Midnight Oud

Midnight Oud is one of the rare fragrances that I love from beginning to the end. It starts out strong like many have mentioned a blast of sharp bergamont quickly followed by saffron which smells amazing in this! It is rich and spicy. Slowly the rose and oud start to emerge it smells it a bolder scent compared to what many are used to and it is absolutely amazing. I'm quite new oud notes and haven't quite figured out how to describe them just yet, but it is pretty potent in this fragrance. Even though I say it is potent I find Midnight Oud to be a wearble fragrance that challenges me, because it is quite complex and multifaceted. The rose is deep and smooth and adds depth but balances out the potency of the oud. I also pick up a small about of patchouli. A big player in this has to be musk I can smell it in various strengths throughout the fragrance, its not quite clean yet it is not a dirty musk either. I swear there is also a tiny bit of sweet ambrette in this at the dry down when it still barely hanging on to my skin for the day. I also wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some Iso-E Super hanging out in here somewhere too, because it has that distinct Juilette Has a Gun feeling to it that I found in most of the fragrances I have experienced from this house. I am absolutely in infatuated which this fragrance! I used to not be a fan of oud until recently and this fragrance is a great one to start with. The lasting power is great as well I would say about 8 hours maybe longer even. There is a lot of sillage at the beginning of Midnight Oud but it eventually calms down about an hour or so into the fragrance. If you ever have the chance to try this one go for it! I can say this has to be my favorite Juliette Has a Gun fragrance so far.

I would write a lengthy and loving review here but, alas, I find it somehow too magical to do so at the moment. Absolutely my favorite oud scent to date. FB'd the night after sampling it and it's remained just as wonderful as that first whiff ever since. There is something at once dark and upliftingly effervescent about this. If I didn't know better I'd say there was quite a bit of the signature JHAG ambroxan/cetalox in this one, too, but it could be just the most sparkling variety of amber. Either way something about this absolutely lifts it in a way I've never experienced an oud before. To take such a heavy theme as this and still make it feel 'zestful' is quite a magic trick. Ohhh JHAG. Fine, take another chunk of my paycheck ;) EDIT about a year later---------------------------------------------------- after having fallen madly for oud in general when it's well-presented, this one smells harsher to me. Up close and doing a side by side with several of my other ouds (samples or otherwise), I admit it now smells a bit too rough in the faux oud/saffron departments. It seems to take quite a while to mellow out into the kind of oud I really love, but once it gets there it's still very enjoyable. Just, why does the top have to take so long to mellow out? If you're willing to wait about 45mins it's much nicer. I can't understand why but somehow, over time, several JHAGs have gone from smelling intoxicating to me to smelling like they have a bugspray edge. I'm sure it's not for lack of proper storage etc, I guess my nose is just changing....

Speachless ^^. Midnight Oud is just beautiful, enchanting and.. you know, serious. It smells like I expected- distinctive thanks to precious ingredient Agarwood. There's still feeling to it that it's Juliette Has a Gun brand later when top notes settled a bit (I tried Citizen Queen). And later it becomes very sexy, I also love geranium note that perfectly fits here. Something also sweetens a little bit the woods and makes scent a lot deeper. But let's talk about the very top. Top lasts a long time and provokes not only memories but it made me think a lot about my grandparents with 2 more 'grand' at the beginning. My grandparents from dad's side come from village. They had a wooden house and heat it with firewood. They also had a garden and few cows I think, also bees ^^ When my dad grew up he loved to spend time in village house of his grandmother. When I grew up I loved to visit remnants of this house too (it was deserted ten years before USSR fell). You could find some stuff there (such as color pencils, fork, a white cloak to be able to deal with bees, also bee houses ). Imagine the smell inside the house- humidity touched wood that absorbed various smells from a stove and finally dried in many hot sunny days in a row. That's what I love about this perfume. It evokes these memories. I think now that house isn't standing there and it's a pity, because this place has it's charm and that's the place you'd return to think about life again and again. Whew.. to my wish list. Packaging is very gorgeous, especially velvet box and it's color.

I don't get the oud in this one; it's barely there which is strange since oud usually overpowers every other note in a composition. Like someone else here said, this seems to be more about the rose than the oud. Still, it's a nice, slightly medicinal oriental hinting at something dark and mysterious but not actually getting there. Lasting power is also moderate for an oud fragrance. Nice and unisex too, but not FB worthy for me. I must admit that to me, this seems like a safe and easily wearable oriental that anyone from 15 years old to 95 could wear in a daily basis and it would raise no eyebrows. Not what I was looking for, but others who are looking for such a composition should check it out. Update: I did cave in and bought a FB finally and this time the oud was more pronounced, as was the saffron and the musk, but in the end it's a rose fragrance through and through. Still I do find it softer than expected from such notes (except for the first 30 minutes) and a quite comforting winter scent, but also elegant and feminine. It's also very long lasting after all, but even my husband who complains about most perfumes, doesn't notice when I'm wearing it.Not sure this is a good thing though, as I do like my perfumes to make their presence known (like Citizen Queen which I also own and never fails to get me compliments). I can't stop smelling my wrist though, it's a very addictive scent and the kind of 'grown up' perfume that was missing from my collection, but I think I appreciate it more than others do on me :P

I got this onlineas a second-hand bottle, a lady was selling her almost full bottle for cheap. Few years back I got as a gift Lady Vengeance and at that time I didnt really like it so I gave it to my mom cause she loves rose frags. I got this one too cause over time I realized how well blended and expensive the Lady Vengeance is, so I decided to give it a go. When I first sprayed it, it smelled very medicinal and harsh. Then it would smell like a honey garden full of flowers/roses. This was my impression after first few uses. I totally get it why the lady sold almost a full bottle, I think she was put off by the medicinal opening. After a few uses I started to notice that the “medicinal” notes are bergamot and something else, maybe saffron? and I started to notice how pleasant it is. My skin supports all the heavy stuff like amber, oud, pachouli etc so it developed nicely. After that there was a full garden of ambery roses mixed with some other I cant really describe... I read online that it is supposed to represent middle-eastern garden full of exotic flowers at night (or something like that), and I totally get that image in my head. I love arabic perfumes and this is just the vibe. I think the oud is too syntheticy but overall I love it. I think it might even be great in the summer by night for someone brave, I might try it. I wore it in spring and it was just gorgeous. Im starting to love Juliette frags and Im motivated to try their other perfumes too.

~ *insert hard alternative band here* grinds, like roughspun burlap through the air. An arid rose held in arms of leather takes intervals at teasing your nose. Her hair is bronze in the stage light, frizzled, yet shapely...and so is she. A crowd - beat their fists; she is in second-beat with the bass, though not off rhythm. She moves with sharper, ageless grace. She is a part, and apart from them all. Her lips a shade of baked cinnamon. She moves so closely, but you cannot hold her. ~ This is a beautiful edgy, unpretentious but graceful (slightly old-fashioned) oud rose. The opening is honestly something I endure to get to the good part. It's rough, slightly oily and burnt plastic/rubber. I was worried for the first 5 minutes, but that was all it took for it to settle into the stunning rose/geranium/peony/labdanum-esque blend that it truly is. There is oud there and for 30 minutes (after the first 5) it's pretty loud and projects beautifully. Beyond that, it remains linear but becomes something to smell with some amount of movement or closeness (like a concert...). It stays decidedly unique and distinctive. A slight amount of patchouli is mixed in there, but I don't think this is one that patchouli haters would mind. Slightly animalic, enough to lace the entire experience with funk, but it's not oppressive. Very, very neat, warming frag. I'm really impressed and seriously into this one.

This fragrance has literally cost me a fortune—let me explain. I got a 5 ml flanker of this from a not-to-be-named subscription box that I cancelled. Having never even really tested it, I brought this mini out one day and sprayed it. To my shock and surprise, this scent was heavenly to me- and caused me to go down a perfume rabbit hole. Was it the oriental spices that I liked? Or the Oud? I decided that I needed to watch every Oriental, Floriental, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Oud fragrance review video on YouTube under the sun for two weeks straight, which resulted in me purchasing the following: Shaghaf Oud, Gucci Guilty Absolute Pour Femme, Pacifica Kindred Spirit, EL Youth-Dew, TF Black Orchid, Alien Musc Extraordinaire, Reb’l Fleur Love Always, Himalayan Patchouli Berry, MK Mystique Shimmer, TB Love Relentlessly, Sehr Al Sheila, CK Euphoria, Elie Saab Le Parfum— apparently I’m either a moron, or a glutton for wallet punishment, because what I didn’t want to do, was spend the money to buy JHAG Midnight Oud. I wanted to find its replacement, and maybe it exists out there- but for now, I remind myself I’m not buying crack, I’m not in a straight jacket yet; I’m saying yes, I love this fragrance and I’m headed to clown-town if I don’t just buy the full size flanker of this and stop murdering my bank account... and my brain.

I get plenty of Musk (tangy real smelling musk) and the Rose, Saffron and Oud are a symphonic accord hovering infront of this musky background. I think the Geranium and Rose add something to the Saffron note and make it brighter and more floral, but the Saffron and Oud are dominant. Oud here is used in it's somewhat mouldy, marshy, dank aspect to give depth and piquancy and is complimented by the Patchouli. I really like this, it reminds me of several other perfumes, the Saffron note reminds me of Theo Fennel, and there are hints of Ormonde Jayne's Ta'if in there too. I think this is actually sublime. Edit: I've realised why I love this so much, it reminds me very strongly of Le Feu d'Issey by Issey Miyake (my all time favourite perfume), especially in the drydown! I'm wearing both Midnight Oud and Etra by Etro (which is very like Le Feu and often recommended to those who loved the discontinued Miyake cult perfume) and there are strong similarities, Etra is fresher, fruitier and broader, while Midnight Oud replicates the humming depth and warm spiciness of Le Feu more accurately IMO. I'm not sure yet if layering them might work and conjure up Le Feu d'Issey even more perfectly. But for those of us who mourn the passing of Le Feu d'Issey Midnight Oud could be a very pleasing substitute!

Now it may be the omniscent of the moment but I'm not through with oud quite yet and the offer of an oud/patchouli/rose mix in Juliette Has A Gun's Midnight Oud was oud hard to resist. Woah - as our fire arm totting heroine might say - what an unholy mess! I mean there's blood on the walls from the word go with this frag. If Tabac Blond is a bar brawl between friends then this is full cowboy roughneck gun totting saloon bar warfare. It's great but brutal. And whilst it softens down into something rich and sensual - damask rose heavily crossed with saffron and tempered with sweet amber - think of the boudoir of a Wild West burlesque star - it's not without a fight. The oud and doesn't want to let go of this dry down and neither does the sharp-toothed castoreum - we've strayed into his lodge and he's not happy about it or about letting us depart unhurt! When I'm feeling brave and more John Wayne than Marion Morrison I will return be-Stetson-ed, Colt 45 at the hip and ready to stand up and fight - I won't be run out of town twice... By the way I'm a guy lost in the world of women's perfume with only your wise words to guide me. Add to the debate and help decide what I'm wearing next at the thread 'what made for women fragrances can or should a man wear?'. I am your humble servant.

On me, Midnight Oud opens sharply, with a probably not very authentic note oud that is at first medicinal and then develops into synthetic burnt tire territory (I like this). It is immediately supported by the rose and the saffron, however, which rounds out this opening. From there on it gradually mellows, with the rose gradually overtaking the oud, but it remains dark, deep, and sensual. It's sexy, but it doesn't invite everyone to come close; just that one single person, who you allow within the aura of this scent. Midnight Oud is voted here as a winter/fall scent. I tried and bought it during summer. Wearing it today, on a grey October day, I think I disagree with these votes for fall and winter. In colder weather, especially during the first hour the rose remains somewhat sour and the scent can feel thin for a while. In warm weather, however, the rose immediately comes alive and the scent feels much more voluptuous to me. Now I am not saying you should wear this on a hot summer day and choke everyone around you. I do think, though, that when worn in moderation Midnight Oud is absolutely fantastic for long summer nights outside - that's when this scent truly blooms. ps. atomizer on this is LOVELY.

After my sample pack arrived, I tried this and at first thought 'This smells like brandy!'. Then I thought 'I love brandy, but I don't want people to think I'm drunk when wearing it'. After it settled, the 'brandyish' oud notes settled into something truly divine as the rose and saffron came to the surface. It no longer smells boozy, just wonderful. Originally I was only going to buy one bottle (the one I liked best)for my birthday. This was Miss Charming (the most wonderful musky berry rose ever) but I am considering buying Midnight Oud as well. I had an irresistable urge to watch 'Dune' after putting this on. Well, I wanted good rose fragrances and JHAG has certainly delivered. Good value for a niche quality line too. I would recommend this line to anyone who is getting into niche, is already into niche, or anybody who is having trouble finding the rose they want in the department stores. Beautiful, artistically done fragrances exist in normal stores, but to find a decent quality rose I think niche is the way forward. Give this a go and leave it on for at least an hour before you judge. Now I even love the boozy opening, its got me hooked.

Midnight Oud has a complicated personality. It opens in a way I can only describe as vulgar and borderline offensive. I actually laughed because I imagined it being designed to intentionally offend the modest. This isn't a scent for the sensible and proper wearer. HOWEVER... As with other dark, oudy blends, the opening is nothing like the drydown. The medicinal, sharp, dirty, almost nauseating cacophony of notes tone down dramatically. Though initially it threatens to fill an entire room with its unabashed, carnal aura, it settles surprisingly close to the skin. The majority of the time it smells of dried rose petals, a bit of oud, and general moodiness. I quite like it. If Midnight Oud was a girlfriend, she'd be gothy and introverted most of the time, but loud and... enthusiastic in private. Do not judge this scent on the opening. Do not get this scent if you are not a fan of oud. And probably don't blind buy it unless you really like this sort of thing. Sillage is quite intimate on me, better overall smell and performance when sprayed on clothes rather than skin; longevity is 4-6 hours after which it becomes a whisper on skin.

I just love rose and oud combination and can't get enough of it! Some people complain about the plastic and/or metal note in JhaG, and that's true, it is there. This note makes JhaG somehow sharper and in a way cooler. And that's why I like it. I've been using Guerlain Rose Nacree du Desert since beginning of May and I absolutely adore it, but recently I wanted something 'less lovely', 'less easy on the skin'. JhaG fits the bill perfectly. My only complain would be it longevity which is not so great. But I like it anyway. Update: So I bought JhaG and I was slightly disappointed - I couldn't smell it at all. But every now and then I would catch a whiff of something gorgeous and delicate, very subtle, beautifully smelling. It took me few hours to realise this great scent was coming from my own wrists, whenever I moved my hands to move hair from my face, to wave to somebody at work or when I gesticulated while speaking. After a while all the sharpness of JhaG disappears - and what is left is very discreet and yet sensual. Where is your gun Juliette? :-)

My girlfriend had tried the one JHaG fragrance I have which is 'Anyway' and liked it, so I got her a bucket load of samples from my good friends at Selfridges. I think she is well keen on the brand now and as such was excited to try Midnight Oud. When she did however, she was quite taken a back by the potency of the opening and didn't like it! In my opinion I thought it was excellent, a superb, unique and feminine Oud/rose combo with saffron patchouli and musk making a beautifully middle eastern vibe. I love saffron especially with oud but it's somewhat of an acquired taste and this has quite a lot in there. Anyway... She completely changed her mind after 20 mins or so as it dried down and settled on her skin, Midnight Oud started to work it's magic. After a few hours she was in love and said "I have to get this!" (Don't know if that was a hint?) Don't get me wrong I love Oud and rose and have lots of things similar but this just sets itself apart as more of a scent for the ladies. Great fragrance and the price is up there but not too bad.

Interesting enough, Midnight Oud, supposedly for women turns out to be an astonishing perfume on masculine skin. Woody, dark gothic rose and oud results in an ovary flipping combination of sweetness and toughness. The kind of pugnacious hombre you would find in a white hat in a cowboy movie. I cannot stress enough the ghostly aura of unambiguous good guy hero this can take on when fortuitously combined with the right male skin chemistry. If you are into that kind of thing... On my skin I found the opening far too masculine, the saffron being very assertive and butch. However, the rose, my goodness, like darkness itself, infused with the grace of heaven. Soft, romantic, safe but exciting. This seems to fade out a bit too quickly for my liking and to be honest, Montale Black Aoud probably suits me more but that *rose*. Speechless admiration. I for one do not care about how authentic or westernised the oud here is, I just know that Juliette is onto a good thing for all humans. Especially men.

This is a VERY intense oud 'vehicle'. Wherever you travel, the oud will certainly follow you. After the oud settles on you skin, prepare yourself to be showered in damask rose petals (musky, dusty-scented, vintage rose petals). I think you have to be strong of character to pull this one off. Midnight Oud has to be one of the most honest Oriental fragrances around at the moment. It's also VERY smoky as well - it reminds me of Guerlain's Shalimar. I'm still getting used to these smoky fragrances! I might add that after wearing Midnight Oud for nearly 24 hours, I can smell the roses. In fact, upon awakening I copped a huge whiff of roses. The roses become far more prevalent on the second day. There's sandalwood and amber on the drydown which rounds it off beautifully. It's VERY unusual. If you're a perfume fanatic, you MUST explore this realm of fragrance. I've proudly added this to the 'notch' in my belt of fragrances. I consider it a coming of age scent-wise.

This is the most beautiful oud recreated in a perfume that I had a chance to smell to date. it begins with tremendous intensity, baked Saffron, oud, animal amber and musk (everything wrapped in a creamy undertone) in it's power of attacking the nose with the force of attacking an unconquerable tower, and the excess of emotion and intensity is quite clean and develops in hours and hours to come. moving into lighter notes begins with sensation of patchouli and rose, and this appears a good half of the day later - but this Rose is the least impressive, even coming wearing a flag of femininity, because in the time of her ruling you already have sided with the hero Oud and his cohorts. at the first breath, that was it, I found myself with a gun Juliette has created for my use and one day when I want to deal with winning over foreigners nasal forts, this will be my weapon. I think then, the expansion of my empire will be without question!

I've been impatiently waiting for this one to hit Lucky Scent, and finally got my sample today. So here are my thoughts: Some may have noticed that M Oud ($135/100 ML) is almost an exact replica of Czech and Speake's Dark Rose ($185 for 100 ML)DR has Sandalwood, whereas M Oud has Geranium. There is the difference. The edge, imo, goes to M Oud, which is a smoother fragrance. Now I love sandalwood, more than I like Geranium, but DR (which is on my right hand) when compared to MO (on my left hand) is like high heels to a pair of walking shoes. Overall, a standing ovation for Midnight Oud. Very wearable. Does not have the longevity of the perfumes currently in my collection, but I have not found an Oud (outside of Montale) that is long lasting. Oud, imo, is an acquired 'taste', and for anyone interested in this scent this is a good fragrance to nibble.

a beautiful collaberation between the east and the west ..i used to mix oud long ago with french perfumes and almost get there 10 years before the oud trend hit european markets..but is this particular one it was a job well done its a very deep sensual ambery oudy scent that takes you to new realms like you are transformed in to an arabian princess in the 10001 nights ..some how other perfumes of this kind dont have that velvety warm embracing aroma..maybe thiery muglar mirror mirror collection des voloptous thery can come close to it, but is harsher ..mor atuned for the arabic noses.also david urman limited edition is similar and just as fine with more rose..i love them all but juliet has a gun is a sure winner and a good place to get to know arabian perfumary i consider it as the ambassador of arabia to the west... rating 4.5 out of 5

I got a 2nd hand bottle today. When I first came across it in a Libertine Perfumerie warehouse sale, I tried it and wasn't sure. On the way home, I smelled the wrist where I sprayed it again and again, and I knew that I will probably buy a bottle some day. I have not tried any genuine agarwood essential oil so I have no idea what it should smell like. I tried Tom Ford's Oud Wood a few times, but I wasn't sure I liked it. It does have some overlapping notes with TF OW, but the Damask Rose balances the dryness of woody notes and comes to a powerful and elegant blend. I know it's all synthetic, like all JHAG, so there is not much development to expect as you would for the genuine oud. Still, I find at this price point it is a satisfying oud rose and I'll probably try more expensive and delicate oud rose perfumes in the future.