Van Cleef & Arpels
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
An immediately honeyed sweetness from the date cuts through with tactile, almost fruitwood-like character, accompanied by the first hints of oud's resinous woody structure. Within moments, the frankincense steps forward, adding a peppery dryness that prevents the opening from settling into pure sweetness—this is elegant rather than decadent.
The rose absolute blossoms into full expression, revealing its dusty, slightly tart personality as it dances around the woody oud backbone. The white musk simultaneously diffuses throughout, creating a creamy, almost translucent halo that softens every edge whilst the frankincense continues its gentle, incense-tinged restraint in the background.
The composition settles into a soft, ambered warmth where vanilla and white musk dominate, creating an intimate, skin-like drydown that sits perhaps two inches from the body. The oud becomes more woody than resinous, the rose fades into memory, and what remains is a subtle, creamy sweetness with just enough woody undertone to suggest depth rather than mere cosmetic fragrance.
Oud Blanc is a fragrance that refuses the ostentatious grandeur typically expected of its genre. Anne Flipo has engineered something altogether more restrained—a whispered conversation rather than a declaration. The date note arrives with subtle dried-fruit sweetness, providing an immediately welcoming entry point before the oud emerges not as the narcotic, animalic force we're conditioned to expect, but as something far more refined. Here, the oud functions almost as a woody scaffold, permitting the Turkish rose absolute to flourish with dusty, slightly tart character rather than the rosy-sweet indulgence one might anticipate.
What distinguishes Oud Blanc is its remarkable restraint in the presence of frankincense and white musk—ingredients that could easily overwhelm. Instead, they conspire to create a creamy, almost luminous quality; the frankincense adds a subtle incense-tinged dryness that prevents the composition from veering into gourmand territory, whilst the white musk softens everything into a skin-like second layer. The vanilla note exists as a whisper beneath, adding just enough warmth and creaminess to prevent austerity.
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3.9/5 (188)