Aoud Musk

MY GOODNES. This is an absolute masterpiece. A reviewer below me called this "paralyzing". Yes. Thats basically what happens. When you take in the aroma of this scent, it takes you to another place. You're totally incapacitated. The opening is like all Montale Aoud's. Its got that BOOM of Oud and, and then takes you into the rest of the scent. Immediately you get hit with a gorgeous blend of Musk and saffron thats got just a touch of natural sweetness. Its soft and sumptuous, but not feminine. In the background, the oud makes sure of it. I literally could not stop smelling myself. Firstly because this projects like a BEAST. But in a good way. Its not cloying. But like the rest of the Montales, don't over apply. Its not necessary. I also find a very earthy, soil like scent for the first hour or so. But strangely you don't notice it unless you smell it directly on your skin. It's not bad, but i'm glad you don't pick it up as its projecting. I'm assuming this is from the ebony wood. Its very faint. I applied my 2 favorites from the 10 samples i received to each wrist. Aoud Musk and Dark Aoud. Dark Aoud is nice, but its very linear, and doesn't really project anywhere near as much as Aoud Musk does. The clincher was when i washed my hands. The wrist with Aoud musk was unaffected by the wash. The wrist with Dark Aoud on the other hand, the potency was cut in half. Then i showered about an hour later. Aoud Musk STILL kicking. Dark Aoud, completely gone. This was a great indicator of longevity for me, and sealed the deal. I ordered a full 100ML bottle of Aoud Musk. It will probably last me my entire life since i think 2 sprays will be MORE than sufficient. Scent: 10/10 Projection: 10/10 Silage: 10/10 Longevity: INSANITY Overall: Amazing scent, amazing performance, and stellar value! Word of caution: Do NOT blind buy any Montale. Always sample first. This house is not for the weak. ----------------------------------------------------- Edit June 11, 2013: I've worn this out many times now. I must tell you....there are not many perfumes i own that receive this many compliments! A woman stopped me at an OUTDOOR shopping mall and made me write down what it was called so she could buy it for her husband. My fiance is absolutely in LOVE with it! She's sniffing me constantly. Silage and projection is absoultely insane! Its been 13 hours now, and i can still smell the 2 sprays eminating off of my skin! THIS IS WHAT ALL FRAGRANCES SHOULD BE LIKE!

The only Montale (together with Dark Aoud) that got some of my attention. (I still have to test Aoud Cuir d'Arabie and Original Aoud, though) Beautiful round oud opening (surprisingly, to my nose the oud here is not on the burnt/rubbery side like other Montale frags, but warmer). Shortly after, the oud leaves the front of the stage to a beautiful silky musk, rounded and slightly sweetened by saffron, ebony and oud, all of them 3 present, but in the background. Where Khiel's Original Musk is a reference but also slightly boring, Aoud Musk also manages to deliver a perfect musk but makes it intriguing and more interesting. Except for the opening, the main player here is the musk (like other Montale's frag, the main player is often the 2nd in the list, not the oud), and oud is here just a supporting note. And just to be clear, the oud-saffron note here used is identical to the one used in designer's ouds (Versace, YSL, Dunhill), just here used in larger amounts -this is not a criticism, I like it. Very well balanced, very unisex, slightly leaning on the masculine side (but very wearable by a women, without overspraying). Great performance. Musk vs sandalwood. Aoud Musk vs Dark Aoud. I like both but my preference goes to Dark Aoud. Still, I highly recommend Aoud Musk for musk lovers. Fall/Spring evenings, Winter days, 30+ Side funny note: I'm always surprised how ugly Montale's bottles are, and how small is a Montale 50ml bottle haha. Also, can you believe that the name on the bottle is just a sticker, and not stamped on it? Really Montale? For the $50 I paid I'm happy, but not worth retail price imo. Note: tested Nasomatto Duro in store. Very similar to this one, a step higher in terms of quality, but not high or different enough to justify its prohibitive price. Would still go for Montale Aoud Musk. Also, apparently some Roja fanboy got offended that someone spotted strong similarities with his $500 bottle, compared it to one costing around $80, and thus downvoted it in the "reminds me of" section. But honestly I find Roja Dove Musk Aoud very similar, even if not exactly identical (Montale performs better, but Roja is a step higher in terms of quality, with a warm - probably real - oud oil and a more balanced musk... Worth the price difference? Test it and you tell me! Imo, one may smell the difference on skin, but there's no way to tell more than a foot away, so my answer is a firm NO, like for Nasomatto's).

Beautiful! Just beautiful. Gorgeous. That's about all I can say! This musk note, used in many of Montale's musk scents, is truly divine. Perfectly unisex, and it just outright smells expensive. It smells like luxury - like a rare natural musk that's hard to obtain. Admittedly, musk usually isn't my thing, so I haven't smelled many musk scents from other brands, but this is the first scent to give my favorite Egyptian Musk oil a run for its money. This fragrance has a very similar scent profile to that Egyptian Musk oil, but with a spicier base. Monster longevity, projection and sillage, which I've come to love and expect from Montale Paris. While this is a very formal scent in my opinion, I'd have some severe reservations about ever wearing this one to work, or any formal event, really. This stuff is STRONG! Even vintage formula Tuscan Leather sits closer than this does, by a large margin. Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT COMPLAINING! But undoubtedly, it will be difficult for many to choose an appropriate time to wear Aoud Musk. In my opinion, this scent would fit in perfectly at a formal event in a scent-rich environment where it's okay to stand out, i.e. a formal dinner at a fancy steakhouse, or a company holiday party. ONE SPRAY IS LITERALLY ALL YOU'LL NEED! And, quite possibly, more than you'll need! :)) Personally, the only nick I have for this fragrance is the final hours of dry down, which can be a bit abrasive if spicy scents aren't your thing. But if they are, you're in for a treat! I like the spicy drydown personally, but I can assume some others might not. I suppose I also wish there were a bit more Oud to balance out the musk. The musk is the star of the show here, but I really have no complaints. Well done all around.

I have only worn this for a couple hours but I am so stoked by this fragrance that I just have to write a first impressions review. If you love oud or TF our wood you will definitely like this scent. This is a very dark and powerful scent. It is very organic smelling and you can tell it is a quality fragrance. It is very masculine and sexy, at least to me. This is definitely not a blind buy. If you like light scents, sweet scents or fruity scents this is definitely not any of those! I can see how some people would absolutely hate this. It is a pretty unique smell and you will stand out if you wear this fragrance. If you do not like our or musk you will definitely not be a big fan of this scent. I have not smelled duro or harrods agar wood so I am not sure if this scent is similar to them or not. I would say this is very masculine like TF Tuscan leather. Even thought these two scents don't necessarily smell the same I think that if you like Tuscan leather you will like this. Both very dark and masculine. I put on the sample tonight and my family could smell me from a couple feet away while I was wearing this. As far as I can tell this is a beast, like most Montales, in the performance category. I am new to the fragrance game and again this is my first impressions so I may have a far off review. This is just my opinion and what I am getting after a couple hours of use. I personally think this is a great scent! I have many scents such as GIT that are considered masterpieces and I think this has the potential to be a masterpiece scent from my arsenal. I will definitely be looking to pick up a bottle of this sometime this winter!

Wow! This is my 2nd Montale that I have purchased. I must say I am not am not disappointed! My first introduction to this house was Black Aoud a gorgeous peppered rose oud with nuclear performance. Now for what I think of Aoud Musk... I find it to be slightly more palatable for the masses... A well blended sweet saffron and woody musk. The oud here is clean and is the base of this fragrance, giving a nice wood backbone. I'm not going to get into the notes of this fragrance too much because most of the other reviews are spot on! I will tell you from my research on this house that this Aoud Musk is not for the faint of heart... with that said, if you have enjoy heavy complex fragrances that have insane longevity... this is for you. The dry down is just to die for! Edit: I have to add, this may not be my most favorite fragrance I have in my collection, but I am really enjoying it! Over the last 2 weeks this thing has gotten me many compliments! I have never had so many... I'm a large bearded guy and people usually don't say too much... no matter what I'm wearing as a fragrance... But this scent really projects a nice scent trail. Even after when 8 hours people are still commenting " WOW you smell nice"... I guess that's all I can ask for! Edit: 4 months wearing this maybe once a week... Hands DOWN! I have never gotten so many compliments from strangers! People in the store stop me and ask "Oh Migh, what are you wearing... you smell so nice!"I mean, I put this thing on in the morning with 3 sprays and late in the afternoon or even into the evening people around me still pick it up... THIS IS SOME CRAZY STUFF!

This is one real good fragrance. Sex in a bottle. Über masculine. Some of the reviews below might be right when they say: this is the musk that used to be found in the 80's powerhouses. It's what I call REAL musk: animalic, dirty, sexy, masculine. Mixed with some awesome woods, it makes for the perfect men's cologne. The only question is: why does it seem dang near impossible to find this 'real' musk in any fragrance any more at all... short of this one? Regulations? Then how come Montale Paris manages. Has it fallen 'out of fashion'? Aoud Musk is very popular with the ladies, trust me on this. ;-) It's a real perfume, and while the projection could be stronger for longer (but maybe it wouldn't be safe if so..? You might get mobbed in the elevator) it sure lasts. 10 hours plus longevity easy. I will rebuy this one, and that's a fact. Top 5. Mark PS please make sure to sample first as a rule. Montale does these free 20 ml travel sprays when you buy a 100 ml bottle on their website, or test it in a store, or ask for a free 2ml sample with another order. Fragrances are so subjective and they ALWAYS smell different from what you think/what they sound like in reviews. I'd hate for someone to read my review, think DANG! This is it!! And go ahead and blind buy a full bottle just to find out that, well, it smells completely different than what they expected. Having said all that, I have it on my left wrist, still discernable after 12 hours and smelling great! 😊

Aoud Musk by Montale: A blast of all the notes explode together like an erupting volcano spewing it's deliciously aromatic sillage to all the known lands around you. Everyone within close proximity to you will be turned to stone and they will be glad of it because the opening of this fragrance is so bloody good. It is so powerful and good you can't stop sniffing, your lungs and brain crystallizing with every deep breath. I love fragrances that are powerful, potent enough to peel paint or curl straight hair. This fragrance is that and so much more, but in a good way worthy of praise. The opening of this is that of legend. The sweet, spicy slap of Saffron, together with bright, crisp Vetiver, damp woody Oud, and sweaty, pungent Musk, blow the roof off the house. Never fear this powerhouse does mellow down after about an hour or two, drying down to Vetiver, Oud, Musk and Amber, but I am getting an extra note not mentioned in the description. I believe I am sensing Labdanum in this mix, it comes out strongly and plays with the rest of the clan till the sun comes up. This is a Wow, Fragrance, be prepared. The longevity is very, very long, the sillage is Enormous at beginning 1 to 2 hours then heavy from 2 to 3 hours, then moderate from 4 to 6, then skin scent from 6 to 12 hours, with it still being quite detectable the next morning. I love when fragrances do that. Montale Aoud Musk- High Five, Bravo!

Saffron bomb!! This is beautiful stuff! I get oud and saffron. Saffron starts of very heavy, natural and slightly sweet. Oud plays a supporting role and both of them run the show. The first time I smelled it, it put a grin on my face! The woodyness is nice but I feel near the end (7-8 hour mark) falls a bit flat with dull sweet, musky odor to finish things off. For majority of its life it's very impressive but the end leaves me thinking that there is something cheap--?synthetic oud left behind. I think I am being a bit too padentic, because for a majority of its long stay it smells very natural. Solid performance 10 hr with near beast projection Colder months only. Overall 8/10 Opening and mid first 7 hours 10/10 On a precautionary note- this is very middle eastern/Indian type of smell so you may find it too daring to wear in western countries. In this case my advice would be to go light on the trigger! But definitely dont be discouraged to have a go!

I blindbought Aoud Musk during the hottest week of last summer. I found a bottle with about 70ml left for €30, never having owned or even smelled a montale fragrance I wanted to see what the fuss was about. In my mind their lineup is a bit homogenous in scent profile and on top I despise their bottle design. During the heatwave it fell a bit flat, I dont mind heavy fragrances in any weather but this just made the humid summer weather feel even stickier while the scent itself still felt terribly dry somehow. I shelved it and forgot about it. A few weeks ago I was making some decants to take on a week long trip to Zürich and this is where I grew to love it. In the colder weather it turns beautifully rich woody and deep earthy. The sticky, boring and synthetic oud had faded to the background all of a sudden, being almost innoticable but still there in just the right amount. Wondering if I'll still feel this way next summer.

Ok, this is a very loud fragrance but I love it. The opening is quite typical if you're already familiar with Montale's ouds. A strong medicinal/synthetic vibe and botloads of saffron joined by the distinctive Montale's hallmark: a prominent and harsh oud note! It gets even darker and warmer in the drydown with the addition of dark woods, vetiver and some musky-amber. Bold but never claustrophobic, tremendously woody and intense, it always claims your attention and everybody else's by surrounding everything with its dark warmness. Someone says it's similar to Nasomatto Duro, and for a few aspects I agree, but Aoud Musk results much more balanced and definitely not vulgar! Outstanding sillage and extraordinary lasting power. One spray on the neck and you're set for the whole day, night, late night and early moring after: be aware! Surely not for laidback type of guys! Rating: 8.5/10

For a long while I've been putting off trying Montale's fragrances due to the simple fact that I didn't know where to start. There are just so many that all sound so similar that it's damn near impossible to find an entry point. Eventually I decided to bite the bullet and test out Aoud Musk seeing as how I love both aoud and musk. Opens with an extremely powerful blend of, you guessed it, oud and musk. There are some other woods thrown in there without a doubt that contribute to giving it a very earthy, naturalistic, and slightly dirty kick. Later on I started to pick up a slightly sweet saffron. Once the oud and musk soften, my skin sort of turned the two into a strange,dirty- woody-bready vibe. Interesting and totally appealing. This all hangs around for a good day or two depending on your shower schedule. Simple, strong and effective, I am excited to try more from Montale. 8/10

Excellent work. Opening with medicinal herbs and a rubbery oud, this phase is not for long, although it is not for everyone's taste. The opening is like a rocket booster for what follows. As the fragrance unfolds, a dry blend of clean musk, herbs, and non-animal oud develops. It even gives the impression of a sterile room, a comfortable hospital. There is a floral note found in the background, as well as some powder with a slight smokiness, but cleanliness is maintained. The sweetness is moderate, yet warm and dry at the same time. If the nose has already experienced the opening to the drydown, the opening is very different and addictive. It is a wonderful experience. It is compared to Duro, but certainly belongs to the same family. I would buy Aoud musk again if asked which one to buy, as I find this one to be more airy, better performing, and above all, more balanced. 10/10

One of the best Montale offerings in the gargantuan range of Aoud fragrances they create (something like 45!). Jefferson Starship sang "We built this city on rock 'n roll." Montale would sing "We built this company on lots of aoud!" Pierre Montale, the founder, spent quite some time in Saudi Arabia, where he created perfumes for nobility, kings and queens. The Arabian influence is obvious, given his devotion to aoud variations. They all start to smell the same, with subtle variations. I sampled about 5 of them, until I found Aoud Musk. I love musk, and this one just feels good, not overtly synthetic, and has pretty solid longevity with decent sillage. It's very satisfying and I'm happy I found this at a very reasonable price. If you keep your eye out, you can occasionally find bottles of this on discount, sometimes as low as $1/1ml.

GREAT! I will try to be brief and clear about this: it is exactly a toned down version of Dark Aoud which for me at least was too much, too loud and even if amazing smell... I wouldn't feel at ease wearing it around (I mean Dark Aoud). This is pure oud and musk á la Montale and immediately after I sprayed I said: yes! This is sexy, people will notice it and indeed it is very masculine and easy to wear. It also has that pencil shaving vibe (I don't think it is ebony though) but nothing to worry about. I disagree, this isn't loud at all. Perfect projection and longevity (not the beast Black, Red and Dark aouds but still ok). Extremely wearable and safe, but not at all boring or mainstream. Do yourself a favour and sample this! Definitely Montale is one of my 2 favourite houses. This is how I love to smell!

Got a decant and ordered a bottle the next day. This fragrance is unique in that it has a spicy, effervescent, medicinal, Dr pepper vibe, without sweetness. Maybe this is ebony woods, or ebony woods mixed with saffron/oud, that gives it that fizzy cola vibe? It stays pretty linear but lasts a long time and projects well. The oud is very agreeable "western" ie, not barnyard or animalic. Since I now have a full bottle, I gave my decant to a friend who does not wear fragrances. He loved it, wore it on a date with a girl he just met, and she loved it. I gave a little to my brother and a couple other friends and they love it as well and purchased. Pierre Montale should give me sales commission. But seriously, this is my favorite from the house. Smell 9/10 Performance 8/10

Similar to Gucci Intense Oud but this has far better performance. On the downside, Gucci smells a little better and more interesting because of the slight sweetness but Montale is preferable because you can perceive and enjoy it continually while wearing. If this has a flaw, it is slightly bland and linear overall, but I love it anyway. Comparison to Duro is understandable, but this is much better in scent and performance and has none of Duro's synthetic qualities. Can smell continually for over 4 hours though becomes less intense during that window. Better when smelled in sillage than up close. Woodsy, medicinal, band-aid, masculine. Need to wait for awesome dry down. Also, samples are very inexpensive on the Montale website. Kudos to Montale for great marketing.

This is pretty straightforward with a familiar oud accord, woods and spices. Moderate strength and longevity, not as loud as some earlier reviews suggest (perhaps a formulation change?) There’s a little sweetness and saffron. I get something slightly savoury in the spice maybe just the saffron but seems like a hint of cumin. Briefly in the opening it reminds me of Oud Wood vaguely, the peppery wood, but it is more oudy and heavy. Duro is a closer comparison for similarly. Good value. Might layer this with something as it comes off a little basic. Edit: updated from like to love as the more I wear it and layer it with other things the more I like it. Easy reach for me.

This one is mystical, hypnotizing Perfume! It's some metaphysical in it! Very loud, sharp, resinous -woody- vetivery stem of deep blue-dark colour, suddenly becomes alive, like a mysterious infernal creature, under the touch of the Sun.... It spreads it's waves in a distance from where you can smell the shining of it's Aura, satiated with Saffron and Amber set in deep Aoud. What is the magnificent scene! Definitely, this Aroma is not for those who prefer light and close-to skin odour. You should have a bold to wear it! Just try to put it on... Perhaps, Aoud Musk will be surrendered by you, or you will find in his Power.

got my sample of this 5 days ago, since that moment till now i been looking for a full bottle in my area, cant find it at all. anyways this dosnt matter, lets talk about the smell!! spray it once on a paper sample, put it in your wallet inside your pocket, go out and wait for the compliments, this thing kept hitting me with waves of smells for a whole day just from a 1 spray on paper sample that was far away from me in my room, its a room filling smell if you did over apply it, mostly a smell of oud with a hint of some soft nice smell, could be the saffron and musk. for me getting this perfume is a must.

I've sampled Dark Aoud, that I really liked, so based on the reviews I bought blind a full bottle of Aoud Musk. Bingo! This is perfect, like dark aoud but much more cleaner, refined and rounded, without the stinky spices. This is in my top 5 for sure, perhaps it will be my new number one but it's to early to say. Black Aoud on me is to sweet and sticky, Dark Aoud is to dry but this one is wonderful. EDIT: Saffron in the beginning is a bit loud, but it calms down and I can feel the aoud and the musk. Longevity is extraordinary, but I would not say it is a sillage monster, sillage is just fine.