Desert Oud

I've never really brushed into any "oud" fragrances, it is something my somewhat large collection is lacking. I had seen a TON of ads for this brand on FB lately, and I guess I kinda caved to the completely ridiculous amount of times I saw ads for this. Lol. Blind bought a full bottle, which also came with a free sample (I chose urban oud) and then also a free sample of desert oud, so I could sample it before opening the box of my full bottle. Glad this brand does this, as this fragrance is NOT going to be for everyone. Not at all. Lol. I will also admit, up until seeing the ads on FB, I had no idea this brand even existed at all. Lol. So to start, this is definitely one of the more complex, more challenging, more polarizing fragrances I've put my nose on thus far in my journey. I've owned probably over 80 bottles or so in the last 2 years now, and this one is definitely one that when you first sniff it, you're kinda sat there like "WOAH". Off the rip, you get a sweet peach, peppery clove, and an abundance of floral notes. Thankfully, this for me seems to lean a bit more masculine, but these florals can be a bit deceiving. Once this stuff starts to really dry down, that is where I really start to enjoy it. It's this very woody kind of rose with a touch of peach in it, some smokiness showing itself as well. It reminds me a lot of a heavily refined niche version of Spicebomb and frags like that, it also deeply reminds me of frags like TF Black Orchid. I know it's more for the ladies, but I can't lie in that I own a bottle that I wear here and there in cold weather, and this gives me that same ultimate mysterious floral vibe, but done up much differently... Smells very mysterious, smells very luxurious, and while I've never visited the middle east, I can't help but feel a touch of what my nose is kind of calling the middle east. Lol. I think this is done up with a good mix of western perfume inspiration, but with eastern perfumery being the ultimate goal, adding a touch of America to it if you will. Lol. Performance seems really good here, I would imagine pulling 8-12 hours from this, and as I sample it and wear it, I will likely update this review a bit more. Sillage is good, I sampled 2 sprays of this, and every time I breathe in, I get it's oud-rose goodness. It's almost soapy or something. Lol. Seasons, occasions, and time of day here I think are a big one. I would NOT wear this in any weather over like 50F, I would also not get up in the morning and take a shower at 8am, and then apply this for the day. I work in fine dining, so perhaps a few squirts of this for a night at work, wouldn't be uncalled for, this would work well for a date, it would work well for any night out occasion, but ideally when it is colder out for me. I will add, again, this frag will not be everyone's cup of tea, it has a very rich and dark, yet luxurious presence. Its the kind of smell that you have to wear this with a level of confidence, you have to be the boss that this fragrance wants you to be, and if you dont, the fragrance will end up wearing you. Lol. It commands a confident, almost powerful presence. And its not here to fuck around about anything. Lol I would definitely recommend sampling this stuff if you are looking into it. I really like it currently, and I can tell my nose is going to grow to like it more. Right now I think more than anything my nose is really trying to figure this stuff out, because I can't lie, this brand did a lot of stuff REALLY well here (A+ packaging, A+ shipping ((it literally took 2 days to arrive after ordering)), A+ bottle), but I think what they did best here, is something some of these designers need to try and do better overall, and that is to make something that atleast for me, literally compares to NOTHING else i've owned or have ever owned in 20 years of wearing fragrances. A truly unique, and luxurious scent that I'm glad I picked up!

Habibi New York Desert Oud EDP This opens with citrus and sweet fruit and one is lead to believe that it will be a sweet smelling cologne. The middle notes are predominantly floral, adding to that impression. But it is unwise to judge this one too soon because after about 20 minutes, the base notes of oud and musk begin to knock the edge off the sweet accords and as it dries down, the cologne takes on a darker, smokier middle eastern vibe. It was a treat to experience the various stages of dry down with Desert Oud. It completely changed from the opening to the final stages, and I was amazed at the subtle notes of vanilla in the base (benzoin) and the way the cologne evolves into a very pleasant, slightly animalic, musky, smoky potion. The oud accord is not overpowering or skanky; rather the blend is rich and warm and incense-like. (Can you tell that I like this one?) This is one of the highest quality colognes I have experienced in my admittedly short journey on the fragrance hunting trail. After it dries down, the projection is arm's length, and the sillage is moderate. But the longevity is an amazing 8 hours on my skin. The entire presentation is classy, from box to bottle, and the company's owners sent a personal note of thanks after I placed my initial order. When placing an order from this company, they send a sample vial of the contents of the bottle ordered, and urge the buyer to try the vial first, to be certain that it is what they wanted. If not, returns of the unopened full bottle are hassle-free. If you are curious about middle eastern ouds and don't want to start out with an overpowering, animalic accord, I highly recommend this cologne. It is truly a feast for the nose!

Just tried this one from my custom sample set from Habibi NY. If they can do oud this well with Desert Oud, I want to see what their other ouds are like. *Update: I got the Oud Discovery Set. Desert Oud is the best in my opinion. Cashmere Oud and Urban Oud are alright* I would describe this as smelling like heavily spiced peaches with rose musk, and I mean that in all the right ways. It's heavy, but not challenging. It's my favorite from this brand, and I've tried about 12 from them. I wouldn't wear it to go get on an airplane next to people in a closed space. I would wear it to an out door concert, or to go for a hike. I would also limit to one spray. Even in a sample size bottle, multiple sprays is too much. I prefer a single spray fragrance, because the bottle lasts practically forever. If this had something to make it smell just a little creamier, like vanilla (but obviously that's overplayed), then this might be the perfect fragrance. I didn't think I'd pay $135 for a 75 ml bottle from a brand I hadn't heard of, but Desert Oud changed my mind on that. I'll make a full bottle purchase after I get the my For Men and the Oud samplers in the mail. I do find that some of their fragrances suffer from poor longevity (especially Honeyed Tobacco and Oud) so I would be cautious making a blind buy before having a sample.

I love this house and own several of its fragrances. Desert Oud is a warm but versatile spicy floral oud fragrance that isn't too sweet. I personally feel it can be worn year-round for just about any occasion. It's beautifully blended and no single note overpowers the others. The opening is spicy, a little sweet from the peach, and floral with the rose note being the star, and as the fragrance dries down the woods are more prominent and the oud shines through a bit more. The florals linger throughout the life of the fragrance. I get excellent longevity and projection and a strong sillage with this fragrance. For the price, this house is a good value.

The other reviews are also a good representation of this. It is definitely not what I expected initially, but after a few wears it began to impress. For my nose, this is a slightly sweet (I do not necessarily get peach, I thought it was a citrus bergamot) note with a rose/saffron floral quality, but it dries down to a classic desert oud profile similar to A Coeur du Desert and similar longstanding parfums. This makes it a little different from the classics and has a modern twist which I could pick out. After a while I can say it went from a general wear to something I appreciate greatly.