THE GOOD:

It was a lovely Father’s Day weekend here in Washington DC.  The weather was incredible, just perfect for being outdoors, grilling, etc. It was such a nice weekend that I can tell that you I have found a new love.  No, I’m not cheating on my husband.  This new love is By Kilian’s Rose Oud.  I received some samples of Rose Oud upon my purchase of my other love, Incense Oud.  I’m happy to say that I finally had the chance to really wear this beauty.  What I love about this fragrance is that it’s understated and tasteful with a beefy richness that I have found few fragrances to have.

Rose Oud goes on boozy and with a blast of saffron and rose.  There is almost a plastic and artificial rubbery sensation to the scent at the beginning.  That sensation remains there throughout, however, it’s not as prominent as in the beginning and it’s not something that is disagreeable.  Rose Oud doesn’t transform much after the initial few minutes.  As it stands, the rose remains on top a long with a slight leather that sits below (when I say slight, it’s almost not recognizable).  There is something weighty about Rose Oud.  It feels substantial.  It almost gives you the feeling that you are wearing a garland of large and heavy fragrant roses around your neck.  It’s truly intoxicating, luxurious and perfect for a man.  Perfect, because there is nothing sweet about this rose.  It’s a floral scent without being too floral.  I want more and am ready to go full bottle (or at least the refill to decant myself).

Rose Oud Notes:

Turkish rose, oud, saffron, cardamom

• Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
• Scent: Oriental Woody
• Classification: Unisex
• Expense: $395 for 50ml EDP

THE BAD:

I finally made a blind buy that I just can’t stand.  I found a bottle of the discontinued Royal Pavillon by Etro on sale for an incredibly low price.  After reading the reviews from others and looking at the notes, I thought why not give it a try.  Actually the scent itself isn’t that bad, there’s just one note in there that really rubs me the wrong way.  I think it may be the jasmine that sits on top and provides me with some nauseum.  It is interesting though, as floral as this scent is, there is an underlying ingredient of civet and musk that give this floral a little dirt… but not enough dirt for me.  Funny thing is that my husband has taken ownership of this scent and has worn it all weekend.  I’m glad that it won’t go to waste!

Royal Pavillon Notes:

jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose, violet and mimose; middle notes are vetyver, sandalwood and oakmoss; base notes are vanille, castoreum and civetta

• Bone Rating: 2 out of 5 possible bones
• Scent: Woody Floral Musk
• Classification: Feminine
• Expense: Varied from $40 to $100 for 100ml

THE CONFUSED:

The third aspect of this post as you might note, should not be “confused”, but should be “ugly”.  Sorry, I don’t have any ugly to report.  The confused is that I bought tickets to see Riverdance  because I told my husband that I always wanted to see Riverdance and this is the last US performance that will be in town.  So last night we go to the show at the lovely Wolftrap outdoor amphitheatre on a beautiful night (where I am feeling exceptionally fantastic in my trail of Rose Oud).  One act into the show, my husband turns to me and said,  “You know, we saw this same show about 5 years ago with some friends, here at the same venue.”  It then clicked in my head. Yes, we had.  Am I really getting that old and forgetful??  Tragic.  At least I smelled good and the show was phenomenal!  If you haven’t seen Riverdance, please go, the dancing and music is incredible!

Happy Father’s Day!