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.

Beautiful fragrance but it’s not “dark” nor that oudy. It’s a nice luxurious saffron note paired with a sweet jammy rose and a light clean yet somewhat smokey Oud underneath. There seems to be a little Jasmine used to make the rose pop, and a big dose of ambroxan. This could be a Toy Boy “Oud” flanker.

I've been ripping through the hermetica 13-sample set, and darkoud is the 9th i've tried. by far, this one is my favorite- the oud and rose play off one another beautifully- it's sensual and clean, professional, yet sexy, and to my nose an unambiguously unisex fragrance.

A rich, rose oud opening that’s bright rather than dark as the name suggests. Simultaneously clean & smoky, a bit spicy, a vague sweet note. The oud becomes moodier, more haunting in drydown & the rose recedes behind it remaining there throughout. This is a mild oud for Western sensibilities. Leans a tad masculine.

The name says it all really. It’s a dark heavy Oud with a dark rose. I don’t get much else. Not very complex. It’s alright, but it doesn’t really project for an Oud fragrance. I sampled this on a cold windy night hoping it would be a beast mode fragrance, but it missed the mark. Like most westerners, I’m not a fan of many Oud forward fragrances. Safe to say I won’t be buying a bottle.

Verticaloud is the better option from this house. Darkoud doesn’t last long on my skin, maybe an hour or two before I really have to bury my nose. I expected more oomph and mysteriousness given the ‘dark’ element in the name, but it’s pretty safe... I find Verticaloud projects a lot more, and is a lot more interesting to my nose. Smells quite synthetic, and very, very linear.

Too rich for me. I love Hermetica’s soft style, but this one felt a bit too heavy with the oud and rose. Not my kind of scent, but well made.

This is a generic oud rose combo, and like another reviewer stated for an oud the projection is almost non-existent. To me its like the dollar tree version of oud bouquet. So many better options for rose and oud wouldn't recommend this one.

This perfume along w/ Providence Perfume Co new Irisque has proven to me I do not like Oud in my perfumes. If you are an oud fan this one is a good one to try.

Darkoud by Hermetica is one of those fragrances that smells good, but isn't original or unique. It’s basically the most generic rose and oud combo you can imagine. Classic smooth rose, woody oud, a little sweetness, and that clean modern niche polish. That said, generic doesn’t automatically mean bad. The scent quality is still solid, it’s well blended, and easy to wear if you enjoy this style of fragrance. It just doesn’t bring anything new or memorable to the table and for that reason, I rate it 6/10.

Designer style what so called oud... I don't really want to put this blend down, but actually this is not oud. This one is spicy saffron with Turkish rose to add that sweetness. I detect geranium, amber, light patchouli, and bits of sweet myrrh. It's cool for those who wants spicy blends, but oud, no, this is not for you.

Beautiful. Deep, dark, sweet but not too much. Lasts a long time.

This is beautiful. Worth testing.