Orange Oud

Scent Breakdown

Orange Oud opens with a blast of candied mandarin – almost sickeningly sweet. There’s a fleeting resemblance to the promised grapefruit, but it quickly morphs into something akin to orange hard candy left in the sun. The pink pepper is present, adding a slight prickle, but it's overwhelmed. The heart attempts to introduce smokiness with incense and tobacco, but the saffron note dominates, smelling slightly metallic and medicinal like iodine. It deviates quite a bit from what I understand of the original, which is far more nuanced. The base is where the real disappointment lies. Instead of a rich, complex oud and leather accord, it's a synthetic approximation, smelling of rubber and cheap amber.

Final Thoughts

This fragrance is for someone who prioritizes strength over sophistication and doesn't mind a rough-around-the-edges composition. Picture a young professional who just landed their first corporate job, wants to project power, but hasn't quite refined their taste.

Wear time & Sillage

Longevity is surprisingly decent, clinging to skin for about six hours. However, projection is nuclear for the first hour, then rapidly fades to a skin scent. I wore this while working from home and it filled the entire room initially, then became a barely-there whisper by lunchtime.