Sand Aoud

I first tried Mancera Sand Aoud back in 2013 and, finally, just got around to pulling-the-trigger on a full-bottle purchase this evening. I love Sand Aoud so why the five year delay? Well, Sand Aoud is certainly a unique oud fragrance. The feeling I get is sweet, dry, desert sand when wafts of this fragrance reach my nose. The oud is noticeable but it is certainly not the pungent, dark, medicinal (e.g, Bandaid) or overly smokey variety, so it is safe for the office and significant other. Moreover, Sand Aoud is a little spicy (warm) combined with that light sweetness. I was drawn to this fragrance, which I really enjoyed when I first sniffed it, but decided not to purchase a bottle because I didn't quite love it enough. You known the feeling! Yep, really unique...and interesting...and the type of scent that I keep sniffing my arm. Alas, it's just difficult to find an appropriate time to wear this one and I had enough of these "for myself" fragrances. Plus, I had more than a half-dozen samples so what the heck. Over the years I would occasionally wear one of my samples and find myself loving it more with each and every wearing. Sand Aoud is a quality fragrance and there is just something ultra unique and interesting about it. Sand Aoud is a perfect name and I am so glad that my bottle will be arriving shortly after wanting a bottle for so long.

I can't comprehend how this fragrance is so low on the top rated Mancera fragrances on Fragrantica. Of the 12+ Mancera fragrances I own this is easily one of the best. It strikes the perfect balance of what makes the other more talked about Mancera fragrances so good. Sand Aoud will always work. The longevity is not in your face but is easily 8-10 hours. The image I get in my mind is like aging wine in a wooden barrel to get the aromas from the wood into the wine, this is what Sand Aoud reminds me off, almost like a sweet port wine matured in oak barrels. Not to say the the fragrance smells like wine and woods, but the class of Sand Aoud can not be mistaken. Don't sleep on Sand Aoud, get it. On the days you don't feel like Instant Crush or Red Tobacco this will slot in perfectly. If I was forced to, I would easily let some of my more well known Mancera's go to keep this gem. Matt's review from Questioning Scents on YT describes Sand Aoud perfectly and ultimately made me pull the trigger. 10/10 in every aspect.

#629 in my "Tour de Fragrance" This is a mild, spicy, incense and oud scent. It is reminiscent of Amouage XXV but spicier and better longevity and sillage. Priced right. Car pool, elevator and office safe, but more of a date night scent to me. I'm beginning to think I should just stick to Mancera and Montale since the majority of their scents I've tried so far have been a hit with me, but I think that's because they're pretty much all variations on the same theme and I like the base notes they so frequently use. Sand Aoud, Wind Wood, Hindu Kush, Saharian Wind, Gold Incense all have the same basic character with a couple of note variations, so they're all likeable in the same way, but all pretty much interchangeable. You could have thirty of them on the shelf, but which one you reach for doesn't really make much difference. But I'm a stockpiler (kind of a 'hoarder lite') so I may end up with thirty of these on the shelf by the time I hit 800 trials.

Having owned this a week I've had a couple of unsolicited compliments and I can smell this stuff for hours..one of the few perfumes I can smell shafting around after 6-8hrs. I thought it smell slightly feminine at first but it's more masculine for me now. I think that saffron comes across slightly feminine, I've always struggled with saffron. Either love or dislike in any perfume it's in. This stuff smell great and quite unique. 8/10 - losing a point for versatility and for feeling slightly overpowering... Worth a sniff I totally under this is a love or hate type perfume. I really like it but not a love. This is more of a guilt pleasure at home perfume. Although having twice compliments in the first week hasn't happened in a long time with a new perfume. Would love to know how this smells in the air, ladies clearly love it...

Very underrated and beautiful Oud fragrance. It is quite unique, and it does match the name as it's evocative of a night in a desert tent. The black currants and spices at the opening are highly complimented as it evolves. They give a crisp, sophisticated and exotic scent that meshes into the Oud, Incense, Saffron and Musk. The Vanilla is there but not cloying or loud, but just enough to give some sweetness to those other notes. It smells "expensive" and luxurious, but in a different kind of way. Very suitable for a more mature man who wants to make an impression, in a formal or elegant setting. The performance is quite good. I go noseblind quickly but it lasted over a night into the next afternoon for me. It's my favourite Mancera and I'm going to definitely buy more of it.

Very underrated release from the house, probably because it's not the typical, loud and sweet Mancera/Montale. The Rose and Vanilla notes are very subtle, and the Oud accord smells more like Dry Woods than Agarwood Oil. The stars of the show are: bittersweet Blackcurrant Liqueur, Spices (including Black Pepper and Clove), Saffron Powder, Myrrh rather than Frankincense, the aforementioned Woody Notes, and a slightly earthy Patchouli. Less dark/heavy than I expected it to be, and perhaps not strong enough for cold winters, but definetely great for temperate Spring and Autumn days. Office-safe, mature, masculine and a great performer that's not overwhelming/spiky.

This is a fantastic fragrance. I've had a bottle for ages, not reviewed because its so different, so brilliant, so hard to do it justice. Woody, Amber, Fruit, so smooth, a bit sweet. [btw oud??] Mind you this sounds so meh, you get the point. The best I can do is compare with others which make me feel as good. Creed's Royal Oud (more woody, masculine). Amouage's Jubilation XXV (more fruity). Xerjoff's Richwood (more amber/warmth). It's arguably closest to the aptly named Richwood, one of my all time favourites. Compared to these three, pricing is very fair, performance is decent. As I say, a fantastic fragrance and a love from me. 5/5

Well goodness me. I stumbled upon this range in Selfridges Birmingham earlier today. The names appealed, leading to a few tests. The tests appealed, leading me to think that I had found another brand.that charges £150 a bottle. How nice it was to find the actual price was so reasonable. Whether their oud is real or synthetic I don't know or care, what I do know is that for me, this is the best value range available today. Wonderful stuff, a real consideration if you wish to enter the world of oud without breaking the bank. I am now off to buy the oud gold... Full reviews to come.

This was my second fragrance from Mancera. I also have Cedrat Boise+Wild Fruits and all three have black current which Mancera does extremely well and receives many compliments from the ladies. In Sand Aoud this note adds a very pleasant sweetness followed by a very natural musky vanilla balanced perfectly with, incense type saffron, and a spicy soft patchouli. The Rose seems to be well hidden to me. The oud is very pronounced in the beginning, but seems to drift into the other notes seamlessly. Sillage is good and longevity is excellent. 8/10

Lovely warm spicy woody scent. Was so happy to receive this as a gift from the missus. Finally found a great replacement for YSL M7 (modern one), as that one lasts an hour—two at most (pathetic). It's different, not quite as sweet, but a similar vibe to it. And it lasts 6 hours or so. Also, although I've suggested it's like M7, ironically I find it very unique! It's not heavy or loud, but soft and kind of classy. Very safe Oud (as in not barn-yardy at all). 8.5 - 9 out of 10

For me this reminds me of sand dunes. I still dont understand how they conjured such a unique scent. rest assured it will push you for the whole day. Kinda sour and fruity tones. At some point you get nose blind, however it will still be kicking. It gives me a full day of very good perfomance. When i put it on, my collegues always know that i am in the vicinity. Chances are high the next person you meet, they have never smelled something like this.

First impression: Berlin — a dirty grey city wrapped in a spicy scent. I smell the street, synthetic spices, club smoke blending with the scent of dewy grass already coated in a thin layer of smog. Plastic and rubber. Like a dirtier brother of Tom of Finland. Menthol chewing gum. The drydown is actually really interesting — bitter, spicy-fresh with that modern, slightly arrogant and avangard cool-guy vibe. I can even start to pick up some incense.

Amazing Mancera fragrance once again that is only to be judged after 20 mins! When it dries down one is left with a gorgeous blend of fruityness (mainly black currant) on a dusty bed of oud and patchouly surrounded by saffron and light spices but smelling still kind of fresh! Really unique stuff and I know nothing like it. It has above average projection and longevity for sure and performs marvelous. Thumbs way up! Rating: 8.5/10

This one smells absolutely amazing... high quality ingredients blended to perfection...with great performance, had to go out today and buy a large 120ml bottle of this stuff... A true Masterpiece My new signature scent Just smells exquisite. 29/10/2017 My 2 year on review of this scent still my number fragrance of all time. I have bought 2 back up bottles just in case love this stuff. .

Been wanting this for over a year after watching Scentrifugal Force review. Over 10+ Mancera, this has immediately climbed to top 2 with Kumkat Wood. Both are semi-sweet along with the wood and sand accord. Close your eyes and you are walking in the desert. Very pleasant, soothing, and not the typical boring scent. Super happy adding this to my collection.

Having a very decent collection of fragrances, this one is among the best purchases. It is unusual, very elegant and smells like nothing else. I personally find the most prominent notes incense, black currant, rose and very strong woody base (sandalwood, papyrus or even paper) but I really love it.

Quite a unique scent - starts with a sour and syrupy black currant, with a middle of mainly incense. At the end of the day I get a base of musky vanilla, some patchouli. Not for everyone but I personally love it. My brother told me I smell like a "crystal store" so if that means anything to you...

I've changed my mind. It's a well done fruity amber scent that leans masculine. It certainly goes in the same direction as Amouage Jubilation, but it's not a clone. The black currant note is very realistic and I used to eat a lot of those :) Scent 8/10 Performance 7/10 Versatility 8/10

Ok well some further thoughts. Longevity is 24 hours (and counting), sillage is what I'd describe as perfect. Not enormous, which is what I want with an oud (given the love/hate feelings it develops in so many people). If this was twice the price, people wouldn't question it.

Very good composition. Well blended, perfect and unique all around. Like it so much wearing it right now on a hot Summer day. And it is working really well. Love it! Perfect mixture of aoud, patchouli and spices very noticeable. Really nice.

I am in love with this one. I think it could be the best from Mancera. This is going to be my favorite of all time. I am busy with something else at the moment but will write a review on it, it deserves a lot of attention.

This is the scent of Doha Qatar for me...Either way people using it over there...or it has oud and inscence they burn it...on a souq Wahib...Very middle eastern and modern...I like the quality of this a lot. In love...

Just bought sand aoud and I was blown away. Sweet oud with a dry down between LDDM and Halston man amber. Awesome juice lasts literally over 24 hours and projects like a beast. Love the juice and I want more mancera.

Régóta nagy kedvencem, ebből a parfümből használtam életem során a legtöbbet. Férfias, számomra perzselő, fűszeres, intenzív, szerethető, bár kissé egyedi illat. Vakvásárlásra nem ajánlom, viszont office barát.

It honestly smells like the name suggests which isn't usually how montale and mancera does it. The oud in this isn't offensive at all. As with most manceras it's in beast mode territory. 8.5/10

This is a refined version of Aoud Musk Montale, more unisex, less masculine. Too much saffron in the opening, but fortunately it gets better and better. Full bottle worthy, for sure.

Truly smells like nothing else I have in my collection. Great mixture of spices that make it smell like its name. You have images of middle Eastern bazaars as you smell this.

In love with this stuff. Spicy, dusty, oudy, black current...I received a full bottle in the mail today. I will do a review soon. I'm just happy I tried it again.

Not many scents around like this one. One of my fav Mancera frags and I've got 30+. A cracker. You'll stand out, because you'll be sniffing yourself so much.

The initial spicy scent quickly calms down and evolves into an Asian exotic appealing scent. It will be the best spicy scent in my collection. 9/10

DIVINE!! Just perfect! Looooong lasting! Huge notes of spices and Black Currant...it makes me feel good, what else would you ask? Bravo Mancera!

One of Mancera's best, this is a stunning scent, especially the dry down, which lasts forever.

...with Cedrat Boisè, the best fragrance by Mancera. Unique sensation: feel good!

Proper niche. Unique, deep and complex. Love it.

I agree with Jack_Hunter.... It is a well executed and quality fragrance, somehow smooth and nice...but you need to like/love oud... Oud is not for everyone...I would dare to say that 8 of 10 persons (possibly outside of the arab world) would dislike oud notes which combined with rose are even worse...unfortunately that is my case...I cannot get to like it enough so as to buy a full bottle...if a fragrance has oud...it has to be extremely subtle or modified in order for me to like it....e.g. Maremma from Tiziana Terenzi...I love the fragrance cause I cannot barely feel oud in it... Despite the boring and but refined rose+oud combo on the top notes...the fragrance manages to develop and change a lot...it is a nice example of a well-done fragrance where you can certainly smell different depending on how much time has passed after the application...Being said so...the drydown is much better IMO...maybe because you can feel less oud and much more wood and even a bit of incense..... So... it is a good fragrance at a good value for the good oud lovers...for me is a pass...simply cause I cannot get to like the top notes of the fragrance...I have to suffer too much with the medicinal oud and the rose before getting to the best and more wearable part of the fragrance...its drydown...I pretty much prefer cedrat boise..however I must admit I admire the evolution of Sand Aoud and the drydown itself...nice work but again...not full bottle worthy for me.. PS. good longevity and projection...

Mancera Sand Aoud is one of the more agreeable aoud-named fragrances from the Mancera/Montale empire, in which aoud-named fragrances are numerous, seemingly beyond comparison to other western houses. This isn't very oud-intensive, though, or at least the oud is not very medicinal or animalic as it sometimes can be. It's rather smooth to the point that it comes off more like leather, with some sweetness coming from the blackcurrant and vanilla and a bit of mystery (spice, woods) coming from the saffron. It's a harmonious grouping that is easy to wear, both for men and women, though preferable in cooler weather based on the collection of notes. Performance is strong, as with most cold-weather-leaning Montale and Mancera offerings, and at $92 for 120ml on Notino, the value is strong. Even the retail pricing at $160 (or perhaps $180 with the increase) could be justified for this versatile cool weather winner. It's a "like" not a "love" for, though, even as agreeable as it is. Unsurprisingly, the more Mancera and Montale fragrances one tries, the one more inevitably encounters some redundancy, and there definitely feels like some overlap between Mancera Sand Aoud and Montale Aoud Cuir d'Arabie despite the latter being a little dirtier in my recollection. They've a dry, leathery commonality, though I need to retry the Montale. Very good stuff overall, though. 7 out of 10

Ouch, not much love here for this Mancera in recent comments, hm? Perhaps it's meant more for a woman's skin, because on me it is really a beauty. The sweet juicy (& just a pinch bitter, like any dark berry) blackcurrants blend very nicely with an earthy patch, saffron, and a light oud in what my nose perceives to be even amounts. On one sniff I'll get mostly patch, the next sniff mostly oud/saffron, next sniff mostly tart blackcurrant and a bit of warm spice. I would call it 'linear' except that the notes seem to be blended such that it's 2 or 3 different scents in one. I really enjoy it! It also has that kind of chewy oud/vanilla combo going on in the later drydown that's really delicious. Maybe 4 hours in: the oud/patchouli blend is the most prominent along with a splash of sourness still and something that smells like another woody/herbalness that I can't quite place at the moment. Hmm... Feels a bit more cool now that I'm not picking up the spices and vanilla. Will happily use up my 10ml decant. Longevity's over 6hrs for sure but haven't really counted, projection's at least moderate as I get wafts of myself that entire period from spritzing on my wrists/inner elbows only. My 2nd Mancera after Roses Vanille and I love both! Honestly this one's not super groundbreaking in the oud category but it is very pleasant indeed and the power is great. [10.8.14]

Wood & Fruits. Sand Aoud takes a while to develop fully!. It is a Mancera's synthetic oud with a fruity twist. It starts with incensy, woody, & Arabic scent. As it dries down, sweet, syrupy fruitiness & green grassy patchouli emerge more & more. The fruitiness is syrupy & slightly bitter, like a true medicine syrup. Luckily that dials down with time. There is a light, warm spiciness through out the life of Sand Aoud. The ends smell is woody, warmly spicy, incensy, ambery, earthy, medicinal, sweet, lightly-fruity, syrupy. The name "sand aoud" might suggest something serious, woody, dry, spicy but that is no the full picture, as the sweet fruitiness is a predominant accord here. It is a likeable scent. Not very oudy. The spices note is really good; cozy & warm, but the smell overall is not my cup of tea due to the fruitiness. Substitute amber for the black currant & this could've been a killer. As a current owner of vintage M7, Sand Aoud does not smell very similar to M7 but it has shades of it: lightly-sweet, incensy ambery scent. You are better off getting YSL's M7 Oud Absolu, as it literally is the scent of M7. All the variation talk is over-exaggerated. What Sand Aoud actually smell like is Zirh Ikon. Very similar spicy incense. Winter, unisex leaning masculine. "Like"

This stuff is kind of wild. Super medicinal candy floss oud with a vetiver leather to dry it out. I'm not fond of candyfloss oud smell usually. And vetiver gets tough. Vetiver isn't listed but it is definitely there. It's sharp. Notes don't do justices. This is modern pop candy floss oud with vetiver and leather to dry out the candy floss oud. It's that varnishy leather that goes along with the varnish smell in the candyfloss "oud". I'm going to say candy floss oud again. Dry earthy leathery medicinal candy floss oud. I don't know if I like it but I think I do. Still not that familiar with it yet. I think it could replace some scents that I have tested and kept on the radar. I think I really like the leather in this one compared to other dry candy floss oud and leather fragrances. Good performance but not as loud as many other Montale perfumed scents. Not a profile I'm too fond of but this one is pleasing. I still get a strong vetiver smell that I think blends so well with the candy floss to get the oud smell. Makes me think this might not have just been slopped together cauldrons of colored coordinated goo. Now to see if I still enjoy it after another few wears. Warning signs all over this yet I need to dig further. Lol

The initial spray is a rich, powerful hit of saffron and warm, dry spices. Its a powerful opening and may overwhelm a lot of people. The initial drydown, it tames down a bit as the oud and patchouli ground it. The patchouli is the dirty soil kind, not the sweet chocolatey kind. It reminds me of Hindu Kush but less herbal and more spicy. Both carry a potent earthy patchouli note. Unlike Hindu Kush, the patchouli lingers in Sand Aoud far longer and stands on its own instead of blending into a green herbal accord like HK. I do not catch any rose in this at all and I enjoy da variety of rose notes. Sand Aoud is fairly linear. Its a spicy saffron patchouli/wood fragrance and not much else. Its a great cool and cold weather scent. The sillage is strong and longevity is 8+ for me. I find it decidedly masculine. How unique this is I am not sure. I enjoy it and would buy a bottle if I happen to find a really good deal but its not at the top of my list.

I actually ordered this by accident trying to pick up Cedrat Boise. This was my first niche fragrance and at first it was off putting because it was different then anything I was used to. After acquiring some different and more challenging fragrances I decided it was time to return to Sand Aoud. On the opening I get a dry sweetness mixed with spices and some oud. In my opinion the opening oud isn't bad but comes off a little like a fresh box of band aids. For me the real magic happens about an hour in when the oud calms down and the woody, vanilla musk comes in. The scent turns into a warm, sweet, but still dry vanilla that I thoroughly enjoy and find very relaxing. The performance is the usual Mancera beast mode and I usually apply 2 or 3 sprays to skin about an hour before I need to leave the house to out and that will last me 8+ hours.

This is a pretty serious fragrance! It projects like a beast and lasts forever. I can smell it on my skin after 24 hours and that's with a shower. To me it's quite gritty and sharp, but still with a slightly soft/sweet touch. It really does smell like sand. It's suitable to wear in a more serious environment, rather than going out or playing pool with. In all honesty I'm still trying to figure it out. I don't love it, I like it, however with more wears I think I'll love it. No compliments with it so far. I'm 28, maybe it's a more mature mans fragrance. 40+? I have a 120ml bottle. Wear a fragrance everyday. I would maybe grab this once a month for that night to be noticed. Mancera is a great fragrance house. They have such high quality fragrances! Overall I would recommend this. However to a mature man. Not a friend who's in his twenties.

I was in a official retail store here in russia, actually wanting to buy aoud lemon mint, but unfortunately it was out of stock but they had this one for a great price at 80$ And i couldn’t let it pass, it was actually the last sand aoud they had in stock, this opens up with spices oud and black currant, its smells citrusy and a tad bit medicinal which i love, drys down to a clean oud musk spice combo with touches of that saffron, black currant and rose giving it a little sweetness. Longevity is good sprayed on hand before bed woke up 8 hours later and still was noticeable, Projection is good for the first 2 hours then is more intimate but not a skin scent, and sillage is a good 5-6 feet behind the wearer. Overall i give this a good 8.75 out 10. Its a recent purchase so i might boost up the rating in the near future.

One of the strangest perfumes i smelled. It changes all the time. As the last commenter says, its different on skin and different on clothes (or paper). On my skin the incense and smokiness reveal themselevs very quickly. But on clothes, the sweetness of the fruit note gets stuck. Some times the saffron is very clearly there and other times the rose is stronger. I blind bought this and it grows on me with each wear. It has me sniffing all the time trying to catch these notes. Maybe you could say its not blended well, as it seems to perform unexpectedly but also the notes feel disconnected rather than creating a whole picture. It definately seems to be a perfume that needs time

I really like it but on paper, not on my skin. Love the opening: metallic, sandy, dry. I pick up the bitter saffron very quick and it is so beautiful! It stays very dry for hours, sometimes it seems like there is something burnt in the air, sometimes incensy. Dry down 8 hours later I do get the rose and the oud is very elegant, unlike any oud I have smelt before. I agree at time it seems to lean masculine. And now the bummer: on my skin I get NONE of what I just described. The opening yes, saffron, light incense and oud. But 3 hours in and it's a skin scent, very warm, fuzzy, comfortable like a sweater, zero uniqueness which it had on paper. What a shame.

The name suits it very well as it start off smelling like sand or rough sand paper in your nose. Not unpleasant, but interesting. Most of that goes away quite fast though. Besides that it smells mostly like sweet blackcurrant and oud with some incence. Warm and spicy. For me it smells a bit like wine also, maybe from the oud. I like oud when it ́s not too animalic or medicic. This one is of that sort. Nice and smooth. Just a bit animalic. Overall a very nice oud fragrance which I like a lot.

This fragrance transports me to a vineyard in the woods while enjoying a beautiful candle lit dinner and just enjoying each other’s company. The blackberry liqueur is very prominent and reminds me of a sweet blackberry wine, the incense gives it a light smokiness mixed with beautiful floral notes as well. It then mainly becomes a woody sweet fragrance not much after that. It’s truly a work of art. Great fragrance if you enjoy niche perfumery.

This is good stuff...if Aramis by Aramis and Cedrat Boise had a baby, you'd have Sand Aoud. Perfectly masculine, good longevity and moderate projection. The black currant liquor is wonderful and helps balance it out. The dry down is woody, vanillic and marshmellow-esque. Signature worthy for sure. This is my dumb reach fragrance, I adore it in all its facets. Highly recommend. 9.75/10

Black currant is hidden in this fragrance and shines on me with subtle floral and spicy notes, carried by incense. The sweetness at the beginning soon gives way to oriental echoes, suddenly I can smell medicinal saffron. At the end there is a small cloud of musk. Despite the nice name, I can't make out any oud. Fragrance 7.5/10, Longevity 8/10, Sillage 7/10.

Typical oudy mukhallat type of fragrance. I find it very similar to Mukhallat Rashid from Ajmal. The dry down of this is smoother in my opinion. I have the original oil from Ajmal, and find this a very good interpretation of the mukhallat, but kind of a redundant purchase for me. Nice though.