Versace Oud Noir Eau de Parfum

Product Information

The oud endures as the blend fully dries down. Frankincense and patchouli emerge soon after, deepening its presence. This new duo also ingrains resinous, earthy hues. They become more distinct over time as earlier ingredients slowly withdraw. The oud is rather subdued, but is still perceptible and characterizes the fragrance especially with the - in my case 3-4 hours lasting - heart note of strong, sweet incense and rather weaker, spicy saffron. The heart is first of all shaped by saffron and then especially by a sweet incense - I love it (!) - I do not perceive cardamom personally. In my experience, incense is more likely to be perceived at a distance, and saffron is more likely to be perceived at close proximity to the skin. Through the present male sweetness (of the incense) this Versace fragrance slowly but steadily becomes warmer and more oriental, the incense, which I perceive until the end, makes him by its mysterious, smoky resinous, but also slightly sweet, effect to a "noir".

While taken very seriously in the Middle East, oud has only caught on in a big way in the UK in last few years. It is derived from the tropical agar tree, which is thought to originate in Assam in India. When the tree is infected by a mould known as Phialophora parasitica it reacts by producing a dense, dark and fragrant resin to protect itself. It is the resin-embedded heartwood of the tree that is the source of oud.

Now this is a traditional combination: oud and rose. But don't expect the same result as all other combinations based on these notes. Oud Oriental is more complex and subtle than that, and it's a gender-bender that will please all floriental lovers. Rose is the star of this creation, but it is masterfully distorted with freesia and violet to make it more spicy and sweet. This peppery, spicy-sweet rose makes the perfect pair for a very balmy and medicinal oud note that goes away with time, developing slowly on the skin and becoming slightly animalic (leather) towards the end. The sweetness of vanilla and heliotrope brings out the powdery aspect of Oud Oriental. And the oud? This is present from the beginning, but only slightly at first, and becomes stronger in the heart in combination with the incense. But it only really unfolds in the drydown. It gives the "Oud Noir" something mysterious, and together with patchouli and the Tasmanian false elm, also known as "Leatherwood", it forms a base that gives the perfume depth all around and a pleasant warmth and mystique to the skin even after hours. I don’t know why others keep sayings it’s discontinued. I have 2022 bottles, one of them a tester. That’s means somewhere in the world Oud Noir is available on shelves with tester bottles. For this reason, I give the fragrance 9 points, half a point because of the choppy / disharmonious transition between the head and heart notes, and another half point because of the oud, which could have been a little bit, but not much, stronger. For this reason, I recommend "Versace Pour Homme Oud Noir" at this point especially to those who are looking for a mass produced and not too extravagant oud fragrance and to those who want to enter the "world of oud" and are looking for a very good and more than affordable oud entry fragrance.

The durability and the silage get 7 points each from me, because the scent projects on my skin 1 and on the clothing 2 hours over one meter and lasts / is perceptible on my skin 7 and on the clothing 10 hours. This could be a bit stronger in my eyes, because I usually spray three times and it is still an eau de parfum and not an eau de toilette. The performance could be stronger, while still being (more than) good. In my opinion a very successful, woody and smoky oriental, in which the sweet incense interacts very well with the oud - here suitable for the masses - and thanks to the saffron also gets a certain spice. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Quiet performance works in favour of oud newcomers who want to test the waters first. Versatile for an oud scent

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Oud Noir won't fill a room unless you take a bath in it but it's not exactly a skin-scent. It's a polite sexy and cosmopolitan oriental blend, mixed by European taste. A perfect example of how oud can be used to make a balanced fragrance without shouting or oozing in amber and cumin. It's suitable for all ocasions, day and night, the only downside being its brief longevity—four hours tops, remaining just a woody-peppery memory after that. Although this is not quite niche-quality, it is better than almost every mainstream release in recent times. Versace did it right, releasing a fragrance that really is a bridge between Occidental and Oriental perfumery, combining European attitude with Eastern materials. The designer scent "Versace pour Homme Oud Noir", which I sprayed directly onto a test strip and which I liked more than the first time I sniffed it and also later on - but for the UVP of 120€. I was not willing to pay this price, so I went home disappointed about the "not buying", but then I bought it with all the more joy and enthusiasm for less than half (under 60€ as a rule) from the biggest online perfume dealer in Europe.