Just Before

I love a warm, resinous, ambery, balsamic vanilla with touches of saffron, myrrh, citruses and soft, creamy woods. I absolutely adore ylang ylang and last year I discovered that I like palo santo as well. Therefore, I was 100% confident that I would be obsessed with Just Before by THOO since it contains all these notes so I decided to blind buy it. A bit risky since I didn’t have any previous experience with THOO, besides seeing their bottles on display during my trips to Italy, and their perfumes are expensive. And I was not wrong, I do really love how it smells, exactly how I imagined it would, after seeing the notes listed on Fragrantica! It’s such a smooth, creamy vanilla, with warm ambers, soft, aromatic tones of palo santo and sandalwood , balsamic, resinous facets from myrrh, floral, tropical accents from ylang ylang and bright citruses accords in the opening from lemon and bergamot. I am not quite sure how the name relates here but whatever THOO would have named it, Just Before is a dream scent for anyone who loves a multifaceted, complex, smooth, warm and cozy, semi sweet vanilla fragrance! And a scent that smells more natural than artificial or very perfumy... The only drawback of Just Before is that it has a more subtle presence. It’s not a heavy, intense, loud, strong performing scent, like I love my fragrances to be. It’s moderate to long lasting if oversprayed but it sits close to skin. Doesn’t create a scent bubble around me or a scent trail behind me the way I would want. I quite bummed about that, I am not going to lie, but what it lacks in performance, it compensates in scent’s uniqueness. I have so many of these warm, woody vanilla in my collection, but nothing smelling similar to Just Before. Palo santo makes this scent really stand out from other vanillas. Like mentioned in a previous review of another scent from this Italian niche house I had the chance to try in a store, I am not crazy about their bottles design. It’s original and unique for sure, and I do love the idea of having a hand painted, one of a kind bottle, but it’s something that still bothers me about their design!

#1507 in my "Tour de Fragrance" Got this as a decant. I'm not into clumsy but artistic spray bottles. I just want a clear rectangle. They store more easily. So I have not been chomping at the bit to acquire anything from House of Oud. But I did want to check out their scents. This one is basically Moresque "Seta", which I already own, plus some palo santo, So for me it's a slight improvement on the Moresque. If you have or have had Prada's popular but discontinued "Amber Pour Homme Intense", an early favorite for me, this will be very familiar and an acceptable consolation buy. It's not as citrusy as you would expect. The ylang ylang is not prominent. Mostly you get the woods and amber. It's a moderate performer. Inoffensive in any space. Versatile. It's priced the same as the Moresque and I think it's a bit better. So if you don't mind a clumsy decorative sprayer, I'd choose this over the Seta on scent.

won a 7 ml decant together with the other two from the colorful collection. super eager to try this out,i sprayed on about 3 full sprays. first thing i smelled was a note that on my nose reminded me of nail polish or cough syrup. strong and quit offensive. then after about 20-30 minutes, it started to come alive. beautiful to say the least. the ylang-ylang and bergamot and an amber mix with the sandalwood and saffron that was so beautiful i couldn't stop sniffing my arms. got great compliments to be honest,but it is pretty linear and lacks a lot of depth. which i don't mind. but if you are looking for something groundbreaking, this is not it. the silage and projection were great. and people got whiffs of this lovely scent for hours and kept on complimenting me. i would say it's a good blind buy,but the prices are outrageous.

First blast of warm honeyed floral woods that deepens into a light sweet sandalwood and saffron. There's a hint of fruitiness that feels like warm orange blossom and spiced peaches. Evokes images of sunset filtering through a peaceful kitchen, jars of homemade jam and honey on the counter. Very lovely and soft notes, stays very close to the skin, but I will wait a bit to see if this intensifies with the dry down as with so many others within this house. More feminine leaning and I think would work best almost all year. Light and floral enough for warm but not hot weather yet cozy and sweet woodsy enough for cold weather. 6+ hours later: Scent has turned more warm caramel amber over time, still going moderately strong. The dry down is very much like their What About Pop.

This smells warm and spicy. When you put it up close to your nose the notes come across too sharp but when you just let the sillage naturally project it smells so good. I have BR540 and this does not smell like it. I also have hypnotic poison and this doesn't smell like it. The saffron, palo Santo and oud mixes really well. Yup I've definitely smelled wiffs of this in Dubai Mall near Armani cafe. Who would wear this...... Definitely rich.... Liquid gold rich.... I usually like fresh scents, I blind bought this and have no regrets. I would say its a safe blind buy. I hope you like it as much as I am. YouTube: The House of Oud Just Before review by Lan Gonzales

This is a very unique fragrance and unlike anything I've gotten my nose on so far! The saffron in the opening gives it a powdery feel, the earthiness and soulfulness of the palo santo and myrrh make this a calming and reflective fragrance. I love wearing this in the evening and it has a sexy side to it as well with the amber and vanilla. Full bottle worthy and 8.5/10 ❤😍

This perfume is absolutely amazing. You smell the bergamot, the vanilla, the amber and yellow flowers. Very well-blended. It feels like warm skin. Very sexy and addictive. Safe blind-buy.

Sweet vanillia smells like marshmallows with different spices and some smooth woodiness with lots of amber amazing wish they had bigger bottles

Oh damn, this is a real pretty fragrance. Projects for ages. The vanilla with the saffron pings off of my skin!

Love it, on my skin it's woody and ambery really nice, a bit sweet aswell.

Selling my bottle. Full presentation, few sprays missing. UK shipping

this is super nice i feel like palo santo is such a deceptive wood accord. it doesnt feel woody, and nothing about it screams sylvan, but it plays with a vanilla fragrance in the way that lavender plays with an iris fragrance, if that makes sense. nevertheless i think this is really nice. i wouldnt call this a gourmand like others have been at all though. it smells super perfumey, borderline feminine, but super enjoyable for sure. has a powdery aspect too, im assuming from the ylang ylang. can definitely see the psychedelic love comparisons. really great! hard to dislike unless ylang ylang doesnt work with you, which is usually polarizing.

At first spray i got strong palo santo note, its quite sharp. But as it dries down it smoothens a lot. I get bright woods and herbacious vanilla. This have almost pineappley smell to me mixed with spices. I feel like i get most use for this in fall time. It got fall vibes in it and the colour of the bottle matches with the juice. Bottle is so beautiful, piece of art! it has matte finish, i really like it!

The reviewer who mentioned Initio Psychedelic Love is spot on. This smells just like it! But this is more pleasant to my nose as Initio's version made me sick and I sold that one.

Today’s review marks a highly anticipated milestone in my fragrance journey as I step into the deeply artistic, visually stunning world of The House of Oud for the very first time with Just Before. Adding an extra layer of high stakes excitement to today's equation, this bottle represents a completely blind purchase, a creative gamble that leaves me evaluating the juice with an entirely clean slate and zero prior bias on skin. The structural blueprint for this release relies on an incredibly smooth, enveloping arrangement of grand macro textures, audaciously launching with a glowing, dominant column of golden amber warmth and thick, slow burning balsamic resins. This heavy, comforting foundation is beautifully juxtaposed against a highly texturized, pillowy backdrop of soft cosmetic powder and a brief, effervescent flash of zesty citrus freshness. This creation showcases the Italian niche house attempting to deliver a multifaceted signature profile, masterfully utilizing an exotic undercurrent of warm spicy aromatics and a highly unique, creamy stroke of exotic yellow floral sweetness to wrap the deep, meditative woodiness in an incredibly cozy, semi-gourmand aura. Stepping into a fragrance designed to capture the visceral feeling of anticipation hung suspended in time, the critical question remains whether Just Before can successfully translate its poetic brief into a wearable masterpiece with the superior blending required to justify a high-end blind buy, or if its soft arrangement of sweet vanilla and sacred woods will sit too close to the skin to warrant its premium niche investment. Let’s see if this fragrance stands as a brilliant, triumphant initiation into a brand new house or if it is merely a beautifully packaged, underwhelming gamble. Opening: The opening is sweet, woody, and warm. The primary accords I get are vanilla, palo santo, amber, and lemon, with the vanilla and palo santo leading the introduction. The vanilla starts the fragrance off with a highly opulent, plush, and comforting sweet element, dominating the initial spray with an incredibly smooth, decadent, and inviting blanket of warmth. Following right behind the vanilla is the palo santo as a deeply mystical, aromatic, and sacred wood accord. It delivers a very distinct timber profile that is simultaneously woody and subtly sweet, but it also presents as distinctly minty, which is a completely new experience with palo santo for me, anchoring the intense sweetness of the vanilla with an interesting woody and aromatic blend. Meanwhile, the amber works directly underneath, casting a warm and radiant glow of deep resins that meld with the vanilla to drive home that cozy and inviting theme. Lastly, the lemon peeks out from behind the heavy baseline as a bright, sunny, and zesty citrus accord, providing an injection of rindy freshness that cuts through the density of the sweet notes, offering a fleeting, energetic lift to the opening, alongside just a hint of green aromatics from the bergamot. The result is an opening that is undeniably warm and indulgent, but one that carries just enough difference scattered throughout from the unique palo santo and lemon to keep it from ever feeling one dimensional. Dry Down: The dry down remains sweet, woody, and warm as the composition matures on skin. The primary accords I get are vanilla, palo santo, amber, and myrrh, with the vanilla and palo santo still firmly leading the experience. The vanilla remains the highlighted note in the dry down with that same smooth, creamy sweetness, though it turns out perhaps a bit deeper and richer here from some trace amounts of the benzoin shining through and coalescing with the vanilla. Likewise, the palo santo still carries that exact same minty woodiness from the opening hours without much drop off in intensity, continuing to shadow the vanilla closely. The amber maintains the same balsamic glow it displayed in the opening, working perfectly in tandem with the profiles of the vanilla and benzoin. Lastly, the myrrh has fully emerged as a rich, dark, and slow burning resin, infusing the dry down with a thick balsamic density, layering in a warm, dusty woodiness and a subtle touch of sacred incense smoke that balances the sweeter elements. The result is a dry down that is largely a direct extension of the opening, but one that feels deeper, richer, and far more grounded in resins. Performance: The initial projection within the first hour of wear is very strong, capable of filling a room with absolute ease. The sillage matches that robust footprint perfectly, casting a dense and heavy scent trail in your wake. After about three to four hours on skin, the performance is still holding on remarkably strong and actively reaching out at least six feet, while the trailing scent trail is perhaps a bit lighter at this stage but still very easily noticeable to those around you. By the seven to eight hour mark, the projection has drawn in to about three to four feet, and while the scent trail has lightened more, it remains completely noticeable. The fragrance ultimately becomes a true skin scent around the ten hour mark, showcasing respectable overall technical endurance. When to Wear: Just Before stands as a definitive fall and winter fragrance that can be comfortably worn during either the day or the evening. The warm, resinous elements fit naturally for night wear, yet the unique minty woodiness and bright lemon work great under the sun as well. As for specific occasions, this is the exact type of warm, inviting scent profile that is perfect for special occasions like date nights where your goal is to be appealing and alluring. However, it carries enough sophistication to also be completely suitable for upscale formal wear as well, and it could easily function as a simple grab for a cozy, casual wear at home. I would definitely not wear it to a standard office environment though, where its immense room filling potency would come across as a bit too much. Blind Buy: Despite its many highly appealing aspects, I would not necessarily call Just Before a safe blind buy for the average wearer. I was fully expecting a sweet and ambery explosion, and while that is certainly a main part of the fragrance, that distinct minty woodiness remains incredibly persistent throughout the entire life of the fragrance on skin. Some people will genuinely enjoy that interesting, unexpected artistic juxtaposition, while others will find it highly off-putting. Thorough testing on skin is highly recommended to make sure this unique twist actually fits your personal taste. Final Verdict: Evaluating this release as a blind buy places it somewhere right in the middle of the spectrum. It is definitely not the worst blind gamble I have ever taken, but it is certainly far from the best either. I was originally drawn to this creation for one specific reason, and that was the promise of a rich blend of vanilla, woods, and warm resins. That is technically what I received on skin, but that unusual, prominent minty facet within the palo santo profile just did not strike my nose in an appealing way. I have encountered palo santo many times before, in fact it happens to be a major, defining component of one of my favorite Tom Ford fragrances, Ebene Fume, but I was fully expecting a soft, dry, and smoky woodiness like I get from that blend, not a distinct mint. While I think Just Before is a genuinely well crafted fragrance, and the bottle itself is quite literally a hand painted work of art, it ultimately falls short on wearability for my specific tastes. The creative choice to emphasize a cooling, aromatic mint texture directly inside a heavy balsamic base creates a friction that doesn't quite resonate with me, meaning this is simply not a fragrance I see myself getting a lot of real wear from in the future. For that reason, I will probably end up passing this bottle along and selling it to an enthusiast who can fully embrace its polarizing blueprint. Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 8/10 Sillage: 9/10 Versatility: Average Compliment Factor: High Gender: Unisex Value: Fair

Smells good but a little generic. Nothing special. The palo santo stands out the most for me. Will not buy a fullsize.

there is some note that stopes this perfume from being elevated

On MY skin, this gem works totally different than Seta or BR540, the only similar perfume I can mention is What About The Pop from the same THoO brand, but only the drydown of these beauties has some similarities, and reeeally not much. So for me, this is kind of a unique fragrance. The first rewiever mentioned the cough syrup, and I also can smell something sharp and medicinal in the first 20-30 minutes, but then it starts to thrive into a beautiful spicy-woody scent. Palo Santo & myrrh & sandalwood & vanilla works together perfectly, and sometimes I can detect a hint of flowers, I guess the ylang shows itself - but that feeling comes and goes, so on me, this perfume is waaay too far from boring. :) Longetivity & sillage are both quite good.

To my nose this is a tamed version of Initio's Psychedelic Love... A bit more saffron, much closer to the skin and almondy oud replaces the heliotrope. Similar use of notes, only Initio's creation was out first and is a beast performer. THOO, on the other hand, has a much better presentation and is probably much better in more close encounters as it is not as nuclear!!! If you like the idea of Psychedelic Love but found it too overwhelming and strong, Just Before is for you!!! I do not find it similar to BR540 (except that both are using subtle sweet saffron note). I also feel this is true unisex while Psychedelic Love leans a little more feminine.

I blind bought this and absolutely love it! It is spicy, woody, slightly sweet and perfectly unisex. I can't wait to wear this in the Fall. Serious projection and longevity, like most from this house. The bottle is a stunning metallic matte finish. If like scents like Black Opium, Italica, Bouquet Ideale, Dates Delight, Angels Share, Oajan, or Side Effect, you will love this one. This is a spicy woody gourmand dream. It opens spicy and woody and dries down to a slightly sweet and spicy bomb. So gorgeous and very sexy.

This is such a stunning and unique fragrance. I disagree with people saying this is unoriginal. On my skin I get a beautiful palo santo/vanilla mix that I love. A warm and mysterious fragrance, unlike anything I have in my collection. I disagree with it smelling like Baccarat Rouge, I cannot stand that fragrance and this is nothing like it. I get whiffs of it throughout the entire day, sillage isn't huge but I don't mind that as I myself can smell it all day. And the bottle is absolutely stunning.

I must admit, after trying the sample for about an hour, I am shocked (!) there are no non-citrus fruit notes. 95% lovely linear vanilla honey, but the remaining 5% is definitely fructose of perhaps a berry on my skin. Agree with all the other reviews. Lovely scent, but wouldnt pay more than $120 for it, and retail price is steeper. Might buy if I can get it on sale, but I will probably buy something else that is vanilla honey on my wishlist instead.

Blind test notes: Starts off sweet. A little uneventful. And then boom I smell something pungent, maybe a tart vetiver. Back to uneventful sweet vanilla. It's pretty nice, but again with this line - the bottle aesthetics is where the value is at here. None of these last well on me I've tried several. ***Sample swap - UK - get in touch ***

I concur with blake.lee’s review and with regards to resemblance - check ELDO’s Frustration. They aren’t dupes, but if you like one, you’ll like the other - the feel (base?) is similar. I personally like Frustration much better. Not just as a scent, put as price/quantity ratio too. No resemblances with BR540.

This is nice! Smells of Christmas, cinnamon candy, honey, campfire, other sweeties and an absolutely gorgeous smooth, creamy woody, vanilla. There is so much going on but the overall feeling is very cozy. You have to like spicy, sweet scents. I love them!

There has to be anise in here. I received a small sample and the first thing I noticed is it smelled exactly like SPRINGERLE cookies. It's a German cookie my mom makes for Christmas every year and this is exactly what it smells like.

This is an ode to Hermes eau des merveilles line, closer to elixir imo with more rounded edges and converted to modern taste. I would still pick elixir des merveilles over this. More daring with the prominent signature dirty orange .

A very strange fragrance. I can barely smell anything at the beginning and in the base it smells to me like the lighter version of Baccarat Rouge 540 (EDP)

Liquorice ice cream on paper. Smooth oriental on skin. Oud, sandalwood, amber, vanilla, oakmoss and a touch of incense. Very enjoyable!

This is yummy and pretty... to my nose it smells like Hypnotic Poison layered with Baccarat Rouge 540.

whoever said this smells like lamyland by rick owens needs to be sent into the fiery pits of hell

The saffron in this reminds me of BR 540. This THOO is more subdued and fruitier.