Oudh Lacquer

Oudh Lacquer from Soivohle. An amazingly complex cocoa-oud pairing that came way before that was considered trendy(Russian Oud, wink wink). I'm surprised no one talks about this brew, but I suppose it doesn't look good in flex pictures(as someone recently told me that they are only interested in acquiring perfumes that would look good in pictures, insert facepalm) The blend itself is beyond masterful and clever. As the name suggests, the cocoa and the oud blend to create more of a chocolate liquor accord or cocoa/chocolate served with wine. Now, I do love Russian Oud, which showcases one of my favorite uses of cocoa in perfumery. This one takes a different approach, however, in blending the two materials. The Oud used here has more of an earthy, musty, antique smell as opposed to the Hindi profile that permeates Russian Oud. Oud here is dark, gloomy, and mysterious. And what better way to complement that profile than to add mushrooms, which naturally pair well with both cocoa and this type of oud? Take it a step further and suspend the entire formula in an aged tincture of oud and spices and you'll get an amazingly deep aroma. Intoxicating. She uses some floral notes as well to balance the composition, and the linden blossom accord shines more than the others to give a nice and unique touch of fresh sweetness. It feels almost honeyed and citrusy at the same time. Although it starts dusty, musty, and dank, it slowly morphs into this most inviting dessert of dark chocolate, wine, and spices, served on an old wooden table with some freshly cut linden blossoms sitting on the side. It is dark and earthy but smooth, inviting, and mysterious simultaneously. It feels like going into an old, dank cellar to choose your favorite chocolate liquor that has been aging away for decades, waiting to caress your palate. A charming composition for cocoa and oud lovers like myself. IG:@memory.of.scents

This is a perfume that I loved from the first sniff. It’s spicy, with lots of cinnamon and cloves as well as anise and cumin or coriander. There’s some citrus in the mix at first, along with unidentifiable woods and flowers. It’s a weird scent, but a pleasant one. It reminds me of my kitchen spice drawer, in which the fresh scents of new spices mix with the musty, woody scents of ones that probably should have been thrown out long ago. It has quite a bit of sillage. As the scent develops, it becomes sweeter and I can imagine that I start smelling the oud along with tonka, and the promised chocolate. There is a point at which the honey takes over and it's almost like toasted almond nougat, ending up smelling just like the Indian sarsaparilla absolute that I recently bought. I love the smell of sarsaparilla, and Oudh Lacquer manages to recreate it quite well. It lasts for the better part of a day. Oudh Lacquer proves that all-natural perfumes do not have to be insipid and elusive. After trying several Liz Zorn perfumes, it is clear that she is a risk-taker who sometimes strikes out, but sometimes hits a home run. Oudh Lacquer is a home run. I just wish it wasn’t so damned expensive.

It's a really good scent; one of my favorite cocoa-related fragrances, but what makes it stand out is the authentic oud--I'm talking resinous, semi-fecal/rotten, yet smoky, woody, and sweet! Yeah sure it doesn't last long (seems to be its fatal flaw) but it doesn't last short either; I put it on before my 8-hr shift and could still smell it afterwards, although the magic does seem to get lost a bit after 3 hrs..

Incredibly smooth, decadent, and slightly floral oud with the spicy Soivohle DNA. Complex, beautifully blended, and easily the best oud fragrance I've ever encountered. It is (ridiculously) expensive, but I try to stock up when it's available.

Whew Hoo, boozy! I thought I could get drunk off just smelling myself after first applying. I smell the cinnamon and cloves, less so the flowers. It's warm and exciting. Drydown brings patchouli and amber and more of the chocolate accord. I really really like it and it's a must try for those loving warm exotic fragrances. Too bad it's so costly but that's to be expected due to the expensive ingredients used.