Year: 2013
Notes: spices, Bulgarian rose, Hindi oud, Laotian oud, ruh khus, animal musks
Phoenicia Perfumes is a new niche house, where all its Eaux de Parfum have at least an 80% concentration of the highest quality oils. Realoud is an oud mukhallat, which contains real Hindi and Laotian oud.
The challenging barnyard characteristics of the Hindi oud are very evident, upon the pungent opening. However, it soon lowers its volume, as it weaves throughout a light cloud of spices, rose and a rubbery smokiness. After some moments, the Laotian oud joins the fray. At this stage, the composite aroma is one of warm hay, with a sharp rose nuance and some ruh khus (also known as wild North Indian vetiver) in the background.
Once the moist woody earthiness of the vetiver fully surfaces, the end result is a mellow, and quite creamy, oud woodiness that lingers close to the skin. But that's actually not the end of the composition's development. With the Hindi oud having now faded, an animalic musk base of castoreum (and possibly civet) announces its arrival. As a result, Realoud ends in the very much the same way as it began but in a more discreet manner.
Based on one's experience with Hindi oud oils, it isn't as intensely faecal but it does have its moments. Lasting around four hours, with low sillage for most of its duration, one was anticipating more tenacity. Regardless, and in the face of so many synthetic oud clones out there, it definitely deserves a reserved thumbs-up.
The challenging barnyard characteristics of the Hindi oud are very evident, upon the pungent opening. However, it soon lowers its volume, as it weaves throughout a light cloud of spices, rose and a rubbery smokiness. After some moments, the Laotian oud joins the fray. At this stage, the composite aroma is one of warm hay, with a sharp rose nuance and some ruh khus (also known as wild North Indian vetiver) in the background.
Once the moist woody earthiness of the vetiver fully surfaces, the end result is a mellow, and quite creamy, oud woodiness that lingers close to the skin. But that's actually not the end of the composition's development. With the Hindi oud having now faded, an animalic musk base of castoreum (and possibly civet) announces its arrival. As a result, Realoud ends in the very much the same way as it began but in a more discreet manner.
Based on one's experience with Hindi oud oils, it isn't as intensely faecal but it does have its moments. Lasting around four hours, with low sillage for most of its duration, one was anticipating more tenacity. Regardless, and in the face of so many synthetic oud clones out there, it definitely deserves a reserved thumbs-up.
