Alexandria Orientale

This scent is addicting to me. I really do enjoy Alexandria II, but this feels more masculine on my skin. For me, this is an “eyes roll back in your head” fragrance. The animalic oud note is absolutely intoxicating. The floral notes complement the oud perfectly without overpowering it. The cedar and sandalwood deepen its complexity. The hints of leather and tobacco give it a handsome feel. Everything is so well balanced, and the unique woody dry down is exactly what you desire from an Oriental fragrance. Animalic oud probably needs to be “your thing” to enjoy this. I am less sensitive to what some people call a “barnyard” smell; in fact, I seek it out. To me, Alex O is a brilliantly polished presentation of this type of oud. This is probably a fall/winter fragrance for me. It’s not cheap, but I think it’s actually a pretty good value for the quality of oud fragrance. The other fragrances that have given me this feeling are like 3x the price or more. (If others have recommendations I should try, please DM me!) This is totally worth it IMO. Def has the Alex II DNA, but it feels completely different when you wear it. I want to say again that I think this blend is truly brilliant. It may not be for everyone, but some (like me) will not be able to get enough. Bravo!

An excellent oud fragrance. It certainly isn't for everybody, and that can be inferred by simply scrolling through some of the other reviews below. The opening is strong. Some say it is fecal in nature. I understand where they are coming from, but to my nose, there is something intoxicating about it. If the opening is not your thing, you should give the rest of the lifespan a chance - this fragrance evolves as the hours pass, it is anything but linear. You get this beautiful woody dry-down that is very different to the opening. I almost want to say there is a unique "earthly" quality to it, akin to soil. The way I've just described it probably doesn't sound very appealing, but I think it can only really be understood by smelling it yourself. Longevity is great in my experience. I would argue this is definitely one of the more polarising fragrances in my growing collection. So, you can imagine my surprise when I received a compliment at work on my 2nd wearing - it's not what I would describe as a conventional compliment-getter! Love this one. I think you will need to like animalic ouds to appreciate this.

This one is another oud masterpiece.The oud is dominant in this one not like its sister which is a masterpiece in and of itself. If you enjoy oud you will like this one. Excellent Christmas present from my beautiful wife. UPDATE: The green apple and incense and leather blend beautifully in the opening. The middle floral pleasantly unfold with a hint of woodiness from the cedar. The Orris adds a slight powderness transforming this to something elegant and alluring. The base is when the oud and the sandalwood come in. The oud is definitely the main player at the end but did appear briefly in the opening. The sandalwood smooths this out perfectly. I faintly detect vanilla flavored tobacco in the mix. If you have the OG this can be purchased as they are not similar enough not to.

Back again with Alexandria DNA 2, it can be said to be the flanker of the A2. I think it’s overpriced with the smell that isn’t wow. Opened with the scent of basil and apple, with a slight touch of tobacco and leather on the back. It can be said that this is a fresh and soapy alternative to A2, if you do not like A2 I assure you will definitely like this A Orientale. It opened like an apple-aromated car in a taxi, with the nuances of an old taxi. It’s not a scary smell, but it’s also not a luxurious smell. After this phase, it will enter the original A2 DNA with its light and some twists.

This is a beautiful take on the original! I might be the only one who thinks this, but I swear there’s a slight bubble gum note in the mid that is absolutely flawless! Orientale seems to replace the powdery profile of the original with a creamy sweet (almost juicy) accord in the mid. It’s too early to tell, but I think I prefer this to the original. There’s just something about this fragrance that is absolutely breathtaking! Definitely a 10/10 perfectly crafted work of art! I will definitely be purchasing a full bottle when my decant runs dry