Blessing Silence

More often than not, The House of Oud perfumes don't feature an oud note. But here, THoO lives up to its name. Blessing Silence is a beautifully rendered oud scent, featuring rose and amber. It is not original or highly complex, but is beautiful in its simplicity, and to me seems to remain true to how the rose-oud accord is used in Middle Eastern perfumery. I don't particularly like oud in general - it is an acquired taste (or smell!), but when used with restraint in carefully considered compositions like this one, I can truly appreciate its complex, dark, animalic, woody beauty. BS opens with a rich, ambery labdanum note that paves the way perfectly for the rich oud that follows. Animalic, salty and almost leathery, it is dark, dry and rich, yet soft and beautiful. The oud is smooth and restrained, cleaner and more palatable as a result than in other oud scents - the strong, sour, even skanky oud of Frédéric Malle The Night comes to mind. That is also a rose-oud scent, but I couldn't enjoy it, given the nature of the oud there. Patchouli emerges after a little while, giving the perfect dirtiness to the amber-accented oud while still remaining deeply pleasant. The rose note that joins it is dark and rich, yet only a small amount features, giving just a subtle floral edge to the oud. Soft spices add warmth, while sandalwood keeps the oud soft in its later stages. It stays fairly constant, remaining a soft, oud-dominant scent with hints of spicy rose until it fades to a musky, animalic skin scent. Sillage is fairly strong and longevity is long-lasting - a little goes a long way, but it is still somehow restrained. One of the best rose-oud perfumes I've encountered, BS is unisex, best worn in autumn/winter. Aptly named, it is quiet and feels somehow sacred, steeped in ancient tradition. Yet somehow it is wearable and avoids being austere. Excellent. 4.5/5.

Unctuous and rich, this first smells like thousand-dollar bills floating in oil. Then the rose and the real oud arrive - and there's a woman in an expensive black dress walking by. You long to ask her what intoxicating scent she's wearing but you're too intimidated by the fantastic wealth on display here. And then this hits you with petrol and leather as she steps outside and swings her leg over her boyfriend’s motorcycle, wafting over a bad-boy Fahrenheit take on rose and oud. This is the smell of money and flesh ... of money AS flesh. Of the tiger's gleaming pelt, quivering in the moonlight as she dreams of the grazing long-legged creatures she so desires, just laying down and offering their bellies to her, their creamy fat gliding down her jaw as they finally embrace the natural economy of the savanna. At least, that's what I smell. This is so good, it might be messing with me.

Beautiful oud/rose combo. The oud is not super skanky..very smooth and just slightly animalic. The rose is not overpowering, and is less of the metallic rose oxide that I find in so many oud/rose combos. The sandalwood, which I usually am not the biggest fan of, is perfectly blended here just enough to take the edge of the sharpness of the oud and of the rose, but not enough to turn the whole composition into a sweet creamy mess. The overall perfume is very soft, but incredibly powerful and long lasting. One of my favourite middle eastern rose/ouds. Love it.

Blessing Silence by The House of Oud is a gorgeous, powerful fragrance that gives a very "refined gentleman" feel. This reminds me a great deal of Outrecuidant by Histoires de Parfums, sharing in common the oud, patchouili, rose, and labdanum notes. Both fragrances have a subtly sweet sort of "burnt pineapple" note that I just find addicting. After a few hours, this dries down to a deeply dusty, woody, spicy scent that gives me the impression of Moab by Phlur. This has great longevity and a very little goes a long way.

This is a very nice rose/oud. I only own/have tried a few in the genre and it may be more interesting to my novice nose than to the more experienced reviewers below. However, I love it. Rose and oud dominate the fragrance to me. I don't get much of the other notes. Also, I would say this is a very safe oud fragrance for someone to wear. I would not compare it to some of the more challenging options (like Mamluk, etc.). 9/10.