Darkoud

A sweet, vanilla oud and rose. I can't tell the saffron note apart from the rest, possibly because it's too subdued - by the time it gets to the base where saffron is slightly discernable, it's a faint skinscent. Darkoud is a rounded, mellow fragrance that stays close to skin. Beautiful, comfortable. I find it relaxing and meditative. The brand is onto something with its idea of alchemy-inspired and alcohol -free fragrances; however Darkoud, while beautifully composed, is not exceptional. This accord is classic Arabian perfumery, washed out with rose soap and muted down, because - god forbid it shocks anyone. I don't get any sillage, the scent is not discernable unless your nose is close to the spot where the perfume has been sprayed (both on skin and on clothes - max of 30 cm). This characteristic could be a positive, this is the first time I encounter such a natural smelling yet muted oud note. So in my opinion here's the perfect option for those who are curious about oud but afraid of an olfactory attack on their senses (and of those around them). This accord can help you understand whether the rose+oud accord is your thing or not, without being overbearing. Also an option to those who find Roses Vanille by Mancera too vulgar/mundane/popular but secretly really like it and wish they could wear it - Darkoud can be a more refined and more presentable version (because less tooth-achingly sweet and woodier), much quieter and with a beautiful oud note instead of the scratchy musk/burned rubber note. I've tested both to compare, and can say these two are not clones, but they're definitely closely related. My husband (who knows very little about perfumes qnd is very sensitive to scents) said they're very similar, but uf he had to choose, he'd pick Darkoud. I can see it compared to Louis Vuitton Ombre Nomade in similar perfumes, but to my nose they are different. Ombre Nomade (Nomad Shadow) is drier and windier (if it makes sense), a minor accord - a bit melancholy. Darkoud is more joyous yet calm, it has a different temperament. I've been wearing it all day, and 24 hours later can still smell it on my t-shirt. The skinscent however was gone within 5-6 hours.

[FEB. 2020] Really nostalgic scent to me and smells like the real deal. A guaranteed well-performing all-natural rose-oud authentic to the scents found in Arabia, this is it. On the skin it suffuses with pleasant warmth, and a slight feel of a Vicks rub ointment if you put it too closely to your nose. The saffron-oud has enough sweet-cheesiness to it, lightened and aired a bit so as not to make it obnoxiously powerful. In fact, this is pretty good because of this balance! You can catch it wafting around your skin without it making you smell like a overly cheesy rose. Because its not. It smells not smoked, and not overly salty either. Darkoud by Hermetica smells rosy and spiced. And quite divine as so. It smells like a sort of holy wood, more ancient than current church. But definitely reminiscent of lit (smokeless) offerings on a temple altar. Resinous, saffron-spicy hot oud bowl of dried fruits and with a beautiful tangy, waxy, balsamic purple-burgundy hued damascus rose which melts into a sort of hot waxy ambered spices. Speaking of which, the way Darkoud rolls to the nose is a very wonderful feel of smooth wax. Impressive because the base is a sort of water (non-alcohol) vs oil. As of 2021 it is very underrated and I wholeheartedly recommend this to fans of Arabic-styled fragrances, for fans of elegant "divine" old-world scents. Those seeking the quality of Amouage and perfumes from the land it respectfully homages to may delight in Darkoud (Hermetica as a whole can be a hit or miss in wow-factor or too samey in offerings.) UPDATE: I prefer Armani's Oud Royal which is also a rose-oud like DarkOud but far less spicy, and more salty-wood + raspberry rose which I feel makes a perfect replacement for Tom Ford's Oud Fleur and makes Oud Royal exactly what I'm looking for!

I am surprised that the fragrance notes have not mentioned spice yet; to me this has a bay leaf & clove smoothness. Almost like spiced rum. It softens the rose and makes it not so punchy of a floral. The woody deep black rose reminds me of Noir de Noir (Tom Ford), which I adore. Others have mentioned a preference for Hermetica's "Verticaloud" which I tested as well; however, I much prefer this "Darkoud" over that. The Verticaloud is sweeter and fruitier, more obvious and common to me. This Darkoud is spicier, deeper, more sensual and gothic.

Got a sample with my order from FragranceBuy. Never heard of the fragrance, may have heard of the house. I like it, smells really good. Im not an oud fan per se but, I do love the masculine, sexy, semi sweet rose notes in fragrances, this one has that, I think its full bottle worthy and is on my list, it would be my only oud dominant scent since getting rid of Oud Satin Mood EDP Edit: Got a full bottle as a Valentines Day gift. Love it, LOVE IT! Layers very well with BR540 (since I cant stand to wear it on its on anymore)

It starts off kind of reminding me of a dentist's office (in a good way) nice and sweet. When I sprayed it on paper I couldn't get that part of the scent. After a small while on the paper and in the air all I could smell was paper and cardboard, not bad but a bit overwhelming. Good for a dark academic vibe tho, if you want to convince someone you spend all day in the library. After sitting on the skin you can smell spices, it kind of reminds me of incense sticks.