Shams Oud

This is an unusual fragrance. I did not know that I liked unusual fragrances. At all. I bought this at a fine indy perfume shop in my city and I honestly did not know what to do with it. It was strange and powerful. That was in 2012. I did not wear fragrance then. I did not know a Tonka Bean from a Tonka Truck. In 2013, the bottle was still full. I was in a rush. I did not have time to spray, delay and walk away. I sprayed it directly onto my skin and rushed out the door. In the car on my way to a meeting, my heart was racing. The driver was listening to what sounded like a muezzin's call to prayer. I could smell myself and a tingle ran up my spine as a trickle of sweat ran down. I closed my eyes to try to get my heart rate down and as I did this gorgeous Yemeni song about heart-ache (I asked) came on and I realized I was having a moment, a fragrance moment. I arrived at my meeting and Shams Oud had arrived several seconds before I did and made nice. My client said, "What is that intoxicating smell. God that's nice." before Hello. Without even so much as a pencil (the shavings of which could be a valid descriptor here) I was energized and outgoing in ways that being late to a meeting usually prohibit. I went back to the shop and sampled more, and different but not better. I have since taken to scent and fragrance with more than passing interest. I invested in other ouds. A few loose nickles in my sofa found a receptive welcome at Frederic Malle and The Night went home with me one day. Also a strange and powerful scent. But that one rolls over to let you rub its tummy. This one swats you with its paw, purring loudly. Your G650 has just landed in Sharjah. The doors open and you step onto the Tarmac of the airport swept out of a desert oasis. A fire is burning some distance away and they are stoking it with pink peppercorns. To check if you are still asleep and dreaming you pinch yourself with a clothes-pin made out of camphor wood. You wake up. It was a Shams Oud fever dream. 10/10

If African Leather and Laudano Nero had a socially awkward child. Shams Oud took me by surprise today, I didn't expect it to be so good. This wasn't particularly exciting or memorable when I first tried it a few months ago but I was immediately impressed when I wore it today. This is an amazing sweet ambers and woods scent, it reminds me strongly of Laudano Nero from Tiziana Terenzi minus the charred/ashy quality of that scent. There's also something kind-of-aromatic, kind-of-spicy that reminds me of African Leather, but to a much lesser degree than the overall scent reminding me of Laudano Nero. During the opening hours there's also a slightly smokey and leathery finish up close on skin that's really nice. Performance is really underwhelming, however, I wasn't calling this Laudano Nero and African Leather's socially awkward child to make the opening catchy. Projection is moderate at the very best and sillage is on the light side. It also doesn't help that this becomes a skin scent in less than two hours. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt as my sample's atomizer is really bad but performance in those aspects left a lot to be desired. Longevity is good, however, lasting 8 hours on skin with relative ease.

I'm glad to finally try out Memo Shams Oud as it has a good reputation in the fragrance community. Slightly spicy hints of ginger and pepper in the opening give way to a blend that's sweet and woody, mainly,the resins of labdanum and tolu balsam taking center stage, flanked by vetiver and oud on onside and the curious tonka on the other. After the initial spicy blast, it's noticeably sweet throughout its life, primarily due to the resins but also the tonka lend its signature sharp sweetness, and this group contrasts the oud and vetiver and keeps the whole blend in homeostasis. It's sweet, woody, creamy, and slightly earthy. Pretty pleasant and unisex, though I figure this to be a cold weather fragrance more than a warm weather fragrance. Shams Oud is a great performer, strong on projection and even better on longevity. At relatively standard pricing for the line of $250 for 75ml, though, it's surely in the category of one needing to love it in order to buy it. I do think I love it but am not sure I'm in need of that much juice for this fragrance in particular, which would fit in among an assortment of quasi-similar resinous cold-weather-ideal scents. 8 out of 10

This is an absolutely gorgeous seductive scent that starts of as a musky peppery fragrance and after about half an hour you start to get the ginger coming through and also the sweet, smokey luscious smell of vetiver. You do not need much of this perfume and it really does last and is a very seductive, sexy fragrance that will have people asking you what that fragrance is as it is very unusual and throughout the day will change slightly in a good way during the dry down and as the hours pass by. This fragrance will easily last a good 5-8hrs without needing to respray and will last the next day minimum on clothes or on your bedding Lol! Yes it is pricey but you don't need much and you won't forget you have it on either because of the subtle change in the fragrance throughout the day. I don't have much of this left but when I have saved a few more pounds I will buy the 75ml size as that will last for ages. It's definitely not for the fainthearted this is for the person that wants to ooze classiness, sexiness and class and wants to tempt people and get them to notice who they are but with subtlety at the same time xxx

Shams Oud is a real knockout and top marks for creative vision, I can't recall smelling a fragrance like this? Shams opens with the full on might of the rest of this line, definite oud quality with a balsamic warmth and pepper sharpness. This is an onslaught, a total envelopment of quality ingredients like saffron and oud taking on that strange, other worldly smell. The top notes remain and I get a definite spicy sweetness like clove/cinnamon/ginger throughout this fragrance which along with the deep resins and precious woods make Shams oud a very special brew indeed. I only tried this in store first on a card then on my skin, so I need to get a proper sample to wear. However I wrote the review because I was dying to comment on this wonderful stuff. Still far too much money to shell out for one of these and far too much juice in the bottle for me. For the record I do have full test size samples of Moon Leather (not in the database yet), African Leather and maybe a couple of others so I have the opportunity to see if they stack up. My opinion of Memo from what I have tried is pretty high though.

I just ordered a full bottle of this lovely after sampling it for the last week. I think this one of those unique scents that stands out with flying colors from most other ouds on the market. First of all, it ́s not a typical oud, but is quite boozy/woody and stronger on the labdanum and tolu balsam. It ́s extremely pleasant throughout, from application to drydown. Initially it ́s fruity and has some smoky notes that quickly disappear and leave the fragrance to evolve further with notes of pepper and vetiver. But then the labdanum, oud and tolu balsam kick in, making it a long lasting feast on my wrist. This is truly quality perfumery! Shams means "sun", and it makes sense, this is a sunny oud, like a warming smile! It has woody qualities, but enough spice and SUN to turn itself into so much more than an oud, a woody or a spicy fragrance. The way this is composed and put together makes it one of my top five, can ́t wait to receive my full bottle! Highly recommended! (Even if I have smelled others since writing this critique and it ́s not among my top five anymore). 8/10

If there's oud in this I honestly can't smell any. Seems to be more of an impression based on the other notes to be honest. The opening to "Shams" is a powerful spicy blast of black pepper and fresh zesty ginger, but this quickly evaporates into a powdery, oily meld of cypriol, styrax and tolu balsam. Picture an old church, with beams of warm sunlight streaming through the windows, illuminating clouds of dust and incense settling upon the empty pews. The warm ambery incense reminded instantly of "Akkad" by Lubin, only with less vanillic sweetness. 30 mins in, the woods fade, but the powdery smokiness remains and things feel much more subdued, sweet and unisex. It wears like this for several hours, fairly close to the skin. Its beautiful, very atmospheric, and in my opinion, better than "Akkad" as the spices and woods give it a more manly substance. If you like the smell of churches, you will love this. But if you're looking for oud, it ain't here.

This is what TF Oud Wood intense should have smelled like IMO. If you're wondering what this smells like and you've tried Halston Amber Man, or Oud wood for that matter, it's similar, generally speaking but rather than going in a brighter semi sweet direction like Halston, this goes in a spicier, darker direction. I get 7 or 8+ hours of longevity with Shams Oud. Good projection and silliage also. The Oud and pepper really stick around on my skin. Shams Oud is mature and masculine. Suitable for mild and cooler weather, though I'm wearing it in the summer as well. Highly recommend this! ******Side Note, did you know that the perfumer for Oud Wood is a man named Richard Herpin? I was suprised to learn that. I've never heard of him and I would have thought he would have been brought back by Estee Lauder to make other Tom Ford Offerings considering how successful Oud Wood became.....

Shams Oud is a dry yet resinous and perfectly "warm" scent. It opens with gorgeously high quality saffron, along with some ginger and toned-down pepper. The opening is just breathtaking in its dry beauty. The next stage of the fragrance is where the resins and oud take over. The oud accord (I'm not sure if it is authentic oud, but it is beautiful regardless) is wood/smokey.... no cheese or barnyard nuances to speak of. In this sense the oud reminds me of Tom Ford's Oud Wood. But the absolutely stunning resins in this fragrance separate it and differentiate it from any further comparisons to Oud Wood. About 4 hours into this magical journey, the tonka comes to the forefront and blends splendidly with the resins, creating an absolutely intoxicating, narcotic dry down. An absolutely stunning unisex fragrance and a must-try for any fan of balsamic fragrances.

@gtabasso: I don't fully understand your comment that this is "a real oud without the barnyard piss and with all the smoke and ash". Now, I wouldn't say I am an expert but there are so many different scent profiles that you can't say there is one real Oud smell. The most important thing is first to distinguish between the note of Oud wood and smoke and Oud oil. I have never come across burned Oud that smells barnyardy. However, Oud oil, especially e.g. Hindi Oud can have this scent profile. On the other hand, I find Thai Oud for example to be more green-ish and sweet... Just my 2 cents :-) Shams Oud is a beautiful spicy fragrance with, to me, just a little hint of burnt Oud chips. I actually get more frankincense out of it then Oud. Nevertheless, for lovers of spicy scents this shwould be perfect!

Absolutely love this fragrance. I bought African Leather by Memo and received a sample of this fragrance. I was pretty biased when I first put it on. However when I gave it about 20-30min to settle down, I faced an absolute beauty of ginger, clean vetiver, some other spices I just can't name. For the next 3-4 hours the smell turns even more peppery on my skin, revealing all the beauty of Saffron, almost little harsh but still goes with undertones of earthy oud smell. Oud is always at the center of all notes, which is very earthy, deep, dry oud. Given its olfactory profile, this is an underrated piece of art. I kind of wish it does stay that way too. This can be a signature scent. I'd wear it at cold night with some light breeze, this can turn into delight.

I was expecting typical Arabian perfume full of oud, roses and dust. Surprisingly it is very delicate and full of light fragrance. The oud and saffron are prominent from the start to the end but they are very well balanced and none is harsh. There is also sweetness in this fragrance as an echo from vanilla and tonka beans. I can classify Shams as a woody delicious. However I like it a lot there is one problem. Sadly it doesn’t last on my skin longer than one hour. After that time the only little sweetness remains and it is detectable if you sniff your skin. Shams is good to have it in the collection if you love perfumes but it is not worth money if you are looking for strong oriental one.

Beautiful dry, almost dusty in the opening. The opening is a burst of pepper and labdanum, tinged with the saffron so prominent in African Leather. A dry smokey oud is there from the beginning. As others have mentioned, this is a very woody, non funky oud. After a few hours, this begins to mellow and become more cozy. I have no problem getting a solid 8 hours of longevity. I find this to be a very manly and a bit daring scent that stands out from the usual cast of freshers, while not going to far down the "funky" route.

This is pure perfection. It smells nothing like the listed notes individually but as something completely new and weird and good. A complete evolution of all those ingredients listed above, a piece of amber resin on top of fire ember melting like a marshmallow. It has some similarities to Vanille-Benjoin from Affinessence parfums but less sweet and more... "solar, sahara sand dry" if that means anything. Amazing creation and quite different from other Memo fragrances.

Holy mother and father of all ouds. This is one of the best ouds on the market! Wow. It is a real oud without the barnyard piss and with all the smoke and ash. My second fave after Boadicea Complex. Kilian Incense Oud is another fave this is up there with. This dries down to a lovely church incense. I put it on at 4. At 11:30 p.m., it's still going strong. When I got warm in a hot theater, I thought I was going to knock everyone out around me.

This fragrance should not be categorized as an oud scent. Its predominant note is frankincense, complemented by a smoky aroma with sweet undertones of cinnamon and a hint of spicy pepper. As my signature scent, I'm quite familiar with its composition. Despite the official listing not mentioning these notes, my experience in the fragrance industry tells me these are its true characteristics. I absolutely love it!

Fragrantica changed the notes & tree for this one. They took out: Saffron Birch Tonka Labdanum It's predominantly a Labdanum/vanillic incense fragrance with ginger pepper & saffron up top, cypriol & birch in the middle & tonka, styrax & vetiver coming in at the end. My favorite cool weather wear & it can work 4 seasons. I have an old clear bottle & a newer frosted bottle & they seem to be the same fragrance.

شمس عود ممو . تقریبا فضای مدرن و بدور از تکرار عودی های مرسوم بازار داره . شروعی تند و تلخ و گازوییل مانند از عود +صمغ لابدانوم در کنار آکورد اینسنسی با غلبه نت کندور .روند عطر همینه فقط ملایمتر میشه و حس چوبی بواسطه وتیور و فلفل سیاه . که در پایان حس صابونی هم اضافه میشه .فضای بسیار لوکس و شیکی رو رقم میزنه. خیلی عطر خوش پوش با رایحه متمولانه و مردونه ای داره . .کیفییت بسیار بالاست

Shams Oud to me smells very similar to a sauna. It smells like wet wood and hot rocks. I love the scent and the performance is great. This one has been high on the want list and I'll definitely get a bottle as soon with my next purchase. I'm just waiting to consume some of the bottles in my collection first. This isn't a mainstream fragrance by any means.

Definitely not long lasting. Eternal! I think it has been reformulated. I have the early version. Bought four bottles at the time. It was heavely discounted. This was maybe ten years back. Gave away two as gifts. Very potent. Very masculine. Not unisex. Really nice for very cold weather. Two sprays max. Aoud. Linear scent. Only for aoud fans.