Oddity

INCENSE & BOURBON VANILLA. Opens with a multi-faceted incense that includes shades of tobacco, cinnamon & pepper (all not listed), that transitions to a soft amber-leather drydown with shades of faintly sweet soapiness. No woods are listed but I do get a dry wood note in the background. Licorice may be here as it's on the card, but it isn't prominent to my nose. This interesting thing about this scent is the incense has a contemporary and yet traditional feel, a little like church incense plus the spice from bourbon vanilla. But although there is a faint sweetness more in the air than on the skin, I wouldn't call this a vanilla scent. The scent profile may read as fall-winter but this is light enough to be worn year-round. Requires dark storage after first sprays to develop average or slightly above average performance. I wasn't keen on this initially due to questionable performance, but now the performance is developed, and I'm a fan. Contrast to Vanille Noire Laurence Dumont: These are different but the spicy incense notes are done in a similar way. Vanille Noire is much more vanilla forward. Roughly equivalent performance, or slightly better for VNLD. Contrast to Nirvana Bourbon Elizabeth & James: These are different, but the incense is done in a similar way throughout the opening and into the heart. NB is more vanilla forward and dries down with more of a dew drop vibe. Roughly equivalent performance. Contrast to Zaharoff Signature Tabac: These are different but there is an overall similar vibe with incense. ZST is more honey forward with better performance. Overall: Beautiful paradoxical-incense scent profile and average performance with dark storage after first sprays. this is the perfect scent to wear while watching Somebody Somewhere. I just have a decant, but this is going on the wishlist. It's a love for me. Enjoy!

Definitely one of the more unique entries in Rag & Bone's new new octet of EDP fragrances, and the only not named after a specific note, Oddity. Oddity is a mix of many cold-weather-leaning notes, such as black pepper, cardamom, leather, incense, and vetiver. The opening is dominated primarily by the black pepper, which makes it spicy from the onset, and an animalic sort of spiciness comes from the cardamom. I get a little sweetness from the amber and vanilla, but these are subdued by the vetiver in the dry down, for sure. The main notes overall are the black pepper, leather, incense, and vetiver, making for quite the wintry beast type of scent. Performance is very good for a niche EDP. I see this as mostly leaning masculine but certainly some women could and would pull this off, I imagine. As with Amber, I like the fragrance but definitely not the price of $140 for 50ml, so I'll have to wait this one out, as well. ***EDIT: i've grown to appreciate Oddity a bit more, its balance of woody, spicy, sweet, and resinous elements being a really flattering mix, especially for cool weather wear, so it gets an extra point. My second favorite in the collection after Amber. 8 out of 10

I was given a small vial of this by a friend and fell unexpectedly in love with it. It's potent though- and not what I wear to be sexy or alluring. Oddity is something I wear for myself in cold weather under a cashmere sweater and I sniff my wrist throughout the day for a comforting whiff of bonfires, incense and spices. If you wanted a scent of woods in the fall and early winter without the usual Autumnal tropes (cinnamon, pumpkins, apples) this is it. There is absolutely no sweetness. It's a dry, toasty melange of incense, peppercorns, woodchips and a brush pile in flames on a chilly day. I tried it on my husband and his skin chemistry just doesn't mesh with it and Oddity falls flat. This frgrance is admittedly the whole reason I joined a subscription service because I couldn't find anything smaller than the $150 bottle and couldn't justify the price for what is literally an "oddity" in my collection. It is a masterpiece, but not for everyone amd best in small doses. Your mileage will most certainly vary.

Not sure why Fragrantica doesn't list the notes. The package lists them as follows: Top: Sichuan black pepper, cardamom, angelica root Middle: Leather, incense, licorice Base: Vetiver, amber, vanilla bean I sprayed this on paper and it never developed past the incense but was still pungent 48 hours later. However, on my skin it's all black pepper and incense for an hour and a half, maybe two, before a strong vetiver emerges followed by the amber and finally the vanilla. This is delightfully dark, spicy and unique, and long lasting enough that I still catch whiffs of it in my hair 12+ hours later (closer to 7-8h on skin). Having said this, I think it is one that is heavily dependent on skin chemistry, so DO NOT blind buy. Definitely avoid if you don't like a lot of smoke and spice. Update: I sprayed heavier than usual by mistake yesterday and it is still noticeable as a skin scent ~16h later. The sillage also increased from arm's length to several feet away for the first 4h or so.

If anyone reading this remembers M.A.C’s Nirvana perfume oils, you’ll have a frame for reference. As Oddity very much resembles the structure and scent of the sadly discontinued Nirvana. Absolutely delicious, peppery, incensed and possibly polarizing. It isn’t for everybody, true. But on the right woman ( or man) the scent develops into something gorgeous and exotic. It is almost otherworldly in its uniqueness. Certainly long lasting and possessing of marvelous spillage, which on today’s market is a true shocker. Really sexy. This is sensual and very intense, and not for the mainstream. It definitely has a unique personality all it’s own. It does have an artistic, elegant David Bowie vibe, which the name Oddity is an obvious reference too. On myself I get loads of pepper, incense and leather. It lasts over 14 hours. Moderate to strong spillage with four sprays.