Valentino Noir Absolu Oud Essence

This one reminds me of sheikh abdullah if anyone knows it from kuwait. In general here's my review for what I can smell: The opening is very spicy, oudy and pungent! If you are a westerner (mostly white) then this is not for you probably, this is really intended for middle-eastern and specifically gulf people, the darker desert skin people, works perfect. I must admit that it is not easy to swallow type of perfume if you are not familiar with oud, so be careful buying it blindly. There's some sweetness in the background (assuming it's the sandalwood) and it makes it really pleasant. the leather in it is very faint and dark in the background so i wouldn't say it is leathery, but it is more on the woody oudy side. The cedar plays very gently within the notes, its more like a hint of violin in the background playing faintly between other instruments, but it definitely works well. as for saffron, i actually don't smell it at all. I dont know how myrtle smells like, but i am assuming the note that i can not identify is the myrtle, which is nice but very very subtle. There's a hint of powdery accord to the perfume that makes it exactly right and not irritating (because i hate powdery accords) but starts to be noticed after about an hour and disappears very quickly. after 3 hours the smell is very well rounded and smooth, smells more woody and smoky / incense and oud to it with a hint of sweetness which is very elegant. I imagine this perfume to be worn while going to an opera or a classical music concert at night, this is more of a winter / fall perfume, but some people could still pull it off in the summer (night only). You could wear to the office, but you really need to be wearing an amazing suit and working with a high-end company (simply because this perfume is really classy and of high quality). I put three sprays on my hand and the first impression is quite harsh (if you don't have the nose for it) so spraying this and seeing people immediately might offend them. it cools down quite fast (30 minutes) and it already becomes warmer and deeper than the initial stage. (which is less offensive to people) and if you have the right skin then you are actually going to turn heads, because it is unique. It has a slight dry effect to it that really makes it very intriguing in the initial couple of hours. after an hour it is just heaven (almost wanna lick my hand to taste it) that kind of goodness. For the price (40$ in the UAE) i would say 10/10 performance: 9/10 it really shows the good quality of used ingredients smell / quality: 8.5/10 sillage: 8/10 uniqueness: 8/10 not super unique (if you are into oud), but definitely special in its own way. longevity: 7.75/10 (first 30 minutes very strong 10/10, then for 2 hours going strong 8/10, then continues for another 3 hours a bit weaker 7/10, then continues for another 3 hours with an okay strength 6/10 "total of about 8 hours of good performance and projection" oud quality: 8.5/10 very very good oud (almost excellent) Enjoy :)

Noir Absolu Oud Essence is not Zoo Hyrax or Tropic of Capricorn. Noir Absolu Oud Essence is buttery smooth, warm, woodsy, and just modestly animalic- not the literal barn people seem to be experiencing.The best part of Noir Absolu Oud Essence is actually a desert-desiccated amber that is unlisted in the notes. Combined with a bone-dry cedar+sandal, I get flashbacks to Taur L'Air du Desert Marocain. Noir Absolu Oud Essence skips any sweet resin, though, and adds in a wonderfully mammalian musk and a surprisingly gentle, but bright oud. Noir Absolu Oud Essence is not bombastically strong like it's sister scent, Noir Absolu Musc Essence, but it buzzes around you for 12 hours. Something magical happened with Noir Absolu Oud Essence. When I first received it via mail several months ago, it smelled pleasant, but too similar to the standard leather-oud men's fragrances that are so common now. It had that Brut cologne-y undertone that seems to pervade anything labeled "Men's" and it was not particularly interesting. So, I put it in my swap/sell list. After trying it many months later, the scent has completely changed, and I really enjoy it now. It is truly unisex and matches the luxury almost-niche vibe of Noir Absolu Musc Essence. It obviously uses synthetics, but it never smells symthetic. I still prefer Noir Absolu Musc Essence, but Noir Absolu Oud Essence still impresses me.

A lot of hate for this one. I guess that Valentino tried to do some kind of a semi-niche line, introducing this one an its Musc sibling as two stand alone scents, while suggesting layering them with the rest of Valentino male and female releases. I think that the whole project quite failed, not sure if it was because of bad marketing (you can hardly find them anywhere - or this was a part of presenting them as limited niche fragrances?) or because of the tons of hate that they got on reviews, which are really unfair in my opinion. While they are less that 1 year on the market, you can find the online with great discount. I tried it some days ago and I was really impressed. I had read terrible reviews already and what I got was a very interesting and more wearable Armani Prive Oud Royal. Not sure if it worths the 150$ for the 100ml, but it is an interesting perfume. Longevity was something like 5 hours, with moderate projection. It worths a try. Follow my scent journey on instagram instagram.com/scentsexual *This review was written after several full wearings of the perfume and not just after smelling this on paper or on wrist.

Very animalistic Oud. Wow and from a safer designer House. Maybe they are showing they are serious. Love it. Does last and broadcast. A lot goes a long way here. At first when sprayed you’re like it’s OK, some Valentino DNA but then ten minutes later the drydown begins. Leather first than quality Oud sneaks in. Then it: Smacks you in the face...you’re like “say what!” Great job here Valentino. And it last and lingers. I thought I was wearing a super very expensive niche for awhile when I first sprayed on.

When I first got it I thought it was ok but when I found out it was also made to layer with other fragrances I tried it with Uomo Noir Absolu and it makes a beautiful combination, maybe even one of my signature scents for colder weather. Performance is good too, I was lucky enough to score a bottle of this for under $40. Definitely not blind buy safe.

Smells like as if you're at a black tie event, but you made a stop at the barn first. May not fill a room or last for a day but the dry down is incredible.

This is STUNNING ! Thanx God I decided to blind buy it ! Oud, soft leather and hint of coffee (why ? my nose ?) Like but it'll be Love soon )))

I'm a big fan of this fragrance. Great on its own and you can personalize it by mixing it with fruity or citrus accord fragrances.

@ameda this is one of the most technically accurate reviews I've ever read on Fragrantica, absolutely spot on...!!!

Valentino Noir Oud Essence EDP : "Amber Woody"/2018 release/ Nose: Julien Rasquinet Notes without position in listing: Oud, Leather, Sandalwood, Saffron, Cedar, Myrtle If one more person says 'challenging' I'm gonna scream. I think 'challenging' is really good manners, but probably is more like 'bordering on sucks, but I haven't made up my mind yet.' I do like good manners so maybe 'challenging' should stick around. Straight To It: I am an animalic lover but not just always. I have to be in the mood. I like it in the fall weather or winter. If people are burning wood and the air is scented, this climate goes so well with a semi-animalic oud. This fragrance is not really 'semi-animalic'. It is well in the zone but there are even more animalic fragrances out there. Side Rant: As I went more into animalics I learned that some of the stronger ones are an acquired taste. For example. . . Roja Dove's 'Britain' is not for newbies. I hated it. The genius of Roja Dove is how the fragrances evolve. Now. . . I love Britain. You know. . it kinda bucks and kicks at first. Save this one for later. I think Polo Supreme Leather is a great starting point and just so unique and wonderful. For me, animalics have a real feeling of past times. In the castle, heavy fog outside, almost got killed hunting a wild boar in the Bohemian Forest. Time for some port to warm up. You know. . . like that. Animalics Are The Past: Times when our relationship with Earth was different. We were more helpless before nature. More humble. More simple. More desperate for the simple things. WE were animalic. OK starting to get weird. Fecal is a Death Blow Fragrance Review Word: Fecal. . . .Yeah, I just wanted to test market and spend millions on R&D just for something that smells like POOP. Yep. Just for some sucker to buy thinking it smelled Rich. Uh, POOP is Rich?!!! Oh, I see, that would be Stinkin' Rich. Fecal--right--- Is it time to spank the poodle with a magazine for crapping on the orange shag carpeting for the tenth time? No. Do not spank with a magazine. The poodle is just as smart as alot of kids. A mildly edgy voice works well on cats and dogs. Do the kids need to be spanked? Now we are really getting into a mess. Back to the Review: I will concede this point: I think the Valentino Oud Extreme is somewhat animalic. The quality is somewhat heavy . Other reviews have hinted it is fecal. For about twenty seconds it is right up to the edge. A fast dry-down brings it close to the skin with a nice woody (Sandalood?) and wintery, earthiness (Cedar?). Who is Myrtle, Where is she? What about Saffron--how about her? Not. The major first open of animalic really vanishes quickly. This fragrance does not last that long. It becomes a skin scent super fast. One reviewer detected a Tobacco scent which is not on the list. If you hit it harder on the spray it really does seem to be there for only a short time. Maybe even a chocolate/tobacco. I learn from the fellow reviewers who are just terrific. Hit it harder and the experience is entirely different than just one spray on the flat of each arm. Darn Good/Kinda Different-- all the way with a heavy application!!!! The animalic quality is offset in a heavier spray. In fact, a heavier application changes the entire animalic/oud balance. This is really fun. More is not just more. More is different. I don't think I have ever encountered this. Alright: Evaluate this in decant. Hit it hard on the spray to get the right balance of notes. Why? I guess it is because of the scent of skin chemistry. Do not blind buy unless you are pleased with animalic/ouds in general. Not for a first date unless you are a vampire.

When we refer to a scent as 'animalic,' exactly which part of which animal we mean is usually left completely open to interpretation. The 'animalic' oud note that dominates the opening of VNAOE (I'm no expert but it smells to me like Cambodian supported by a synthetic oud accord) is reminiscent of herbivorous farm animals' dung, rather than hay or rooty earth or 'medicine' found in other ouds. There's no getting around it and those who find that smell intolerable will never get on with this fragrance. After the initial strong blast of stable yard rolls off however, this perfume develops into a rather inoffensive smoky leather and amber affair that wears pleasantly close to the skin. The dry down is very dry indeed and does not last or project as well as I would like, but I do enjoy it. Unfortunately, reapplication just takes you back to the cow shed rather than extending the gentle latter phase. Not designed or destined to be a crowd pleaser, VNAOE is like a middle class analogue of Malle's The Night - off-putting to many but with much to recommend it beyond the barrier to entry.

today, after a couple of months i sprayed it during the warm september weather ... just starring at my perfume collection full of hermeses, acqua di parma, van cleef and arpels collection extraordinaire ... am just full of anything too cytric, too powdery, too oudy, too generic, too acquatic .... and tried this not expecting anything at all !!!!! (and i definitely am not a fan of any barnyardy oud and i think Santal Royal or Au thé Noir are definitely not pleasant for the people around you and definitely not pleasant for user at all) .... but this, this is pleasant again ... just for a gentle september breeze, it ́s not sweet at all , it ́s not encre noire (dark bat in the cave), it ́s not burnt wood, it ́s not asphalty, sharp synthetic like Santal Royal or Oud Essentiel ...

i ́m overwhelmed by the depth of the notes and quality itself, all that smell is sooo well crafted, simply said: niché quality worth of 200euros, quality of Tom Ford Tobbaco Oud type of a scent.Glad i bought it right before it ́s discontinued and will never appear on the shelves again. Valentino made such a good perfumes for such a lovely price. It ́s a huge pity this whole line is discontinued because L ́Oreal took over it.

The best designer version of traditional Oud I have smelled. It has all of the facets of Oud without being too skanky or medicinal. Leather is also prominent, and it is not a clean leather usually used by designers. Excellently blended, and worth the high price tag if this kind of scent profile is your thing. Definitely not a crowd pleaser, but also not likely to offend. Confidence is needed to wear it effectively.

Very unusual for a designer scent. Not too loud, the lasting power is pretty good. I would say it's a wearable oud that transforms into leather and sandalwood after some time. Unisex for sure

Not very impressed. Not that its bad or anything but I'd rather take Hugo Boss Bottled Oud, same oud but more interesting because it has apple and cinnamon.

I have a small sample of this and I don’t love it on its own but I really enjoy using it as a layering scent to add some depth and mystery in the evening.

It's worth its price. But could use a little more 'fresh' scent rather than a strong powdery scent.

Blind buy due to the promising reviews. I have the Noir Absolu Musc and was impressed. I am blown away by this. It starts with spicy accords then dries down to a more oudy, sweet and leather scent. It is unisex but has a more masculine vibe to it. Longevity and sillage is outstanding.

A nice woody, dark, warm spicy oud. However, it has a strong civet-like animalic note that makes the scent fecal in a bad way.