Bohemian Oud

Why is this beauty so snobbed? This is on another level, even better then Zara Magnificently Dubai and Red Temptation Winter! I guess we could sum it up as a smoky spicy vanilla, but I see more in it, it almost verges on chocolaty incense, it truly has a bohemian soul...screams bohemian from every angle, it has lots of cacao which is almost always poetic but in here it is more then that...it's the way the cacao moves, it's the texture that makes it "bohemian", what do they say about bohemian people? A rolling stone gathers no moss...and the opening here is truly airy and free. Then everything is grounded by the musty oudy base and spices, just a flash of light from the immortelle and again...isn't that what inevitably happens to most bohemians soul? They are forced by the status quo. Then comes the incense, malinchony hits you and you want your bohemian freedom back. Maybe I see much poetry in it because I kinda fancy myself a bohemian (a little), in any case this truly delivered to me. Often those fancy name are just that...an illusion given to the customers in order to sell more. Or maybe it's just me, cacao always has this effect on me, see for instance Dolcelisir by L'Erbolario, that one too smelled pure bohemian, post 68's social rebellions disillusionment. In this Zara one the color of the juice fits splendidly too! By the way this would be incredible on man, probably one of Zara most unisex and complex perfume; the other of the same line, Chapter 4 Oud, are: two of them feminine and one pure masculine (Endless Oud), this one is the most unisex, and special to me since my mind made a specific association to which I will later get to. Now, on to the scent: the opening is strong, strong cacao powder, the most beautiful intense cacao powder with just the right temperature in between warmness (sweetness) and coldness (bitterness). What I can say is that it is splendidly powdery, as if it were initially harvest in a pod and after some commotion the powder were spread in to the air creating a cloud! It has a sensation of movement, as if it liberates itself in air, spreading itself and traveling fast to enter your nose and hug you like a Linus blanket. I like how it smells but what I like even more is this effect! The cacao never leaves the fragrance but it decrease in intensity, as if little by little it retires back to its original pod form. In this middle fase it is the oud that shines and it is surrounded by a general earthy background in which I suspect a tad of patchouli is present. Yes, it is synthetic, not a drop of real oud in here. I can not enter in a long essay on the matter, the review is alredy too long, nor I have the knowledge to do so. What I can say is that synthetic oud is used just like vanilla, rose, orris and all the others precious materials replicated in a synthetic form, so I don't see the harm in it. If you wear ultra niche and selective composition such as Areej Le Dore (I barely afforded just a sample) or proper middle eastern attars then you won't like this, but I can assure you Bohemian Oud can compete with many other western designer oud, that cost three times more. The kind of oud used is sweet, humid and much musty. It is clean in the sense that is not barny or animalic, not yet medicinal, but it is so musty, it is the connotation that I prefer! Zara already used something similar in Red Temptation Winter and also in Magnificently Daubai x Jo Malone but here it is fives times more potent and musty. Some light vanilla softens its edges. Black pepper starts to come forward and poses itself on the oudy base, its relationships with the cacao is much interesting...the blend is masculine, poetic and dark, but in this gloomy encounter there is a flash of light brought in by the immortelle. This flower is a trickster, it is complex and can come in many shapes and forms, I think in here it is only lightly spicy but much earthy, gives an hey and tabacco-y undertone that reverberates at the edge of the spice, and its central role comes in the form of a burnt sugar smell, but like raw burnt sugar/sugar cane more so then spun sugar; it must be the immortelle, unless there is some other note that creates this sort of effect, you can feel it's different from the proper molecule that usually creates that effect. It reminds a bit of the sweetness in the Red Teptation family (and Baccarat Rouge) but here is less crystallized, more soffused, less sweet and more smoked. The mid of the scent keeps enriching when another layer of spices comes forward, it is a mix and in it there is something that clearly resembles cardamom, but of a more multi-faceted quality then the usual one Zara uses, since it smells lightly mentholated but much more smoky and spicy. Finally in the mid, close to the dry down, comes the incense with all its poetic beauty! It is a mix between ecclesiastical incense and smoked incense: elegant, powdery but also much balsamic, it's lukewarm in temperature and much diffused and light, with nothing stale about it (which sometimes too I enjoy in incense). The whole mix is very rich because the general woody and musty oud background is also still present. Some of the cacao makes a return and it is now sweetened by the vanilla. The proper closing is all vanilla, a good quality too, I don't find it cheap at all. It is liquorish and it also smells like tonka, with some nuttiness, and a light confetti sweetness. The perfume has a great performance, similar to the other previous Zara Chapter line. Last for about 7 hours on me, with evolution and a dry down that lingers until the night. Projection is moderate and few sprays suffice. It is perfect for autumn. As I was saying in the opening of this review, the mood and spirit of this fragrance is indeed bohemian. It is something I would imagine of smelling on Bob Dylan or Patti Smith or on someone from the Jefferson Airplane. Actually...there is a much beautiful song by Donovan that the Jefferson Airplaine covered in their Live at the Fillmore East, New York, it is called Fat Angel, one great piece of psychedelic rock, the song was about an Hell's Angels which was quite atypical...very kind, always helping and never fighting, and they all say he used to smell like strong spices and wood, the tabacco from his pipe lightly projecting the smell in the air, they all remember him for it!!! Even the song says so... In my imagination he could have smelled like Bohemian Oud! I, like many other people, looked at this collection with doubts in my mind. First to the oud part...and then to those names. Zara too will be added to the list of those who are continuing to use and abuse the theme of oud, I thought... Oud and its usage has sprung quite a delicate debate, and while I am all for cultural appreciation, this is afterall an art material with centurys of usage and as such it should be approched with respect, even if we want to put aside the strong cultural connotation associated with it. But the result is of my liking, I can't help it...first this of Bohemian Oud and secondly that of Perpetual Oud. I like it so much that I will add a spare bottle in my cabinet. As for comparisons I can say Zara Magnificently Dubai is more medicinal, masculine and bitter, much more cardamom centered; By the Fire Place from Replica, Maison Margiela is more musky, different spices and wood, also balsamic in a different way; now Pepe Nero by Nature's...that one is pretty close but much more boozy and the chocalate is "material", more solid, not an airy powdery cacao, I have smelled and tried them all.

Bohemian Oud is, without a doubt, my favourite of the four pieces in the Chapter N ° 4 collection, followed by Endless Oud , Perpetual Oud , and last but not least, Hipster Oud. I appreciate them all, but Bohemian Oud’s what made me say, “whoa”! It has a wow factor and is nothing, but I would say a delicious chocolaty incense. Bohemian Oud caught my mind when I tested them in-store with its powerful incensed twist. It engulfed me. It is an accord that transpires immediately in the headnotes, unlike other perfumes that put incense between the heart or base notes. You can’t imagine what this pale blue-grey juice smells like. And I find it a little hard to describe because I’ve smelled nothing like this beauty. It is not an ecclesiastical incense, but something that makes a bar of chocolate looks like someone has subjected it to a smoking process. It is sublime; it displaces me; it captures me. Inspired by the precious tanned leather of the East, ZARA has reinvented suede in its creations. In Bohemian Oud, the warm cocoa bean evokes the softness of the finest suede, and the black oud wood enhances the powerful scent of tanned leather. Bohemian Oud is a masterpiece, perhaps underestimated, in which incense is the backbone, copiously wrapped in a drape made of vanilla and leather. The nose sewed cocoa and immortelle notes into this drape and sprinkled everything with grated black pepper powder. It is such a complex fragrance that one might think about the layering combination of niche scents. The first thing that hits my nose is an aroma similar to liquorice, with a hint of slightly withered flowers. It is the smell of stale cut flowers but also that of chrysanthemums. This smell has many nuances: candied or dried fruit, hay, honey, camomile, leather, and curry. For those unfamiliar with these nuances, they are some ways the helichrysum flower manifests itself. Miserably, I was too hasty in my initial statement when I wrote, “... with a liquorice accord created by an overdose of incense and cocoa.” Actually, although the two notes come out clearly, it is the immortelle that creates the liquorice-like vibe. Afterwards, black pepper is what I smell right away in my face, sharp and spicy, in the initial blast, together with a gummy and smoky incense. I feel the sharpness of the pepper is more present on the paper strip or the sprayer. Instead, I get it on my skin for just a few moments. It is faint, and I must put my nose close to the skin to capture the spicy note. Instead, I get much of the touch of incense, which is there to darken the backbone. Okay, so the starter spray is superb dark chocolate with a hint of smoky incense. I think this comes from tamed Oud. Please, be aware that the Oud here is depurated, not animalic, faecal, or barnyard. Just minutes after that razor opening, it becomes very mellow, spicy, warm, and much safer. The most prominent note in the next phase is chocolate powder, together with patchouli and other woodsy notes, transforms into unsweetened cacao. Now the chocolate accord feels round and more profound than a cocoa froth. To me, resinous and smoky incense is also very prominent. This is stellar! This fragrance is purely a gourmand fragrance, with no citrus or floral notes, but the dried immortelle. It is a bitter chocolate note mixed with vanilla, smooth suede, and a tip of the Oud. Sweet, but slightly smoky. The best part about this fragrance is that it is not a gourmand in that it exists to emulate food or simply to be a “smell” of the taste of it. Both cocoa and vanilla turn out dusty, powdery, and not edible. The dry-down is all about dark chocolate perfectly blended with leather, Oud and resins. The latter dominate because these are in the top notes, but the secret is dark chocolate and vanilla well used for the sweet part and mixed with the leathery one. The patchouli adds the effect of chocolate and natural, earthy softness. Both vanilla and cocoa cut the sharpness of the spices and resins. The faintest touch of creaminess may be from suede-like addition, either labdanum or birch, and a nutty nuance may be from toasted vanilla and frankincense. It is smoky and smooth, has a bit of leather and smells like... unsweetened chocolate or cacao. Wow, what a surprise, this differs entirely from everything I have smelt. Initially, I take a heavily smoked cocoa, not the sweet type but parched and peppery; then, at first, it is pretty masculine, and the bottom is wonderfully smooth with a vanilla twist. The fragrance turns into a spicy, slightly leathery accord that is really addictive. Bohemian Oud is not for the faint of heart, or people who don’t like Oud or incense, because it is not the classic fragrance for your comfort zone, and it has a slant of masculinity and oriental style on a par with Middle East fragrances. I’m wearing it at work, and no one is offended. It is opulent and dense but not overwhelming. It fits properly in the cold month of fall and winter, both days and evenings, date nights, and special events. As for performance, projection and longevity are so-so, let’s say, below average. I need to reapply if I want to smell it all day. I'm basing my experience and review on a bottle I've owned since June 2022.

This is amazing. I am naturally drawn to smoky, woody, and spicy scents so this is right up my alley. The opening is indeed quite reminiscent of By the Fireplace, which is mine and my husband's favourite fragrance of all time. However, Bohemian Oud is more like a cousin than a twin. To make this distinction you may need to be well acquainted with By the Fireplace. It is certainly not an identical dupe, but it does share similarities and is definitely in the same family. It's opening smells like burning wood with a lot of pepper. By the Fireplace definitely smells more like a contained fire in an actual fireplace, whereas Bohemian Oud has a slightly astringent undertone that is reminiscent of an outdoor fire in the woods. There is a little something that is subtly evergreen about it's first impression which I greatly appreciate. The opening feels more like a fire out in an open forest with damp, fresh cut wood while BTF feels more like dry wood burning while staying cozy inside. I hope that makes sense. This description might lead one to believe this leans more masculine than BTF, but in my opinion, Bohemian Oud leans ever slightly more feminine as soon as it begins to dry. Once the opening settles, the cacao truly shines. Instead of the vanilla booziness in BTF, Bohemian Oud offers a gentle chocolatey touch–a sweetness that is needed, appreciated, intriguing, and a pleasant change from the typical vanillic sweetness, and doesn't lean boozy at all to me. TLDR; It opens more fresh than BTF but dries more gourmand and less smokey than BTF, though all elements are still detectable in both throughout their lifespans. Chefs kiss. If you like BTF, there is a very good chance you will like this. If you don't like smoky or woody fragrances, I'm not so sure it's for you. This DEFINITELY screams cool, crisp autumn nights by the fire and enjoying nature's beauty with good company. One spray on my wrist lasted about 3.5 hours. After that I oversprayed all over because I craved more even though it was definitely still detectable. I could still smell it on me and my husband the next day. My only regret? I didn't buy a second bottle. This is divine. Don't sell it out forever, please–I need more. I bought a bottle the day it launched and it's sold out in Canada already, of course. I lowkey hate being this honest but I must give credit where credit is due. As always though, this is a super misleading and ridiculous name for the fragrance. Do not trust paper samples with this one as the paper latches onto the fresh, peppery opening and doesn't develop the way it does on skin. On the skin, at least my skin, it transforms into something truly magical.

Despite the name emphasising "oud", i cannot say i detect any hints of authentic agarwood resin in this, unlike other ZARAs (Bergamot and Leather Spritz comes to mind), but for what it does have, this scent does it surprisingly well, certainly a standout from the ZARA lines sold in these tall cylindrical bottles. There are three main players in the note breakdown - smoke from the incense, robust leathery accord and spicy black pepper. The rest of the notes are way behind, in the background, maybe rounding up some of the rough edges, but barely noticeable and being dominated from start to finish by the hardcore smoke/ In the opening you can feel some of the powdery sweetness of the cacao and vanilla, but that quickly gets subdued by the smoky incense and rustic leather accord, and the later half of the opening is all about the incense and black pepper tingling your nostrils, and the drydown is robust smokey leather all the way down. It is not overly complex or multifaceted, but what it does it does it well. Not the most natural smelling notes you can get, especially if we involve niche scents, but not overly synthetic either, solid, unapologetically masculine cold weather fragrance from ZARA. Edit: Now, after sitting for a few days and being sprayed some, the smoke does not comes out quite as aggressive, and while still there, it is allowing the other notes to breath a little, even further enhancing the richness of the opening, the mix of black pepper and cacao comes out quite beautifully. Edit 2: I am yet again reminded why it is important to let fragrances breathe for a week or two before getting even a first impression. Now after oxidizing and even shaking up the bottle few times, the Oud is has finally arrived and it has been spectacular - easily comparable with Magnificently Dubai and Bergamot and Leather Spritz.

I have never bought a perfume so fast and with absolutely no hesitation before. I have also never felt the urge to talk about a perfume or submit a comment straight from the car after the purchase! I am in shock!!! I didn't see that coming..... 😳 I feel really astonished by this masterpiece. Scenes from a memory burst into my brain.(Been there-done that-kind of situation here:) Walks in the Mediterranean paths by the sea under the Greek pine trees in early summer, crushing the needles with my feet and smelling that earthy brown powdered ground. A friend opens a leather pouch with vanilla cream scented tobacco to stuff his pipe while we rest by a trunk. I'm eating some milk chocolate and take a sip of my filtered coffee. We remain in silence as we gaze the calm waters underneath. If I should indicate a particular place, this should definitely be an island like Agistri (close to Athens, Greece). The depiction of the smells above describes exactly the experience one gets from this perfume. In case you've never been to a place like that, just imagine a cognac-type of booze poured on a smoked wood (oud-incense) in the opening and creamy vanilla (sweet) with some cocoa powder (not sweet) in the dry down. I can relate the smell of Bohemian Oud with my beloved discontinued 💔 Angel Muse but without the honey accents, as well as the long forgotten Woman Chocolate by Zara (2013? release). 👌🏻10/10