Black Oud

A new fave, blind acquired based on reviews here. This fragrance makes me never want to pay more than $20 for a scent ever again! Quality and performance of this 'cheapie' suit me better than all of the spendy niche ouds I have been considering (Montale, Roja, Nasomatto, Guerlain). A true oud, complete with acrid medicinal bite in the opening, Monotheme Black Oud mellows out to a politely wearable cool woody floral experience, light and clean where other perfumes bearing similar name and notes tend to be overbearingly dark and tarry. This is the only oud perfume I have tried (other than TF Oud Minerale, which hardly qulifies) that I would consider bringing out in warm Spring and Autumn weather. In the absence of any funky horse barn cast or overtly synthetic spoilers, the bitter oud note blends pleasantly with sandalwood, smoke, spices, and rose, lending the composition the faintest tinge of edgy danger, without the risk of rolling over into a body odor situation. On its own, this fragrance is elegant, subtle and yet distinctive for mature wearers of all genders. As an under layer, it successfully adds depth and niche-like performance quality to lighter fruit, citrus, aromatic, fougere, and floral perfumes. For mixology purposes, this will supercede my Demeter Oud, which smells more like black truffle in comparison. Definitely recommended for those who love both a good oud perfume and a great value.

I think this is amazing for the price. Would work in any situation. Quite a simple smell but delicious none the less. Very sweet. I find it amazing that the sweetness never seems that artificial. There’s a woody-ness that creeps in as the sweetness softens. I don’t think it really smells like “oud” but I could be wrong. The longevity isn’t bad. Some days it lasts 5/6 hours, some days it doesn’t hold up quite that long. I think it’s really versatile and unisex. Safe blind buy for a gift

I found that one on price of 9 euros so I said.. Oud with 9 euros how good can it be? So it's reaaally good! I had compliments from the first time I wear it and everybody thought that it was expensive oudy fragrance! Sweet ambery oud great for cold nights and only 9 euros! Also good longevity and sillage! If you find it just buy it! It worths a lot more!

I have to disagree with several of the reviews here, I really like this, I get a nice balanced Amber/Oud drydown, the opening is a little punchy, but as it mellows it is so good, very soothing and distinctive, longevity and sillage are very good, exceptionally good value.

Very spicy, almost unisex. Delicious, affordable, subtle and intringuing! Go for it, absolutely!

I tried this on today while out and about, I haven't "worn" it properly yet but it is one I would like to explore further. It was being sold in Marks and Spencers in the UK at £22 for 100ml bottle. To my nose, in the bottle this is very oud-y and woody, with a pleasant soft warm amber and a slightly sweet floral - perhaps this is the labdanum - it is not a scent I am especially familiar with but based on the listed notes I am guessing that is what I am smelling. The geranium is also there but mild, gentle, taking a backseat. This smells fairy true to the bottle scent on my skin - I am quite fussy with ouds, some can be too much, overpowering, cold, and with a stale, musty smell. This one avoids this and soars into a light yet heady exotic sweet oud - not sweet like lollipops and fizzy drinks, more like sweet incense and soft spice. The amber adds a warm quality. This is a very nice composition, and one that I want to test properly when I get the chance. UPDATE: I bought this as the price was so good and have worn it a few times now. I find it a very gentle oud, an oud for westerners it is soft and not challenging at all. Quite powdery and rosy for the first couple of hours, with mild geranium and warm amber. After the first few hours this reminds me a lot of crabtree and evelyns nantucket briar, a little lighter and slightly rosier but it has many similarities on me. Longevity is about 8 hours with soft sillage. I have found that as the weather starts to turn warmer the rose note becomes more pronounced to me, I think this might actucally work better in spring /summer.

I wasn't going to write a review, just enjoying reading what others have to say about this little gem. I love how there are articles here on Fragrantica, dedicated to "cheapies", good quality for a fraction of the cost of "stardom" and niche lines... I love gifting myself different price levels; do I spend 300 euro for a "super special occasion"? Once in a while... Do I spend15 euro for a fragrance I can use and finish in a week if I want to? Yes, I do. And I lower my expectations. And sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised, like in this case! Cheapies come in a variety of qualities. Monotheme Venezia is THE BEST quality you will get for this money. I've tried three of them so far (my fave is vanilla blossom) and each is rounded and simple, with moderate sillaege. Having said this, I feel pity for fellow Fragrantica users who are so angry at life that they dedicate two pages to criticize and find flaw in a little inoffensive parfum bottle, that costs only 14 euro approximately. (pejatibia I'm talking about you.)

This is nice. This is safe. Yet not in the sense that these words are typically used in the fragrance community. They can come off this way to those you interact with but at the same time it’s the definition of how this makes me feel. It’s clean, warm, and cozy. Give it around five minutes to dry down and you’ll understand. It immediately takes my mind to wooden deck front porch in the middle of autumn. The sky is steel gray and the smell of a cool evening rain begins to hit moments before the actual drops fall to a slow serenade on the roof. The slight breeze calls for a freshly laundered quilt that has seen a life time of use. All while the wind continues to bring in notes of year long curated fire wood that brings promise of more warmth to come as aroma of spice cake flows out from the open kitchen window. Is it anything new or ground breaking? No. Is it comforting? Yes. Sometimes that’s all we need and for $20 I’ll take that trip down memory lane time and again.

I tried this yesterday. Not very oud-y but really pretty nice. I liked it, musky and sweet but it didn't strike me as a keeper. I may try it again before I buy it - that sometimes happens when I do more than one "try" I feel the love. And it's not bad.

A perfect slightly softer and lighter version of Guerlain Oud Essentiel to bath in. Did not expect that for 19.99 eur and start thinking that maybe Guerlain happens to be overrated..

This unisex scent makes me think of November evenings. Especially 5th November and bonfires. It doesn't smell like Bvlgari Black, but makes me think about revisiting.

Slightly dirty floral kind of oud with a twist of something like a pepsi accord, do get the paprika but its more like a cherry pepper kind of profile scent.

This isn’t going to knock anyone’s socks off, but it a nice inexpensive mellow oud fragrance. £19.99 at Marks and Spencer is hard to beat.

The top is the best. Too bad it doesn't last long. This is a sweet honeyed vanilla oud; lovely and sweet but not long lasting for EDP.

The drydown is soooooooooo great! It is divine, sweet and spicy, and the oud is not loud and in the face.....love it! That is the good part......now comes the rest.....it is weak, so weak that immediately becomes a skin scent! It has some weird sweetness in the begining mixed up with flowers, a bit sinthetic for my taste! BUT the drydown is something to die for.....i would bath in it! Definetly unisex and for cold weather! Blind buy.....hmmmm, i do not know what to say, it is so cheap and weak, that i simply do not know! For me....goes on my colletion on the bottom shelf! But i deeply recommend it for its drydown.....damn good! Good day!

I would recommend buying this, but I wouldn’t say that the expectation is that this is going to be anything but a decent ‘dumb reach’. I do like this a lot it’s a scent that you can put in your cupboard and just chuck on if you don’t know what to wear for ‘smart casual’ occasions. 6.5/10

Easy blind reach for an oud frag. Colder weather. It won't blow your socks off but its a good one. Inexpensive so have fun with it.

the worst of the black series. longevity and sillage non-existent. I smell only amber and labdanum 2 / 10

On my skin unfortunately after 1-1.5 hour skin scent, lovely warm-ambery oud but poor projection.

The fragrance opens with an overwhelmingly chemical, foul stench, reminiscent of synthetic poop. Imagine the smell of rotting natural material coupled with the musty scent of an elderly, unwell woman. It's not an easy description to give, but it's the most accurate. If you've ever entered a neglected, timeworn apartment of an elder, the mix of dust, old furniture, and an overall sense of abandonment is what comes to mind. It's a deeply unpleasant and off-putting start. After several minutes, the odor transitions from the repulsive old-lady body odor to a floral-oud combination. It becomes somewhat tolerable and, fortunately, quickly turns into a skin scent. After this initial disaster, what remains is an acceptable blend of amber, spices, and flowers. However, the fragrance still feels repulsive, with an unbearably cheap aroma. There's an explosion of stink in the initial projection, but it fades quickly, leaving only a faint trace of sweat. The longevity as a skin scent is only a few hours, which might be a blessing given the initial experience. I cannot imagine wearing this as a man. The only image that comes to mind is that of an elderly woman, perhaps wearing it to church to amplify her 'natural traits'. It simply doesn't fit any modern or masculine profile. I thought it might be possible to buy a nice, affordable oud that isn't from the Middle East. However, it seems that only there can they create an oud at a low price that smells pleasant. This is one of the worst atrocities I've ever smelled. I feel oppressed by only using it once to review. I even liked the strawberry jam poop oud more (Rasasi Dhan al Oudh al Nokhba) since it had some story around it. I just couldn't rate it at all. But this one? Super trash. Opening note: 0- Sillage/Projection: 1 Dry down: 2 Longevity: 2+ Blend/Composition: 1 Versatility: 1 Uniqueness: 8 Value for money: 0- Bottle design/Aesthetics: 1 Overall experience: 1- Blind-buy rating: 0

Hmmmm...there should be a lot to like here but sadly this misses the mark for me. Firstly I'm glad just to find Monotheme in stores, as these scents have alluded me for years now and finally I get to try them. Starts out with a peppery spice in the opening which for me was hugely promising but sadly doesn't last long and the promise fades along with my hopes about this fragrance. There's a definite labdanum and Amber vibe with a powdered floral feel and underpinned with woods. I have to say this just feels a little tired and slightly dated, almost granny like. I found the performance to be reasonably good and this brand are obviously of some quality for the comparitably low asking price. My verdict is that Black our is a perfectly good fragrance just not my bag and if you are looking for oud although it's present I'd look elsewhere.

REVIEW | 100 ml purchased from M&S Excellente!!! ...as they say at the Ambassadors party. ;) I blind bought this from M&S for only £17.00. On first spray I was quite taken aback by how good it smells. It really reminds me of Penhaligon's Cairo on first spray, it settles down really nicely too, but diverges from Cairo to nearer Guerlain's Oud Essentiel, in fact the mid/dry down is almost identical to Oud Essentiel. Considering that Cairo is about ten times the price of this you'd be churlish to complain about value for money. Projection wise, it's not totally in your face but still pretty good. I do get exceptionally good longevity with it - though I'm not sure if that's attributable to my particular skin PH factor or the batch of the bottle I purchased. In fact, I was so pleased with it's performance that I bought another bottle.

I found this for cheap. I decided to jump in after looking at the "reminds of" section. It was a mistake, not a big one, but a mistake nonetheless. This has no similarities or whatsoever to the Guerlain and Serge Lutens mentioned. It is a very cloying sweet synthetic amber that feels cheap and messy. Something you'd buy at any street market somewhere in Asia/South America (too bad we do not have a lively street market in the USA). If you want a nice and long lasting amber on a budget, go for Frank Olivier Amber. Black Oud has a soft projection for about an hour, then it sits close to skin for another 3-4 hours. I get a very, very faint oud in the drydown, but you gotta know what oud smells like to identify it. Cheap blind buy but not worth my money, in my opinion.

I heard good things about this so blind bought due the the lack of a tester in M & S Bristol. I wish I hadn't. Weak performer so much so its not worth the investment. Really dissapointed. As too the smell difficult to say as it sits so close to the skin. I would say there is a a problem with this fragrance. Just so you know my batch is 1356081. update.....once i had regained my composure... a very light oud with some floral powdery notes but really poor performance very little projection

I discovered Monotheme fragrances a few days ago and smelled 4 of them . This is the only one I find nice as I like cloves , amber and heliothrope . It cannot have the depth of old perfumes as it is brand new but more pleasant anyway than many lollipops and dirty patchouli bullets . It is very inexpensive : 15 € the big bottle .

profumo meraviglioso e persistente almeno 8 ore sulla mia pelle.la prima volta che l ho provato non credevo al mio naso praticamente quasi simile a tom ford noir ma con un prezzo super 14,9 eu. consiglio anche gli altri tre della serie Black Label sono uno migliore dell altro..

As other reviewers have stated....this is "nice" and "safe". Very "easy" to wear...but nothing is a "wow" for me from this scent. Instant skin-scent IMO. Casual scent....good for an easy-go everyday type situation.

I think this perfume smells exactly like pure oudh. The oudh note makes 90% of the smell. Surprisingly, it doesn’t smell cheap and it’s a very good affordable option for an oudh perfume for 10€.

Almost unknown brand, but one of the best oriental composition I tried, great performances, cheap price, great value for the money

Hell noo this smells like a festival toilet. Incredible