1001 OUDS

It took me a full year to finally appreciate this one. I love aoud, generally; Montale's aouds are, for the most part, gorgeous. Especially Black Aoud and Aoud Forest. After I'd purchased 1000 Ouds, I intermittently wore it and just couldn't get into it. After I finally stopped expecting it to be something it wasn't, I relaxed into what it truly was...the perfect blending of aouds, each one complimenting the other. All notes combining to yield the perfectly balanced, exotic yet clean aoud parfum. It really is beautiful and should not be heavily applied. I find one spritz is sufficient. The longevity is forever, and the sillage is intense. If not overused, this frag is perfect. In my view this is better suited for use in cooler/cold months. Aouds can go south quickly in warm weather. It's not an inexpensive parfum, but one flacon will last you years. That is my experience. If you're looking for a unique, clean take on aoud, give this one a try. I wouldn't recommend this as a blind buy. Try a decant first. Enjoy!

The elegant name of this frag, with reference to the ancient tales "1001 Nights" (or "Arabian Nights"), introduces to the many variants of oud used by Annick Goutal here. The opening ouds feel dry, maybe due to Papyrus and to some delay for myrrh to rise in the air. Then coconut faints a short fight it can't win with the middle note ouds, sweetened by a magnificent rose and soft myrrh resin. All in all, even for the remaining skin scent after more than 12 hours, these ouds (I guess she used 4 or 5 different variants) are truly unisex. Some may say that these ouds lack the sharpness of the Tom Ford or Montale frags, but I prefer the softer and more complex scents of the precious ingredients used here. Those who dislike this frag will soon be relieved, as I was told by a Goutal boutique manager here in France that it will be discontinued by the end of this year.

What many reviewers here probably smell as rubbery/burnt/medicinal/oud is not oud at all. Indeed, that "screechy" feel is given by the use of Rose Bourbonia absolute (a not so commonly used rose, which has a green/bitter facet, and at the same time some sweetness in the background) combined with a crushing cypriol (aka papyrus, a very bitter/medicinal note, strongly reminding me of Dunhill Century). In the drydown, there is indeed a noticeable myrrh note, and a woody support (where I can finally detect some round clean oud under the gaiac note), but the cypriol is definitely still there to show its bitter side. Only in the late drydown, when projection has fallen to soft, the presence of oud becomes more obvious. Quite unique, and safe at the same time. I love it, but might be a risky blind buy for some.

1001 OUDS is the most gorgeous perfume!!! It's beautiful, so gorgeous!!! Such a rich and deep and luscious perfume. It's one of my favourites - maybe my very favourite, I think? Anyway, it's absolutely exquisite!!! The oud itself is so deep and rich and smoky, and the myrrh!! Beautiful - sensual and intoxicating!! And the birch tarry smell adds a gorgeous dark mystique that I relish!! I relish this divine perfume!!!! I get so many compliments too, and my husband really likes it (he doesn't like many perfumes!) so I wear it A LOT!!! I adore it!!! And it lasts for so long! 16 hours easily! It's just fabulous!!!!!

This is a beautiful oud; with lovely tar and resins. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Wonderful. Rich and comforting. Loooong lasting, and great compliments!!!! And my husband adores it!

This is such a glorious oud! So deep, warm, spicy, smoky, very very sensual, and lasts forever! I completely love it, it's beautiful!

Well, I was pleasantly surprised - Not expecting much. When I put it on my skin, it was wonderful.

Amazement and strength have come together, my evaluation: 9,2/10

This is a soft classy Oud, quiet and tame. 9/10

I may get hate for this, but my initial impression of this is that it smells a LOT like Amouage's Fate for Women! (ETA: only from a small spray, from the sample. Spraying that way you get more spices up front; out of the fb it's LOADS of a powdery amber feel + oud!) Spicy, perfectly blended, powdery, slightly vanilla-laced amber resin. A spicy (hot) pepper edge to the resins, the amazing warmth it brings to amber, lighting it ablaze... and up close a woody, dry oud/papyrus feel. Just the slightest touch of oud's natural 'skanky' tone beneath it all. Just a touch. I didn't want to be impressed with it, I was skeptical, but the wafts I'm getting from 2 sprays on my ankle are astounding. Touche, Goutal. Touche. This is an OFFICIAL sample - i.e. no chance of a mix up - so I simply don't understand the dislike! ETA: Doing a side-by-side w/ my decant of Fate. 1001 is much woodier, less fizzy sparkly. In fact Fate leans more towards L'ambre des Merveilles in sparkliness. 1001 is oudier and the comparison makes it more obvious, but I like the darkness it adds. Fate has a slightly soapy bite (narcissus + bergamot) that blends so well with the warm resins and spices, and it floats on the lightest of incense wafts. 1001's sweet touch is stickier, more resinous, rather than Fate's fizzy vanillic feel. Overall the warm n' spicy (pepper) + woody comparison is still there, but 1001 is darker, sappier, woodier.

Very classy yet somehow rather neutered oud. What I really like about it is its straightforwardness and putting the wood right in the middle - I'm getting a bit sick of rose-oud blends where the flower is too dominant, but in this one the game really is fundamentally about the oud. Thought I got hints of leather, but that was probably the birch; i didn't get as much or as strong smoke as I'd have ideally liked, but again, that leaves the oud centre stage. The central question is, though: that oud itself is a rather restrained, maybe even muted version of the Wood That Could. Definitely no stinky cowpat notes or outrageous bludgeoning acridity here, of the sort that you get with some of the pricier or more organic natural oud scents - which you may consider a good or bad thing - but it does also miss out a bit on some of the spicier and warmer notes of those more bad-boy blends. Like many Goutals in my experience this doesn't have great projection or longevity, but for the same reason, unlike many more flamboyant or complex ouds, you could comfortably wear this anywhere or any time. I'd say unisex, too. So it's interesting but perhaps a little on the quiet side.

A very light wearable office oud. Ethereal true but light/watery oud with a heart of rose and other light woods, including birch. A bit gentle for me. In the drydown amber comes through. A lovely, resinous skin scent that is rich and warm.

Soft, powdery, with a vague retro feel. As others have said, a fairly understated oud. It's there as a slight acrid rubberiness but overall, 1001 has a very sophisticated feel.

I've wanted to get my nose on this fragrance for a long time. Smelling from a generous sample. Oudy. I smell the papyrus and birch quite clearly too. I'm not sure how I feel. I don't love it. I may not even like it. I think I like my oud sugared. I finally figured out my problem with it: it's too dense and cloying. I guess I prefer ouds that are more airy. Good winter home scent. Try it if you love clean oudy oud with lots of myrrh. Thank goodness for decants because I don't love it. -

Just plain uninspired and boring. Much like the name, really. Unfortunately, this fragrance left absolutely no lasting impression on me. It's linear, as in unchanging, it doesn't develop on your skin, it is heavy and lacks the dirtiness of real Oud instead it lingers with a slight sourness, just yuck. I don't believe the Ouds used in this composition are natural, they are nothing like the Oud that I love from houses like Fragrances du Bois, Memo, Xerjoff, Initio or the almighty Areej le Dore. Don't waste your money on this, you can buy my 98% full bottle on eBay right now for half price of you are keen, because I literally know I will never wear this again.

I love weird compositions. Although 1001 Ouds doesn't seem to rank as an extreme example of oddness, it does carry that feel of an awkward person who stares a little too intensely, for a little bit too long. Then once conversation opens you find the quirkiness is actually delightful. I too thought "oh lord, ANOTHER freakin oud!", but this has successfully carried itself in a different direction than what you may expect from the oud/rose combo. In fact, for the most part the rose is sitting somewhere way in the back row, and surprisingly even the oud isn't stomping across the stage in its characteristic heavy boots. The myrrh carries a steady and hypnotic hum here, which seems to restrain the oud, and keeps the composition as a whole more on the dry side... almost hinting at bitterness. The papyrus is a fleeting sliver through the papery woods. As this marches towards drydown a soft shimmer of warmth comes through, and unites the ebbing layers of myrrh, rose and oud. A classy and poised take on the oud theme (literally. I find myself straightening my posture with each whiff). Don't let oud-exhaustion prevent you from trying just...this...one....more...

Beautiful "straight forward" natural smelling oud. Some birch and resins give it a backbone, with a hint of rose. While not mentioned here, there is a hit of lemon on the top, that blends well as it settles in to what I would identify as the advertised spicy-sweet pimento pepper note. Lovely, elegant, strong and IMO, rather unique expression of oud. Top 5 ouds for me. I'd advise going full bottle, but I'd hate for you to smell like me.

Found myself a tester of this elixir and I’m happy to have it in my collection. It’s a very ‘western’ oud , not barnyard ar all but elegant and chic. I have many ouds , like Oud Infini by Dusita or some oud’s from Arabian houses and they pack a punch. This is more an elegant take on the oud genre : smooth, well blended, non intrusive and chic . Will try it some more so I can give an opinion about its longevity and sillage .

Tried this in store. Didnt like it and it is not one of the nicer oud fragrances. It is strong but lacks the complexity of real oud. Too expensive for what it is. I had test strips with it on and have accidentally left it beneath my new unopened vera wang Perfume and smelt the horrible powdery dry down thinking it came from the vera wang. Lucky its just the test strip of this frag.

This is a very weak formulation. I can hardly smell the oud. There was only the faintest whisper of oud in this perfume. Oh Annick Goutal! One of my favourite houses has gone and jumped on the oud bandwagon and crashed. It's watery and unremarkable. Gone after half an hour.

I can't believe AG couldn't resist launching something under oud. I though it was so predictable it became a passee.... How many more? Why????! I love oud,but really, this doesn't have to be endless.

Different stuff. Something better inside. Strong and uplifting oud. Well-done. Senior citizens liked this much, and young men with decent formal dress. Expensive scent in good price.

Yeah no Oud lover here. If you love Oud I guess this is it, jesus christ it's potent, in your face and just disgusting. But yeah Oud isn't for everyone.

Is there anyday an Oud-based cologne isn't launched in the world? I won't be bored. Looking forward to trying this!

Great resinous, intense oud....This is Annick Goutal oud....there is that light hint of rose in here....