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.

This smells luxurious. It's addictive. The more you smell it the more you love it. Projection is on moderate side which is well suited for this type of fragrance. An excellent creation.

WOw gorgeous the after 20 minutes smell like Le male with oud !!!

In the air it is coming across like a spicy rose oud, which I wasn’t expecting based on the notes (there is no rose listed). The vanilla isn’t sweet and only comes out in the late dry down, initially it’s hidden under the peppery spice and oud. This reminds me a lot of A Night in Marrakech by MoaP but a bit lighter and not as dense. If you’re looking for a dense sweet vanilla oud this might not work, it’s a spicy lighter floral oud. I think it’s a nice alternative in the oud space.

Leathery oud, saffron and some spices to add flavour and sweetness, but by and large, a little caustic for my tastes. It instantly reminded me of 1001 Ouds, to tell you the truth, and I'm not sure if I can shake the association. I remember enjoying 1001 Ouds a bit more, too, to be honest, and I'm not sure I like this one. Leans a slight bit into gourmand territory, too. Not sweet, dessert gourmand, but charcuterie and antipasti. Likely a no, but intriguing nonetheless...

This one is a beautiful piece. But there is something that’s missing. On me it scents like there is one note that’s missing out. It’s definitely a oud-rose-saffron scent. But I can’t put my finger on what note that’s missing in this scent. On my skin I don’t get any vanilla at all. I get oud, saffron and woody? Well I’ll keep it for a while and try it during summertime. Hope for the best:)

A really harsh and unpleasant animalic/smokey opening that develops after a while into a very pleasant drydown, even though I'm not a fan of oud fragrances myself. I recommend giving it a sniff, still kinda have mixed feelings about it bc of the opening

It's very saffron-forward and likeable. I really enjoyed how it smells - pretty unisex, the oud isn't dirty or overwhelming.

#1546 in my "Tour de Fragrance" Got a bottle of this on clearance for $89. I agree it's similar to BDK "Oud Abramad." It certainly performs better. In the opening there's a hint of iris. In the dry down it's just wood and a hint of cinnamon. It's likeable as woody scents go, but that's all you get, the smell of an agarwood lumberyard, which I like. It puts me in mind of "Oud" by Reminiscence, which in the dry down is agarwood all day long. I used to bicycle past a lumbermill on early summer mornings on my way to go fishing, and I really enjoyed that lumbermill smell from mountains of sawdust. But whether I'll actually wear this depends on what kind of reaction I get to it. This is not something I'd wear for my own enjoyment. It won't offend anyone used in moderation, but I would not think of this for date wear. You can get a sample from ScentSplit for $5.99, and since this is normally priced at $200+, definitely do not blind buy this.

Idk if it’s the saffron & Oud combo but it’s giving me Oud wood vibes , not the biggest fan of that , but most people love it , this is actually a bit better to me so if you like Oud wood you’d probably love this I’ll pass though

یه بوی دارک انیمالیک نفتی که ب درد تیپهای رسمی میخوره مناسب هرکسی نیست😐

If you love the smell of motor oil, you’ll love this perfume.

I was doing my research about this perfumier and i read a lot about him and based on that I have a motivation to try his line and here is my first impression about his bespoke perfume no.4: I don't want to talk about the notes but I want to tell you what do you feel when you are going to use this perfume, all of the above notes gives you one kind of smell ''creamy sandalwood'' that is all about and it's fantastic for sandalwood lover. Don't miss his line, give it a try!! longevity 9/10 sillage 8/10 Overall 8/10

This was the reason of me trying this brand. The is an inspiring European style oud, woods, and saffron. Mostly it's a vanilla oud with that tingly saffronic note that made it slightly floral oud. The nutmeg, the elemi, and the patchouli are making a lounge party in here with some labdanum & hints of vetiver. A very addictive blend this one is. Excellent.

I tried it today and It is a beautiful perfume, Well, blended. Well balanced. A Sweet vanilla With some saffron Then the Oud shows up He will join my collection this winter and I’m sure it’s gonna be my winter fragrance. I feel it can be a good layer fragrance (i already have some ideas) 🔥❤️🔥

Semi-gourmand with notes such as saffron, nutmeg, vanilla and sandalwood providing a plush, ultra soft body to the slightly dirty oud. Not the best to sniff up close but gives a warm aura without being overly sweet at all when worn.

If you don't have this fragrance in your collection, I don't know what you are waiting for. This fragrance is really nice. People around you will enjoy smelling you. It does garner compliments.

If you are a saffron fanatic like me, look no further. This is so smooth. Huge dose of saffron and oud with sweet spices and vanilla. 100% worth it Instagram - @richmondperfume

Resinous saffron vanilla, with citrus undertones, some sugared notes and a smooth, wearable oud note. This is pretty, not as outstanding as No.5 but very interesting.