Oud 27

I have been a hobby perfumer and perfumista for 20 years and my first few encounters with oud did leave lasting impressions but not especially favorable ones. Being in love with natural ambergris, deer musk, and orris to an obsessive degree I was beginning to feel I was just doomed to love all those things that cost the most and then I heard about agarwood. Of course I HAD to smell it and low and behold I too was taken back to an old Dodge Dart my dad had thats wiring harness burned up and while probably equally as costly the smell as to me equally as unappealing, so a but later fully in denial there could possibly be something out there I couldn't afford that I didn't have some burning obsession to have, I obtained some tiny samples of some REALLY expensive ones. All I could say is that I had NO difficult time believing I was smelling a years old defense of a tree against a fungal infection, just unpleasantly sickly sweet and pungent sort of like freshly spread mulch. But now some 20 years later with all the types of oud hitting the market I see the whole range of types depending on all kinds of factors I still have only begun to learn, but the oud in this perfume whether natural or synthetic seems to be one of the kinds that I have grown to like. Yes, it does have a bit of the harsh burt wires character but I see it more as a very heavy strong more bitterly intense wood smell. Now the great thing about this perfume is that the perfumer knew just what he was doing when he added cedar and civet because both of those serve to add warmth and fill in the thin spots in the fragrance profile of the oud and gives us a nice rich oud note which is the focal point of this perfume from the moment you spray it on until you bathe. The pachouli, amber, vetiver and rose are so well blended that they really do all their work behind the scenes where they provide a solid and deep base to support the star of the show, the oud. So, if you like the ouds that are not the sweet barnyard, or mulch sweet fungal infection types, but rather a bit like a heavy dark rich, slightly sweet wood with a hint of the burnt wires, then this is a perfume that you will really like. I feel that it showcases oud in a easy to get to know and get to love way, but still unless you are really in love with oud I would never recommend this as a blind buy. Definitely get a 5ml decant or at the very least a sample and give it a few days because the first day I tried it, it was a no go and by the end of the third day, I was online looking for the best price for a full bottle. It has nice sillage but you are not going to fumigate the whole room which with oud is a good thing because not everyone is all that enthused with it. It lasts a good while on your skin so you can put it on and not have to reapply at lunch.

Le Labo Oud 27 Oud 27 is notorious. On perfume forums, not a single thread about animalics goes without mentioning Oud 27. It is one of the most debated and polarizing modern fragrances. Oud 27 is deceptive. Reading about it, you will find little truth. Half the people will say that it is repulsive, and another half will tell you that is is gorgeous. What is even more deceptive is that there is no oud, synthetic or natural, in this perfume. You have to experience it for yourself. Perfumes promise to delight. When one first smells a fragrance, they expect to be pleased, not challenged, and definitely not offended. For a common person, Oud 27 is a sucker punch straight to the nose. First breath, and it feels like you had the air knocked out of you. The civet reeks. It is stale, unsettling, pissy, and dirty. It overpowers everything and leaves you shocked. However, you notice something strange behind the civet, and instead of recoiling in horror, you sniff on and find a strange, sweet, synthetic berry accord drawing you to inhale deeper. Here you find that pleasure which you expect to get out of a perfume. Here lies the art of Oud 27. I can't say that it is well blended yet. As it develops, the dusty, dirty, earthy, pissy animalic accord does not go anywhere. It stays there like Quasimodo, in an old suit, holding a bouquet of stale flowers and a box of dried fruit candy. Oud 27 is a juxtaposition of tenderness and repulsion. Oud 27 is triumphant in the drydown. The dust settles down. The dirt grows on you, flowers bloom, and you learn to love it. Oud 27 is an antihero. The audience is presented with something unmistakably flawed and human. At first, there is more to dislike about Oud 27 than there is to like. However, something about it is promising. There is a glimpse of beauty within the character, and the audience is gripped by an inner conflict of the ugly and the good. In the end, you learn to, if not love, then at least respect Oud 27 for the complexity of its nature. Rating: 10/10 First experience: I received a broken sample from the perfumed court, and the envelope was permeated with Oud 27's dry down. I knew it was bottle worthy there and then. Veteverian.wordpress.com

Imagine a strong smokey, boozy, zilty Islay scotch in ancient old (atlas) cedar wooden barrels. That’s what I mostly get from Oud 27. I have been testing and wearing it for a long time now. It took me a couple years to decide to buy a full bottle, but eventually I ended up getting a set of three 10ml bottles and later a 50ml bottle. Both from very different batches as the three smaller bottles have brown liquid and the bigger bottle transparant white. In scent pretty much the same, but perhaps in strength and longevity there’s a difference. I believe the animalic character comes from the synthetic oud from the company Firmenich, like another reviewer mentioned. I own a dilution of the aroma chemical, it’s called Oud Firbest. The whole scent is build around this material. They might have added synthetic civet to enhance the animalic character and to add more depth. I don’t get any outstanding rose note which I am happy about as I am not fond of this combination, I have smelled it in many mainstream oud fragrances and find it a bit boring. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not in it, they might have added it for it’s effect. I do get the aldehyde, which gives the scent transparency and enhances the musky side of the composition. The musks used most likely are rounding off the rougher, sharper edges of the fragrance. Unfortunately it doesn’t last very long on my skin. It could be that I get noseblind though. It’s not a scent to smell up close. I believe it works best to smell in the air. Having said this I mostly where it for myself on my wrist and one spray on my chest when I spend time alone. My wife hates it. She does like the body lotion variant which isn’t so skanky and more woody-spicy. Performance differs per season. It really doesn’t work in warmer months, it bcomes sharp, sour and unbearable. Definitely for the colder months. From the many oud fragrances I’ve tried this is one of the few I really like wearing, hence I bought a fb. That said, I don’t think I have ever smelled real oud, just to keep perspectives straight. Oud 27 brings memories and gives me a pleasant olfactive experience.

I first came across this scent about 2 years ago... At first, I remember being shocked by it. However intrigued and repulsed at the same time. It was polarising. I didn't dare to have it on and felt very self conscious that it may offend others. This is not an easy scent to appreciate immediately. I suppose as you age and your taste develops, you no longer find what you thought was funny and entertaining, entertaining. And you develop intrigue and appreciation for things more complex and sophisticated; in all aspects of life. So this happened with my taste in perfumery. I revisited this scent during a time of nihilism. For whatever reason, Oud 27 spoke. It is confident, gutsy and honestly gives no fuck. And for that, I love it. I gave it a test wear... Whether it's the attitude of the wearer or not, people seem to appreciate the scent and I started receiving compliments. It's so beautifully original, balsamic, and so mysterious. This work has integrity. I applaud Le Labo for conceiving such a concoction. It is unlikely to appeal to mass market but for those that's 'smelt it all', would be excited by this. Please don't ever stop producing this.

In my honest to god opinion, this is the only Le Labo fragrance worth the money for a full bottle, albeit having mostly nothing to do with its namesake Oud, and everything to do with a truly beautiful, slightly skanky civet. To my nose, this is primarily an animalic (again, civet) and aldehydic woody musk scent with a touch of rose for levity. While I understand that animalic perfumes are polarizing, I genuinely don't see a world where Oud 27 could be perceived as offensively fecal or inappropriate for daily wear - I've received more blind compliments wearing this than many other objectively "safe" perfumes. There is a slight barnyard style funk, but nowhere close to compositions that heavily feature real, natural oud, and the barnyard in this image is clean and quite welcoming. I really don't like to give Le Labo my money, but I love this perfume. This could easily be my signature, but between the absurd price, the truly poor longevity (I'm lucky to get 3 hours from this on skin, though I've heard that age is a friend to Oud 27 in this department), and the Estée Lauder of it all, I reserve my small bottle for special occasions.

The official description states “It’s a lot of Agarwood, Cedar Atlas, Incense, Patchouli, Black Pepper, Saffron, and Gaïac, just to mention the most prominent ingredients (there are 20 more...). Oud 27 is oriental in the purest form, overwhelming and disturbing in its signature and power. Think Genghis Khan meets Shah Jahan for tea with Scheherazade. Or even less politically correct, it’s 1001 Arabian Nights distilled into 27 intense ones.” It captures this scent perfectly. It is a lot of oud, cedar, incense, patchouli, saffron, pepper and Gaiac wood. Yes there probably is some civet but to call it a civet scent is undermining this beauty! It’s a wearable musky incense woods. The opening has sweet, zesty and minty qualities. It’s quite zingy but it quickly dries down to a beautiful incense woods... Smells like a temple in a deep forest. It’s transports me to a serene place. It’s rather a cool and damp perfume... Like feeling the air-conditioned air, whilst looking out the window to a deep and lush forest on a cloudy day.

I am very intrigued by this fragrance, but because of the comments I am now a bit scared to wear it lol... I can see how it can associate horse stables, for example. However, I think it's mostly Oud itself which smells a bit dirty. That's just the reality of Oud. Personally I don't like to associate fragrances with animals or leather. But in general, to me Oud 27 just doesn't smell like what most people describe (personally, I wouldn't associate it with anything animalic whatsoever). To me it's kind of woody and bright, but also kind of fresh, fizzy, and "sunny". Also I feel like Oud 27 and Tonka 25 both have this interesting industrial quality, which I love. Like an older American/Canadian city where you see a lot of bricks, wood, steel, and rust, and it all smells in a certain way. BTW, I heard that Oud 27 has been discontinued. I don't see it on their website for at least a year. But at this point they still have it physically in stores. (At least some of them... I got mine in Toronto.)

This fragrance pulled so many memories out of me. I'm envisioning myself at 10 years old, sitting in the living room of my childhood house (older 70's style house with a kind of "funky" old smell to it), the windows are open, and it just finished raining. Lots of old books. This fragrance is a wet wood / strong dark petrichor with a very juicy and ambery base, kind of like if rubies and sapphires had a smell. The initial application is a bit jarring, with a noticeable civet / animal note that lingers for a few minutes, but it's not as unpleasant and it sounds. Just very unique. The dry down is phenomenal - turns woody and smooth within 10 minutes and lingers on the skin for 6-8 hours (at least on my skin). This is definitely one of the most unique fragrances I own, and I would only heed caution to people who's skin does not react well with dark mossy fragrances, as I could see it going sour real quick. But overall, this is a masterpiece in nostalgia.

Well, I hope you poop smellers are all happy now. Le Labo has officially discontinued this fragrance. This fabulous fragrance was never meant for the untrained nose. It was for those who truly wanted, yearned for...something that wasn’t mainstream, that was different in a unique way, something they could call their own, and not share with the hoards of common scent aficionados. The pre-Estee Lauder days produced some ground breaking fragrances and this was one of them. If they wanted to discontinue a fragrance I would have suggested their horrid Patchouli concoction. Speaking of poop. For those of us who loved this oud, I understand that Diptyque Oud Palao may be a similar vibe. I will always miss it and to quote one reviewer...it reminded him of ‘the locker room jock strap hamper’. Exactly. This niche house is losing it’s niche!

Musk, ambergris, oud, civet, oh my! This is an animalic outing to the zoo... but on a cool, clear day with a whisper of sweet woods on the breeze. Oud 27 is quite enjoyable, addictive and truly funky. Fatty, sweaty ambergris, sharp civet, steamy musk, musty, fruity oud. Not overly dirty but like the clean, fresh natural smell of well groomed animals in the sunshine, rubbing up against trees and releasing some camphor from cedar and sweet patchouli. A little phenolic, intriguing. It's not something that I'd wear regularly or buy a full bottle of, but I'd easily use the rest of my small decant for personal amusement. Oud 27 is like playing with a wild cat, smelling its fur, and enjoying the scent memory. I don't care to smell like this but would appreciate a random primal sexy romp and a sniff here and there.

Oud is almost always a miss with me. Either I can't smell it as a distinct note (Tom Ford Tobacco Oud or Oud Wood), or there's a nasty cough medicine aspect to it (M7). Or, with an oud attar, it smells like a rotting log. The only oud that I have liked thus far is Hayat Kemi Blending Magic - $400/bottle. But this stuff is complex, wonderful and I'd wear it! It's not really me - but I'd wear it. Like the Hayat, the top notes are a bit overwhelming and unpleasant, but that soon fades away to a deep, completely unique scent. This is oud done right. Yes, there is some skank here, but it's a good skank, if that makes sense. Problem: My wife gets her hated "grandma's ashtrays" note from it. (Encre Noir and Creed Royal Oud also has this for her.)

The first minutes are dirty as a result of the combination between civet and oud. Next, the skank (the civet) takes a second seat and new nuances appear. Smelling up close, the fragrance is complex and I smell a solid woody base with a mix of aldehydes, rose, patchouli and amber. It sounds like it should be really heavy, but it has an airy feel to it, maybe because of the aldehydes. I keep thinking of Leather Oud while I smell this phase, it is in the same ballpark with the civet/oud combination, just that it's not honeyed. After a couple of hours, a beautiful incense note floats together with the woods and the late dry down is mostly a cedar/vetiver/musk combo, really pleasant and easy to wear, far from the skanky opening. 8/10

Given the reviews I was expecting to be assaulted upon spraying this scent. Instead I find a rich, warm sophisticated scent that could easily be my signature fragrance were it not a bit pricey. Far from being aggressive I find it to be soft and comforting. Everything is so well blended. The oud goes hand in hand with cedar and it reminds me a little of clean hamster bedding. To my nose the animalics are very suave and subtle. I spray heavily and wear it without fear of offending anyone as the sillage is rather intimate. While I was hoping for more of a statement scent, I love it just the way it is. Though it is not remotely smoky it reminds me somewhat of Fumerie Turque. I like to wear this layered with Labdanum 18.

AH YES! Something about this perfume makes me feel alive! I spray it on and i just feel energized! It's so unique, so animal, and so invigorating! Not for the faint of heart, and not for those looking for something fresh pleasant for work! You could very well be wearing this only for yourself. But you owe it to yourself to try it. Its got a beautiful woody base, so its not just civet overload. Let it calm down a bit, and you may appreciate it more. That signature Le Labo aroma can be detected after about 20 minutes when it calms down some. Performance is above average, but not insane. Probably a bit over 8 hours. Silage is good, projection medium. I love this.

I wore this tonight after reading that this had been, unsurprisingly, discontinued by Le Labo. It hadn't been offered on store counters in years, and is now scrubbed from the website. I wonder if they will still refill old bottles? Anyway, it's a nice enough perfume with some shock factor built in at the top. I like that it uses oud in a way that is completely divorced from all Middle Eastern connotation - truly original. However, it's not among the best from the brand. I have a 10ml, but won't be too sad when it's finished. Wouldn't it be nice if Le Labo launched a new Oud? I can see it raking in big $$ as a city exclusive. 3.5/5

I get wood, turpentine, and animal musk. the outcome smells like scotch whiskey on my skin. it's dark, masculine, and I like it. top notes are a punch in the face, like a shot of whiskey, but Le Labo's style lifts it into the air like others from the line. Akscent's review below is spot on 💯 must try on the skin. I imagine this as a base layer scent: One spray on the chest with Oud 27, then 2-3 sprays of something lovely (floral/rose) on the neck and wrists. 8/10 update: great dry down. it's not turpentine, it's cedar and blooming rose as the musk and oud lightens. Wear it for a few hours before you make a decision.

This perfume cracks me up...it is so bad, it is good. Yes it smells dirty but it dries down lovely. I bought for husband who refuses to wear, so I tried it and was appalled until later 45 minute and I loved it. My body chemistry works with it. On my husband it smells like urine, on me it smells lovely. I wear it only at night to parties and my husband would compliment me not knowing what I am wearing...again and again and he can’t believe it. I also spritz once and layer with lighter scent like infusion D’iris, Hermes Gardenia. I have a penchant for mysterious and spicy scent. Samsara, Jean Louis SCHERRER,NO 5.

I get perfume is subjective but to describe this (as some have) as vile, horrible and offensive is in itself offensive. A bit like when you see something offensive online, if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing? Or at least just say it isn’t for you? For me this perfume is incredible, polarising of course but that’s what makes it so good. It is beastly, it’s skanky and it evokes rotten, damp woods. And so much more. It’s perfumes like this that change things, they push the perfume industry forward. It’s different. It’s me.

This one smells better from a distance. The opening is HUGE but once it settles on the skin becomes a nice musk with woody dry spicy undertone. Ok, so the body and bath massage oil and the body lotion of this smells much smoother... Without the shocking vinegary opening in the alcohol spray. I prefer to wear the massage and bath oil of Oud 27 on top of the Eau de Parfum spray as it smells smoother. Try that combination, its a better experience! It’s sexy without the shock factor of the Parfum spray.

Frankly, I am not sure about some of these reviews implying that this frag smells like various forms of excrement. I get mostly patchouli, oud and animalic notes but nothing offensive or dirty at any stage. It is long lasting and the silage is pleasant. I am wearing this at my office now and am completely confident in the way I smell to others. Peace Scent 8.5 Blending 9 Interesting 8.5 Longevity 8 (+12 hours as skin scent) Silage 7 Price expensive but some good deals on eBay can be had.

Refreshing wood, amber, musk, and a light touch of rose. The dry down is mostly just amber and musk that's it. Good projection and sillage, great longevity 12+hr on my skin. This is one of those less is more type of fragrance. Go easy on the trigger and enjoy the scent, to be honest at this price point there's zero real Oud in here, it doesn't even leave an Oud impression. If you want to know what real Oud smells like, get some samples from Feel Oud or Ensar Oud.

The more I spend time with this scent, the more the scent reveals itself. This is INTOXICATING and so multi-faceted. And yes I agree the body lotion and massage bath oil plays smoother than the Eau de Parfum spray. If you can’t tolerate the spray, yoi should give them a go. The middle and base note of this perfume is so gorgeous. As bizarre as it may sound to some, there’s something ‘yummy’ about it, like a musk lolly when it hits the middle note stage.

Woody oudy civety fragrance. I don’t find it as challenging as some reviews on here suggest. Yep, there is a huge dose of oud (synthetic, it seems, but I’m no connoisseur, and frankly, I don’t mind) and civet covered by this musky-soapy smell associated with old-school masculine fragrances. Long-lasting, potent and with a pleasant dry down. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s worth a try. Thumbs up from me!

Completely agree with Darokes85 below. Oud 27 is nothing to be afraid of - in fact, it's quite nice. It opens loud, but not fecal. I get wet, freshly chopped green logs, a little rose, civet, and aldehydes. The fragrance actually reminds me at many points of Chanel No. 5; especially in that loud opening. It dries down to "the" Le Labo base - woody (cedar), musky, transparent, some vanilla, and with great longevity.

I love this one sm! It smells like my weekend alone at the studio working on my oil paintings! It’s unique and obscure, definitely not the type of natural oud you could expect, not exactly skanky either... It’s full of funky aroma chemicals but in a good way! Turpentine, thinner, canvas, wooden easel, a breeze of nature brushing through the windowsill, you name it. This is superb 💯

Someone buried a burnt fruitcake in a peat bog a year ago and I just dug it up! Smells like poop? It certainly doesn't smell like my poop! Yes it stinks but I LOVE it. I love the red wine and burnt tyres in the beginning, the civet/rose/wood in the middle and the powdery dusty old Duchess dressed in a leather jacket at the end. An exciting fragrance that I'll never tire of.

This smells, to my untrained nose, like a bar. Bourbon, cognac, a walnut bar with leather seats...maybe a few drops of piss got on the sole of my shoes on the walk over, but no smoking allowed inside. On me it fades to a sweet herbal honey/vanilla (?) skin scent. My first oud and I love it, looking forward to trying a more straightforward one to compare.

After wearing this scent in many forms, my favorite has to be the body lotion and the massage and boy oil formats. It's lighter and you experience more of the soft muskiness that makes me smell lived-in and like salty skin! A light 'spray in the air' application of the eau de parfum also creates a similar experience, that is very addictive and skin like!

This is so unique that I actually love it. It also makes me giggle because it is that memorable. A must for all fragrance connoisseurs. This is what indie perfumery is about. The opening is a blast of sour acidic and high pitched sharpness that is very striking. It dries down to a softer musky gaiac woody base that is very sniffable.

I must admit the opening is really hardcore, skanky oud with some muskyness but you need to wait for the drydown for this fragrance to shine, the drydown smells AMAZING. Slightly sweet, woody, leathery beastliness, it changes soo much after that first stage of the fragrance I was like, this is the same fragrance? I love he drydown

I finally figured out what this reminds me of. Cuir mauresque by Serge Laurens! Oud 27 is a leathery aldehydic musk oud fragrance that’ll appeal to those who enjoy resinous scents like Amber Sultan. The dry down is totally different though. Becomes a nice and elegant woods that’s softly diffusive. What a fun ride it is.

Male skank!! A wild night on the dance floor, he is wearing a woody cologne, but the sweat has washed most of it away. We end up in my bedroom, and my face is buried into sweetly sweaty cracks. In the morning, he leaves his dirty underwear as a memento. That's where I go when I smell this. I love it....

I'm going through an oud phase. Wow. This is like no other! I enjoy 'dark' 'noir' scents and this fits the bill perfectly. To me, it feels like aged wine. This is one of those scents that smell different on skin, on paper and from the spray nozzle. Once you let it develop on warm skin, It's stunning.

I love oud perfumes and today I was able to test it, it was love at first sight, so I got a 50ml bottle. I have an oud oil just like this fragrance. I have to let it macerated as it was made right in the store. This might not be for everyone, bit I like unique smells. Price is high, but I love it.

Try the 'spray in the air and walk through' method with oud 27. I find it much pleasant and unlocks a totally different scent to the direct spray method which can be quite potent and harsh. This lighter walk through the spray application smells closer to the Body lotion and oil version of Oud 27.

Smells like a spoiled wash rag and Limburger cheese in the opening, however if you can wait maybe 45 min the dry down to me smells like a richer version of Oud Wood. It’s what I call the Benjamin Button affect, starts off old smelling and later becomes younger and more palatable.

Wow, the body products of Oud 27 smells soft, musky and woody without the loud opening. If you enjoy the middle and base note of this scent and want to skip the top, try the body oil and lotion. It's a softer experience that's still sexy.

this smells like gym socks and an old man’s study and i absolutely love it. spicy sweaty piney. it’s something that at first equally attracts and repels you, but eventually you begin to crave it. truly what a man should smell like.

Additional review: I recently opened a Rioja red wine that had been aged on oak barrels and sniffed the cork that got in touch with the wine over time; immediately reminded me of the opening of Oud 27. There’s that!

Oddly addictive, it's ugly but sometimes beautiful and mesmerising. A scent for those seeking a visceral reaction. An acquired taste for those who like a sour vinegar-like note in a fragrance.

The perfume immediately reminded me of a classic men’s deodorant. Imperial leather perhaps? There’s a musky soap like qualities underneath the funk. It’s clean and dirty at the time time!

This, to me, smells like when you've spent an entire day in bed with a lover, then you go out for a walk and come back into a room reeking of sex. It's pure raunch.

The initial blast is quite sweet and sharp. Almost pissy in its sweet sharpness. It actually reminds me Satya incense sticks with the indolic floral notes.

Animal scent with prominent civet note. Polarizing and challenging. Not for everyday use, but depending on the mood. For that reason I like this fragrance.

Civet drenched copper pennies aging with creamy, moldy smoked cheeses on a cool autumn day. Wait about an hour for the magic to happen. Undeniably sexy.

I like Oud 27 best in the Massage and Bath Body Oil formulation. It's a totally different scent to the Eau de Parfum.

Oud 27 ✽✽✽✽ Really skanky and raunchy animals civet & oud bomb (which makes it really fun too).

Incense, saffron and oud... Lifted by aldehydes. Feels like a deep resinous woody veil

I smell a lot of incense and saffron in this! It’s very exotic and meditative.

I love this one. It's all about incense cedar and musk for me. Very cool.