Or du Serail

Or du Serail is my favourite of the Naomi Goodsir family. It feels very true to the brand, and has a cool dapper feel to it. It's also rather unusual when you examine it up close. I've had this since early 2020 and have used it somewhat scarcely once the initial "I just got a bottle, this is so cool!" excitement died down. Owning a bottle is still super exciting, don't get me wrong, I just purchased a few scents afterwards and the excitement transferred to them. I imagine this being the scent for a cigar bar, with a shot of whisky on the rocks. and I gave that a shot by suggesting it for a date, as a fan of whisky. I don't like cigars, it appears. Was a classy date, though. Beautiful leather chairs. The note pyramid is super complicated but once you give it several wears, it makes sense. On the surface this is a warm and boozy fragrance with a little bit of woods but once it develops, it becomes a little bit tropical and somewhat herbal (artemisia). The listed mate I initially couldn't detect because I'd never smelt it but I made it my mission to understand this fragrance fully. So, I made my way to a specialty tea store in my city and picked up some mate tea. I didn't care much for the taste (quite bitter), but I'd finally smelt it and the taste also assisted. I could detect it... a little. It's not prominent. The tobacco is also quite dominant, given time to develop. Performance wise, this is up there with the best. When people talk about 80s fragrances being huge, this is what I imagine. The materials used are obviously magnificent. I don't think there was any corners cut. Performance and quality were obviously of utmost importance to all involved, as was concept. I think this fragrance is a brilliant olfactory representation of Naomi Goodsir's style. I've been a massive fan of her ever since I saw an interview she did with Lee Lin Chin on SBS in 2003-ish. Her style has definitely developed since. If Iris Cendre was her as a student milliner, making hats out of bizarre repurposed materials ... Or du Serail is what she's become. Bertrand Duchaufour has created a 10/10 masterpiece which isn't surprising, given his catalogue of creations. In saying this, it is a smidgen expensive so it is worth trying first. I wouldn't call it overpriced, because its lasted me 3 years (and counting) but, as a quality niche perfume, it can be construed as prohibitively priced. This is something that one could call a special treat, or perhaps if someone asks you if you want a perfume as a gift this could be it.

A sweet, rich and surprisingly bright tobacco fantasy Or du Serail is, similar to very few fragrances I have encountered such as Spiritueuese Double Vanille or Benjoin Bohème, in my mind an olfactory anomaly, the equivalent to a restaurant meal that hits all of the sweet spots, putting you in a trance of sorts, a tingling all over my scalp and nape when I smell it. It is the tobacco fragrance I never would believe I would even be interested in, mango coconut into rum into honeyed tobacco with the darkness of cypriol and golden glow of warm spice in the back. I’m perplexed because I dislike anything tropical smelling in perfumery, because I’m normally reminded of sunscreen. Or du Serail surpasses anything I could expect of a tropical opening, tart fruity notes mixed with the intense honey, resembling a mango nectar and coconut sugar rather than a tropically flavoured candy, retaining however ample brightness and freshness. As the opening blast disperses I am treated to the richest tobacco accord with honeyed, fruity, spiced and slight smoky facets adding a gentle musty darkness, probably coming from cypriol, the Dechafour special. Amazing experience for as long as it lasts, around 6-8 hours, after which it caves into itself and vanishes into thin air. A bottle is already on its way. Benchmark sweet gourmand tobacco, unique, sexy on either gender and extremely addictive.

Beautiful fragrance for quite many occasions with great lasting power. I ran into this perfume when I was looking for a new iris fragrance. As Iris Cendre by Naomi Goodsir was quite inspiring, I decided to try the others as well. And it was a great decision!! For some reason I love tropical ingredients a lot, especially if these are well balanced, and the mango-coconut-rum impression mesmerized me immediately. I could almost feel the crispy coconut flakes on the mango in my mouth! I tried this creation first in colder weather, then I had a chance to test it at summertime too. In the cold I experienced quite strong performance, while in the warmer weather it disappeared faster. I found out that the mini tester had weaker performance than the actual bottle, as the final bottle has much better atomizer. Start is tropical and juicy, but also dessert-like. Mango and coconutty-rum is present quite from the beginning. This is very magical already and the honey character turns it even more desirable. Although it is a sweeter fragrance, sweetness not its main character. It is very hard to describe, but this perfume is more than inviting. If you want (the best possible way) a sticky fragrance with tropical and honey-like undertones, and great lasting power, this fragrance is a beautiful option for you.

Sixth and final sample of my set. I definitely kept the best for last. Immediately on strip this was a love and on skin, it performs very well for me. I feel this is a more complex (more "niche" I find is a derogatory, pretentious way to put it) version of Le Beau Le Parfum. I definitely get a lot of fruitiness in the opening, a blast of apple, mango and coconut flesh. If I smell it immediately upon spraying, I get a blast of alcoholic coconut rum (Malibu) which is really nice. Later on, it dries down into a woodsier, creamy coconut with a tinge of greenness (artemisia?). The florals I don't really get here (thankfully for me) and the honey I think just supplements the sweetness, I don't pick it up as a note which is good since I hate honey. A very interesting work by experimented perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour. It performs well and lasts a good 5-6+ hours on me before getting closer to skin and projects well the first 2-3 hours. So yes, I find this is a more complex Le Beau, just as sweet but much different in the drydown. This turns out to be a common theme in Naomi Goodsir's fragrances, they morph a lot from opening to drydown! I'll be enjoying this when fall comes, for sure.

What a freaking journey this thing takes you on... Upon initial spray, first sniff is “oh, fresh cinnamon apples” second sniff is “oh, raw honey” and third sniff is “ew wtf, pissed on rotten fruit”... not even joking everyone I had try this opening said the same thing Now you’re probably thinking “ew gross why would anyone want go smell like that”? Well thats because this fragrance doesn’t ACTUALLY smell like that. This is a freaking journey, remember???! The honey spends the next 5 minutes or so settling down as the rum and spices begin to amp up. The apple begins to peak back out from behind the screeching honey. Soon thereafter, it’s a creamy rum-coconut cocktail that is to fkn DIE for! This is where you begin to get transported to a smoky dive bar in downtown nashville. Rum, tobacco, vanilla is what you are left with. This scent develops the entire time you are wearing it and it is just such an olfactory experience from top to bottom. Probably my next full bottle (if i can learn to love the smell of pissed on fruits for 5 minutes, that is) Absolutely incredible stuff, worthy of all the high praise it gets.

Incredible fragrance. First time I smelled this my brain conjured the smell of a 1890s high class prostitute from Paris. Now, to say that a fragrance could possibly evoke something like that in someone's mind is saying a lot. Of course, that is just me (and a friend, who also thought the same), but essentially this is a very sweet fragrance which smells prominently like orange, pomelo and honey. Ultimately wearable by men and women, since it will give a different vibe to each gender. The drydown, to me, is not as pleasant as the opening. You know when you were little that sometimes used to leave licked lollipops on random places? Well, it smells just like those. Not necessarily bad, but it definitely reminds me of that. It also gives me some Valentino Uomo vibes in the drydown, but gently. Do I recommend it? Yes, but first get the sample kit for 15 euros. Naomi's Goodsir PR is amazing. The first time I ordered it the delivery got wrecked during arrival and never came. I told them and they sent another one the day after without any hesitation! 9/10.

This is an impressive work of olfactive art that manages to be exceptionally expensive smelling, unique and wearable at once. Somehow, despite the gourmand notes, this fragrance has an old school elegance I find evocative. I would be curious to know how many other fragrances partner tobacco, coconut and a stewed fruitiness, because unexpectedly they blend together perfectly. It surprises me that another reviewer says it isn't refined, because I think it is in fact the epitome of refined. For me, by far the predominant note is tobacco, and it's much leafier and more savoury on the dry-down than, say, TF Tobacco Vanille. Contrary to the notes, as far as the gourmand aspects go, I find this less tropical and more like a spicy chutney. More dominant on my skin than the creamy sweetness coming from the vanilla and ylang ylang is the pepperiness from the oak and cedar. Whilst different for sure, this would fit well on the shelf next to the equally exquisite Atelier des Ors Lune Feline.

Who tipped over the potpourri vase? The opening is a powerful trifecta of sweet honey, fermented fruit and a tropical cocktail. Or Du Serail was almost too much for me but fortunately it changes and morphs rather quickly. Within 15 minutes I was transported to a Havana nightclub. In the drydown this perfume blooms. Or Du Serail is layered and complex and most importantly, wearable. It still reminds me of potpourri, but it’s softer. Tobacco is my problem child note, but here it’s playing a supporting role, apparent but not too loud. Surprisingly no single note dominates, Or Du Serail is smooth, natural and unique —a word I try to avoid unless it’s warranted. This is Duchaufour at the top of his game. I would wear Or Du Serail in the colder months only. Despite that difficult opening, the rest is expressive perfume art.

i really like this one, not quite as much as bois d'ascese (which is more challenging and generally impressive) but enough to buy it. i really don't get'coconut' at all, but a wonderfully balanced tobacco/booze/woods richness that never cloys or flatlines. duchaufour has stretched a bit outside his incensey comfort zone yet OdS bears his trademark heavy/sheer effect, which over the course of a good 8 hour lifespan stays incredible cozy, vibrant and just perfect for this season (fall!). at times this smells very close to something slumberhouse might do if Josh Lobb went a little more 'commercial' with something like Baque or Sova. tobacco scents rarely work on me (duchaufour's havana vanille also does though) but this excellent frag really connects to my nose. yummy!

It is one of those scents that if you've smelled somewhere once you will remember forever. I'd called this "gourmand for those who have a dark past and nothing to lose". Very unusual opening, almost like fermented fruits - sour and grotesque. Spritz it on your skin and give it some time to settle, and you won't be disappointed. I find it quite heavy on sour fruits accord, honey, and booze. Or du Serail does have a little sweetness to it, but it is juxtaposed to dry and tobacco notes. Some people also sense apple pie kind of smell, and I get it sometimes. If I had to describe it in 5 words I would say: "Smoky rummy mango with honey". Not a safe blind buy unless you are a fan of Bertrand Duchaufour and you know what to expect from his creations.

i went into my favourite perfume shop talking about how i want my art to smell like overripe rotting fruit and decay. they brought this out of the back rooms and i was enchanted this was the most beautiful fruit fragrance i have smelt i HATE HATE HATE tropical fruit and the smell of mango makes me nauseous but this is so well balanced. the wood and tobacco base makes this multidimensional and fruity but also smokey and mysterious. this is the only gourmand i would ever wear because the darkness of the wood, tobacco, and rum makes this a spicy and not sticky sickly sweet gourmand. it was love at first smell and i long to own this in my collection i pledge allegiance to naomi goodsir for making this incredible fragrance

My first sniff from a blotter instant impression was a vision of summer afternoon sitting under an apricot tree, dry sweet straw and weeds warmed by the sun and herbal, apricots decaying and boozy. After testing on my arm the dry down was a honeycomb/fruity/lactonic combination and addictive. Sweet, warm, with mango coming through, but not cloying. My arm still smelled marvelous the next morning. I purchased the bottle and spritzed lavishly. A new impression; of a medieval feast. A smoky hall, creamy beeswax candles burning, mead spilling over onto oak table tops, dried herbs, syrupy preserved fruits and yeasty breads. Deep, sexy, yet totally friendly and wearable. Beautifully blended, unique and I love it.

Another splendid offering from the Naomi Goodsir brand. The nose behind this perfume is Bertrand Duchaufour, who usually is a hit-or-miss for me (blind-buying Dzongkha was one of my grave mistakes). This time, however, it is definitely a hit. The Gold of Seray starts with radiant honey and amber, very sweet but a mature way. You can smell some tropical fruit, such as mango, coconut, glistening in gold and laid over a slightly skanky base. The whole thing vividly evokes the image of opulent harem quarters. It’s heavy but not suffocating. Longevity is eternal, after a few hours I get that same shimmering golden glow I get from Shalimar once the citruses finally fade.

Been looking for a tobacco fragrance and I think I found it here. Opens up on my skin with this ripe mango drizzled with honey . Then I start getting bee waxiness alongside the honey , and tobacco but not not too smokey just a smooth dried tobacco . After 3 hours I start getting the booziness alongside the coconut. I usually steer away from booze and coconut together because both together tend to make me nauseous, but thankfully that’s not the case here . I am still getting sifts of the tobacco too, with some syrupy honey and no more mango. Wow this is absolutely incredible . Best tobacco fragrance I have tried.

Oh my God, how I love this fragrance! It is a marvelous concoction of sweet fruit poached with rum and honey and a beautiful base of sweet tobacco, vanillic, ambery and woody notes, all super smooth and a bit creamy thanks to the coconut and ylang ylang, which are not very present per se, but give some kind of creaminess to the composition. It is a very warm and comforting fragrance, almost gourmand, but not foody, very wearable. I adore it in autumn and winter. I do not smell the artemisia, sage and geranium, but I think that they can prevent the scent to become too sweet. Totally love it!

Opens with mango and thick honey on a bed of beeswax It then reveals slight boozy notes and some almost incensy spiciness with the slightly burnt tobacco note and accompanying aromatic mate The fragrance is very rich and thick just like some good quality honey As it dries the honey moves more to the back and makes room for toasted coconut and rum to emerge, turning the entire experience into a delicious boozy drink The ultimate dry down is a bit smokey boozy dream on a base of dry woods and some residual sweetness from honey and vanilla

Outstanding fragrance! Sweet of course but in a very good way. The rum, tobacco and and coconut temper the honey and there is a little darker side in the drydown that balances the top notes perfectly. I also get a fruity note in the drydown. Great sillage and longevity, I love the smell. A blind buy, I am very pleased and is even better than I thought it would be. I have other sweet colognes in my collection but this is definitely one of the best. Reminds me a little of Nishane Fan Your Flames but I think this is even better.

This is easily my favourite tropical/ boozy fragrance ever. I discovered it even before all the hype when I was searching for a mango fragrance and the lady gave me this to smell. Starts off fruity (ripe mango and berries) and boozy (rum), then you start getting just a bit of the coconut that fades away quite quickly but the rum remains and finally you're left with this beautiful intoxicating blend of tobacco and honey. So unique and a must try for any gourmand tropical lover!

Just scored a partial bottle of this. I am a fan of Bertrand Duchaufour, having not smelled any of his creations which I don't (at the very least) like. This is a very quick review, as I sprayed this on skin about 7 hours ago, and need to test some more. It is absolutely stunning. It's borderline gourmand, with an undertow of tobacco and woods. I have over 1200 bottles of perfume and this is unique. Not a safe blind buy (unless you've similar taste to me).

Trying to compare It with other perfumes i find It Closer to soir de lune by sisley than to arabie ir tobacco vanille. The most i can feel is the honey and on the background the tropical fruits, a bit similars to the ones in Moonlight by Lilian. The longevity is good but the projection only average. It is a good perfume, very sweet with the animalic vibe of honey. Scent: 10 Longevity: 7 Sillage: 6 Originality: 6 Versatility: 6 Quality/price: 5 Global: 8