Grape Pearls

My first sampling of The House of Oud is Grape Pearls, a 2016 release, which I figured I’d like based on the note breakdown and reception to date. As its notes suggest, it incorporates fruity touches with the eponymous grapes and blueberry, over what is a fairly dominant heart/base of rose, vanilla, and coffee. It’s sweet and enjoyable, mostly gourmand with some green and floral touches, but overall, an enjoyable foody floral experience. The coffee is not a particularly strong coffee but feels more of latte in concert with the rose and vanilla. I’d see the comparisons to Montale Intense Café but was, as always, skeptical about those comparisons, as sometimes they’re exaggerated. In this case, however, Grape Pearls is reasonably close to Intense Café. There’s a very similar rose/vanilla/coffee commonality that should be expected by anyone that tries this. Grape Pearls is sold, along with other fragrances from The House of Oud, at Luckyscent for its retail pricing of $220 for 75ml, but is currently on discount side FragranceX for $161.50, alternatively. It’s a tough sell considering that it is, in my estimation, at least 80% similar to Intense Café, which usually comes much cheaper than Grape Pearls, often under $100 for a 100ml bottle. That said, the House of Oud’s presentation, which I’ve not seen in person yet but the topheaviness I’ve marveled from afar, is more elaborate than Montale’s (or Mancera’s), if that matters, which it doesn’t much to me. Overall, though a very enjoyable fragrance and quite a neat nod to gourmand and rose lovers, though the context of the existence of Intense Café does take away some from the jubilation of wearing it. I won’t be buying it, as I already have Intense Café, but would encourage others to try it. 8 out of 10

Grape Pearls çiçeksi, meyveli, gurme bir parfüm. Parfümün notalarında yer alan gül ve kahve notaları özellikle açılışında Montale Intense Cafe, Mancera Roses Vanille, Tiziana Terenzi Delox ve Xerjoff K’Bridge Club ile benzerlikler taşısa da, kuruyuşa geçtiğinde üzüm ve yaban mersinini hissetmeye başlıyorsunuz. Kuruyuşundaki bu farklılık ve vanilya notasının da belirgin bir şekilde varlığını hissettirmesi, benzediği diğer kokulardan ayrılmasını sağlıyor. Ayrıca meyve notalarının varlığı ve vanilyanın daha fazla hissedilmesi onu benzetildiği kokulara göre daha feminen de kılıyor. Kalıcılık ve yayılım açısından orta derecede bir parfüm. İlkbahar ve özellikle yaz aylarında tercih ettiğim bir koku. Bu dönemlerde 5-6 saate yakın kalıcılık gösterirken, yayılım olarak ise ilk saatlerde çok tatmin edici. Ancak ardından kalıcılık süresinin sonuna kadar tene yakın bir hal alarak varlığını sürdürüyor.

A suggestion of oud is contained in here even though it's not one of the notes. Grape Pearls is like Montale Intense Cafe but much better done - the coffee is actually present here, the rose and sweetness toned down slightly. There's also a lot of blueberry to my nose, reminding me of a raspberry-mocha latte. In quality and style, this is very much like an Amouage. The sillage and longevity are colossal; while the jammy rose is something I have to suffer through in the 20-minute or so opening, the drydown is worth it as it morphs into creamy berry coffee. 10/10!

I get that this is similar to Intense Cafe, but this is gorgeous in its own way. I mean look at the bottle! Delicious grapes and a deep rose that reminds me of the rose in Oud Bouquet. I think it stands well on its own from Intense Cafe. It has a deep, sweet twist unlike any other. Definitely a gourmand! One of the coziest smells I’ve ever come across. I imagine sitting in front of a fireplace wrapped in a warm blanket, and having grape pearls on. I appreciate both!

this smells like delicious blueberry jam mixed with a cup of strong wildberry tea and I am VERY pleased with that combo. there are not enough grape perfumes in this world. i'll counter the "jammy rose" point by saying this was 80% jam, 20% rose for me. I love a lil jammy rose moment no matter what so I don't even care either way I loveee it

Wonderful to curl up with, fantastic blueberry opening. Has a very intense cafe middle, slightly bitter rose. It is June here and this is terrific.

This is basically Delox without the musk and is much better blended without the cloyingness except for the opening. They have the same jammy rose

I love this one definitely a nigh-out parting or a special date. roses vanila jam

I didn't get any coffee, only a very sweet rose

The name Grape Pearls is very fitting for this fragrance, the brand name House of Oud... Not so much. A bit confusing as there is no oud at all in this. But there are grapes, tart and winey, not like cheap grape flavoring. I always love that note, it's so underused in my opinion. The beginning is very tart, fruity and fresh with the grapes and their leaves and a clean, juicy rose. Vanilla joins in the heart, and while I wouldn't have guessed that there is a coffee note, there is something to give some depth in the background that might be coffee. Over time the vanilla becomes stronger and amber also adds more warmth, but fortunately the grapes don't vanish and the scent keeps some of its freshness. I'd say this is more of a feminine perfume. It's a fruity floral gourmand, but one for grown ups with the wine and coffee. Sweet, but not cloying. While it isn't a loud fragrance, it lasts well. I think this is lovely, but a bit expensive for me. By the way, every bottle looks different, some have way more yellow than purple and don't look too similar to the picture on this site. Update (2019): Now that I have smelled Roses Vanilla and Intense Café in the meantime, I absolutely agree that this has a similar vibe.

Grape Pearls is another arresting fragrance from The House of Oud, a brand I've found consistently impressive since I began testing a few samples. GP is a creative gourmand with a big personality, as was What About Pop. I'm not usually a gourmand lover, but the offerings from this house often win me over. GP has a dark, rich fruity opening thanks to the berry and grape notes. Grape is an interesting note, one I don't come across too often, but here it is like grape cordial, rich and almost wine-like, featuring prominently. Dark, rich rose emerges early on, making for a nice counterpoint to the fruity notes. The overall effect is quite jammy. I get a hint of coffee in there - pleasant, but feels a bit out of place. I have yet to find a perfume that features a coffee note perfectly. It becomes an amber-vanilla scent as it dries down, still with hints of rose jam. It fades to a musky, sweet amber skin scent eventually. Sillage is strong and longevity is long-lasting. A high-quality niche gourmand, GP is refreshingly creative and enjoyable throughout. Boldly feminine, this would suit autumn/winter evenings. I'm not sure I'd wear it, but much appreciation regardless. 4/5.

I grew up near the vineyards of the Finger Lakes region in NY. A few years ago I took my Midwestern husband to NY so we could explore my old stomping grounds. We hiked waterfalls, drove through the rolling hills, skipped stones on the crystal lakes, and of course ate and drank to our heart’s content. I introduced him to grape pie, grape ice cream, and we brought home beautiful bottles from various wineries. Grape Pearls reminds me of that trip. As soon as I sprayed the fragrance on my skin I was immediately reminded of grape pie and a glass of wine. Grape Pearls is a blast of slightly fermented, syrupy grape that eventually dries down to a fruity, rose vanilla. It is very similar to the gooey, rose sweetness of a Montale fragrance like Intense Cafe. Grape Pearls makes me smile but I must admit, I don’t love it enough to purchase a bottle. I feel it is too thick and overwhelming for my personal aesthetic. That said, I will enjoy every minute of my sample and the memories it conjures until it is gone.

Right after spraying, I am greeted by a jammy rose along with a substantial dose of musk and notes of oud and amber. Interestingly, Fragrantica does not list the oud note, but it is clearly recognizable throughout the drydown, and also mentioned on THOO’s website. What makes this fragrance likeable to me are the fruity and jammy rose wafts that I get in between, even some boozy aspects. Otherwise, Grape Pearls would be too dry and musky. Longevity is stellar: even after 12 hours, I can still smell it on my skin. All in all a solid, female leaning oud fragrance, but only for those who do not shy away from strong and assertive fragrances.

Gourmand lovers: This warrants a spot on your test list. I almost overlooked it in favor of Dates Delight, but found this much more appealing. It is a softly fruited vanilla. The fruit could be blackberry, grape or blueberry - it's not sharply defined. The roasted coffee bean note here is like toasted marshmallow. When I asked the hubby what he thought his first word was "comforting." Like a warm slice of blueberry pie. When I use up my bottle of Ginestst Botrytis, I'll replace it with Grape Pearls.

This is a lot like Intense Cafe by Montale or Delox by Tiziana Terenzi, both of which I enjoy. They share the same beautiful rose /coffee /sweet-vanilla composition which I enjoy, despite not being a huge fan of rose scents. How doee Grape Pearls compare to the other two? I'd say it is less coffee, slightly less depth. And more candy. Like a more candied version of the other similar scents. I enjoy it, but owning all similar scents seems a bit redundant to me. Decent longevity though.

I am enjoying this super sweet fragrance. I was hoping for a more bubblegum/cartoon expression of grape but I get a lot of fruity rose and a touch of coffee. It reminds me of Intense Cafe and on me it presents a bit of a Gentle Fluidity vibe which is exciting! However, if you own Intense Cafe this may be a duplicate in your collection. If it had a stronger grape scent it would be an easy buy for me, as I like sweet easy to wear perfumes. Unfortunately, not quite unique enough on me.

1st impression: I guess the grape is more like wine? And by "wine" I mean some kind of tart & sharp rose.. To be honest it smelled more like some kind of overdone Aoud from Montale than anything else, but wait...the actual "grape" does come out later in a creamy bubblegumy way, which is pretty good combined with the rose-oud! 2nd try: This time I smell the grape right away, yet still sharp and slightly boozy (hence the red wine), and gets creamier as time passes.

This is such a unique and delicious fragrance! The blueberry and rose combo in the opening is really captivating, and the coffee note adds a nice depth. It dries down to a warm, sweet vanilla with a hint of musk that's perfect for cooler weather.

Even though that’s a very nice smells that’s immediately a skin scent on me, plus this smells of a cheap scented candle - it even smells of paraffin to me.

A fruity, grape forward rose. Very candy-like sweetness to it, and easy to like (for me at least).