Aoud Exclusif

I am always slightly put off by the opening of this fragrance, it's quite a prominent jammy/sweet rose note which for a man is maybe not something I would go for. It could maybe be ok for an older middle eastern man, so might seem a bit odd wearing it around Europe. However... after about an hour, this is one of the best fragrances money can buy. The rose note takes a dip and the spices come up. The far dry down is so so good; even though I know what it smells like, I'm blown away whenever I catch a waft. Spices, labdanum, oud with the right amount of sweetness. It really is a fragrance that has that wow effect. It's wonderful and unique in many ways because after that first hour it's quite a western style oud but still has that exotic aspect. You won't find many other people smelling like this. The performance is almost too much. You really need to be thoughtful with your selection of when to wear it. If you were going to be in a car with people, 1 spray can be too much. Outdoors, 2 sprays will suffice. It's the kind of fragrance that will catch people's attention and they will think 'oh he's a cologne' guy. It's a very intentional kind of smell, not a casual choice so to speak. This can be worn casually but it will draw attention so keep that in mind as that's not always a good thing. It's probably not office safe for that reason. It can be worn dressed up or dressed down, it's more the occassion that needs to be chosen correctly. To date I cannot say how long it is before this fragrance fades because it stays on all day, all night and it's still on when you wake up and then have a shower. The pillow covers then carry the smell for days, so watch out as that might annoy. Truly fantastic fragrance.

I recently discovered this in the Montale boutique in Paris. I was in there for about an hour and a half. This fragrance jumped out above the rest of the Mancera line and Montale too. I was specifically looking for an oud scent to take home with me. Id visited other niche fragrance stores and wasnt overly impressed with what I tested. On to this, I was hesitant to buy it on the spot knowing how long it takes to asses a fragrance, multiple wearings are often needed before purchase. But decided to go for the 60ml. So I held off wearing it until the night. In which I was in the Montemarte area of Paris. I put this on before going out and man is it gorgeous. Oud, rose, amber - a slight boozey vibe. 100% a winter fragrance, dinner, date, formal. It reminds me of a few fragrances, Rojas Amber Aoud, MFK Grand Soir and Penhaligons As Sawira. It has elements reminiscent to these fragrances but retains its own character. I prefer it over all those. Projection is quite potent for about 3 hours after application. Longevity is about a day (on clothes, hair) and you will continue to get whiffs over the couese of its duration. I gifted a free 8ml travel sample to a friend and they sprayed it on. I spent the night chatting and having a few drinks, everytime they moved past me I could smell it. Montales can be quite harsh and synthetic. Manceras can be similar. This smells high quality, there is a slight synthetic vibe but overall the impression is luxurious, classy, oriental and distinguished. Love it. 9/10

Edit: most everything I wrote below stands, however I’ve noticed on skin that the drydown kinda bothers me. It comes off spiky and not very smooth. Still enjoy the wear though. This one took me a few days to understand, but once it all clicked I fell in love. There is something so regal about Aoud Exclusif. At its heart it is an Oud/Rose, but the supporting notes of labdanum, spice, violet and leather elevate this to something special. It opens a bit boozy, with rose, spice and subtle sweetness. The sweetness is not vanilla/sugar like a lot of Manceras, but more like the ambery sweetness in cognac or bourbon. It’s dense, but not cloying, rich, but not overwhelming. The blend is perfect with all notes coming together to create a unified whole. If I were to try to describe the smell it’s an opulent oriental ambery floral woody with nondescript spicy notes. Like others have mentioned, the beautiful amber colored juice matches the smell perfectly. I don’t get any distinct cumin or pepper, so no worries about body odor smells. I get a hint of incense smoke in the heart and drydown. There is also a resinous depth to the Oud that is simply outstanding. Some Manceras / Montales can come off overtly screechy or synthetic, but I don’t get that vibe here. Performance is good. Not quite as beast mode as advertised, though maybe this has been reformulated. Aoud Exclusif is probably the best Mancera I’ve come across, maybe a masterpiece. I love it and highly recommend it if you like the style.

This one needed a loooooong time before I got used to it and started to appreciate it. Oud needed a long time. But I’m ready to use it on my skin. It’s skanky oud. Unisex, in my opinion a woman can wear this too, don’t know why people vote it is more masculine (the beginning sounds masculine but the drydown is so soft, and that’s when the magic happens!! it’s unisex for sure!), ladies just give it a try if you like Oud! You won’t smell like a hairy medaillon man. So in love with this one. My god! Oud and oriental notes are dominating. I don’t smell the rose in here at all. Just oud spices and oriental notes. Soft powdery oud. It smells just delicious, rich luxurious. Think this is one of the best mancera’s for sure Test it before you buy it. I needed 2 months to finally see the beauty of this one. Some Will never have the patience For me definitely a signature scent. Forever. I’m out 10/10 Upd; if you just bought a sample or blind bought a bottle, please wait a bit. If a bottle; wait a few weeks. It will get better. Like I said once before; Mancera ages like good wine. Give it a try and wait until the drydown. Don’t put your nose into it. It smells horrible and it has no use because nobody will smell you that way. The drydown is where the magic happens. That is what people around you will smell. Freaking mad about this scent. You can layer it with almost every scent. I do the aoud orchid and aoud Exclusif combo, amazing stuff.

Let me start off by saying this: this perfume is intense. It has an animalistic opening peppered with middle eastern spices and subtle hints of rose. To those who don't like strong bombastic fragrances, this will be your kryptonite. You will be noticed, and people will have an opinion of this perfume. Whether it's a good opinion or a bad one is up to their taste. In my experience, the majority of people who notice this perfume on me only have good things to say about it and frequently ask me what I'm wearing. Another time somebody recognized the perfume immediately while I was in a bar, smelling it from at least 5 meters away and gave me props for it. I've also had people criticize me for wearing it, saying that it's too strong and suffocating. This is one of those cases where the situation and context really will determine the success this perfume has in enhancing your smell. You can wear this all year long, day or night and get compliments, but it works best when its muted by the cold of fall and winter. It's great for going out, showing off, making your presence known, and should be worn by somebody with the confidence and energy to own its unapologetic strength and arab-prince like character. I personally love it, it's my signature scent, and I unleash it when I'm feeling outgoing and social.