Bittersweet Oud

I think this one should have been called "Bittersweet Orange" rather than Bittersweet Oud. The bitter orange opening is magnificent and I was waiting for a glorious oudy drydown, like the glorious vanilla drydown of Roasted Vanilla, that unfortunately never came. It gets a little funky but then kind of dies out as the base becomes a rather timid woody whimper. At this price point, a fragrance should have a significant amount of oud oil or at the very least, a very realistic accord, but neither is really apparent here. The performance isn't great either, further damning the choice to make this cost almost $500. It smells nice, but I'd stick to King Blue, which is in the same price range, if you want a funky bittersweet citrusy oud.

Got given a bottle at the launch event in London. On my way home - i finally got my first ever public chase down my a random person to ask what I’m wearing. FINALLY! This smells and performs great. There really isn’t much Oud in here but the citrus elements blend so nicely with the woody and earthy scents which creates something perfect for this Autumn. It gets really confusing and musky after 8 hours but still not untasteful, it remains enjoyable just a bit foggy. I am a man and it definitely leans feminine yet definitely doable. However I do believe it to be way overpriced.

Bittersweet Oud is an interesting idea. An oud framed by a bright, bittersweet orange and softened with creamy woods, giving it an earthy, slightly smoky character without turning heavy or animalic. The issue is the wear. On my skin it sits close and fades much faster than expected, especially when compared to other fragrances in the same line, which makes overspraying almost necessary. For its price and positioning, the performance simply does not justify the cost, even though the oud and citrus contrast itself is genuinely distinctive.

I really wanted to love this fragrance because I admire Loewe’s work in this collection. Iris Root is beautiful to me, and Roasted Vanilla has a softness and character that I genuinely enjoy, so I approached Bittersweet Oud hoping for that same level of refinement. Unfortunately, this one was a complete disappointment on my skin. The opening is where everything went wrong. Instead of something dark, elegant, or intriguing, I immediately got what smelled like a semi-rotten orange mixed with an unpleasant body odor-like funk. The bitter citrus does not come across as fresh or luminous; it feels stale, almost fermented, and the oud accord adds a strange sweaty warmth that made the first impression very difficult to tolerate. It quickly turned medicinal, but not in an interesting or sophisticated way. I can appreciate medicinal facets in fragrance when they are balanced or intentional, but here it felt harsh and awkward. I kept wearing it because I wanted the dry down to redeem it, but even after half an hour, while it became more tolerable, it never became beautiful. The dry down softens, but to me it still lacks elegance and remains oddly flat considering the promise of the composition. It feels like a lost opportunity for what could have been a very beautiful fragrance. At this price point, I cannot justify keeping something I do not enjoy wearing from beginning to end. I admire the idea behind it more than the actual fragrance, but in practice this one simply does not work for me.

It's ok. It's an oud scent...it's mildly skanky in that sour barnyard type of way. Not super offputting though- mostly smoke, dry woods, bitter citrus. The earthy element is what makes it interesting though. It's subtle but adds depth to the dark woods in an unconventional way. There's a mild uplifting cool-air aroma that I get from soil smells. With time it becomes a typical oud aroma. Bottles are ok in person but not as impressive as I thought they'd be. The corks are cool though. Want to pay $500 for a cool cork cap? The tester I sprayed from had a cork cap...aparently they are granite with the real bottle maybe? idk.