Oud Shamash

I first tried this and marked it as a love earlier in the year and thought I had reviewed it already (obviously not) but don't let that fool you, it wasn't because Oud shamash didn't make an impression on me...this stuff is magic. The different company has always intrigued me and despite dipping my toe into them, in store I haven't really extensively sampled them. Oud shamash is totally tailored to my tastes as I get mainly incense and balsamic tones of tolu balsam, Labdanum and exotic fruits and pink pepper in the top. Then a boozy sailor Jerry spiced rum, on a bed of Oud which is unsurprisingly sourced from Laos, seemingly the Mecca of rotting trees. A curiously warm, rich, Amber Oud which is manages to be uplifting and light on its feet in that olibanum type way, fizzy and nearly green and mashing up these disparate concepts is no mean feat to achieve. It really reminds me of a high end and much deeper more complex version of Paul smiths Portrait. This comparison just speaks to how good Portrait actually is, because I absolutely love Oud shamash. The deep drydown mutates into a different fragrance it's a very deep, woody creamy, Amber Oud with only hints at what came before. You can tell the quality and the care that went into making this heavenly juice. Lasting power is great and I wore a very small amount and silage and projection was good. I'm getting a bottle, it's as simple as that.

The best offering from Different Company. Quality of ingredients and overall blending is through the roof. No wonder, as the nose behind it is Bertrand Duchaufour, man who knows how to make his orientals. I do not see any similarity with Artisan’s Al Oudh, there is absolutely no B.O. smell (referenced below by fellow reviewers). Trust me, I repeatedly tested Al Oudh (on skin - that is a must in this case) and this one is worlds apart. What I love is the overall dryness, any sweet facets are more of balsamic quality of used resins, even the vanilla used is not really sweet in this cheap vulgar way seen in way too many niche oud perfumes. The base reminds me more of Jubilation XXV from the same author. The blackberry fruitiness is replaced with boozy spices. Oud in here is very subtle, non-offensive and accompanied with more general woodsy notes. Most appealing for me was the lack of annoying sweetness. If you want oud fragrance that is non-sweet, masculine leaning, yet not rough or synthetic at all, just give it a try. The Different Company offers sample sets, where you can test before you commit and can deduct the cost from the next purchase, so this makes it ideal candidate for your next sampling.

I test fragrances all the time, but only a few have intrigued me so much that I couldn’t stop sniffing my arm. This is one of them. It’s a complex fragrance with a truly unique scent. What makes it special is how refined it is, with so many beautiful notes blending perfectly. If you love boozy, oriental, oud, leather, incense, or even vanilla, or earthy fragrances, this one has a little bit of all of them. But that’s where the magic lies—it doesn’t overwhelm you with any single note. Instead, it gives just enough of each to keep you exploring and intrigued, like a fine dinner at an artistic restaurant, where you want to taste every small bite. It’s definitely not for beginners. But if you’re an experienced fragrance enthusiast, you’ll appreciate it deeply. Bertrand Duchaufour has created something truly exceptional here—complex, refined, and opulent. This is easily one of his best works and an outstanding fragrance overall. 9/10

Now this one is a little difficult to describe as it gives me a happiness vibe from my past but I don’t know which part of my life is, maybe the free time between uni seamsters. It is a complex scent in which you will definitely find boozy notes, spicy and woody specially cedar, Patchouli and finally oud which is well forged into its core. This one is not harsh at all , on the contrary it is one of the most accurately balanced perfumes. Leans a bit toward masculine scents. Best in DC line imho. 4.5/5 Age:+30 Autumn nights And winter days and nights. More masculine but definitely could be considered as unisex. Long lasting and heavy projection.

This smells like a perfect blend of 3 perfumes i just couldn't wear: pardon, sequoia red from comme de garcons and Jubilation XXV, for me, this is the perfect blend of all three, the incense, oud smell is very persistent but does get smoother and creamier after an hour or so, the dry down is to die for. This is beautiful but a bit harsh just a fair warning 10/10 Note: Yup sequoia and jubilation mentioned above are done by the same purrrfumer Mr. Bertrand Duchaufour Nite 2: i definitely recommend to spray this behind your neck or on your chest

Refined and sexy, this is a great example of oud done right. I can sense all the listed top notes and cypriol in the opening. Then just enough rose in the mid to complement the oud, but not make it into a rose-forward scent like most rosy ouds I've sampled. The oud is smooth and lacks any funk. Dry down is creamy and resinous with small facets of woods and amber--almost identical to Jubilation XXV. Got this for cheap as a 100 mL refill bottle and it spilled over my hands as I was decanting it into a sprayer--can't stop sniffing my hands.

A complex dusty/earthy/boozy wood fragrance. The oud is subtle in here and the cypriol note dominates it for sure. It reminds me of another original oud, that is: Tauer L'Oudh (even if not really similar). I can also spot some similarities with L'Artisan Al Oudh and Timbuktu, as underlined by previous reviewers. May go for a full bottle once my decant is over. A very particular fragrance, that may not please most. Try before you buy! Spring/Fall evenings and Winter days, 30+

Artemisia is the star of this lovely juice. Very stylish scent, the kind you want to be dressed up to wear. A slightly bitter note balances well with the sweetness of the base. Not much oud imo, still very nice. Unusual and intelligently put together by my favorite nose, mr. Duchaufour. Comes in a very attractive bottle and is worth every penny! 9/10

What do I love about Oud Shamash? It transports me back to elementary school and the smell of wet ball point pen ink, where you've furiously scratched enough of it out on paper until the ink is shimmering... almost pooling. You bring it up to your nose and breathe deeply. That smell. This is that childhood memory made adult and sensual.

Very good fragrance. I wore this yesterday. I put it on in the morning and couldn't stop wanting to smell my arm through out the day. Nice smooth woody oud. It has a little bit of a sweet or gourmand going on but not over powering sweet yet masculine. Very well done but watch out, can be addictive.

This perfume is really good. The main accords are Warm Spicy and Woody with some Balsamic and Oud scent mixed with Amber. I cab smell a blend of Oud and Rum mixed with Tolu Balsam and Amber. This perfume is suitable to wear in Winter and Fall. Both projection and Longevity are awesome.

Lovely perfume and very underrated. The structure of the fragrance is similar to Timbuktu/Jubilation XXV, albeit with different notes, different enough to justify owning it as well and for a much lower price (when found on a discounter).

È un profumo molto deciso con le note di oud ma anche dolce e sensibile. It is a very strong scent with notes of oud, but also sweet and sensitive.

Sandalwood and mild Oud , Not a fragrance that will bring lots of compliments ; I never got any lol, Lasting power 6hrs . Sillage 5/10 Thanks,

High quality Oud (from Laos) in the center of a dance of high complexity and beauty notes. Splendid ! worth at least a try. 4/5 stars

I see a lot of reviews comparing this to Jubilation XXV and yet no mention of Nawab of Oudh by Ormonde Jayne.... Odd.

Yeah this is good. I prefer this to jubilation xxv. Wow.

I wanted to sample this one since many have praised it as a worthy oud scent. I think it is fine, but it does not rise to the heights of the heavyweight Ouds that are plentiful these days. I has a nice mix of other notes and maybe after I try this one repeatedly over the next week I might change my mind about it. As of now, this is a safe scent, not the challenging kind of Our that some prefer (I am in this category). It can be worn any season, and is unisex but masculine leaning. Silage is average but it lasts fairly long on my skin. For those who want a gentle and finely blended introduction to Oud this would be well worth sampling. To me, this one doesn't resemble Jubilation XXV, or Timbuktu, or Tauer. Bertrand Duchaufour is one of my favorite perfumers and this certainly has his fingerprints on it. I wish that one of what I consider his finest set of achievements, Á ces soir, and À Chaque Instant, would get more attention. For now, I am happy with Oud Shamash but it isn't a love.

I personally don't get the comparison to Timbuktu. To me, this is closer to Ormonde Jayne Man than Timbuktu. From the sample I used up, what I get is an airy, whispy oud, cedar, sandalwood combination. Something resembling incense in the background...with some slight spiciness like cinnamon or nutmeg...I don't get a strong rose in this. But what makes this remind me of Ormonde Jayne Man is that there is an aroma of pine/forest air infused in relatively small doses but gives this scent an airy quality that is unexpected given the listed notes. I do think this is an incredibly well blended fragrance...there is a peaceful or tranquil quality to this scent and I find it very wearable for many situations in the Fall, Winter and Spring months.

The top of this fragrance pulls off a woody spicey feel that reminds me of potpourri, similar to al oudh. What this turns into though is a very gentle sandalwood and rose fragrance. Personally I think a better name for this fragrance is sandalwood shamash. The oud is barely detectable. This is still a very nice fragrance though, just not an oud one. If you're looking for an oud fragrance, I would skip this one. If you're looking for a soft gentle sandalwood rose fragrance this could be right up your alley. The rose is very tame so I feel this stays pretty unisex. I prefer oud for love and as far as for the comparison with al oudh, I'm sticking with my Al Oudh :-)

Wearing a sample of this perfume, I find it reminds me not of Al Oudh, but of Timbuktu. I'm not sure why this is, as Oud Shamash and Timbuktu don't appear to have many notes in common. I smell vetiver, incense, and fruity, herbal, and boozy notes in both. As they're so similar to my nose, and because I already own Timbuktu (which I like well enough but don't love, and rarely wear), I doubt a full bottle of Oud Shamash is in my future. I'll finish my sample, though.

I don't agree with some who say that Oud Shamash is better than Oud for Love. To me this smells like the lead of a pencil mixed with toasted cumin. Very masculine, which is ok, as I like masculine or unisex scents, but this one is too linear. I enjoyed the oud in Oud for Love more, it was lovely with aldehydes and a surprising gourmand drydown. For a perfume like this, I think Tauer's Desert Marocain is similar but a lot nicer/more complex and more affordable to boot.

On first application this scent comes at you all at once with different notes swirling around you. I get boozy oud with woods as well a saffron and patchouli which comes on strong. The scent is sweet with a fruity aroma peeking out from the boatload of notes. The scent is spicy and a little medicinal, talk about having the fragrance equivalent of everything and the kitchen sink coming at you all at once. After a while everything seems to fall a little flat with the projection suddenly reining itself in to below average. The Oud is gone and you are just left with a woody boozy pink pepper accord on your skin which is disappointing. The scent turns into a skin scent within a few hours and then it's gone on my skin. I have to say it does remind me of Jubilation by Amouage as I'm picking up the same vibe from the notes. The oud is there but not promient as it's overtaken by the woodsy notes and then disappears completely. All in all a rich exotic smelling fragrance which comes out of the gate all at once quite strong and then just disappears leaving you with the feeling that you have just been jilted by your fragrance. I would pick Jubilation over this as this feels like a B version of that with poor performance.

This opens with a blinding rush of fruit alcohol that acts as an assault to have your mind blanched for the symphony that follows. A clean landscape of a planed sheet of hardwood. Cracked Pink Pepper and chipped Cinnamon bark is smashed on to the surface. At this stage my first impression is slivers of Gucci Pour Homme 1. I bring my eyes down to the surface and stare along the plane and sense the Rose beckoning across the Universe along that line. My second impression is that of Chanel No.18. Deep down is central point of wood varnishes layered, which are to my sense the whispers of the Laotian. Oh Yes. A light envelope of Saffron surrounds it all to add a quiet sensualness. This is a presentation of Oud perfume that follows the same line as MFK and further Fragrance du Bois. With an abstract feel of the Chanel 18. Ultimately this fades into Tolu Resin

I have purchased Oud Shamash together with Oud for Love for a fair price. Oud Shamash has a flowery smell of rose / saffron mixed up with oud and Cognac / Rum. Very pleasant. I personally would say Oud Shamash is more masculine, more of a sporty kind. It resembles the smell of Rum very well. If you ever were a fan of Escada pour Homme, try this. This is a very elegant fragrance which would fit great to a Gentleman in suit wearing his gold watch to a dinner. Edit: The whole COLLECTION EXCESSIVE was reformulated. Seems that they wanted to drop the market price and watered down all fragrances. Be aware.

WARM WOODSY CINNAMON This stayed pretty linear for me - which is actually a positive. I enjoyed the opening (most often I don't) and was happy that the warm/wood/cinnamon stayed thru-out its long lasting longevity. I would actually say the cinnamon got a bit stronger as the day wore on - perhaps because the wood got more and more subtle in comparison. I was out last night for a friend's birthday, and everyone enjoyed sniffing me - I think this is a crowd pleaser if that's a consideration. Hard to find - I trekked over to Barney's on Madison Avenue in NYC to get sprayed. A definite 'like' for me.

The fragrance begins with the spicy flavor of pepper, saffron and cinnamon soaked in rum before exploring the deepest and most mysterious resinous facet of the Laotian 'oud selected by Bertrand Duchaufour himself in Laos. And that mixed with the cipriol with a touch of rose creates a luminous alchemy intensified by the sensual warmth of the notes of amber and patchouli; as a spiritual journey into the heart of the Middle East. An oriental, intoxicated, woody, spicy, amber, resinous, balsamic, vibrant, radiant, solar and enchanting perfume. A very well built 'Oud & Rose.

The first blast I thought of cedar, but maybe perhaps it's the cypriol oil? It has a somewhat spicy smell to it, like a lighter Al Oudh. It's not real sweet but has a backdrop of sweetness. Like a dry sweet, woody spicy frag. Not bad. Kind of dries down to a lighter version of Al Oudh, but with a (more prominent) body odor smell to it. And a smell of a Montale-ish type of oud or leather or something.

do not buy from this house! I got the full sample collection. It was like 30 testers. Only two of them lasted more then 30 minutes, and they were 100 percent linear. Basic scents with no longevity. I will never buy a full bottle from the company!

I smell/feel like a rich middle eastern oil baron when i wear this, it is certainly, one of the best out there - theres no middle ground - its strictly an oriental, and for those oriental heads out there this is a god sent!

Amazing perfume and what's more amazing is the new Oud for Love that was just released in Paris and I can assure you I'd you loved our shamash wait for Oud for Love, but it's a bit more expensive than Oud Shamash

Animalic in the opening, then more gentle. Saffron, oud, rose, vetiver, patchouli, incense. Similar to some Tauer perfumes, namely l'air du désert marocain. Also similarities with African Leather and Timbuktu.

Its Amouage's Jubilation XXV without the fruity elements, or L'Artisan's Al Oudh without the cumin. All three by the same perfumer, doing variations on the same scent profile/theme.

Boozy oud, with hints of cinnamon, blasamic, and doses of amber. Amber, patchouli, saffron, rose, pink pepper, sandalwood, vanilla, and cinnamon. It's a fair (not strong) oud blend.

Earthy amber with a touch of spice and the oud is gently between the harmonious scent, Considerably inoffensive and discrete.

The dry down on this is identical to Bois 1920 Real Patchouly. It's nice but the Bois lasts longer.

Very similar to Al Oudh from L'Artisan Parfumeur. but a bit less spicy. From the same creator.

I would love to get a bottle of this, but I can't find it anywhere

"Timbuktu" by L'Artisan Parfumeur...