The Oud Affair

Even as a girl who highly favors sweet girlish gourmands, I find this absolutely breathtaking. I was prejudiced against anything oud but as a longtime admirer of Ava Gardner I had to at least try The Oud Affair inspired by her - and it turned out surprisingly well, the fragrance having become almost an instant love for me. Honey is deliciously photorealistic, accompanied by smokiness that gets more prominent within a couple of hours and after a couple more hours begins to degrade slowly, giving way to slightly skanky oud and vanilla. I smell honey even after tobacco is no more. I was afraid that oud would dominate the composition but it is not the case here at all, and as I have a mild interest in classic 80s skank, the oud note does not bother me. This is a perfectly blended fragrance I get a strong sense of harmony from, like there is nothing about it that's wrong in the slightest. No off notes. Undeniably high quality. Quite straightforward but it doesn't take away from its beauty. It's just marvelous. During my ride home it leaned masculine for a while although the ride was longer than usual and the fragrance kept changing, seeming even feminine at times. I could imagine this actually having a spot on Ava Gardner's vanity. Good as it was, I felt unsure whether I just liked the scent or wanted to wear it as a perfume but the more time I spent with it the more I considered the latter. I won't rush to purchase it though because it is quite pricey but my first impression was very positive. It evolves beautifully and keeps your attention the entire time, and a perfume as captivating as this I would want to keep. It's the sort of fragrance you would spend your whole life looking for. Athmosphere-wise it creates a sort of romanticized idea of being a gangster moll and walking into your guy's speakeasy somewhere in the 1920s and you're just there being beautiful around men who smoke and drink and gamble and do business like men do. Great performance, solid 24 hours from a couple sprays, noticeable sillage for half that time. All-round terrific fragrance based off my first impression. Edit: I bought it and haven't had any regrets so far. It's become one of my favorites and I'll say it confidently, it is more than just perfume. It is memorabilia. A little goes a long way and 1-2 sprays will make the bottle last forever, justifying the price tag somewhat.

What a smoking, sultry affair. This is a tobacco scent with gravitas. Yes, more tobacco than oud. Tobacco is dark, smoldering and rich, and the honey is dry and dirty. I find that the tobacco is blended well with the subtle oud which doesn't present many of its animalic qualities. There is indeed a warm woody depth and a meditative darkness about The Oud Affair -- musky, moist pulp, slightly mealy. The honey is integrated well with vanilla, no syrup, no toothache sweetness, warmed with some ginger-spiced earthiness. I don't find any sharpness here. Indeed with similar notes there are commonalities with Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille and Phaedon Tabac Rouge. I find The Oud Affair my favorite blend of the three being a little more straight forward and bearing the same smoldering dark vapor I find in Vilhelm's Dear Polly. Two for two. I'm looking forward to experiencing more from this impressive house. Vilhelm is going to make me go broke.

I see this as a more delicate version of Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford. I prefer this one. Very attractive on a man. I don't like oud in general (with very few exceptions) and I don't detect much oud in this one. I clearly smell tobacco, a hint of leather, fantastic deep dark but somehow not sweet honey and vanilla which is also not sweet. Spiciness is subtle. I like subtle. Subtle is sexy. Very airy. Amazing longevity (at least 24 hours) and very good silage. The kind of fragrance that you want to experience again and again but in my case I want my man to wear it so that it can work its magic on his skin :-) UPDATE: So I've changed my mind. I want a full bottle of this for myself.

Warm, Comforting, intimate and luxurious. Like a cashmere sweater, this is a classy and refined offering. The opening to me reminds of fresh black tea with a dose of sweetness. A well-rounded fragrance that's smooth and alluring. The tobacco is fresh and reserved but neither smokey nor dark. The oud is very wearable, not animalic or fecal and pairs seamlessly with the tobacco. A more subtle but addictive scent both for yourself and those around you. If you love TF Tobacco Oud or Oud Wood or even Byredo Oud Accord, I highly recommend trying this soon.

Tobacco and Honey when used right can make and awesome fragrant combination and The Oud Affair is no exception. Here there's a spicier edge to it with a gingery incense note that add smoky character to the natural tobacco and honey sweetness. There's a woodiness as well but not in a typical Oud fashion. It a very mature date night evening out fragrance. Guerlain has a similarly good Tobacco Honey fragrance that is sweeter but lacks the smoky woody character of this. Both are unisex but in my opinion works best on a man. The Oud Affair in particular.