White Aoud

I had been wanting to try Montale for a while, and finally got the chance at an authentic fragrance discounter here in LA. I had been worried about the synthetics and all the headache inducing scents that people had been talking about when it comes to Montale. But I finally pulled the trigger, and this one won me over. This is the first “oud” scent I own. By no means am I am oud expert, but I had smelled Al Oudh before, and White Oud is nothing like that. I think White Oud was a great name, nothing animalic or dirty, at least on my skin. I have no clue what natural oud smells like, but the top is where I get a clean, sharp, medicinal vibe; this is what I assume is the “Oud” accord. The mid retains some of that medicinal vibe with added spices and florals. The base retains some of the florals and gets sweet and creamy. By no means is this a designer scent, but this isn’t a crazy artistic fragrances only niche snobs would like, either. It is quite unique without losing too much mass appeal. This is definitely a conversation starter. This does come off a tad more feminine than masculine, but a confident guy could pull this off. Just wear the scent, or else it’ll wear you. If you love sweet, creamy, spicy florals mixed with an oud accord, you’ll love this. I do recommend sampling it first, especially to guys. It’s no barbershopy aromatic fougere or cologne-like citrus aromatic fragrance. I do find this smelling better in the air than smelling directly on skin, but that’s just my opinion. This is the loudest fragrance I own. Super potent for the first 3-4 hours, room filling with only two sprays (and I tend to overspray). Lasts an easy 24 hours on my skin; it has even lasted 48 after taking 2 showers. Obviously by that time, it sits closer to the skin. Better for mild or colder weather, can go day or night. Better suited for a date night, a formal or black tie event, the club/bar, and for a party. This screams for attention, but in a pleasant and surprising way. I’m bringing this with me to New York, and I can’t wait to wear it out more. EDIT 10/08/21: I wore a polo a couple of weeks ago, washed it and dried it, and holy shit after 2+ weeks, I can still smell White Aoud on the collar even though I didn't spray my clothes at all. Just goes to show how strong this one is

I'm unfamiliar with Arab perfumery and thought trying White Aoud might be a way to ease myself into that scent universe, coming as I do with an orientation towards traditional French perfumery. I wasn't sure what to expect, maybe something heated and spicy, evoking desert winds and grilling kebabs? The first 10 minutes are a jar of tongue depressors in a thoroughly disinfected doctor's office. A smell I quite like! I guess this is the aoud. It's woody and becomes more complex over time, the most complex woody note I've ever smelled. Then a rose starts to bloom and melds beautifully with the woody-ness. The cardamom and sandalwood enter much later. Contrary to my expectations, I find this a "cool" fragrance. Not so much of the desert as a dark, interior room in the Alhambra where a single rose is blooming in a vase on top of an antique wooden chest. It's serene and composed. I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I do, and I would encourage anyone who's leery of aoud to start their exploration here. I wore this in August, and its cool, serene quality felt appropriate to the weather. The depth and richness would also work well in cold weather, I think. My application was light, and I found the sillage to be very manageable. Using a light hand, I think the scent is even office-friendly after a half hour. Totally unisex -- I'd quite enjoy nuzzling with a man who was wearing this, now that I think of it. Edit: I was so enthused about this scent the day I wrote the review that I applied a second time, this time, more than the first. That turned out to be too much. With this fragrance, less is more! Apply with a light hand to bring out its great beauty.

---> For those NOT already familiar with Montale: Watch out, the opening might shock you! If you've never had The Montale Aoud/Saffron Experience, it can seem harsh, medicinal, or like bugspray for the first little bit. I really suggest only 1-2 sprays on your ankles or inner knees if possible. But give it 45 mins and watch the magic! Not only will it last all day but it will project a creamy, spicy vanilla cloud to people around you. After a few hours the once-harsh oud translates into some exotic spiciness a lot of people can't place, which makes it that much more interesting, mixed with delightfully smooth sandalwood milkiness, cardamom, and patchouli. Personally I love it, but it took me swapping off my bottle and having more oud experience before I could really appreciate it! As a funny note, I had a coworker get in my car after I'd sprayed White Aoud on myself (just once!) in it about an hour before. He wasn't into scents at all, and he commented, "Damn! It smells good as hell in here!" He might not be the classiest bloke but I think he hit the nail on the head ;) ---> For those already familiar with Montale: In the vein of Red Aoud, this one is the characteristic nosehair-zapping saffron/oud/patch opening, mellowing out into the creamy sandalwood and vanilla spice I mentioned above (still with plenty of the oud tone of course). Longevity/projection are on par with their strongest offerings.

So far White Aoud is my best preferred in the whole Montale collection. The only detail I regret it's the first ten minutes: it is totally Dentist's office, with a huge, sharp almost metallic medicinal-disinfectant note. This metallic- medicinal part is what Aouds are like. This is really the worst part of the fragrance. Second thought: I really do not get how somebody say this is "sweet"? To my nose, it is not sweet at all. After those famous first ten minutes, you get a lovely, soft rose and some warm spices. It is so creamy! I guess the creaminess is given by the jasmine and the warm woods on the base. I can smell cedar, although it's not mentioned in the notes. The drydown is the best part of it: sensual, spicy, patchouli-sexy will get you smelling your wrists for hours; then vetiver, vanilla and labdanum do the rest. This is a marvellous round floriental, aoud based, and something that will not go unnoticed. I recommend this for winter and Autumn and not really for casual or office wear (this is huge). One spritz will do, as it has a huge staying power. This is a godsend scent (after the first ten minutes as said). PS I have 2 decants dated 2009 and they are way way better than the current juice sold nowadays (price has gone down but so has the quality).

White Aoud to me is the definition of "balmy". It's smooth like honey, sticky and light in the same time. A very woody scent, its aoud is not medicinal or cold, like the aoud in Queen Roses or Black Aoud. This is warm and it smolders the person who wears it in a soft blanket of cashmere, vanilla, while flowers and woods! I smell absolutely no rose in here. Silage and lasting power are good, although not as powerful as other Montales... yet there are times when it can be cloying.. Seriously I believe it's reacting with the weather, or the mood of the wearer, or something. It has such a capacity of changing, it never ceases to amaze me. Some kind of subdued sweetness dominates, unchanged, but this is the only stable characteristic in this scent. I suppose this is the reason I love this scent so much... it has charm and seems full of indecision, but deep inside, it always remain soft and sweet. Is it unisex? Definitely. Is it sexy? Absolutely. Is it uniquely balmy? No question about that either. Does it stand out in the ocean of aoud available out there? Oh yes. Gorgeous!