La Collection M7 Oud Absolu

Well, sometimes the purist side of ourselves screams more than the sensible and realistic side. M7 Oud Absolu is NOT the same as the original M7. Yes, this is true. But... the M7 feel is the same wearing all of the three formulations and the overral smell, even not bieng identical, is pretty much the same as the other two formulations. For the average guy, all three will smell identical after about 30 minutes. M7 Oud Absolu opens with a blast of myrhh and mandarin orange, with the oud very in the background. The feeling is very mineral and balmy, and is the major difference between the two other versions and this one. This open balmy and mineral, and the original M7 opens very medicinal, like a cherry cough syrup. This stay for about 20 minutes, that's when the oud comes. And comes very strong. The heart of this composition, whit stays about 30 minutes to 4 hours after the application is a mix of oud, myrhh, a little bit of labdanum (to give a resinous feel) and patchouli on the background. After this heart, the patchouli starts to appear as a major note. The base of this fragrance, that occurs about 4 hours after application is basically a mix between oud and patchouli, with hints of myrhh and labdanum (the same story again, to give the resinous feel of amber of the original M7). And it stays this way until the fragrance dies. I normally do 7 sprays with this one. The overall feeling is that you a wearing M7. It smells like M7 and the feeling is the same. Even having some differences in the scent, I can say that this is easily 90% the same as the original. And the changes that they made turned this one sexier and more modern. So, it can be a downpoint for some, but can be an advantage to others. Here go the ratings: Scent: 10 (Is M7. And is closer to the vintage formulation than the reformulation) Lasting power: 9 (8 to 10 hours on my skin. Weaker than the other two, but still excellent) Projection: 8 (Projects very well for the first 2 hours, then 2 hours of moderate projection and becames skin for the rest of the fragrance) Sillage: 6 (It leaves a scent trail, but disappears quickly from the place. Very elegant) Versatility: 8 (If it's not hot, you can wear it for about anything.) Final note: 9,5 It's still M7. And it's still a masterpiece. However, it's not the same as the others, and prefering the cherry cough syrup opening of the original than the mineral and balmy opening of Oud Absolu in addition to the lost of performance, this loses half a point in my book. But I love then almost equally. M7 will be forever my favourite fragrance ever, and this is a very close and cheap alternative for those who don't want to spend loads of money on the original M7. You will still be wearing the king M7 using this one. Nevermind the haters and enjoy M7 Oud Absolu!

Original M7 is an interesting fragrance, but somewhat rough and aggressive--that's what makes me think caused it to go out of the shelves. In contrast, M7 Oud Absolu seems to me as if the original juice was polished its rough edges, thus becoming much more pleasant and user-friendlier. My new bottle landed on my hands yesterday afternoon before coming back home. After unpacking it, I said to myself, "This is the same classic M7!" I sprayed some on my wrist, and I was blown away--yes, it is the same scent, but it's more rounded, creamier, and nicer; it's like they took the original juice, diluted it, and added more sparkling mandarin orange, myrrh, and labdanum to polish it so that more people can enjoy it. You can feel the typical cherry syrup vibe that is really unique (in classic M7, it's more like a raspberry syrup smell to my nose). For those who are wondering if this is the same old M7, I'd say this is 85-90% the original fragrance. When it comes to performance, M7 Oud Absolu offers fair longevity (4-6 hours), with moderate projection and sillage; it's not a beast as you can see, but classic M7 isn't that beastly, either--it sports 6-8 hour longevity, with medium sillage and projection. It stands out mostly at night, but it can be used in the daytime with fewer spritzes. Fragrancewise, M7 Oud Absolu smells wonderful! I like this one a lot more than its elderly brother, but I do wish performance was better. In my humble opinion, this perfume makes up for the absence of the old juice, and so it prevents us from having to spend too much money on it. Here's my rating: Fragrance: 10/10 Sillage: 8/10 Projection: 7/10 Longevity: 6/10 Value for Money: 7/10 Score: 7.6/10 AUGUST 5TH, 2017 UPDATE: At around 10 p.m. last night, I sprayed some on my left arm, and I was still able to feel it at 7 a.m. today. To me, M7 Oud Absolu is a superb fragrance, and let's take into account it's been produced by L'Oréal. This is my new rating: Fragrance: 10/10 Sillage: 8/10 Projection: 8/10 Longevity: 9/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Score: 8.8/10

I wanted to buy Tom Ford's Oud Wood, but I simply won't pay that much for such a small bottle. M7 Oud Absolu seems to be a great alternative. It's the cheapest Oud fragrance I could find, which I assume must be a consequence of it having less oud inside. I still get to smell enough of it and I really enjoy the sweet part, which seems to be mandarine (though I couldn't identify it). But it still smells manly enough, which is great. The only thing I miss from Tom Ford's Oud Wood is the woodier campfire deepness, like burnt wood. I don't get that here. So I might like Oud Wood a tiny bit more, but considering M7 gives me more liquid for less money, I will always opt out for the latter (unless I become a millionaire). EDIT: After longer use, I have to say I don't like the opening as much as the dry down. It starts weirdly, very slightly off-putting even. EDIT No. 2: After even longer use, I really have to say I have a love-hate relationship with this fragrance. I'm just not sure. Everytime I put it on I'm kind of disappointed I bought it, but then later in the day, especially when I have other perfumes on my body and smell the comparison, I always love it again. It smells high quality and really pleasant in the later hours. I don't hate the opening though. It is a pretty sharp one and the oud is nearly absent, but I can't say I hate smelling it. I don't love it, either. But for whatever happens later, right now I don't feel like tossing this fragrance yet (or removing it from my favorites / love-list). The problem is, before drydown hits, in order for it to really smell good in the first few hours, I have to breathe on my skin and quickly catch a sniff, or bury my nose into the skin. I don't have this issue with my other perfumes. I have no issues with the performance, it always lasts all day for me, but I don't think it projects very far for too long.

The Chronicles of Kapow or The Ultimate Fragrance Buyer’s Guide Until I Find a More Pompous Title: Entry Number 9 The amber-oud-patchouli effect works perfectly. The mandarin note in the opening is also very nice. This fragrance is elegant and mature. It has a touch of sweetness making it still accessible for a younger audience. It is a very comforting scent. The myrrh projects quite well, but the fragrance is not a beast and it quickly becomes more intimate. It is obviously an autumn or winter scent, but I can imagine wearing it in a cold spring evening too. I have just bought the new bottle to compare with M7 Oud Absolu. I am not sure there is a difference. The opening of the Oud absolu appears stronger, but this bottle macerated for ages. It still needs to be confirmed. Apart of that, it is the same scent. The original M7 was a blast and it was my signature for a while. It made history to become a legend, but it has to be replaced in its context too. Years later, this one is slightly different, but still very nice. It is smoother, less animalic and disturbing. I dare to say it is one of the nicest oud fragrance made by a designer available on the market at the moment. To find something better you have to go niche (Carved Oud by Thameen, Haltane by PDM...) or to be ready to pay TF prices (even Armani Privé Oud Royal or Ombre Nomade by Louis Vuitton). But still, this one will keep its charm. I am glad it remains available on the market. In my book, it deserves A-. I love this one, but a higher grade would show my personal bias.

This is a review of the black-dipped Oud Absolu bottle, not the clear one that seems to get panned for terrible performance. M7 Oud Absolu is an incredibly handsome and versatile fragrance, with a touch of darkness and romantic artistry that keeps both wearer and passerby interested. Compared to the OG M7's rosemary-heavier opening, Oud Absolu features more orange and an elevated patchouli note, delivering a slightly more dirty-earthy opening. Underneath is a base of oud and myrrh, which together provide a pleasantly light and sweet cough-syrup effect. Sounds maybe questionable, but it's actually fantastic. The oud is quite mild and approachable, and the overall product is quite well blended. I can't identify too much labdanum here. Comparing the original M7 with Oud Absolu, up close the original leans a hair sweeter and smoother with that incredible touch of rosemary. In the air, they're virtually identical. In terms of performance, the original M7 gets rave reviews for its longevity, but either my original M7 bottle has faded from age, or my nose simply grows anosmic to this whole DNA. Oud Absolu's performance is certainly a bit of a quieter fragrance, but that also enhances its compelling intimacy. Overall, both fragrances are phenomenal. I wouldn't fret about missing out on the original, because Oud Absolu gets you 95% of the way there. Earthier when smelling it up close, but otherwise almost identical impression and wearability