Majestic Aoud

Roja is not known for making particularly oud-heavy scents, but this is something else. This is rich, dense, raw and primal at its core whilst maintaining an incredibly smooth and sophisticated allure about it. Majestic, is the perfect word to describe this phenomenal scent. Upon initial spray I pick up the thick, musky and slightly sour cheesy oud which reminds me ever so slightly of the oud used in Oud Noir Intense by FDB. This is elevated by the green aromatic herbaceous strength of rosemary and patchouli before the cypriol starts to take over. As this begins to settle on the skin, the surge of oily cypriol dominates the senses - in a strange way it feels almost apple-ey, reminding me of Frederic Malle’s Promise. The muskiness is furthered by sharp civet and dirty castoreum which compliments the earthy nature of the scent beautifully. There’s a lot going on here but essentially it boils down to a cypriol bomb which feels very unconventional for a Roja creation, in a good way. I can understand why this was discontinued: if not for changing regulations on certain materials, but for the fact that this scent is a brave step away from what Roja’s usual clientele is used to. I do not agree with the statements others have made saying that Roja has tried to substitute using real oud by replacing it with cypriol. It is clear to my nose that whilst yes the oud is subtle, the cypriol is there as its own individual - not a substitute. This is one of the greatest cypriol scents I’ve ever come across but of course it’s not worth the insane prices it’s being sold for these days. I was very lucky to find a low partial at a good price.

Just received my bottle after 8 full months of searching. To say I am thrilled is an understatement. Majestic Aoud is a unicorn for only the luckiest of Roja collectors. I have tried many oud perfumes, and have a few Bortnikoff and Areej. I must say, despite dipping my toes in the pool of gorgeous natural ouds that those brands have to offer, I still absolutely adore Rojas Majestic Aoud. Is it as rich in pure oud as the aforementioned brands? No. But it isn't made to be. Majestic Aoud opens with a pungent but gorgeous oud, cypriol and patchoulli. I get hints of the citrus in the top for a small while, but honestly not worth discussing any further. The key thing to me that I love about this perfume comes next. The combination of animalics and musks are ethereal. Somehow a pungent, cheesy, animalic DNA is turned butter smooth. It almost smells fluffy. It has the same effect as I feel in Musk Aoud Absolu Precieux. Only this leans more on the animalic tones of oud. Performance I will test further, but I must mention wearability here. Most regular people will hate this. All in all, I absolutely adore this perfume. I think it is a gorgeous nod towards the more challenging facets of oud. Look, if you come to Roja for a bold natural oud perfume, you clearly don't understand what this brand is about. Look into artisanal brands. Majestic is a gorgeous oudy, animalic chypre / oriental hybrid. If you ever come across a bottle and don't mind skanky notes, please do yourself a favour and grab it.

Bold animalic woody perfume from this master perfumer. The chypre composition is doused with a Laotian oud accord that dominates the perfume. In the beginning one can detect the citruses and it moves to a floral heart and settles into a powdery animalic base dominated by civet, ambergris and castoreum but also a hefty dose of cypriol, vetiver and valerian. This is an aloof regal unisex composition with moderate to strong projection and excellent longevity. It is not intended to please and will shock many with its vintage animalic reservedness. Enjoy!

I see so many people refer to this fragrance as ghastly and pungent. I personally enjoy it and find it no more offensive than other ouds by Roja e.g. Amber Aoud/Musk Aoud etc. Its no where near as bad as people make it out to be! Very hard to get now, they don't pop up too often.

I cry every time I wear this because I can't get more 😢