John Varvatos Oud

A QUALITY MIDDLE EASTERN FRAGRANCE MADE BY WESTERNERS FOR WESTERNERS. Thomas Edward Lawrence - or Lawrence of Arabia, or Aurens, or El Aurens - is still one of the most iconic figures of the early 20th century. Before the First World War, he was an assistant in the archaeological excavations sponsored by the British Museum at Karkemish, on the banks of the Euphrates. At that time, under the influence of his friend D.G. Hogarth, he became a secret agent for the British government, gathering information on the construction of the Ottoman railways. It was also during this period that he met Selim Ahmed, an Arab young man who worked as a water boy at the archaeological site and who became his companion for several years. He is believed to be the mysterious "S.A." to whom the book of his war memories, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, was dedicated. For Edmund Allenby, Britain's supreme commander in the Middle East during the First World War, Lawrence was a "first among equals": "There is no other man I know," he said, "who could have achieved what Lawrence did. " His epic journey was masterfully portrayed in David Lean's 1962 film "Lawrence of Arabia". In it we discover a man trapped by divided loyalties, torn between serving the empire whose uniform he wore, or the sovereign ideals of the Arab people and nation. Many of us have discovered the culture, the tensions and the making of today's Middle East through the story of T.E. Lawrence. The culture of the Middle East has always fascinated Westerners. From the first moment I put my nose to this fragrance, I thought of T.E. Lawrence wearing it. Like other designers, John Varvatos has launched a typical oriental oud. The fragrance is quite complex and, as an oud-based perfume, it also uses ingredients with "Arabic pedigree" such as Persian saffron, Malabar pepper, Zanzibar cloves, absolute rose from Turkey, Egyptian jasmine and Lebanese cedar. Its quality is unquestionable, and it only fails with its average performance. The oud is the backbone of the perfume at all stages and the note is very "clean", very Western in flavour. The incense is soft and evokes delicious nuances of smoke. A light initial freshness of sage, cypress and juniper is quickly replaced by the warmth of spices and resins, as well as the subtle sweetness of some flowers. All the notes are perfectly combined in this oud. In my opinion, it is a remarkable perfume with excellent value for money. It is not a "powerhouse", but the 7 hours of practical longevity and the excellent silage of 4 to 5 feet may be enough. It is simply an Oud perfume, very attractive and seductive! My western ratings for this oriental: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ - Opening: 9.0 (some shy fresh green notes together with the growing spices, tobacco and woody notes; quite unique) - Finish: 9.0 (very pleasant with peaceful balms and oud) - Longevity: 7.0 (average with 7 hours and 3 sprays) - Sillage: 6.0 (below average at 4 ~ 5 feet and up to 2 hours of projection, 3 sprays) - Versatility: 7.5 (Formal events, at home, dates and even intimacy, provided the other people don't hate the oud note; - never use it in a place where you might sweat) - Portability: 7.5 (any cold day or night) - Exclusivity: 8.5 (Some familiarity with other well made western ouds) - Praise: 8.5 (above average for an oud, probably because it's not overpowering) - Quality: 9.5 (above-average ingredients, well-made plunger and sprayer; the "10" would be justified with better performance) - Presentation: 9.5 (I like it very much, both the design and the large bottle) - Price: 9.0 (the price for this 125ml bottle is currently over 60 Euros. My John Varvatos Oud cost me 32 Euros five years ago) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ - Average: 8.27 / 10.00 between 7 and 8 => above average; between 8 and 9 => recommended; equal to or greater than 9 => don't miss it; MY OPINION on John Varvato's Oud: In terms of global scent, this is one of the best western ouds I've tried. Probably because of its lovely scent and value for money, it gets more expensive every month. I can complain about the underachievement of an oriental woody scent. However, a better performance could also mean an overpowering perfume. It's a perfect option for anyone trying to choose a quality fragrance for their first oud. Worth buying blind? Absolutely not! As with any oud, test it on your skin before making a purchase decision. For me it is a must buy! MUSIC: Maurice Jarre's film theme "Lawrence of Arabia"

Middle Eastern culture has always fascinated Westerners. From the first moment I laid my nose in this fragrance, I thought of T.E. Lawrence wearing it. Like other designers, John Varvatos launched a typical oriental oud perfume also. This fragrance is reasonably complex and, being a perfume centered on the oud note, it also uses ingredients with "Arabian pedigree" like Persian saffron, Malabar pepper, Zanzibar cloves , absolute rose from Turkey, Egyptian jasmine and cedar from Lebanon. Its quality is unquestionable and only fails with its average performance. The oud is the backbone of the perfume in all phases, and the note is very "clean", very Western taste. The incense is soft and induces delicious nuances of smoke. A slight initial freshness originated by sage, cypress and juniper, is quickly supplanted by the heat of spices and resins, as well as the subtle sweetness of some flowers. All notes are perfectly combined in this Oud fragrance. In my opinion it is a remarkable perfume with an excellent quality / price ratio. It is not a "power house", but the 7 hours of practical longevity and the superior silage of 4 to 5 feet may be enough. It is just an oud perfume, very attractive and seductive! ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ My average rating: 8.27 / 10.00 Opinion on John Varvato's Oud: In terms of global scent, it's one of the best western ouds I've tried. Probably because of its lovely smell and good value for money, it is getting more expensive every month. I can complain about the sub-par performance of an oriental wood fragrance. However, a greater achievement could also mean a intrusive perfume. It's a perfect option for anyone trying to choose a quality scent for their first oud scent. Blind worthy of buying? No! As with any oud scent, test it on your skin before making a purchase decision. For me it is a must buy! Music: Maurice Jarre's film theme "Lawrence of Arabia"

#1031 in my "Tour de Fragrance" Well Merry Christmas to me. I love this scent. It's like getting Tom Ford "Sahara Noir" for under a a hundred dollars. Kinda like Nabeel's "Al Bashiq." This is a great, more western style oud. Nothing barnyard or animalic here. A good first oud scent for any newbies at a great price. I really like everything I'm smelling and I think most people will too. This is solid EDP quality, which makes me even more annoyed that the Varvatos line doesn't have EDP and Parfum versions of their EDT scents, which are some of most likeable but most disappointing performers out there. Time and again I've tried a Varvatos EDT and thought, "I'd wear this every day if it didn't disappear by the end of morning coffee break." Especially "Dark Rebel." The top and middle notes here are pretty much the usual stuff, but what really does the work here are the base notes of incense and myrrh, and to a lesser extent the cinnamon and clove mid notes. It's yummy. Unlike a lot of oud out there I think you can wear this anywhere, including in a car pool if used with restraint. No one will get off the elevator and take the stairs to avoid smelling this. Safe for office wear, and definitely date wear. I think unless you hate oud altogether this is a safe blind buy and more unique that the bottom of the market ouds from Maison Alhambra, etc. I may go ahead and order backup bottles now.

This composition is lovely, very rich and complex, and probably the best oud-based juice I've yet had the pleasure of smelling. Oud is naturally bitter and sour, and this fragrance would be very off-putting except that the oud is perfectly balanced with the core Varvatos DNA: leather, cinnamon, cedar, pepper, amber, and sage. It's almost a perfect landing pad for the oud note. Add to that Varvatos heart some sweet tobacco, incense, and a dash of clove and nutmeg, and you have a heavenly scent. Throughout the whole sensory experience, the oud is constantly smelling a little out of place, pulling against the sweet spice mix with its sour, almost sweat-like quality. It's fantastic. It reminds me -- using different notes, of course -- of how a classic juice like Aramis works, pitting sour against sweet, sweet against spicy. Yes, the bottle and its shiny plastic gold netting is ostentatious, and yes, the giant box it comes in is clunky and totally unnecessary, but they're going for a certain vibe here so let's just enjoy it. Like most Varvatos scents I've tried, this one isn't great at projection or longevity. I can still smell it on myself after 3-4 hours, but it's definitely fading at that point and needs reapplication. Still, I love this scent, and wear it frequently in the colder weather.

I purchased this fragrance through a decant subscription service and honestly I didn't expect much. I hardly purchase colognes after receiving it as a decant, because, although I may enjoy a scent, I rarely find myself falling in love with a cologne. Ladies and gentlemen, I must say, this is one of those colognes I fell in love with. To me, it provides a similar feeling that I experience with Blue de Chanel edp: I know it's there, everyone around me knows that it is there, but we all "act" cool during the experience, as if the cologne is an irrelevant addition to the moment. People (ladies) will find a way to stick around me once they have noticed the cologne. It's less of a scent and more of an Aura. As I said above, I don't usually come across fragrances that push me to purchase a full bottle, but this fragrance is different from other scents. I know that this cologne is "pricey", and that it lacks performance, compared to a club-type fragrance, but, it is absolutely worth the money if you can easily justify wearing it. Fyi, I also received "Reflection man" by Amouage, which I plan on purchasing, But I knew JV Oud was the better investment from a practical perspective. About Me: College educated Profession - Securities/entertainment/Investments Owned JV artisan

This house simply makes amazing smelling scents. There hasn't been one that I have tried which I didn't like. This house really knows how to make dark scents smell great. Usually in the niche department dark scents end up being too smokey or too resinous... JV creates a very dark and deep scent, but one that actually smells appealing.. This is as good as dark rebel for me. the problem with this house and why it never gets credit is the performance. I never buy bottles because I am afraid of the shitty performance.. but when I test samples and put them on my skin and hand they really don't seem that bad.. Maybe its not the longevity but the projection of these scents? Do they use ingredients that make you go nose blind? Why do the samples seem to have good longevity and seem decent but than everyone says they suck? I remember the only bottle I had was the original JV and I loved the smell a ton, but the performance blew.. This scent is simply a smokey, dark oud/incense scent with some sweetness that smells appealing.. its as simple as that. an appealing oud. they do an amazing job at making dark and smokey actually smell good.

While I love the spice in this fragrance, the spices reside in the top and mid, and do not make it to the drydown, at which point this starts to smell very similar to Armaf Shades Wood. Compared to Shades Wood, this is nowhere near as strong, so if your favorite part of this fragrance is the drydown, I'd go with Shades Wood and save yourself the grief of poor performance and spend the extra $35 you'll have leftover on something else. I will say however that this is more "western" than Shades Wood, the spices in the opening are VERY nice, and it's a very daring release for a designer such as John Varvatos. Kudos there, and for the quality of the notes, but the performance just isn't there to back it up. Edit: Gave this another try yesterday and found much more depth that I was missing previously. The supportive notes are subtle, but they do add a certain completeness to the composition. Furthermore, it actually lasted and projected just fine. I think maybe it was olfactory fatigue getting the best of me before, but everyone seems to share the same complaints about performance and I have too, so YMMV.

Hello, people! I've had this fragrance for 2 days now. First of all, I want to touch on the performance: on my skin, lasts a whole day without issue and projects up to 5 hours. The thing is that projection is moderate, maybe good in the first hour. Disclaimer: fragrances tend to perform very well on my skin. As for spraying on clothes, I can smell my blouse which has been sprayed more than 24 hours ago. As for the smell: I had a few months ago an Or Intemporel by Lalique which I used for a few days before selling it (got it for 75$ and manged to sell it used for 130$ - a deal's a deal :D ). Varvatos Oud reminds me of that fragrance, but with a darker touch. It's spicy in the beginning (the opening is different from Or Intemporel), but dries down to a resinous-powdery tobacco with a good touch of smoke. I found this on parfimo.ro for 27$ for a 125ml tester. I bought it blindly because people said that the smell is great - which I agree. The fact that it performs very well for me makes it a steal at that price. I would not have been disappointed even if I paid 70-80$ for this. Cheers and good luck!

This JV juice is definitely of niche quality, the ultra-smooth blend of ingredients gives a soft, heavenly smell of rose, spices, myrruh & mostly incense, plus a little oud (which doesn't stand out here) to my nose. That said, it smells nothing synthetic/ linear, and still is one of the best woody-spicy, smokey-leathery, oriental frags that I own. The only drawback is that its performance ain't up to par. Have to agree with most reviews that it has average projection & sillage, which sits close to a skin scent after the drydown. (The smell alone was very enjoyable though) Moderate longevity, 6 hours max sprayed on skin. Might last longer on clothes/ need a few resprays throughout the day. Sophisticated, sensual, dark & subtly alluring. Mysterious but very wearable for men of any age. (I could see some women wearing it as well) Gives off a welcoming vibe, reminds me of bonfires under a sky full of stars, warm but somewhat distant. Overall, a great cold weather scent. A+ smell, pitiable performance.

In Japan, in the ancient capital of Nara, there is a large wooden structure, Todai-ji. It houses a large Buddha, Dai-butusu, constructed in 752CE. Inside there is a collection of different incenses that have been lit and burned over the last many hundreds of years. These different incense have created an indescribably complex, unified, deep and exotic kaori. This JV Oud transports me to Nara, to Todai-ji instantaneously. About the Oud. Full honesty. I don’t know. I’ll trust your opinions on that. About the blend of the sweet, warm spices and incense: “a masterful, historic blend” is 100% correct. About performance: on my skin, little sillage and little performance. On my clothes it last almost 24 hours and DOES project! As I sit hear smelling the cuff of my shirt that was sprayed yesterday morning, it is still very noticeable. All in all. Just for the mind-trip to Nara, I give it 10/10.

This is one of the nicest fragrances I've ever smelled. Oudy, woody, deep. Slight spice, but smooth. Beautiful. A signature fragrance for me, especially for colder months. But I've worn it in summer too. In my opinion this can be worn in most any season, day or night. If you like oud, then I think you'll like it even as a blind buy. RATINGS: Art/Design 10/10 Cost/Quality 10/10 Sillage 7/10 Odor Life 7/10 Buy again? 10//10 Recommend: 10//10 Overall Love/Like/Dislike? 10/10* FINAL SCORE: 9.14 = A- = Distinct! ----- Rating Scale: A = High Distinction! = 9.5-10 A- = Distinct! = 9-9.4 B+ = Very Superior = 8-8.9 B = Moderately Superior = 7-7.9 B- = Superior = 6-6.9 C+ = High Average = 5-5.9 C = Average = 4-4.9 C- = Low Average = 3-3.9 D+ = Poor = 2-2.9 D = Very Poor = 1-1.9 F = Fail! = 0-1.9 * Love = 10 <--> Dislike = 0

I absolutely love this fragrance! It's very masculine, smoky and many spices in there. I don't feel any strong oud in it but it is a really nice and complex fragrance. The longevity is not as bad as what people say, it would depend on people's skin and also the spray on this one doesn't splash too much. I have some bottles that splash more fragrance in one spray than this one with two sprays. I also want to mention that this scent evolves really nicely on skin, you have to spray it on skin rather than on a piece of paper. The outcome will be totally different and much better. To me it's an excellent quality fragrance. Oriental Rock 'n' Roll vibe even almost a bit hippie. I would compare it to a Fender Jaguar model in the world of electric guitars. Love it.

The first Oud fragrance I have ever owned. I’ll always associate this scent with Winter...because that’s when I purchased it and first experienced its scent. It’s something really special. Very exotic ...and described really well by the list of notes. But then again.... have you ever tried to describe in words an orgasm? It’s something you just have to experience for yourself. All I can tell you ...is that it’s worth the price of admission. Important Sidenote : This fragrance was designed by the same perfumer that created Tom Fords Sahara Noir. If you own both ..surely you can see the similarities. Jul 04 2018

I like this fragrance. Smells like Oud. It's a very nice fragrance for the John Varvatos but not the best.design is a 3☆ because it looks cheap to me. The scent definately screams oud and is very strong 3☆. Value is good at 4☆. Longevity for me is 7 hrs which is long lasting for me but not as good as others in my collection 4☆. Overall its ranks as a 3☆. For me it's a winter/fall seasonal fragrance. I would probably not purchase this fragrance again where I would choose the John Varvatos Vintage frangrance over this because the Vintage fragrance to me is not as strong and smells better

This is the way I like an oud / rose / saffron scent to be: balanced. It has just the right amount of resinous depth, warmth, and spice coupled with the right amount rose and other floral notes so as to not be overly harsh or cloying like some oud fragrances can be. It's not a heavy projector, and thus, it can work for the office or casual situations equally well. A great cool-season scent that can be had for less than $60, and that's a 4.2 oz. bottle, mind you. Yet another win for JV and Mr. Flores-Roux.

Odd for an Oud to have moderate performance, however this is a solid Oud to brighten up your collection with. This has an even overtone, Rose pouring through up top, while the agarwood sits below. There are also hints of tobacco, cinnamon/spice, and a number of other fused together aromas that works together to produce this fragrance. Just wish it popped better, though this gives you a chance to wear an Oud scent without being over-bearing. You want to be inviting with your scent, not choke them out.

Hello, this is my first review. This fragrance is definitely a high class Arabian type scent. I had been to Makkah recently, so we performed Umrah. So while doing Tawaaf in Masjid Al haram, there was this deep Oud aroma, which was exceptional & intoxicating. This JV Oud reminds me very closely of my memories while doing Tawaaf (sacred rounds around KAABA). Hats off to the perfumer. A must have if you are an Oud lover. You can PM me if anyone's interested to get any perfume.

Probably my first time getting an Oud frag back in 2020, this scent made me realise there are lovely Ouds out there. Of course John Varvatos Oud is one such scent. Of course this was a blind buy due to the Covid pandemic, you couldn’t test any fragrances that you were buying. There is a hint of bitterness and very medicinal which I somehow now have learned to appreciate. The Oud is just nice, non overpowering.

This juice starts with slight tobacco, juniper and a saffron/cinnamon mix. Turns into a clove and rose mid to my nose. Then the oud, that is ever so slightly medicinal, leather and amber. In spite of the medicinal oud (which I really dislike) I like this juice a lot. Starting with a sample and will most likely move on to a full bottle. Enjoy!

I was afraid to buy this, especially after watching Max Forti say how underwhelming it was. I am so glad I bought it. It’s like Dark Rebel Rider with added oud which makes it more oriental and powerful. The presentation is so classy and luxurious looking and the smell took my imagination to a Souq (Bazaar/Market) in Dubai or Tehran.

Very similar to Versace Oud Noir. This seems to have less spice - a bit cleaner. Overall, I get the same terrible performance out of this as I do oud noir. Regardless, I'm loving the smell and imo, Varvatos is the closest designer to being niche. Quality, presentation and smell - all there. Performance is lame - carry a decant. 7/10

One of my favorites. A very nice and mild oud. Sweet, smokey, peppery, but not too heavy. Maybe even a bit fresh (for this type of fragrance). The scent is amazing; unfortunately, it doesn't last, which is consistent with most Varvatos offerings.

Divine oud-amber unisex perfume. Very rich, delicate, smoky, dark, deep and warm, not too sweet - with soft oud, amber, cinnamon, saffron, rose, nutmeg, labdanum, myre and other notes... very well balanced and elegant. Masterpiece❤

Love, love, LOVE! To me, this smells like a church on Christmas Day. The wooden benches, the atmosphere in the air. It's absolutely amazing. Just wish the performance was better.

This is very pleasant and ive gotten plenty of compliments mostly from older middle eastern women but its very entry level oud and amber, it lasts really long and you'll like it.

The bottle alone seems worthy of owning. Even if you have to reaply the fragrance every 2 or 3 hours. Hope it's good because im an Oud and Musk fan.

I love this fragrance, its beautiful, lasts 7+ hours on me and projected very well for 5 hrs. Overall i give it a 9/10

Wonderful scent, this is a very unique masterpiece. One of the best oud fragrances, a must-have essential for winter.

This juice is so good, it's very sexy and classy. I prefer to use it for special occasions. I really enjoy it a lot.

i love this scent ! striking, but sillage and longevity, not so good. would i buy it again? no.

Not so much oud, but the rose smells amazing in this fragrance! I love it!!

I love it, I wish it would last longer for such notes breakdown.

John Varvatos Oud Men EDP opens with a strong projection of tobacco, incense, oud, resinous and spicy notes. The opening is bold, masculine, dark, dry, and nicely blended. The tobacco, incense, oud, and resins are the most noticeable notes. The tobacco comes across as black cigar tobacco, aromatic and dark, enhanced by the incense that adds a noticeable smoky, burnt wood-like accord. The oud is also very prominent but isn’t animalic or pungent, instead, a dark and dry wood-like oud. The amber, opoponax, and myrrh are base notes, but the same as the oud and incense, they come up as soon as the fragrance is applied, they create a resinous and slightly sweet accord. The fragrance has multiple spicy notes, they are not as prominent as the featured notes, but noticeable, the resulting note is a spicy touch without a particular facet. Similarly, the leather is not prominent but noticeable. The rest of the notes provide support, some woody, herbaceous, and floral. The fragrance is linear, the only noticeable opening to dry-down change is the loss of projection which takes one step down from strong to moderate. Once John Varvatos Oud Men EDP has reached its full dry-down, it can be summarized as a moderate projection, dark (tobacco, incense), oud, resinous (myrrh, opoponax), and spicy fragrance with leather, soft woody, and floral accords. The fragrance feels bold, casual, churchy, dark, dry, elegant, exotic, leathery, masculine, mature, mysterious, nocturnal, oudy, resinous, smoky, spicy, woody, and pleasant. BATCH REVIEWED: 2020. WOW RATING: 8/10. A very good masculine and dark fragrance. DISLIKE RATING: 4/10. Oud, incense, tobacco, resins are featured notes. These are all dark notes but they don’t come up as harsh or pungent. UNIQUENESS: 7/10. The notes and resulting scent are relatively common, but this has a unique touch. MASS APPEAL: 6/10. This is a mature manly fragrance, not a crowd-pleaser. PROJECTION: 3/10. Moderate to low, about 3 feet around the wearer. Low for a dark fragrance. SILLAGE: 3/10. Moderate to low, about 3 feet behind the wearer. APPLICATION: 7 atomizations. LONGEVITY: 4/10. Moderate, however, it projects well for under 1/2 hour before significantly receding. SEASONS: Winter, fall, colder days, and climate-controlled environments. OCCASIONS: Formal events, outdoor gatherings, casual, holidays, vacations, clubbing. VERSATILITY: 5/10. Dark fragrances are ideal for casual for formal wear, colder weather. GENDER: Masculine. AGES: 30 and above. RECOMMENDATION: John Varvatos Oud Men EDP can be purchased for about $50, it is a good dark fragrance without any harsh notes. As most of the fragrances from this house, the performance is below average, but it is reasonable for its cost. It is a nice-to-have but not a must-have. BLIND-BUY: Yes, but only if you are familiar with its main notes. SIMILAR: Here are some examples of dark fragrances. Amouage Epic Man is a great incense, spicy, nutmeg and leather fragrance; Amouage Interlude Man EDP is the darkest and greatest fragrance of this house; Amouage Memoir Men EDP is a more wearable dark fragrance with stronger green tones, and outstanding performance; Bvlgari Man In Black Men EDP is one of the best designer’s leather and dark fragrances, but lacks longevity; Chanel Egoiste is a bold, black tobacco, and woods fragrance; Chanel Les Exclusifs Sycomore EDP, this is a strong oud fragrance with moderate performance; Guerlain L’Homme Ideal Intense is a pleasant dark, sweet, spicy, leather, smoke, and almond fragrance; Issey Miyake Nuit D'Issey Men EDT is a highly wearable dark, incense and green fragrance, very affordable; John Varvatos Dark Rebel is a more wearable woody, leathery, tobacco, spices, and boozy fragrance; John Varvatos Dark Rebel Rider this fragrance is dark with incense, tobacco and leather notes, but low performance; Louis Vuitton Ombre Nomade EDP is a fantastic dark, incense, masculine fragrance but with low performance; Mancera Hindu Kush is a incense, dark woods, and strong green accords fragrance; Mancera Red Tobacco Men EDP is powerful and features, tobacco, incense, and oud; Mercedes-Benz Club Black Men EDT By Mercedes-Benz is an office-friendly incense, and leather fragrance; Montale Full Incense is good wearable incense, dark woods and green fragrance; Nasomatto Black Afgano is a potent, green, and incense fragrance; Tiziana Terenzi Ecstasy is patchouli, incense, woody, and floral fragrance; John Varvatos Oud Men EDP is a low projection dark tobacco, incense, oud, myrrh, and spices fragrance. SUMMARY: A moderate projection, dark (tobacco, incense), oud, resinous (myrrh, opoponax), and spicy fragrance with leather, soft woody, and floral accords. The fragrance feels bold, casual, churchy, dark, dry, elegant, exotic, leathery, masculine, mature, mysterious, nocturnal, oudy, resinous, smoky, spicy, woody, and pleasant.

To preface, I'm not all that familiar with oud scents beyond the old formulation of M7 and that will likely color my opinion. Succinctly, it's pretty damn decent especially for the price. I think I got mine for like $35 on frag net? Very noisy opening, they list a ton of notes but in the first five minutes it's less symphony and more grindcore. It certainly doesn't smell bad, but maybe a little muddled? I definitely get the tobacco and oud up front, a very approachable oud that gets muted slightly at first from the blend of floral top and middle notes. The first few minutes are intense, and slightly medicinal as the spices, flowers, and herbs kinda run together. Not unpleasant, but maybe less balanced than I remember from M7. Drydown happens quick, and with it goes the sillage. After 15mins, it's pretty close to the skin but very noticable. I get a tiny hint of the rose but not enough to make a difference and honestly I do wish it was a bit more floral as the kinda medicinal quality it gets in the context of an oud is really nice to me. After an hour, it's a pretty soft scent surprisingly. The climate where I live is ~100°F in the summer and it's not even remotely close to cloying. Soft oud, a little smokiness from the incense but nothing too intense, and the phantom of tobacco in the distance. My girlfriend gets a lot more incense than I do, so your mileage may vary. Close close close skin scent for me after drydown but still pretty pleasant. I'd say this drops off somewhere between 3 and 4 hours though it's still barely detectable at 6-7. As I mentioned before, I'm not very familiar with ouds beyond M7 so I may not have the best or most accurate taste but I think it's a good scent--especially for the price. I like the loud opening but I feel like they got overzealous with their variety of notes which get lost rather than emphasized. I wish there was more sage to be honest, and this may sound weird but I think ginseng would have been a nice addition. If you're new to ouds this is a pretty inexpensive and honestly, pretty safe way to see if you like them. I can't see this being a signature scent, though if the leather and myrhh shine on your skin I think it'd be a stand-out. It's both exotic and approachable, good for date nights and cooler weather, and a purchase I don't regret but don't necessarily treasure. Reminds me of M7 but doesn't smell like it. Also, the bottle is fuck ugly.

Update: I lied.... I did buy it again. Well I restocked on in. It became one of my favo's.. Am I wearing a new cologne every day? Well almost ;-) First time for JV Oud , and I like this one but I think it has very low sillage and it just sits very close to the skin. It's been just barely an hour that I put it on, so I need to see how it will perform during the day, but I am afraid is going to get lost. The packing and bottle are very luxurious and niche like, pricey as a niche on the main perfume sites, but could be found cheaper if you look around. Is it worth it? to be continued... Ok is the end of the day, more than 12 hrs since the application and a there's still a a very close to the skin trace of the fragrance. But I got two compliments at the very dry down, probably at the 7 and 8 hour but none during the opening and initial dry down. The oud note is the one that prevails till the very end and close to the skin. I won't buy this at the $150 that is being sold at nordstrom, and the 48 I paid at fragrancenet seems fair, now would I buy it again? most likely not. Is good for my oud collection but not on the top ones. Overall a 7/10 fragrance. Update 11/14/16: I guess I lied, yes I bought it again, but I have been complemented every time I wear it and I did come to like it as much as well.. I think it has a normal longevity and sillage, I don't know what's the fuzz about around the reviews here.. there are many fragrances with the same sillage or longevity, I think it last what it has to last, that's all.

I've enjoyed JV Oud for years. Sad to see it's been discontinued. And disappointed that it's become insanely costly because of that. It was mid-priced when I bought it - not really a cheapie, but not an expensive scent either. This was my first baby step into the world of oud, and looking back it was ideal for that. The oud here isn't at all in-your-face, it makes its presence felt in the background. There's a warm and balanced spiciness, with a hint of bitterness that offsets the amber nicely. For me a two-pump application lasts six to eight hours, though after four or five it's just a skin scent. Projection is mild to moderate, which in my case has turned out ot be a good thing, If it were more muscular that would limit its usefulness, which even at this strength is not universal... As it stands, I can wear this for just about any everyday type occasion. For me, its been a good all-purpose Fall & Winter scent. Sorry to see it go. EDIT: Even more disappointed at the price gouging now that I realize my bottle is pretty low and I'm definitely not going without this stuff. Gotta get myself another before it disappears completely.

I was "given" this from a TK Maxx worker as it was a broken box so reduced from £48 to £7. For that price, I get a very incense-y woody tobacco, a rather very strong floral wood, almost like Encre Noir, all wrapped up a pipe smoke and rose oil with the vaguest hint of earthy dirty oud. It's almost headachingly strong and complex in the note breakdown. It does conjure the smell of a Middle Eastern mall, Dubai to be honest, very much affluent eastern inspired and great if that is your thing. Really not bad for the price. I would maybe keep this in an atomizer if my other ouds weren't available (Royal Oud, Oud Ispahan, Oud Wood, Oud for Greatness decant) and I was going to a shisha bar or a good Indian restaurant. You would also want to keep it in an atomizer because the biggest letdown is the bottle which is f*****g awful and gaudy. Smell- 7.5/10 Longevity- 8 hours on my skin. 8/10 Projection- Way over arms reach, a few sprays fill my office in an eyewatering fog 9/10 Price- Even without the huge reduction, it is still worth it. 9/10

Cinnamon and leather. JV Oud while fails to present the note of oud appropriately, remains a decent warm spicy scent. The voted notes pyramid is deceiving. The seem like people interpreting the warm spiciness differently. JV Oud is made up mainly of cinnamon. It is made heavier and warmer with leather and opoponax. There is a hint of a lot of barely distinguishable notes: myrrh, incense, tobacco, rose, cypress, and labdanum. However, almost no oud. It is a good warm spicy scent that is smooth and charming. Beautiful on a cool night for a man of any age. Average performance. The lack oud, while disappointing, doesn't take away the beauty of JV Oud oriental scent. Big "Like".

The opening is very oudy woody smoky but that settles down into more ambary spicy woody and slightly smoky. It's quite nice and on the sharper darker side in compare to some other similar dna fragrances. Definitely one of those masculine fragrances that is on the verge of extinction loosing ground to the sweet gourmand syrupy wave. Could use a bit more punch for better silage and longer longevity for sure. If you are looking for an oud forward fragrance, this is not one. Oud dances way in the background in this but it is noticeably there. Should you get this? If you are a collector yes otherwise you won't miss much :)

Ive had this bottle for a long while and just discovered I hadn't yet reviewed it. Well, it's a nice, wearable, designer oud scent profile with modest quality of materials. Simple as that. Sits very close to the skin, as do almost all John Varvatos fragrances. My first thought upon application was the comparison with JV Dark Rebel Rider. Makes sense given that Rodrigo Flores-Roux created both, I guess. I like the way Flores-Roux throws in everything but the kitchen sink in terms of notes. I enjoy his creations. Nice. Now, let me go spray some more on, because it needs it.

In is much as Oud is the name of this cologne I think that it is odd that the Oud is buried behind the Tobacco and Juniper notes, which dominate this fragrance, and amongst all the numerous other notes that this cologne is comprised of. Still, this is a warm and pronounced fragrance that projects a nice, conservative, scent bubble for hours. This is not pungent in any way, don't let the Oud note throw you. Side note: The boxing for this fragrance is beautiful. The bottle is beautiful. The gold casing on the bottle is plastic, looks good but feels cheap.

"Take me to your Oud". Oud is at the top of the fragrance genre's pecking order, I've come to understand in my first year of having more then one cologne at a time. I'm more eager reaching for Dark Rebel Rider then this. DRR has an exhilarating vibe. However, the way Saffron is used as a facilitator compares favorable between JV Oud and DRR. Both are contemplative sitting companions. Versace Oud is more luxurious in a fully loaded AWD sort of way. JV oud isn't on hubcaps but there's no moon roof.

Great packaging....but.....crap bottle design...IMO. Well, lucked out on Fragrancenet.com again.....I ordered a"tester" and they sent me fully sealed regular bottle !! As for the scent, it does what most JV fragrances do.....low performance !! This is a nice pleasant scent with oudy touches. It is smooth and classy. Not much real "depth" to the scent/notes. Howver I do like the overall smell of this. A refined,gentleman's scent. A little more "oomph" please !!!

Not an oud, this is a dense warm incense, middle Eastern spices, mildly sweet tobacco, and a tiny touch of sharp florals but no rose. Picture sitting in a shisha bar and ordering an arabic sweet dish. Pleasant and cosy, although I'm going to give it a few wears before making my mind up about it. So far its a like but not a love. Projection is very low

Just got this. Compared this to Versace Oud Noir which i also own, this feels more "smoky" than Oud Noir. Both are delicate and smooth but JV smells a little less spicy. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of them. Refined, and classy, also the presentation on this is just gorgeous. Definetly an eye-catcher sitting on your stand.

in one word ... for me ... it's best unique Oud fragrance out there best blended notes with Oud , Tobacco , Jasmine , Frankincense , Saffron and Berry , Cinnamon , Pepper and Cedar great scent and enjoyable , if it can last more longer it will be a perfection longevity : 3 hours projection & sillage : moderate for 1 hour

I enjoy the spiciness of this in an effort to try to be an oud scent. But let's face it there really isn't any oud in this (artificial or real). Not a lot of projection after the first hour, but it's more than just a skin scent throughout the day. This is the only scent from Varvatos that I enjoy. A like but not a love.

I don't like ouds in general. It's so Christian smell like to be in Cathedral. But this one ... a surprise. Smooth tobacco but no flowers almost at all. Strong oud in any case. With time gets deep and sweet almost in patchouli direction. Not sure yet but that might be one day my first oud in collection after all.

The blend is similar to DRR but with more depth from the base. Easy wear, it does best when it gets some cold exposure. Soft texture becomes creamy even, I think it's the sage and amber. Versace Oud Noir is a bit more forward. JV Oud is more like an alternative to non oud tobacoo frags.

This doesn't remind me of anything I've sampled before. Slightly sweet resin, mild incense, and amber are what stick with this fragrance throughout its entirety. There are some florals off the top, but they go away quickly. This is actually not bad at all.