Oud for Greatness

The first spray delivers a sharp, almost astringent blast of metallic saffron and camphoraceous lavender, with nutmeg providing just enough sweetness to prevent outright aggression. It's bracing and medicinal, like inhaling deeply in an apothecary lined with teak cabinets and brass instruments. The oud lurks beneath, dark and patient, already suggesting the intensity to come.

As the aromatics recede, the oud-patchouli dyad takes centre stage with stunning forcefulness—earthy, slightly funky, unmistakably animalic. This is where the fragrance earns its reputation for sillage; the musk begins its amplification work, projecting waves of resinous woodiness that feel almost tangible in the air. There's a beautiful murkiness here, like disturbing sediment in a forest stream, where you can't quite tell where the patchouli ends and the oud begins.

Hours later, what remains is a second-skin aura of clean musk intimately entwined with the darker, more meditative aspects of aged oud. The animalic edge has been tamed but not eliminated, leaving a warm, slightly dusty woody presence that still manages impressive presence without shouting. It's become hypnotic rather than declarative, though it will absolutely still be detectable on your coat collar the next morning.