Oud

I like it, theres a subtle hint of oud and a combination of spices that makes this fragrance very elegant and classy. Refined scent that needs to be pair with elegant clothes. Long lasting and elegant!!

There is not carnation but cloves. And it is missing the hot chili note, very evident, more evident than ginger and cumin,.

Am I the only one smelling Heliotrope in this fragrance? :)

Longevity - 5/10 Sillage - 5/10 Scent - 8/10

Like the other Franck Boclet fragrance I have in the similar bottle (balsam fir), I did not love this as soon as I got it. Seems like it had to oxidize a bit with some air after a few sprays and let sit for a while to let it settle. Initially it was very much a sharp body odor scent that someone attempted to cover with feminine leaning deodorant, but unsuccessfully. However, and thankfully, this is far more pleasant now and oddly enough I am wearing it in quite extreme heat. Now it comes across as a very dry and slightly spicy scent of musky skin, but in an attractive and even sexy way. Falls under the category of similar “I just had sex” type of scents, and I could see this working for either end of the chromosome spectrum, except perhaps the ultra femme.

This is the most non-oudy oud fragrance ever! Instead, it is sparkling ginger lemonade! The tingling ginger note is the most dominant one for me. It is dancing and sparking, tingling the nose just like a sip out of just opened cool bottle of ginger lemonade would! There might be some wood (not even specifically oud) somewhere in the background, but ginger is front and central. A light-hearted and pleasant perfume!

For me, this fragrance begins with a skanky oud which lasts about 5-10 minutes. Then, the ginger emerges, supported by the cumin. Finally, the carnation wafts in, softening the spiciness a bit while occasionally backing off to unveil a subtle woodiness. I like this fragrance very much; it is now a regular in my cold-weather rotation.

#630 in my "Tour de Fragrance" This is an okay oud scent, but it's not particularly unique or memorable. I've got about 20 oud-focused scents on the shelf. This would be somewhere in the bottom quartile of the pack. The cumin note has been mentioned and it's nice alright, though for me the carnation is the only point of interest. I have at least a dozen scents of little interest otherwise that I've purchased solely to get a carnation note. I already have twenty plus oud-focused scents, most of which I like better than this. To name a few, Dior Homme Parfum with it's fabulous iris note, Montale Arabians Tonka which gets me tons of compliments, and every woman asks what I'm wearing when I wear MFK Oud Satin Mood or Initio Oud for Greatness. Can't go wrong with either, but now that I've sampled the inexpensive Alhambra and Lattafa clones I'll never buy them again. So this won't be full bottle purchase for me, and if I were in need of an oud scent it wouldn't be my first choice on scent or price. But you could do worse. Certainly versatile. Won't offend anyone. Not way overpriced. Solid performer. I just think there are better options for less.

The cumin is totally dominant to my nose. If you want to smell like spicy curry powder then this is the fragrance for you! It is not a terrible fragrance, it just caters to a very specific taste... Which is not mine.

This has the most cumin-centered opening in a perfume I’ve smelt before. It’s the kind you find in Amouage Epic pour femme, but isn’t as dense and complex. For cumin lovers it features the note well enough and brightly to satisfy your craving, but it gives way to the “oud wood” note (a cooler heart reminiscing of Tom Ford’s oud wood fougere vibe to balance the warmth of the cumin on top). The drydown is a nice balanced blend where the cumin still peeks through, but you feel some of that ginger as a nondescript fresh juicy touch and the cedar (bright resinous coniferous) base with a patchouli that’s doing a great job to connect in a subtle way all the layers (top heart base), without being too balsamic or too dense. Sheer cumin note is the accent on a bright woody base, and it’s not obnoxious (the way it sometimes it can get in amber bases). It’s a masculine fragrance - very light for daily use. Safe for the office. Not too complex, but the quality of the ingredients is quite satisfying. Cumin isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if body odor is already an issue for you, I believe that in the winter (at the office or for a family dinner at the restaurant), cumin-centered perfumes could be useful, since they are organized in such a way that a specific type of body odor blends in and feels less unpleasant.

With a rich and complex opening, this perfume features the note of cumin well. But as it continues on to deliver an oud wood vibe for balance-in true fougere style -you can tell that these two elements have been carefully curated so they don't overwhelm each other! In the end, I got a little bit of everything. The dry down is nice because it still has that cumin presence but you also get some ginger and freshness from its scent as well. It's this balancing act between these different notes which really make up for one another so they don't overpower or rule anything out completely in regards to your opinion on them - just subtle hints here & there allowing room left open without being too balsamy/dense smelling at all times!

not a full review here - i just wanted to note how the combination of carnation, cumin, and oud here are absolutely captivating; and with the support of ginger and patchouli, this perfume is stunning.

I don't like this at all. It has the smell of a moldy basement, with a couple other notes thrown in for good measure. Don't know the longevity, because I scrubbed it off.

@cosmetiquafrageance, if you think this is the most non-oudy oud fragrance ever, you never sampled creed royal oud!