Gao

EN I discovered this company at the fair Fragranze 2012 in Florence Italy. It wasn't easy to find then the store that sells fragrances to the regular customer like me, but in the end I was able to buy the whole line from the site ausliebezumduft.de I must say that there is a system to buy perfumes Xerjoff paying the relatively low price (the normal price of the bottle of 50 ml is up to US$ 260-325). Since the Shooting Stars line and the Oud Stars line are the masterpieces of artistic perfumery, it is worth to buy the Shooting Stars - Discovery Sets - Part One and Part Two and Oud Stars Collection - Discovery Set that cost US$ 208 for each of the first two sets and US$ 254 for the Oud collection set. Of course there are the Discovery Sets for XJ17/17 Collection (US$ 331) and XJ Casamorati 1888 Vintage Collection (US$ 182), but personaly I do not like the last two lines, so I didn't order them. In each set there are 6 fragrances of 15ml each and therefore the price for a volume of 50 ml drops to US$116 for Shooting Stars collection and to US$142 for Oud Stars collection instead of USD$ 260 and US$ 325 for full version bottles. IT Ho scoperto questa casa di profumi alla fiera Fragranze 2012 a Firenze. Non era poi facile di trovare il negozio che vendesse i profumi ad un mortale come me, ma alla fine sono riuscito ad acquistare tutta la linea dal sito ausliebezumduft.de Devo dire che c'è un sistema per comprare i profumi di Xerjoff al prezzo relativamente molto basso (il prezzo normale della bottiglietta di 50 ml arriva a circa €200-250). Visto che tutta la linea Shooting Stars e la linea Oud Stars sono i capolavori della profumeria artistica, vale la pena a comprare il Shooting Stars - Discovery Sets - Part One and Part Two e Oud Stars Collection - Discovery Set che costano €160 per ciascuno dei primi due e €195 per la collezione Oud. Ovviamente esistono anche i Discovery Sets per XJ17/17 Collection (€255) e per XJ Casamorati 1888 Vintage Collection (€140), ma quest'ultimi a me non piacciono. Nel ciascun set ci sono 6 profumi nelle bottigliette di 15ml e quindi il prezzo per un volume di 50ml crolla a €89 per Shooting Stars collection e €109 per Oud Stars invece di €200 per Shooting Stars e di €250 per Oud Stars.

This is a potent and very "serious" scent. Definitely a blast of medicinal oud with saffron sharing dominance with the oud. Somewhat jarring on first spray, yet alluringly calling for you to repeatedly sniff your wrists. The resins are certainly present, as is another element that I cannot identify... perhaps the cypriol oil? I don't have a reference for what that note even is, to be totally honest. Overall, this is nice but as others have mentioned, very similar in overall style to Montale, although I can't think of exactly what Montale. The oud in this is extremely reminiscent of Montale's Dark Aoud... but Dark Aoud is all about oud and a little bit of sandalwood... and nothing else. The saffron and resins add another dimension to this that makes it overall more satisfying to me. I wear this when I'm in a contemplative mood. It is not really a comforting scent although I could see how it could be for others. As Jack Hunter's review alludes to, this is far away from being a safe scent, and thus I would caution that versatility is low, as this perfume has enormous projection and sillage.

Oud Stars Gao is rich, opulent, oily and thick; it is the only oud perfume that I truly love. When I first sampled this in winter, I was not a fan of the (much talked about) medicinal, menthol- like notes paired with the thick, oily oud. A few months later, the temperature had risen and the sun was beginning to punctuate the days more- this was the key to unlocking this gorgeous scent. The warmth of the summer days gives the menthol something to keep it in check, and so, the medicinal scent ended up being the reason I love this. Without it, this would be like many other ouds- a winter scent that’s opulent but not particularly unique. Instead, this is an oud that keeps its challenging, powerful DNA whilst being wearable on warmer days (and I would recommend wearing in the warmth- not the winter!) It’s essential to try this before buying and also essential to let your nose ‘acclimatise’ to the scent over a few months before you decide whether you like it or not. I gave it a fair chance and as a result, was rewarded with an incredibly well performing and opulent summer oud fragrance.

This fragrance is heaven-sent. I love oud frags and am always in search of the perfectly blended oud-based scent. This one is a combination of saffron, cypriol oil, oud, juniper and balsamic notes. All are my favourites, but the beauty of this is the blend - a smooth exotic mesmerizing sexy wearable unisex perfume that really pushes my buttons. Needless to say, performance is 10/10 on all parameters. I own and wear both Montale's Aoud Musk and Gao and I certainly can see the similarities but I have to say that Gao is a little more smoother-edged and performs better. I am a little surprised by the poor reviews on this one - oh well, to each his nose.

I'm a fan of the oud/cypriol combo so I love Gao. The ratings here aren't the highest as it probably not for everyone; it could be considered a little dark. Its not the sweet, fruity, willy wanka juice popular with so many these days. For me the oud and cypriol give this a woody camphor smell which for me reminds me of a forest. In today's world of synthetics it is nice to still have natural options or at least natural smelling options. This smell transports me to the forest in my mind. I find it funny in one of the review below they mention this has synthetic vibes; I couldn't disagree more.

This is kinda challenging at first, but the drydown is very nice. The main note I get from this is saffron, it smells very much like real saffron fibers, at least in the opening. Then in gets smoother and woodier. Personally, even if I don't like rose that much, I think it could have used a tiny bit of rose – I tried layering it with Black Rose by Swedoft and it's really amazing how it changes Gaos harsh, "plastic" opening into something more reminiscent of Fars. That said, it definitely has it's qualities even without rose to smoothen the edges.

A gorgeous blending of high quality saffron with oud, this mysterious and evocative offering by Xerjoff also contains notes of patchouli, amber, cypriol,and balsamic resins. The end product is a somewhat animalic, yet subtle fragrance that recalls the shifting sands of the Arabian peninsula. Only for very adventurous perfume lovers and those into exotic Oriental perfumery. In spite of heavy ingredients, the end product does not have overpowering sillage and projection and retains a refined understated luxury. Very high quality craftsmanship.

Like a shooting star crossing the evening sky across the Arabian peninsula, magnanimous. Probably the most powerful offering in the Oud Stars Collection. Gao displays Thai and Laotian oud in their most ethereal splendor, kissed in the heart by a multifaceted fiery saffron. The overall aroma is quite impressive, gothic, intriguing, Nothing flowery , or artificially sweet was added to soften this beast. Gao is a bombastic woody spicy creature of the highest quality. The magnificent powerhouse rest on a rich ambery bed of resins & woods.

This is an amazing drydown but the opening feels like smelling salts. Synthetic rubber and cough syrup in the opening. But man the drydown is great. A dark masculine woody scent wrapped in a blanket of spicy smoke. This is my first impression of Xerjoff and this is my favorite fragrance. I only smelt the drydown of terroni once because some kid at my school was wearing it and this is very similar. Just go easy on the sprays and time it right and this is a work of art

Okay, I quite like this oud fragrance and it performs quite well on my skin lasting 12+ hours and leaving a very nice scent trail for hours. Sadly, I've smelled this oud, saffron, resins combo numerous times before and this is no better quality than the one's I have smelled Montale and Mancera for a fraction of the cost. Scent: Quite a likable full-flavored oud Performance: Quite good Value: Quite Poor

This smells exactly like an Oud oil I purchased from Abdul Samad Al Qurashi, this natural extracted oil costed 400$ for 12ml, this wasn’t the highest range nor the cheapest. I think Xerjoff wanted to mimic this kind of oil.

Ok so after 2 wearings this dries down to a very similar oud musk by montale veryyy similar and for half the price I would splurge on montale. This is still great smelling very very potent 8.0/10!

It is funny, but the great part of this perfume starts 24 hours after spraying. And the same experience I have with Tiziana Terenzi - Nero oudh. Both are intoxicating the next day :)

This is an amazing fragrance. Complex but unique. I have used it three times and each time I have gotten compliments. That has not happened to me with any other fragrance ever.

Gao is a beast mode oud scent! Super rich and woody with a spicy kick that lingers for hours. Not for the faint of heart, but if you love bold fragrances, this one's a winner.

This is gorgeous. Slightly resinous, slightly smokey, slightly animalic oud. Not western oud, not too challenging either. Just beautiful

To me it smells wonderful. Different, though, reminds me of Byredo's Oud Immortel, which I love

Great oud fragrance. Its spicy and dirty ! Strong projection and performance.

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If you usually prefer clean, rounded woods with a touch of sweetness, this is probably not the right direction. The opening shows a very distinct burnt nuance. It is not the typical smoky tone found in many woody fragrances. It sits closer to the smell of heated resin, hot rubber, or fuel vapors. This effect comes from the nature of oud itself. Oud is not a single smell but a complex mixture of molecules, some of which produce notes reminiscent of charred materials, leather, rubber, and occasionally a faint plastic-like edge. Saffron plays a prominent role here. It is dry, bitter, and sharply spicy. When layered with the oud, the result feels intense. At close range, the scent can carry a noticeable rubber-like quality, similar to a dark material exposed to high heat. After some time—the transition is not particularly quick—the initial burnt-plastic impression begins to fade. The oud becomes more recognizable, showing hints of medicinal tone and aged leather. The composition never turns into a smooth or polished wood scent. It remains darker and drier, more stable than the opening but still outside mainstream preferences. In the drydown, oud, amber, and patchouli dominate. The profile settles into a dense, resinous, dark woody base. The amber does not add sweetness; it mainly increases weight and persistence. The defining feature of this fragrance is that initial impact of burnt fuel and rubber-like warmth. It does not rely on softness or comfort. The character carries a certain sharpness and presence. From a stylistic standpoint, it leans masculine.