Rosendo Mateu No 4 Saffron, Oud, Vanilla

In creating the fragrance of number 4, Rosendo Mateu crossed borders and brought a vision from the East to the Western market. Rosendo Mateu 4 is a kind of interpretation of the strong aromas and spices of the United Arab Emirates through the sense of smell of a citizen from Barcelona. And it works! The fragrance features notes of Calabrian bergamot and bitter orange blossom on top. Then, the body arrives carrying the intensity of the notes of cinnamon, saffron, nutmeg, nuts, iris rhizomes and jasmine petals. But the base is what gives personality to this creation thanks to the notes of Oud, patchouli, sandalwood, guaiac wood, vetiver, labdanum, benzoin, vanilla, tonka beans, amber accord and musk-based setters. So, speak only the truth and tell me if you were not curious just by imagining this Saudi complexity properly orchestrated by a nose like Mr. Rosendo's with his five decades of experience? For I can guarantee that Rosendo Mateu 4 is a very well-built fragrance and leaves nothing to be desired for others that are produced by Arabian brands, with only a slight difference: that "leveling" that I commented in the review I wrote for the fragrance number 2 has been maintained and the result is a more contained fragrance, ideal for those who love these fragrances full of strong nuances, but can not wear for particular reasons, such as headaches, excessive projection, climate where you live or work, etc. Once again, the elegance spoke louder and the fragrance works like a wild animal that has been tamed. On my skin, Rosendo Mateu 4 reveals a woody-creamy scent. Basically, everything revolves around the notes of saffron, Oud, guaiac wood, labdanum and benzoin. The rest works as a backdrop for a fragrance full of mystery and cultural diversity. Sometimes it seems that I am inside an old movie, in which the protagonist leaves the city of Cairo and returns to London with spices never felt and a dangerous idea to revolutionize the existing perfumery. In terms of evolution, saffron and nutmeg dictate the rules for a long time, when the essential oil obtained from the Agarwood - the famous Oud - appears with all its woody content (forget the medicinal or the chocolate types) and joins the stiffness of the guaiac wood. To improve, there is a balsamic smell, almost green and smoky, coming from the benzoin, in addition to a sweeter and leathery facet of labdanum. A gem! Rosendo Mateu 4 is undoubtedly my favorite of all this collection launched in 2017. It represents masculinity in all its essence and translates, without error, what is expected of a perfume from the woody family. Not to mention that, until the present moment, it was the one that presented greater projection on my skin. Wearing this fragrance you are transported to the most diverse scenarios, in which dunes, turbans and snakes hidden in straw baskets can arise at any time. I need a bottle!

I was recently introduced to this house and immediately, No. 4 and No. 5 are the ones that seemed right up my street, notes wise. As luck would have it, I got a bottle of No. 4, Oud, Saffron and Vanilla, for an absolute steal! This fragrance is quite a shapeshifter and my nose picks up at least three distinctly different phases during which the scent goes through very dramatic changes, often times feeling like entirely different fragrances. At first, I get a fleeting bergamot followed by a strong slightly, bitter medicinal oud, a powdery (possibly from the iris) vanillic tonka and a whisper of saffron. This is when this scent feels the most powdery. The oud, which is present from the beginning to the end, mellows quite a bit by the time the second phase rolls in. This phase is when my nose picks up on the spices, saffron having gained a lot of traction is easily discernible, nutmeg, a touch of cinnamon, strong but creamy sweet sandalwood and vanilla. I feel like sandalwood is one of the star players in this composition, more so than the vanilla, at least, in these first two phases. In this phase, the scent reminds me of other frags in my collection like Santal Carmin and also, a less fruity and sweet Venenum Kiss. In the last phase, I finally get a distinguishable floral - jasmine, when all the other stronger notes like oud, saffron and sandalwood have receded into the background, along with a yummy vanilla which finally gets it's moment. In it's final form, I see similarities with Penhaligon's Bewitching Yasmine which is one of my most favorite oud-y scents. This fragrance is definitely the most non linear, interesting and dramatic fragrance in my collection right now. My interest in the house and this perfumer has been piqued and I am quite keen to get my nose other creations from the line. Presentation is on point while performance is above average with 5-6 hrs longevity, good projection and sillage. My one gripe is that I do not care for the frankly, boring names of the fragrances, as surely, they can up with something more interesting than numbers and fragrance notes which almost does this fragrance a disservice. This is definitely the kind of fragrance that reminds me that perfumery is actually an art form and perfumers are artists! Highly recommend!

I am surprised how versatile this collection is. N4 reminds me of two Amouage fragrances - Jubilation Man and Gold Man. It is nothing like I expected (Gourmand dark), but instead woody, incensey and slightly fruity with some white musk. I definitely recommend a sample of this. Scent 8/10 Performance 7/10 Versatility 7/10

I only get some slightly messy animalic oud at the opening, not liking that, however, the rydown is a mouthwatering candied bergamot peel with saffron and vanilla. Gourmand but not overtly sweet here, very nice.

I love the combo of saffron and oud. This was on my radar and finally pulled the trigger at a local perfumery. This is so smooth and well blended. The saffron and vanilla balance out the oud. 10/10 recommend.