Oud Alif

It's funny how my nose "develops" over time. Not in the physical sense of course, but when I first smelled this, I thought it was a cloying mess. Then the owner of a well known niche house told me, "niche fragrances tell a story, they are not to be discovered while standing at the counter and spaying on a tester strip, they are to be discovered and unfold piece by piece." This statement makes so much sense and is why I am so into niche now and is all I collect. This stuff is just complex. It's sweet, but it's not. It's oud note is very strong and let's you know it's there at all times of the composition. I think the saffron note compliments the oud in a great way and the dark chocolate keeps things sweet and dark. The patch is what makes all this seem complicated because it's there but I can't detect it as a note, it's like it blends with the other notes to make its own note. Very very interesting juice. It makes me want to see what else this house has to offer.

Stunning creation. This smells like a £300 niche perfume and I can’t believe I bought it at M&S ! The ingredients list on the website seems to insinuate these are at least 90% natural which to my nose is clear. The patchouli in this is incredible and one I can only compare to perfumes I have in my collection that cost £200+ and it’s done so well. This is a Smokey masculine feel and rich formula not for the faint hearted. The chocolate note shouldn’t fool you here, it’s clearly been used to round out that opening to simply prepare you for what’s to come. For the price, the journey this perfume takes you on is nothing but a masterpiece. No wonder these guys have upped the price recently from £65 to £85 a 30% price increase because if you know you know. Buy it if you like dark, dusty, Smokey, old, decrepit, haunting vibes. Not mass appealing. I love it.

Recently given a 10ml sample, and more or less immediately purchased the full bottle. I've encountered broadly similar creations for a decade or more, but this is far away the best crafted that I've tried in a very long time. I like oud – but never in combination with rose. From the instance of application, ascendant notes are oud, incense, and dark chocolate – the latter to my surprise lasting well into the dry down. At some point saffron, leather and patchouli subtly entwine for an intriguing artisanal totality. Projection and longevity seem decent. Linear for the duration. For someone who has petitioned against vivisection, the ethics of Shay & Blue is a powerful draw. No hesitation heaping maximum praise on this one.

This is a really, really good oud fragrance and not because it stands out but rather that it doesn't. I let out the obligatory oud sigh of appreciation so it scores on that front. Oud Alif is so smooth and well done, it does have a leather quality to it and a creamy patchouli, I found it very impressive. A gourmand oud is how I'd describe it and understandable considering the rest of Shay & Blue's fragrances have that Food or at least fruit twist. Performance was good but never in your face and the price won't break the bank either. The theme of this house is wearable scents and this one is certainly that. Brilliant stuff!

I bought a few samples to go along with Salt Caramel as that's the one I really wanted to smell and I'm so glad I did. I love this, on me and on my bf. I'd say its perfectly unisex with the Oud and some rich sweetness coming from the chocolate. This one to me smells incredibly well blended and everything just *works*. If you don't like patchouli, obviously you aren't going to enjoy this. Very smooth and elegant vibes for both male and female tastes. On opening my BF did say he felt it a bit feminine but the dry-down changed his mind. Its more my cup of tea than his so I will happily wear it :)

One of my favourite fragrances I ever owned. A blind buy as it was being discontinued at a luxury perfumery. I wore it every evening until empty. Sweet in the most savoury way possible. The depth that would linger in clothes for days and build. Every time I wore this at work as a flight attendant, I would be asked so softly what it is that I am wearing. Sadly I have not seen this for sale again, even online. The fragrance for mewas a heavily mellow smoked dairy and sugar free hot chocolate on a humid day amongst a cacao plantation.

I haven't really smelled a ton of oud heavy fragrances so I have little to compare to but I like it. Like that the leather feels beaten and dusty rather than new car leather which isn’t my taste. Dont smell the chocolate too well, it kind of hangs out just to smooth out the edges. Patchouli is there but blended in.

FANTASTIC! This will not be for all but I love it!! Perhaps the smokiest of all my fragrances! Like a winters bonfire! Not sure whether this fragrance contains naturals or not but it’s definitely well worth the money! 10/10

One of the better Western ouds, and does have a hint of Amouage!

This is quite possibly the best fragrance i have ever smelled.

Ok so this is surprisingly good. Very unisex, rich and strong with the ‘perfume’ patchouli smell, and a very inoffensive woody, almost nutty oud. I find it less easy to wear than MH oud eclat, it’s slightly more masculine leaning than that, but of a similar ‘mainstream safe oud’ kind of category. Obviously they don’t smell the same, this has nothing of that synthetic BR540 DNA. I like it. It’s also nothing like the smoke in By The Fireplace, this is a very soft smoke, more like a smokers leather handbag than a roaring bonfire. In fact, the longer it’s on my skin the more it reminds me of the smell of the inside of my late mam’s handbag (she was a smoker). A mix of old smoke, tobacco, good quality leather, and good quality 80s perfume. It’s very nostalgic for me and I love it for that reason. Not a safe blind buy.

A very nice Western Oud fragrance...very smooth, elegant and very likable. Sadly, I have a ton of these "nice" Western oud interpretations so I won't be purchasing a bottle. Performance is quite nice is that it lasts 7-hours on my skin and projects moderately, which is just fine for this kind of fragrance. Although it is suitable for men and women, I personally feel it leans slightly more masculine. I am not a fan of chocolate when used in fragrance, but it's stays in the background and is well-behaved. Overall, a definite try for those who love Western Oud fragrances or are looking for a oud scent that isn't too potent, medicinal or animalic...just a very nice Western Oud scent.

I like this fragrance, upon initial spray the leather is the dominant note but its soft, the chocolate/cocoa and light patchouli are at the base carrying that leather and most probably what gives it that airy softness. As it dries down the chocolate and patchulli fade away making the leather note more crisp/sharp maybe spicy?. The dry-down has this lingering sweetness in the background which holds everything together so nicely (not too sweet), it gave me Amouage interlude vibes. I don't detect oud in this fragrance but its nice.

The problem with Oud is that it can be quite medicinal and headache inducing for me, but not this fragrance. What a blend! The Oud is tame, the leather blending in nicely. As the fragrance progresses the chocolate lingers in the background, a lighter dark chocolate or even bordering on milk chocolate. There is a creaminess to the fragrance, it sits on my skin so well. This isn’t a projection monster, making it perfect for close encounters and office settings.

After 5 hours or so it's a skin scent but it's nice for the first few hours when sillage is within about a foot. This is one of the more discreet ouds and very wearable if you detest some of the loud offerings from Montale and Mancera. The leather is just as present as oud while the chocolate note is in the background. Very different from the normal oud but it's a bit too tamed for my liking.

I like an Oud that projects more than this, but I like the drydown a lot. It is not in the same league as Dior's Leather Oud, which is a drydown masterpiece, but it has a sexy manliness that works. Would suit a dark-haired/hairy-chested man who is a little rugged and smouldering... well that's my fantasy anyway. x

Warm and spicy. A lighter and less complex version of Amouage Interlude. Longevity is not as much as expected for me, sillage is moderate. For the money, I would stick to Amouage Interlude which is more complex and longer lasting.

I like it... but it's too much like Shay & Blue Black's Club London. Same vibe. So why repeat myself? It's quality, though.

This is a nice scent. Masculine, get whafts of leather, patchouli and a woody note. No "oud".

This is Amouage in a light version!