Oudh Al Shams

Great scent, does remind me of gothic books like the guy below said. This is a bit more everyday and easy to wear. Does have a strong Oudh smell. Reminds me a little bit of Midnight Oud but less formal, a bit like it's younger brother. Not the greatest longevity though, definitely worse than MO in that regard. Sillage is average. This is hard to get a hold of so you might overpay a little. I do really love every Khalis scent I've tried - this, Black Oud and Oud Syufi (not on this site). Their performance is maybe not the very best but they smell incredible in their own ways, they are the most consistent perfumer I've come across but I may have just been fortunate.

This is the nicest and easiest to wear oud and needs a lot more love than it is getting here. It is totally unisex. On the first spray I get sweet vanilla and a hint of tobacco. The notes pyramid doesn't mention tobacco so I wonder if it's my tobacco fascinated nose playing tricks on me. There is a hint of sweet rum or whiskey can't say. This fragrance is so elusive that I wore this intermittently for 3 months before reviewing it. It's the equivalent of cigars and cognac in the study for gentlemen, in terms of notes and understated sophistication. On women it's a boozy vanilla with hints of smoke to keep it from getting too sweet. It also reminds me of old leather bound books in a Gothic library. In Indian weather it's a winter scent but I think if you live in cooler climes you may use it throughout the year. The scent is not too strong. I need a minimum of 2 sprays for a cool day, and 4 for a night. It stays for 6 to 8 hours and projects moderately. Very office friendly and inoffensive. Not sickeningly sweet but sweet nonetheless. Cost me INR 900 plus shipping and if you ask me that's a steal. Buy buy buy this. I swear I am not being paid for this review. I just love this and find it versatile.

I was about to push the button on a bottle of this only to have a sudden epiphany that the description of the scent profile compared with the notes list, Oud Al Shams comes across as being potentially very close to Aramis Special Blend which I acquired recently. I suspect OAS maybe softer, more powdery in nature that ASB but until I can see more reviews and comparisons from the fragrance community I will hold back as I don't want to end up with a redundant bottle in my collection. If anyone out there already has experience of both these scents and can confirm if my theory is fairly close or a million miles off, do please share your experience. Many thanks. :o)