Oud Vert Intense

I was comparing FDB Oud Vert Intense to Oud Bleu Intense and Roja Oligarch and Oceania. I ended up purchasing Oud Bleu Intense, because I thought it was the standout of the four. Roja Oligarch was like overpriced Terre de Hermes with less character, while Oceania was pleasant but had a dull balsa wood small that dominated throughout. The FDB Bleu was the standout because it reminded me of fountains in Rome and tiny French candies I used to get as a child on the S.S. France.....all this considered I did think that the Oud Vert Intense was VERY classy and distinguished. It had a haunting quality to it as the sharp ginger opening faded away that made the Roja seem cheap in comparison. I chose the Bleu because it resonated more with me and also because I noticed a similarity between the Vert and the first formulation of YSL L'Homme...exchange the tonka for Oud and your almost there. The similarities in the other notes are very close - both open with ginger and citrus and go through a spicy floral phase to a vetiver and wood dry down. The YSL is not as subtle and classy to be sure, but enough of a similarity (in the context of my collection) to make me go for the Bleu instead, which is more unique. Now, after 3 months during which I kept going back to my 2 mL sample of Oud Vert, used it up, bought another 2 mL decant and used that up, I decided I had to also get a bottle of this. It was too good to pass up. I needed a classy summer citrus and I was underwhelmed by Roja Oligarch and Nio. It has a beautiful almost otherworldly desert flower feel that is addictive. YSL L'Homme (original formulation) has many similarities but is just a faint shadow of this work of art. So now I have Bleu, Orange, Noir, Vert, Milano and Santal Complet and I am as happy as can be...I have a load of Kilians and a few Rojas and Nishanes and PDMs as well, but I think FDB is at the top (highest quality ingredients), followed closely by Kilian (more variety and attitude) and then PDM, Nishane and Roja. Better art direction with Kilian and FDB - more focus on what they want to achieve with each fragrance.

What a treat! This fragrance is absolute magic. The opening is pure, fresh ginger, rough but juicy and coupled with citrus sweetness. Retreating to a smooth spicy bed of cardamom very quickly. The woods aren't particularly oud-like, more of low lying cedar to me. Cardamom looms large and it's something I like to use in my blends, but to get it to sit as comfortably as it does in this fragrance is no mean feat let me tell you. The 'vert' part does make you think it would be more green (I mean the caradmom is green) but that is somehow evoked in the bergamot and overall freshness, so even the name works well. I love it . It's discrete but somehow exudes quality and like it's been carefully considered. So the obvious gripes from folk with this are: 'where's the oud?' The character of this scent being so good could be attributed to that, But if you're after a big, blatant oud then this ain't it. It's like £300 or something? Well like I've said, FdB were not a brand that were made for me and I actually really have a problem with the whole 'Luxury' focus. However, if the perfumes were bad, I'd love nothing more than to slate them (I'm petty like that) for some emperor's new clothes shit...but they are sublime across the board and this is no different. Oh...saying something on the 'oud' element The fragrances from this brand (maybe with the exception of Santal Complet?) which don't have 'Oud' in the title are pretty nice but not at the level of the oud ones, regardless of whether they overtly smell of oud or not. My conclusion the oud must play a factor in the overall 'aura' of the scent, otherwise what would be the point?

Have you ever smelled a fragrance and your eyes just lit up and you thought "This is it !! This is my scent !!" ? That's how I felt when I first sampled it and luckily was able to score a tester bottle months later for a great price ! This is simply the best fragrance I have ever smelled and I own hundreds of fragrances and I'm sure I've sampled over a thousand so far, niche, designer and indies! This is such a smooth and velvety fragrance! It's a little hard to tell the individual notes because it's so well blended. It starts soft and smooth but I feel like it gets gradually stronger. I don't smell any Oud in this, which is great for me because Oud is one of my least favorite notes in perfumery. I could still smell it after 8 hours as a skin scent. I've sampled many of the FDB line of niche fragrances but I think this is the only one that I consider worth their expensive price tags. I would definitely recommend you get your nose on it!

“King of Summer” Awakening like the sun itself, rising until reaching its highest point in the sky, vibrant like the luscious greens of nature, smooth and refreshing like waking up in the morning to the tiny drops of water that form on cool surfaces during the night, when atmospheric vapor condenses creating nature’s greatest miracles. This composition has everything that I look for in a summer scent. If you guys ever want to experience a stunning rendition of citrus , I suggest you try this. Oud Vert has it all, naturalistic, herbal, silky smooth oud foundation, this beauty is effervescent, the citrus arrangement smells radiant and alive on skin, but buttery smooth, and the cardamon meets ginger chosen in the building of this composition really capture the aromatic essence of a great citrus perfume.

One of the best soft oud perfumes with citrus, floraly notes I have tried (do not usually like out that much) probably because it barely smells like oud. The oud in here is very weak but I love it because it is not overpowering at all and also very wearable for office, summer and spring. Such an interesting green, floral, citrusy perfume. Rather sharp citrusy bergamot opening but settles beautifully and melts together with the skin to a softer scent. Smelling it on a strip does not show this scent's true beautiful soul. It is not super ordinary and difficult to understand. I am not sure, if it is worth 450 CHF / Dollars for a FB of 50ml, although the oud is sustainably sourced and certified. Big plus for that. It's on my wishlist for sure but I am not sure, if I would splurge that money.