Polo Oud

It's here!! Arrived a whole day early and got it in from Harrod's which is the launch store for this. I decided to go on-skin with this one since I'm not going out anyway tonight so I can share my initial thoughts on it. To those who will want to compare it to Supreme Oud, I say don't. The reason is that even though the note breakdowns may look similar, this definitely has a different vibe compared to Supreme Oud. On the initial opening, the clary sage definitely comes in with some slight pink pepper, but only slightly. However, the heart notes really move in quickly off of my skin with the cinnamon and rose absolute mingling together, while the orange blossom note is there, its there in a way that is circling around the cinnamon and rose notes, so the fears that I had of the cinnamon and orange note smelling medicinal doesn't appear to be here. The base notes however really took me by surprise. In Supreme Oud, the breakdown tends to have the oud hovering around the heart or middle part of the fragrance, and even from my decant, that tends to be the case. Comparing that to Polo Oud, the oud is much more pronounced and definitely more of a foundational/base note. What is great here however with Polo Oud is including the oud and guaiac wood with a frankincense or incense type of note into this fragrance really makes it stand out more to my nose in comparison to Supreme Oud. To me this addition gives the fragrance a more spicer scent profile, kind of reminds me of going through one of the many spice markets during my time in Marrakech. The vetiver in this as well is definitely present and a nice addition to this fragrance, its not a cheap-smelling vetiver to me, though it is not as prominent to my nose in comparison to the oud and frankincense/incense, but, it is definitely there. All in all, I think this is a total winner for those that love spicy scents with some accessible oud that won't turn you off at all, which is typical for designer fragrances that use oud the majority of the time. Too early for me to share on performance and sillage, but, I'll share that later on. Initial impressions have me very satisfied with this.

Polo Oud Ralph Lauren Just received this and tried 2 sprays. First impression... Prominent Westernized Oud. First few minutes, the Oud came on Loudly but as it settles after a few minutes, it becomes smoother and more well balanced with the rest of the notes. What does it smells like or similar to? I'll put it in a similar category as Tom Ford Oud Wood, Versace Oud Noir and also Gucci Intense Oud. The rose here isn't pronounced and Polo Oud is different from the rest of the Rose Oud frags with the sweetness, this rose here is just subtlety sitting behind. I thought there's also Abit of similarities with Amouage Silver Oud. Perhaps it's just the Oud playing with my mind but it seems to smell like a easier to wear version of Silver Oud or a great alternative to Gucci Intense Oud. I will have to go dig out and revisit ome of these bottles I mentioned to compare side by side for a more accurate update. Anyway, it's very wearable and anyone with some basic oud frag experience should be able to handle this. I don't get the old polo green dna here either. This is like a complete new frag and if you blind test this you won't guess that it's a under RL Polo. It has that smokiness, I get leathery like notes too and the incense supported by rose and cinnamon. Worth a Full Bottle for Westernized Oud lovers. Ps. The drydown seems similar to the drydown for Atkinsons His Majesty The Oud. Polo Oud is a polarizing scent. At least 3-4 stage in scent development with a great lovely drydown.

Carlos Benaïm and Pascal Gaurin are the perfumers for this fragrance The notes here are similar to other Middle Eastern fragrances but sets this sets itself apart by some crafty western blending of the Vetiver and Pachouli (Two distinctive notes used in Polo green fragrances). In fact it is the Pachouli and Vetiver notes that puts this fragrance in the realm of Polo green (Original and later versions) and not a second coming of Polo Supreme Oud. These notes fit very well into the eastern DNA and they are blended with a very good quality Oud . In some ways early on in the opening Polo Oud reminds me a bit of Incense Oud By Kilian mixed with The Spirit of Dubai by Turath but Polo Oud is different with the interplay between the incense, Vetiver, Pachouli and Rose in the dry down with Oud taking a back seat at this point of the fragrance. CARLOS BENAÏM is a freakin genius and this fragrance shows no slowing down of that genius recognized with lifetime achievement awards from both the Fragrance Foundation and The American Society of Perfumers.This Polo Oud would be a good place to start if you want to get into Oud while not smelling offensive to those around who are unaccustomed to the Oud note. This Oud smells sweet and woody and has no Barnyard smell like some Oud's get. Plus for a Polo Oud fragrance the price is very manageable. I just got a great deal on discounters for what I would pay for a Lattifah oud bottle. $45 US. Not bad.

Blind buy and I’m honestly impressed with the quality. It’s an oud‐focused fragrance done in a smooth, modern designer style. Not exactly mass‐appealing, but very safe if you enjoy smoked woods. The rose is only a soft support note and barely noticeable. The oud has a dark‐chocolate vibe from the patchouli, with an almost powdery touch from the cinnamon and pepper. It stays balanced and never gets too heavy. Great for formal situations, dinners, and fall or winter evenings. Compared to Tom Ford Oud Wood, this one is simply better on my skin. Maybe not as “fancy,” but it has much more presence and performance. Oud Wood is almost mute on me and, honestly, nothing special. In terms of scent DNA, it sits between Boss Bottled Triumph Elixir and 1 Million Golden Oud. Triumph Elixir is more experimental, weirder, and more complex with its patchouli‐violet twist, but it shares that chocolatey patchouli in the dry down. 1 Million Golden Oud is louder, more festive, with the oud right in your face — beautiful, richer, but less formal. Polo Oud is the most rounded and wearable of the three: a clean, elegant, dusty chocolate woodiness with zero fruitiness and no animalic tones. Dark, smooth, and surprisingly well done.

I haven't had the opportunity to try Supreme Oud or M7 which some people are comparing it to, so this is a more standalone opinion. As I spray this I get spicy cinnamon and pepper up front with sage and oud in the background. A very relaxing warm spicy fragrance off the top. The cinnamon continues to stay at the forefront with oud becoming more prominent as time passes. While the cinnamon begins to fade (but still very noticeable) the sage remains and I begin to get faint notes of rose blended with the oud. About an hour in the oud is still very noticeable, and the main scent of the fragrance. Some pepper still remains with the sage. At this point the cinnamon is more in the background and far less noticeable, but still there. As more time passes the rose becomes more prominent creating a very nice rose and oud fragrance that many oud fans will be more familiar with. Overall a classy and warm fragrance best suited for colder weather in the fall/winter. I would gravitate more towards nighttime use, but would be great during some days. For the price I feel this is a great value for an oud fragrance, even if it is a synthetic. I would recommend it.