Amir Oud
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The first fifteen minutes explode with a sharp bergamot-mandarin volley, reinforced by pink pepper's tingling presence. It's immediately fresh and almost cologne-like in its clarity, with an effervescent quality that catches the light rather than drawing you inward.
As the citrus brightness softens, cherry blossom and jasmine sambac emerge to reshape the fragrance entirely. The composition becomes creamy and floral, with the jasmine developing a slightly powdery, aldehydic quality that feels more luxurious lotion than exotic resin—the expected oud darkness never materialises, leaving instead a polished, almost cosmetic refinement.
The base reveals itself as surprisingly shy, with musk and plokhtar (an unusual base choice) providing little more than a soft, fleeting warmth. The floral heart lingers as a whisper, the citrus long faded, leaving skin smelling gently perfumed rather than layered—a modest persistence that explains the fragrance's fragile staying power.
Arab Oud arrives as a paradox—a fragrance that promises the dark, resinous gravitas of oud but instead delivers something altogether more luminous and restless. Nicolas Bonneville's 2006 composition pivots on a clever contradiction: rather than the expected smoky orientalism, you get a floral-citrus spark that feels almost anxious in its brightness.
The opening salvo of Calabrian bergamot and mandarin immediately establishes an almost aggressive freshness, whilst pink pepper adds a peppery bite that prevents any sweetness from settling. This is where the composition's central tension emerges—you're waiting for the oud to anchor everything, but instead the heart blooms with cherry blossom and Jasmine Sambac, two notes that pull the fragrance further into creamy, almost cosmetic territory rather than grounding it.
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3.8/5 (151)