Lancôme
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Labdanum hits with unexpected sweetness—almost caramelised—before cypriol's earthy sparkle and clary sage's herbal snap jostle for prominence. Saffron weaves through like a spice-market whisper, lending subtle metallic warmth. The top notes feel almost confrontational in their refusal to blend smoothly, each ingredient asserting its own territory.
The roses emerge now, softened and slightly powdery, working against the woody scaffold developing beneath. Gaiac wood and myrrh introduce a distinctly aromatic, almost medicinal character, whilst the florals prevent the composition from plunging entirely into darkness. This is where the fragrance finds its middle ground—between restraint and depth, between floral elegance and woody austerity.
The base reveals itself as genuinely tenacious, dominated by oud and patchouli's earthy grip. Vetiver lends mineral coolness whilst the balsams provide a subtle sweetness that prevents total drydown austerity. What remains is intimate and skin-hugging—a resinous, slightly smoky embrace that smells rather like expensive leather warmed by an unseen fire.
L'Autre Ôud announces itself as something conspicuously un-Lancôme: a fragrance that refuses the house's signature luminosity in favour of something decidedly earthen and austere. Christophe Raynaud has constructed a woody amber that genuinely earns its oud billing, though not through the typical route of animalic indulgence. Instead, the labdanum opens with an almost burnt-sugar warmth that immediately collides with clary sage's herbal astringency—a friction that establishes the scent's entire character within moments.
This is a fragrance for those who've grown weary of rose-centric orientals. The Bulgarian and Turkish roses here aren't the dewy, pretty florals of classical perfumery; they arrive muted, almost dampened, as though viewed through gauze and candlelight. They serve less as protagonists and more as tonal modifiers, introducing a subtle powdery quality that prevents the composition from becoming wholly resinous.
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4.0/5 (925)