Oud Vendome

I recently purchased the personalised version of this (infused with iris) on a visit to Harrods' Salon de Parfums. All I can say is wow! I don't especially love Oud Vendome on it's own (just a run of the mill, nicely refined oud fragrance) but with the welcome addition of the iris note, a tremendous amount of the otherwise rarely smelt notes come to the fore, with the oud melting into the background. I was initially disappointed that, on dry down, the iris seemed to disappear. Not the case I am glad to report. Opens with wonderful iris and saffron only to be taken over by a truly exquisite cedar note as it starts to dry down. Throw a very fine and subtly blended musk into the mix and you have a real winner in my opinion. The oud is subtle, refined and not at all barnyard which means that I am even able to wear this to the office. The musk, as previously mentioned, is a truly classy musk, very subtle and suitable for all occasions. As I mentioned, on the first couple of applications, I was initially disappointed that the iris seemed to be taken over during the dry down but it's a real stayer. Keep getting the most delectable whiffs during the day even as much as 10hrs in. I normally struggle with a lot of non beast mode fragrances' performance on my skin but this stuff is the real deal and I have been getting compliments. Also really love Fleur Narcotique from this house. This was my first experience with this house and I can say that while massively overpriced, compared to some of the near joke level performance of some fragrances I have (By Kilian especially) this stuff is the real deal. It's overpriced like I say, but this is the first time I have spent that sort of money on a fragrance and had absolutely no complaints. Great longevity and projection with lovely, soft sillage that oozes class. A truly great fragrance (iris personalisation only, ambivalent about normal oud vendome tbh) and I will surely be back for more from this house. This is a staple for me and can mix it with the very best in my collection. In summary, if money is no object and you are looking for a new fragrance to use in very select situations, I can strongly recommend the iris infused Oud Vendome.

i have a tiny sample vial of this. upon first spray to both wrist i said out loud "well hell i don't like this at all why did i spray so much !". that initial blast almost had a natural gas weirdness to my nose -- you know, that sour odor added to natural gas to warn people of a leak ? but within mere minutes, not long at all, that faded completely and i had a very quick about face. i ADORE oud vendome !!!!! for me it is primarily an incense and musk pas de deux, but i don't get the typical stank oud and musk *can* provide, but rather a non-sugary sweetness that brilliantly melts into the skin. galbanum is also one of my very favorite notes, keeping things just a bit green, and the saffron and ginger offer a bit of spicy effervescents atop the dense oud/musk/incense. i love it when my skeptical first impressions are wrong and i fall in love.

The opening ....ah ....the opening is superb. Reminds me of cough mixture from my childhood, so delicious smelling, it warranted licking every last drop from the spoonful. Sadly, as the scent develops , a very prominent powdery effect seems to permeate everything for the next several hours. Now, to test this Oud scent in winter days or nights might go some way to contain the aforementioned powdery aspect. Not a warm weather scent as such & could become very cloying in the heat. Not the skanky fecal matter type oud similar to some niche houses. Definitely animalistic with unsweetened musk prominent in the drydown. Impressive more for personal wear, some might it offputting or offensive to some noses. Difficult to pull off for guys, although more mature females might really enjoy this fragrance.

Now this is sharp saffron with european style oud sweetened by the same saffron with a tiny bit of vanilla maybe or chocolate i presume. It's not new, and it's not unique, it is an essence I've smelled plenty of times, but i can't deny it did captivated me somehow as i smell some animalic notes that is presented by the saffron. Edit (13 July 2026) 10 years later... This is a light spicy white floral bouquet... Saffron, musk, and white floral (bits of tuberose, narcissus, galbanum, lilies). This is beautiful indeed specially when it cools down.

This is a sweeter kind of scent but not any typical sweetness that the "designers" have. This is mixed with something that smells woody. Oud? I have some oud smells too but this one is certainly very different. Oud is possibly there but not prominent as in other scents. Does oud have to be prominent? Probably not. Still many people expect that -- in this case rightly so because it's in the name. So this scent is only slightly flavoured with oud. My juice is rouge-reddish-brown, very different from the photo here.

I fell in love with this perfume on my first visit to Paris & on my recent trip, brought 2 bottles back (I live in Australia). I love oud, however it can often give me a headache. This is my all time favourite oud... it is soft yet strong, warm, enveloping and always gets a comment. I've never smelt an oud close to this, it is the most perfect creation and never a headache! Ex Nihilo got this very right.

To me, this one smells like a huge bouquet of violets 😱 and saffron, on a musky-woody base. Thi oud is supposed to smell very French, glamourous and chic, and I really like it! Like most offerings from this brand It seems to project quite soft but, wearing it for a few days, you discover that it's really intense with perfect projection. Love this one!

This is a stunner! I blind bought this largely because it's Ex Nihilo, and they can do no wrong in my opinion. But I am WOWED! This is a gorgeous fragrance. The oud is very subtle, and it is blended beautifully.

My first experience with Oud Vendome - and Ex-Nihilo - is very promising! I don't have a handle on what saffron smells like, so it's difficult for me to deconstruct, but I seem to detect an aroma that smells quite like a soft, powdery rose hovering in the background. Despite the oud and ginger, this is not as sharp as I anticipated, and that's fine with me. In the beginning, if I smell it directly from my wrist, I detect a medicinal, antiseptic effect which I attribute to the oud, but eventually, that part recedes. I love the musk in this! Eventually, the incense wafts up. It's not a church incense by a Longshot. It's a deep, smoky, and resinous smell, augmented by a touch of benzoin. I am looking forward to giving this a proper wearing, but all signs indicate that this will become a true love for me. It's familiar in that it invokes a cozy feeling, but different enough that I can't think of anything else I own that is like it off the top of my head. Beautiful, elegant, sophisticated, and intriguing.

A beautiful FRENCH Oudh! Very well rounded, soft and sophisticated. Oudhs are abound like pebbles on the beach these days but most lack a certain level of sophistication, class and ease of wearing as they come down on the wearer and its surrounding audience like a ton of bricks. Not this one! This is truly pleasant, smooth, round, sweet, elegant, floral and friendly. I think it lies somewhere between the more floral and 'fancy' "Royal Santal" of Guerlain and Ferragamo's beautifully floral and honey-kissed "Golden Acacia". Not much development as it is rather linear but because it is so radiantly warm, pleasant and beautiful, you do want this level of linear to go on and on. A truly well balanced and superbly crafted EdP. Personally I find the Guerlain one more daring and interesting, but this one will most likely please a wider audience both male and female. 8/10 for a European Oudh a la Parisienne!

It starts with a sweet burst of ginger, oud and saffron. Fantastic! Saffron is usually found in perfumes in cool shades, but with this scent I got to see how "warm saffron" can be. It is unlike anything I have ever smelled before. After the blast at the beginning, the oud note slowly comes to the surface. The oud here is not harsh, it's a very harmonious and mellow oud. It's accompanied by musk, but I think there's a powdery note in this scent. There is also a touch of green/herbal, just a little bit. I looked at the notes, there is also incense, I thought it was oud. I don't understand where the sweetness comes from! It's not just a little sweetness, it's an obvious sweetness. The smell gradually changes. Towards the end, the oud becomes softer, leaving a cinnamon-like note and powdery musk. I think this is one of those hidden gems, undiscovered and underrated.

It has a beautiful opening. From the first moment, it feels self assured, rich, quietly confident confident. Very soft and creamy, the musk, oud and saffron are equal players, none of them get too loud of overbearing. I love the scent but I would prefer slightly larger sillage and better longevity for the price. I do however love how calm and quietly confident it makes me feel. 8/10 - confident, beautiful scent but could be a bit stronger

Not loud. Smells good and it has a nice light oud in the background. Definitely something nice to wear day to day. If you find it for a fair price, you won’t be disappointed The smell definitely transitions throughout the wear. You get a nice whiff of the saffron even ours later mixed with musk and oud. This is for classy men on their low pro days.

Soft, but spicy. The galbanum and incense are just as prominent as the oud. Safe for office wear. To me, this has some similarities to the oud offerings from Mancera, but I would reach for this first.

Nice fresh fragrance blended with a friendly oud. Fresher than I thought it would be looking at the notes. It's not exactly sweet. It's pleasantly woody. Unisex. I like it a lot but too xxy. -

Not Oudy enough.. it's way too sweet with almost no oud presence on my skin

I'd been wanting to try this for awhile, and just discovered I've had a sample vial since probably last December. The verdict: way too sweet. I don't know which note is the offender here. So many oud type fragrances have nearly identical notes, and aren't sweet, but then there are lots of types of incense for instance, and who knows which kind Ex Nihilo used. Or the cedar. I usually love perfumes with cedar, but maybe they found a sweeter version. I'm not a fan of sweet fragrances, and Oud Vendome certainly is one.

Kind of an odd fragrance. It’s extremely powdery even though none of the cited notes would indicate a powdery fragrance. The powder combines with musk. It’s anamalic, almost a bit of a urine smell. I didn’t get any citrus in the opening. The powder causes it to lean feminine. Overall it’s not terrible, but it’s not for me. I would say 5/10.

Although pleasant and warm, on the whole it's quite sweet and powdery, and to my nose the incense overpowers any other notes. This scent takes me back to the moments after exiting hip ethnic-goods shops and natural wellness stores where incense permeates all things and lingers on my clothes, once I've stepped out and the sharpness has subsided. It's well-rounded, not unpleasant, but not a scent I would choose to immerse myself in for hours. It seems ouds are not my thing.

Oud Vendome is a true parisian masterpiece. Imagine oud reinvented with the parisian savoir faire. Oud is well known as the fragrance black diamond and Olivier Pescheux from givaudan has wrapped it with unexpected notes of ginger and incense. If you are looking for the oriental character of oud but with a true western refinement look no further... East meets west on the Place Vendome