Virtuous Oud

A Pastel Cloud Of Oud Although the ZARA collection created by master Alberto Morillas includes four disparate fragrances, and I have purchased three of them, Virtuous Oud has not yet become part of my private collection. Not because I didn’t like it, on a whim, because I appreciated it too much or too little, or other trivial reasons. Simply, its citrus, floral and aquatic composition did not reflect my autumnal tastes, which I found perfectly in the other three. It is also very different from the other three: less warm, less full-bodied, and less demanding. And that’s why I didn’t rush to buy it. Until yesterday, when I saw that ZARA had put some lines of its perfumes on sale, almost at half price, I didn’t miss the opportunity to complete the Oud collection by adding this missing piece. And I’m happy I did. There are citrus, spicy, aquatic, and woody smells to Virtuous Oud, which makes itself known through a citrus and aquatic burst. The presence of calone is dominant and will be the backbone of the perfume for its entire duration. We know that calone can have different shades, ranging from fruity melon to greenish cucumber, to brackish, and ozonic. For this creation, master Alberto Morillas opted for the aquatic ozonic variant, which together with the peels of fizzy lemon and powdery bergamot, create a bright, sparkling opening, which smells of humid spring mornings with the sun reflecting among the myriads of dewdrops. The lemon is strong, unripe, and intense, like the Italian lemons of Amalfi, Sorrento, and Syracuse, the most fragrant of all. And it is precisely among these chords that the inspiration for one of the master’s masterpieces, Acqua di Giò, is hidden. I dare say that Virtuous Oud is a replica of Acqua di Giò, or rather, of one of the many flankers that have followed one another. My memory associates it with the Acqua di Giò Essenza variant. Still, almost certainly, by wearing it several times, one could grasp the nuances and vibrations of #giò Profumo or Acqua di Giò pour Homme EAU DE PARFUM. But this matters little since Virtuous Oud is virtuous enough to defend itself with its hands. This salty, lemony sensation lasts several minutes on the skin while turning to aromatic floral on the paper strip. Lavender makes itself felt, with herbaceous and metallic tones. Behind this harsh and humid explosion lies a soft cloud of oud, clean, candid, airy, or white, as the composition says. It is so delicate and well-dosed, not at all animalic or barn, that beginners will struggle to recognise it. Don’t stop here, and don’t judge it by the first notes because the perfume is complex, it evolves and changes, hour after hour. Entering the heart of the fragrance, a floral bouquet adds freshness and silkiness to the mixture. Lavender mixes with powdery flowers and metallic leaves. I recognise the dustiness of the iris and the greenness of the violet leaves. But violet leaves are not the only greenish ingredient. From afar, in the wake, the earthy profile of green vetiver roots and stems appears idle. There are moments when the fresh puffs recall a bit the barbershop genre, lemon and vetiver blend, a modern cologne that incorporates a veil of immaculate oud. The aquatic side is tamed and does not have too many references to marine, salt or algae scents. And this is good for me, who has always adored marine perfumes, to the point of becoming accustomed to the Aqva pour Homme EAU DE TOILETTE series, almost repudiating them after having greedily consumed them. Aromatic, aquatic, and earthy are the prevalent aspects of the middle phase. Virtuous Ous takes on slightly sweetish and leathery aspects as it approaches the dry-down. I can perceive the powdery and spicy facets of coumarin, and leathery hints typical of saffron flower, perhaps used to recreate the accord of expensive oud. To give depth to the base, there is a good dose of molecular ambergris, alternating with pure caresses of white musk. More modest are the creamy and woody notes of sandalwood intertwined with patchouli leaves, also cleaned, which is dirty without weighing it down. Meanwhile, the vetiver has moved to the back rows to make way for the other notes. Despite the woody, earthy, musky, and amber edges, the fragrance maintains its aquatic, citrus, and floral characteristics with that light touch of oud. Even though I don’t like to assign a gender to perfumes, this essence has a masculine impetus, the kind of perfumes that women love to smell on men. Quite an unusual oud fragrance you can wear on warmer days during spring and summer. I think this is the most versatile of the four Oud perfumes by Alberto Morillas. It’s just right for sunny days, with average projection and duration. I think Alberto Morillas did not invent a new cologne, but created a modern replica of Acqua di Giò for this creation. I’m basing my emotions on a bottle I’ve owned since October 2023 (BC 32130)

This to me smells a lot like Versace pour homme. It has a similar feel to it, a similar sweetness, but a bit less sweet than versace pour homme. I sprayed it on my arm like 3 hours ago and it is a skin scent now. but definitely very good. Will probably have to pick it up tomorrow. for like 26 euros its a good deal sprayed lush vetiver on my other arm and that one was and is projecting better. Although virtuous oud smells better. after buying it and comparing it directly to versace pour homme, it smells different, the lemon is strong in virtuous oud. I feel like it could have been more smoothely blended,the lemon kind of sticks out, but perhaps it was intended like that. I do not detect an oud note. all in all its an okay fragrance.

Just seeing the name Alberto Morillas on the bottle and I knew I had to have it. This time around he’s collaborating with Zara to produce 4 Oud scents and I’m enjoying every single one!! When they are all so good, it’s tough to rank it but I’ll place this ‘Virtuous Oud’ at #2 from this collection. I’m actually very surprised this fragrance scored so low here. I love love love this freshie scent. 1-2 hours after it’s sprayed it will start to smell more like Mr Morillas’ other work ‘Acqua di Giò’. This could easily be a flanker from that series. I find this frag more on the aquatic side in my humble opinion but with hints of Oud.

Quite unusual oud fragrance you can wear on warmer days during spring and summer. Oceanic, fresh, comforting, well rounded with above average longevity (8-10 hours) and moderate projection it has parfume concentration, not EDP! For me it's a mix of Issey Miyake L'eau D'issey, Acqua di Gio and Kenzo Homme Eau de Parfum. Don't judge it after first spray and on paper - this parfume develops for hours. This line suprised me, I went to Zara to check them out and left with 3 of them - Blooming Oud was the one that did not impress me at all, but I'm not a fan of oud and leather mix - also it's performance wasn't that good on my skin.

Why this is so cheap? Elegant, fresh, universal, long lasting, good juice quality, beautiful flanker. Imagine you mix Acqua Di Gio with a little bit of Dior Sauvage EDT that emerges somewhere in the drydown, but it's very subtle. Good for hot summer/spring day, work, even date night - women like this.