WHAT I SMELL:  Warda Al Oud opens with a thick and heady osmanthus that feels as if it’s dripping off the skin.  It’s big, bold, rich and completely overwhelming but in the best possible way.  While the main star is the osmanthus, jasmine begins its ascent to the osmanthus mountain by adding hints of the light and bright.  After a bit, a buttery note makes its way in making it feel more like a lotion than a perfume.  I don’t want to call it pretty at this point, instead it’s beautiful in a seductively exotic, erotic and carnal way.  Here the perfume resides for quite some time, it’s rounded and voluptuous and it’s hard to believe that there’s any oud in it because it’s so smooth and just slightly earthy.  As the perfume slowly continues to develop, the jasmine and a slightly soapy metallic rose dance intertwined in a lilting manner off of the skin.  In the end, Warda Al Oud exquisitely embraces the wearer and anyone lucky enough to be near them.

From the Xerjoff website:

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Seduction.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE WARDA AL OUD:  thickened, creamy, rapturous

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT WARDA AL OUD:  Scented Intuitions

BOTTOM LINE:  It is very rare for me to make a blind buy anymore.  But this offering was on sale and combined with a very generous coupon allowed for this beauty to end up in my collection.  I was a bit worried that with “oud” in the name the perfume would be too heavy, but Cambodian Oud is much softer and that’s very true in this case.  Warda Al Oud is so wonderfully beautiful and it blooms off the skin in the hot environment that I live in without becoming cloying and heavy.  But what I love most about this perfume is that it stays with you in a very quiet manner throughout the day and into the evening…and even the next morning.  Actually, it’s like a haunting tune that you can’t get out of your head.

• Bone Rating:  4.5 out of possible 5 bones
• Scent:  Amber
• Nose:  Chris Maurice
• Classification: Unisex
• Expense: $225 for 10 ml attar