Black Aoud

Yes I love this fragrance, yes I love Montale and yes I do still hate those aluminium tins. Black Aoud is a very heavy, very resolute fragrance that has an atomic half life on the skin. It is dark, but has a well-judged wearability that may surprise some people expecting to go full on Sauron Darth Vader Genghis Khan on first spray. It has a reputation as a sledgehammer play on the oud and rose theme but there is a lot more going on here than that. The first thing you notice is how woven-in the rose is relative to a surprisingly medical and aromatic patchouli. There is some quite regal labdanum in the heart as well and the rose accord is further complicated by a really unexpected and very delicious orange blossom note in there too. Together, the fruits, aromatics, incense and florals combine in a way that has a charm and appeal that takes this well past just another dark oud. The noble wood herself in this is an accord that is Parisian clean oud vibe if that makes sense, rather than being animalic and fusty as we are more used to here in the Middle East. In fact the whole enterprise feels very Parisian in the way it is blended and the way it shimmers and glides on the skin. I enjoyed it on first spray but it really comes into its own as it warms up on your skin in the drydown. The patchouli stops just short of being difficult but I can see where the observations about a synthetic, rubbery feeling come from. Personally I am fine with it. The rose extract grows in prominence as it settles. It is a jammy, heady rose accord not a fresh, dewy floral one. It is as wearable as Ombre Nomade and comes alive in the heat here, and so it is probably not a big shock that I enjoy this one as much as I do. It is weird because it feels like it should be fresher and sweeter than the other ouds I own with the same profile, but the patchouli and rose are a bit mischievous, almost sticky. It is darker than it feels, but not because of the oud if that makes sense. You could absolutely rock this to the office but obviously go easy on the nozzle as this would be a bad one to go too heavy on. This is one to wear when you are kicking ass and taking names. Three Word Summary - Wearable, fun darkness. Layering suggestion - I don't think you or anyone else should be layering this one. But if you do, Lord of Misrule by Lush over the top would turn this into a patchouli powerhouse. Just be gentle. Outfit suggestion - black cowboy boots, the good jeans, black shirt, black jacket, black RayBans for when people who take you for granted need gently reminding of their responsibilities. Scent - 8/10 Sillage - 9/10 Drydown - 9/10 Bottle/packaging - 5/10 Performance - 10/10 41/50

I just ordered a bottle of this and it should arrive later today. But I'm wearing it right now. I ordered some Bois De Yuzu and a restock of Versace L'Homme yesterday and I always get to choose two samples to go with my order so I came here and compared the available ones with what I read in reviews and decided to give Black Aoud a try. But it seemed so scary lol. After what I read here I was nervous AF as to what it would be like. You guys... But it's not nearly as scary as I thought it would be and I like it a lot, like a LOT, so much so I ordered a full bottle. I'm fully into chypres and light classic scents, always have been, I rarely if ever go for the darker heaver ones but this is sublime on me and is going to be perfect for colder months for my darker side and of course for extra special occasions like the opera or premieres. And yes it is very strong, you all got that bit right, it only needs a couple of light sprays and you're done so this 100ml eau de parfum bottle is probably going to last me a lifetime . Two words which come to mind when describing this scent would be 'power' and 'sex'. EDIT: 14 hours or so later and I can still smell it occasionally pleasantly wafting up from my chest where the heat is under my v-neck t-shirt, this is amazing. When I smell my forearms up close it's quite faint now but still there so I would have thought it was almost gone everywhere else too, but every now and then I get a good whiff of it floating up still. I will add something I learned about this fragrance, and that's that I sprayed the paper a half hour before putting it on my skin and I still have the paper on the table in the kitchen. During the past 14 hours it has mellowed and traveled a beautiful journey on my skin, the patchouli, the oud and the rose mellowed a lot and melded into one sensuous cohesive smell, whereas the rose started off front and center and almost too much and overwhelming everything else. But the paper now smells exactly the same as it did when I first sprayed it, very very strong rose and not much else. So this behaves very differently on paper, in a way I have not seen from other fragrances which do go through some kind of change to a degree (just not as good as on your own skin), and I do not recommend anyone just spray it on a tester paper and decide only on that, it has to sit on your skin (well they always do), but in this case it just doesn't move out of the initial stage on paper at all from my experience so you have no choice but to use your skin. This fragrance is totally sublime. I'm in love with it.

Your child or a young member of your family comes up to you during the giving holidays. They know you love art, and they say “I have a gift for you - I know you like art!” “Wow, thank you!” You’re expecting a print of Klimt, Picasso - The Kiss or maybe Guernica, you’ve wanted to hang those for a while - maybe a Monet even though you’re not that big of a fan of Impressionism. Instead, the young’un hands you a watercolor they did in their art class. Are you disappointed? You will be disappointed if you’re the type that dislikes Montale’s Black Aoud. If you’re not the type to be disappointed, you will chuckle and smile at the completely forgivable, rudimentary and puerile nature that warms your heart. The latter describes Black Aoud for me. In an era of fanatical-bordering-on-cult like devotion to oud, where to be at least acceptable the perfume needs to be utterly superfluous, the oud rose perfume has a lot of upper echelon entries. Black Aoud does not fit into that echelon or anywhere that close, but it has heart and magnetism like that child’s watercolor. The oud is properly oud - funky, barnyard-y and animalic, woody, and all - yet it doesn’t have the depth and the fullness that connoisseurs assuredly identify in the real thing. The rose is similarly defined; it’s a candied rose that smells cheap, but not overly synthetic, and yet very cheerful. The materials chosen and the proportions with which they are married just simply work. Oud that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but oud nonetheless, and rose that has a fruity and giddy laugh, not a significant amount of drama or histrionics as the rose in many rose ouds can have. The rose is more forward in latter stages than the oud thanks to the addition of musks. Let’s not forget, it’s cheap. Don’t go scoffing at that, either. We all moan and groan about the price of perfumes these days and yet perfumistas are the first to see a low price tag and pass - “it must be bad.” Black Aoud doesn’t smell expensive, but it doesn’t smell cheap; it smells good. Period. If you like it, it’s an everyday oud rose perfume that will get you positively noticed and not break your wallet doing so.

WARNING: Story/Poem + Review (for those who are in search for reviews only 🙂) ~ Black Veil's Essence 🌹⚫🥀~ Strolling down the alley and into the woods you find yourself next to a lake. Shadowy corners at every step merge with the damp dark soil surrounding the water. A fragrance so wispy emerging from beneath your feet is rising in mid air, dancing with the trees. The smell of her thorns drowning into your presence. A photorealistic rose behind a black veil's essence. She is hidden, yet her presence, emphatic. You inhale her smell afeard, it's sharp, but ecstatic. Of life and death she emerges. From black soil she was risen and into the black earth she'll take you. Wrapped and safe, in her black veil's essence. - That, is the story of the rose from Black Aoud. REVIEW: In my opinion, one of the best roses for fans of darker rose accords in fragrances. An unapologetic, fully grounding scent with a punchy and extreme projection. A truly Gothic composition portraying all of the facets of a darkest and undead, rose. Undead, because she is thriving despite still carrying traces of the thick and heavy, black soil she emerged from. The scent is first making itself known with a note of oud which starts off sharp, to later unfold it's slightly jammier side. It's a kind of rose you'll find during the night time, under a full Moon. At the same time pushing you away but pulling you in. All of the background notes including patchouli, labdanum and mandarin orange are there to "shape" the rose and give it depth. A timeless and elegant creation exuding sophistication. Suitable for both ladies and gentlemen, be it a femme fatale vibe, a mysterious or collected and reserved type, or simply, a lover of darkness.

I received this as a dabber from Luckyscent. Immediately after opening the cap, I recoiled at how strong this is, not a bad thing. I absolutely love oud rose fragrances, and this is no exception. Upon first applying it, the oud does stand out for a little bit in a slightly animalic scent and then calms down after a minute and blends in with the rose, creating an almost clove-like scent with the patchouli. If you have ever smelt Portrait of a Lady by Fredric Malle, you'll find some striking resemblances. The rose and patchouli combo instantly reminded me of POAL, and I will consider purchasing this based on the insane price difference, strength, and similarity. This perfume is an absolute beast with projection, so spraying lightly is recommended, similar to POAL, that fragrance is also a beast as well. I would also say POAL is slightly more complex compared to this, but the differences are not inherently noticeable in the air. As I said, in POAL, the clove really stands out, creating an almost animalic spiciness to it in the opening, along with the dry, but slightly jammy rose; in Black Aoud, I get a similar vibe. Instead of clove, you get a slightly animalic oud along with the dry and jammy rose, followed quickly by the patchouli, creating a similar dusty but serene landscape of a quintessential oud and rose. I know POAL does not have oud in it, but I can't help but make that resemblance. All in all, this is an absolute belter of a fragrance, and considering you can find it for under 100$ on some discounters makes this remarkable. This is also my second Montale fragrance, and I am really enjoying it.

Black Aoud, what can one say that has not been said already? This is known as one of THE beast mode performers and it doesn't disappoint. Everyone will smell you. Not recommended for confined spaces like aircraft cabins. To me it's rose and oud but very geranium leaning. The rose note in many compositions like this is actually rose geranium, because it is less expensive than actual rose, and it's a good trick for the real thing. I can really smell the geranium aspect of this one and it could be described as being almost like bug spray honestly. It also has a real kind of piss quality that's going to turn some people off. I actually don't smell the oud near as much as the rose/geranium though which to me is the defining feature of the scent. I know the oud is there because it's giving depth and richness but it isn't a very forward note in this composition. I am sure the labdanum helps too, and no idea about any mandarin orange-- you'd never guess it's there. I appreciate how herbal and dry this is, it's not sweet like you might expect. I think this is why many consider it masculine. However, depending on your associations, this could also very easily be described as 100% grandma. A friend has a term for fragrances like this, "horny grandma," meaning they're very strong, very floral, very mature. This is one of Michelle Visage's favorite perfumes which makes me want to wear it, but I'm not sure it's high enough on my list, I probably wouldn't be reaching for it too often. Still, maybe I should own it because it is one of those fragrances that helped define an entire genre.

I got this fragrance a few years ago it was not love at first sniff to me i was actually disappointed at first smell in away that i thought this would sit on my shelf unused until i gave it away in case if any one i know would ever love to smell like this even though i always wanted to have a strong oud perfume and based on the reviews i decided to give it a try, one spray on my forearm and the whole house smelled like black oud the entire day it was so potent which made it even harder for me to deal with, i left the bottle on my shelf for years untouched until one day i decided to give it another shot, again that potent rose oud smell that's almost scary i couldn't understand but something about this perfume that i started to crave every now and then like a guilty pleasure, one day i was going out with a friend that is not an oud lover and i decided to give it a wear as a teaser, one spray on my nick i did it for funn to see how he would react and what a surprise he loved it said that i smelled amazing and wanted to know what it was, maybe that encouraged me to give it another wear and got another compliment after compliment its not a guilty pleasure any more and i wear it very often now specially when in open areas when its cold, its becoming one of my favorites and i do enjoy the dry down alot, now after years of wearing i can provide a solid reviw: its not mass pleaser but it gets you compliments, its a cold weather scent do not use it for summers or closed areas, try before you buy, nuclear projection and longevity 9 out of 10 for me love love love

Spraying this bores a deep well into the point of application. Every time I sniff my wrist it's like I'm about to fall into myself. Montale's Aoud Cuir d'Arabie has a similar gravitational pull – but it's more pronounced here. I haven't noticed this effect with other perfumes. When smelling something new, I'll often conjure up an image of my high school crush who I sat next to in sixth-period English. It's a night in late Autumn, I'm outside of a hometown bar and I run into him. He's dressed comfy-cool, in a slightly oversized hoodie. I suspend my disbelief as he excitedly removes himself from his squadron of hypebeasts-turned-med-students to greet me. He goes in for a hug and I catch a whiff of whatever perfume I'm sampling. If my dream were a reality – I'd want him to be wearing this. I prefer to think about the specific scene evoked by a perfume – the world to which it transports you – rather than whether it's "sexy" or not, but I will make an exception here. This is extremely sexy. Continuing the fantasy from earlier, I'd like to take my rosy crush away from the provincial point of our reunion to a place more suited to his scent. I picture a dark club where this sense-bending fragrance can meet its match – techno music that can almost be felt, smelt, tasted, and seen. Red light and fog fill the room and one forgets whether they're seeing the perfume, hearing the light, or smelling the sound.

Statement piece. The presentation is really love it or hate it, but I dislike it, the aluminium canister looks tacky and feels light. The scent is a rose/oud combo, and from what I’ve heard, this scent really relies on skin chemistry, sample this first, I’ve heard horror stories of this smelling like old grandma or bug spray. Thankfully, on my skin, it smells like a gorgeous, smoky, incense, dry rose and dark, mysterious oud, with hints of green patchouli and laudanum. Amazing, not really synthetic on my skin, I guess I got lucky. The performance, wow. Montale are infamous at this point for having borderline offensive projection and longevity that survives a multitude of washes. This is no exception. I find that one spray on the nape of the neck delivers perfect spillage and projection for the vast majority of western tastes, this 100ml will last you years. The price is really good depending where you look, I was lucky enough to find my bottle for $160 AUD. About standard market price for designer men cologne such as Chanel or Dior. The versatility and mass appeal of this is hard to gauge. This will differ depending on where you live, the more east, the better. For westerners, this isn’t mass appealing at all, you must be into unapologetically middle eastern perfumery to enjoy this fully. Phenomenal on my skin, give it a shot. $160 AUD - 9/10

I really enjoy this fragrance. It has a harsh opening dominated by Rose, Oud and is borderline medicinal to my nose. In fact it makes me sneeze if I smell it too closely in the first few minutes. After an hour it settles down on my skin and the Rose becomes more dominant with the Labdanum and musk giving it a soft leathery background. The dry down is awesome and lasts at least 12 hours on my skin. A general warning: I only use 1-2 sprays of this at a time. When I first used it, I made the mistake of using 5-6 sprays. This will overwhelm your nose and the noses of anyone within a few metres. I wouldn’t use this in summer or hot weather. It’s not an everyday scent either. I wear this to things like funerals, weddings, art exhibitions, old bookstores, church visits, or when I’m out with quirky friends. It’s not a crowd pleaser for sure! For me, the dry down is clean, powdery, and the rose hangs around throughout the lifetime of the scent. As a man, it’s a rose dominated scent that I am comfortable wearing. It’s not for everyone. Test before you buy. It’s probably a hate or love on this one. My wife actually hates this fragrance as she thinks it makes me smell like "musk sticks" (a popular but odd smelling & tasting Australian lollie).

This is the type of fragrance that makes you question basically all of the other fragrances in your collection to be honest. I don't own anything that I spray on lightly, but this i can just spray 2-3 times and it literally fills a room for 8-24 hours. I have been looking for a fragrance that was this strong for a long time and I've finally found it. On top of that, it's a beautiful smell. The labdanum and oud stand out and you can even smell the mandarin orange at points and the patchouli is there the entire time. but it really is well blended and just combines to this beautiful deep smell that just keeps evolving as you wear it. The aura that this fragrance has is what I expected from the big amouage extraits like reflection man 45 which in reality turns into a weak skin scent in 20 min, this is legit eternal. I don't own a single fragrance that i would even consider comparing to this in strength. 10/10, you need a big personality because everyone will compliment you. also you can wear it in the heat.

A dark, dense, dry and powdery Red Rose, with Mandarine Orange rind on top, on a bed of Labdanum, Musk, Oud, Patchouli and Sandalwood (listed on the Brand's website as a note). This is a fragrance to which the "less is more" motto definetely applies. Three to four sprays of Black Aoud and you're good to go for the rest of the day. Labdanum is not frequently mentioned as a main note, but it's noticeable, and gives the composition a mature and masculine edge. Similar to Aoud Lime, but not redundant imo. The Amber, Iris and Saffron notes on that EDP are substituted in this one by Labdanum, Mandarine Orange and Musk. This EDP is more Rose prominent, and has more weight and depth. Mancera and Montale have released a lot o Oud/Rose combos over the years, and this rugged EDP will not be everyone's cup of tea, but it seems to stand the test of time, and retains a unique zingy character in the overcrowded Oud/Rose segment.

Rose and oud are one of the combos I don't seem to ever get tired of. Black Aoud is probably my 8th perfume featuring these two notes, yet it is again different from all the others I own. The opening is almost medicinal; the oud here is neither leathery nor fecal. The patchouli note is also very prominent. Several hours later, during the drydown, the rose becomes the dominant player, and the scent profile becomes more tame. As much as rose is typically considered to be a more feminine note, I feel like Black Aoud is perfectly unisex. The performance is absolutely nuclear, both in terms of projection and longevity. Don't overspray—you might suffocate people around you, especially in small enclosed spaces like cars. This scent is bold and anything but understated. My personal discovery and recommendation if you own both: I find Black Aoud to be especially nice when layered with Montale's Oud Pashmina.

Black Aoud 2022 Batch review: Montale was one of my favorite brands, up until recently... I got my hands on some of the ones i loved the most, Black Aoud included, but unfortunately, it seems that the smell changed or there was some reformulation, as it's not nearly as potent as it used to be. I won't talk about the obvious lie of using real oud in any of these, as they are clearly using a synthetic base. I don't care if a brand openly use synthetics, i care if they lie about using naturals when they are obviously not. Black Aoud 2022 smells extremely close to the older batches, but I do notice an obvious change in the quality, performance and finesse of the end product. The same goes for Aoud Lime, which got a plasticky and metallic note in the newer batches. Maybe I just got accustomed to the smell of the old bottles..

A seriously powerful fragrance. I got a 1ml dabber bottle of it, and only applied a tiny bit to my wrist and neck. Despite the tiny amount I used, people a few feet from me could smell it. It projects like crazy and it lasts literally all day. As for the scent itself, it's just divine. I had never tried a rose fragrance before and I was apprehensive about smelling like a flower bouquet, but upon trying it I completely changed my perspective. It's a sweet, jammy rose balanced with musk and oud, and further bolstered by labdanum and patchouli. I think the only problem I have with this fragrance is the mandarin note, it comes off really synthetic in the opening to the point where it almost smells like Pledge. But once that wears off, you're left with the most beautiful thing you've smelled.

Nothing else quite compares to this fragrance. I still remember the very first time I smelled it, it completely stopped me in my tracks. The blend of rose and oud wrapped around me in a way that felt almost hypnotic and transcended. It was intense, unexpected, and unlike anything I had experienced before. If I had to sum it up in just a few words, I’d say it’s dark, mysterious, yet softened by a quiet tenderness and sensuality. It feels like stepping into a deep, shadowy, haunted forest where bright red roses bloom at the very center. strangely beautiful and unforgettable. It’s been my signature scent for over eight years. I wear it everywhere, in every season, and it feels like part of who I am now. But I wouldn’t recommend blind buying, it’s too unique for that.

The opening is sour, acrid. Sometimes I put this perfume on and think, “Why am I doing this?” An hour later I am enveloped in a haze of Turkish rose, bedded down on the earthy, mouldiness of agarwood. The patchouli mingles in the background, along with the medicinal labdanum, which really reminds me of my mum who exclusively wore Opium in the 80s and early 90s. It’s got that same headiness that her perfume used to have. Black Aoud is serious. I was given a sample after Illuminum discontinued their Black OUD fragrance, but there is something more established and grown about this scent. Wearing it makes me feel as though everything is complete. Then my friend says, “Oh, you smell like grandma again today”. It’s my favourite. My mum loves it too.

This has been my signature scent for a very long time. It is dark, heavy, powdery and very potent. Lasts forever, has enormous projection and sillage - definitely a beast perfume. On my skin, it reads warm and cozy. I have gotten numerous compliments on this fragrance and got told that people could tell when I was in the room even after I had left. This could mean that Black Aoud is a potential space-invader and it definitely lingers, which lately I have become more mindful of - monstrous sillage can be offensive. Not a blind buy for sure and not suitable for everyone - the rose is dry and red, lying on a coffin. To me, this is a quintessential gothic, vampiric fragrance.

Very very strong. Be very aware of your sprays. Very sophiscated smell! It's almost too unique? it's hard for me to think of situations to wear this. It's very special, very masculine also. Definitely not a summer fragrance. Also, don't spray your clothes unless you want them to smell like until your next laundry day. Great smell, kinda hard to wear but easy at the same time? It's not hard to pull off, it's just that there's no occasion for this, it's in the realm of Ombre Nomade's and Oud for Greatness kinda realm, great smells but no real life situation where it excels. 10/10!

Instant scent memory with Black Aoud, of my grandparents house, which they built in 1959 in Greenville, Mississippi. They used cedarwood in the frame, and as it aged it smelled like this ...combined with musk from drying laundry and rose in my grandmother's perfume (a bit like old soaps used to smell). Surprised this doesn't have carnation too. But anyway, it's really good and completely unexpected. Everything I've sampled from Montale has been great so far!! UPDATE: this got me compliments from a whole office staff, to the point where they started searching for it online.