediocre rose-oud-vanilla scent: Venenum Kiss by Ex Nihilo.

I don’t get a ton of oud on this, but it’s a wonderful spicy rose patchouli combo. A touch of sweetness, but the vanilla is not overpowering. My favourite of the line. 10/10

The perfect oud, saffron and rose perfume

The pyramid does not reflect this fragrance accurately. Looking at it, I expected a woody rose with vanilla backbone. What I get in the first hour smells like very sugary candy mixed with oud and rubbery saffron. Roja has fragrances like Sweetie Oud and Candy Oud...and Midnight Special smells the way I thought those would smell. So I was rather let-down by Roja. Here though, I get no patchouly, pepper, no vanilla at all, as I do not find this perfume even remotely creamy. Considering it’s an oud perfume and it’s so incredibly sweet, reminding me of pink cotton candy for hours before it becomes more of a jammy rose, it’s very wearable. The pyramid is almost certainly missing some type of fruit note. An unexpected but beautiful fragrance. Stay away if you don’t like sweet.

Opens dark and fruity. Leathery saffron develops. The saffron is my favorite part of the perfume. As the other reviewers said, it definitely does smell like dates, and maybe even prunes. Noticeable patchouli. The oud is just okay. Grapefruit adds bitterness. Fragrance seems more feminine than masculine, and more appropriate at night than during the day. Cold weather scent. Overall, it's nice, but not my favorite. 7/10.

It’s very strongly a rose scent on me. It’s a juicy sweet rose. It smells exactly like like The Body Shop’s British Rose fragrance but a little more sophisticated. When it starts to dry down, I get the subtle agarwood and a little bit of the patchouli, but the rose is still the strongest note.

Q80 is quite right; it's a pretty saffron-rose dipped in tangy-sweet grapefruit syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon-oud dust, together you get a plummy date-like smell.

This is just... way too much for me. I liked it in the store, grabbed a sample, and realized I was stuck with this scent for the next 10 hours lol. Beast of a fragrance with excellent performance. If you like this genre of fragrance then you will love Midnight Special, but definitely don’t wear it around food because it’s all you’re going to taste. 😟

Whatever oud there is in here is the same synthetic stuff that is in everything these days. It's a fruity floral oud like many others on the market.

First, thank you to the late, creative perfumer Oliver Pescheux. I've never tried a perfume of his that didn't leave a profound and unusual mark. He was a perfumer who was never satisfied with the ordinary, leaving a profound legacy and impact on the hearts of his fans. This perfume is an unconventional masterpiece because the combination of rose, oud, and patchouli is unlike any other conventional perfume. He created a fragrance that embodies mystery and beautiful, dreamy nights. It's a difficult fragrance with its blend of saffron, Turkish rose, and Bulgari rose, along with oud, with a touch of vanilla that makes it somewhat muted and calm. But the artistry in the fragrance combination is revealed when the calm begins. How wonderful is that calm, which makes you admire yourself and what you're wearing, and boast that you're wearing something no one else has? Don't ask me about the scent, because the scent is excellent. Don't ask me about the longavity, because the longavity is explosive. Don't ask me about the compliments, because everyone who smells your scent will realize that you're wearing something precious, expensive, and luxurious. A perfume worth owning, and my rating for it 10/10

A big gun here. Rose, wood, oud, black pepper and a very earthy and sexy patchouly. Black tie elegance, long black dress with stilettos. THIS IS NOT SWEET...it is not a sexy vanillic kitty type of fragrance this is a rose patchouly bomb... feline...but more like a tiger or a lioness. Do not blind buy. This is serious stuff. EDIT: There are many oud rose scents similar to this, after I got the drydown I realized this is essentially an arabic rose oud combo. It is very expensive but some cheapies from arabic houses can feel similarly rich and enticing for example Al Sharquia from Al rehab. That oil hits the same spots as this uber expensive ex Nihilo scent. Not the same but same concept and very close in quality. Jo Malone Roses and oud is also very very similar but of course, expensive.