LM Parfums Black Oud

The darkness of incense and an extremely refined oud, speckled with red-brown, earthy, and fiery spices. A deep woodiness that is soon married with a purple liqueured richness, before its sweetness eventually turns drier. Bold richness that moves into an intimate, gauzy whisper. Those are some of the different aspects of Black Oud from LM Parfums.

Photo: my own.

Photo: my own.

Black Oud is a pure parfum extrait that was released in 2012. LM Parfums describes the perfume and its notes as follows:

«Blend into the middle of a black and white tainted forest, be in the most obscure darkness, to deliver the fragrance of Oud.» This is my wish to take you into the depth of Indonesia.

Photo: my own.

Photo: my own.

The subtlety of the Oud fragrances, mixed to cistus gum, wrapped with nutmeg, caraway, and incense, this generous fragrance brings in its wake cedar, amber and sandalwood, embellished with a touch of musk.

Top Notes: Nutmeg, Cumin, Incense.
Heart Notes: Oud Wood, Labdamum.
Base Notes: sandalwood, Cedar, Civet, Castoreum, Vanilla, Amber.

Source: wallpaperup.com

Source: wallpaperup.com

Black Oud opens on my skin with a darkness quite worthy of its name. I’m surprised by that, since so many perfumes labelled “Noir” or “Black” don’t actually convey that sense or impression to me. Black Oud does — at least in its opening minutes. There is a burst of beautifully refined, high-quality agarwood that is thoroughly infused with a spicy, peppered sweetness. There is dusty, vaguely earthy cumin, but also the fiery bite of what feels like red, pimento chilis. A rich, very darkly resinous stickiness follows moments later, along with what feels distinctly like a jammy patchouli note. It completely throws me off, as nothing in the notes indicates patchouli, but that is what I smell. It’s a deeply purpled, velvety, liqueured richness with a vaguely fruited aspect. 

I love Black Oud’s opening. The spices are the key, adding a great depth to the smooth, refined oud. They are dusty, dusky, and dry, but never sweaty. I don’t smell the nutmeg at all on my skin, but the cumin is really lovely. For all its spiced dryness, it also smells oddly fresh in a way, and something about it evokes rye bread more than anything curried, sweaty or stale. The whole bouquet is wrapped up with a thick ribbon of billowing, black frankincense, but it is blended so seamlessly into the notes that it’s more of an overall feel of darkness than a sharp, easily delineated note.

Black in bottle, non-travel form.

Black in bottle, non-travel form.

I’ve worn Black Oud a number of times, and on each occasion in the opening minutes, my initial impression is always the same thing: a much better, more refined, drier Puredistance Black. (Puredistance insists on typing it as BLACK, but I refuse.) Black Oud was released in 2012; Puredistance’s Black in summer of 2013. They are both Extrait perfumes with spices, incense, oud, and a liqueured patchouli sweetness, though Puredistance refuses to release its exact notes for the fragrance and Black has a definite floral component. I was the only blogger out of the first lot who initially reviewed Black to say that I didn’t like it, and I received a bit of flack for it. Well, I stand by my opinion, as I still don’t like Black.

Source: quotes-pictures.feedio.net

Source: quotes-pictures.feedio.net

In the opening moments, Black Oud blows the Puredistance scent out of the water. It’s much smoother, more refined, and deeper. Unlike the Puredistance scent, the overall effect of one actually feels black in mood, perhaps because Black Oud is much smokier, drier, less unctuously sweet, and more spiced. The jammy, purple, fruit-chouli aroma is much more subtle in Black Oud’s opening phase, while the incense is much more profound. In addition, the oud note feels more luxuriously smooth and expensive. However, as we will soon see, the early differences soon fade, and I’m afraid Black Oud becomes a lot closer to Puredistance Black in nature. Several of the things in Puredistance Black that I struggled with manifest themselves here, to the point where I wonder if Antoine Lie made LM Parfums’ Black Oud a year before he made the significantly more expensive (and over-priced) Puredistance Black.

Mysore sandalwood cross-section. Source: vk.com

Mysore sandalwood cross-section. Source: vk.com

It takes very little time for Black Oud to start to evolve. Exactly 5 minutes into Black Oud’s development, the sandalwood peaks up its head. It’s muted at first, but it’s a lovely, subtle touch of spicy, creamy, smoky red-gold woodiness that feels like real Mysore wood. Laurent Mazzone has shown his willingness with the spectacular Hard Leather to spend any amount of money on the genuine Mysore wood, no matter how costly the rare ingredient may be, and I think he must have insisted on the real thing for Black Oud as well.

A few minutes later, other changes occur. The cumin starts to slowly melt into the other notes, creating a more abstract sense of “spiciness” instead of a distinct, individual cumin note. The sandalwood grows stronger, while the labdanum suddenly starts to stir. It’s got a deliciously toffee’d, vaguely dirty, almost chocolate-y undertone. Yet, Black Oud is never skanky, raunchy, urinous or dirty in any way on my skin. I never detect the civet, castoreum, or nutmeg, though there is a subtle muskiness and earthiness that creeps in towards the end of the perfume’s development.

As a whole, Black Oud in the opening half-hour is a very smooth, delicately spiced, liqueured, black-purple oud scent that is infused heavily with smoky incense and that inexplicable jammy element, then lightly flecked with Mysore sandalwood and labdanum amber. While LM Parfums’ Hard Leather is a lusty, “skanky” take on leather, incense, oud, and sandalwood, Black Oud is the sweeter, non-animalic, more purely oud and incense sibling. Every single one of its elements feels rich, seamless, and luxuriously refined, but the whole thing is also very gauzy in feel. Surprisingly so for an Extrait concentration.

"Purple Velvet Gold Flakes" by *Will3style at Deviantart.com. http://will3style.deviantart.com/art/Purple-Velvet-Gold-Flakes-258099755

“Purple Velvet Gold Flakes” by *Will3style at Deviantart.com. http://will3style.deviantart.com/art/Purple-Velvet-Gold-Flakes-258099755

Black Oud slowly turns sweeter, as the liqueured, fruited, patchouli-like jamminess grows stronger. Unfortunately for me, there is the first twinge of something aroma-chemical that stirs in the base. I’m not a fan of it, though it’s thankfully subtle and muted at this point. What is much prettier, however, is the cumin which adds a dry, almost herbal, green-brown spiciness to the base.

At the start of the 2nd hour, the aroma-chemical in the base turns into one of the main notes. It smells like some sort of very arid, “amber” substitute, but also very woody, harsh and, to my nose, jangly with its sharp edges. I don’t like it one bit, though I realise that I have a sensitivity to aromachemicals, and that the vast majority of people can’t detect them. At least the dryness of the note (whatever it is) helps to cut through some of Black Oud’s increasing sweetness, though the jammy liqueur is still very prominent. The incense retreats to the sidelines, along with the spiciness, while the sandalwood slowly starts to fade away.

Art by: LordmOth on Deviant Art. (Click on photo for website link embedded within.)

Art by: LordmOth on Deviant Art. (Click on photo for website link embedded within.)

Black Oud also turns thinner and sheerer, with sillage that now projects only about an inch above the skin. By the 1.75 hour mark, the perfume is a gauzy thin blur of refined oud, the excessively dry aromachemical, incense smokiness, and the jammy fruitchouli note. There is a subtle nuance of something vaguely herbal and earthy in the base, but the overall impression is of a non-floral, woodier, drier version of Puredistance Black.

Black Oud remains largely unchanged for the next few hours. Thankfully, the harsh aromachemical note disappears by the end of the 3rd hour, and my mood improves. By the middle of the 4th hour, Black Oud is a skin scent that slowly turns drier and woodier. It’s a sheer, very pretty blend of vaguely oud-y woodiness and sweetness with tiny, subtle flickers of smokiness, earthiness, and something vaguely herbal lurking at the edges. Around the 7th hour, a touch of beeswax appears, undoubtedly from the labdanum, and a growing element of muskiness.

Source: hotguyscollection.com

Source: hotguyscollection.com

In its final hours, Black Oud also takes on sexy muskiness that has a tobacco-like undertone and a velvety earthiness that almost feels mushroom-y at times. I suspect it stems from the castoreum. As a whole, though, Black Oud’s drydown is generally just abstract woodiness with a touch of sweetness and dryness blended within. Something about it is quite seductive. Call me crazy, but this is what I imagine Tom Ford to smell like. Sweet, dry, woody muskiness with a touch of the scent of a man’s warm skin, all wrapped in a very refined, understated bouquet. Yes, I know Tom Ford is the least “under-stated” person around, but he is what I think of when I smell Black Oud’s drydown: open-shirted, bare-chested and revealing skin that carries the discreet musky sweetness of Black Oud.

As noted earlier, Black Oud is an extrait or pure parfum. It doesn’t feel like it on my skin, I’m afraid. On a few occasions when I’ve worn it, I was surprised by how quickly it faded. Two decent-sized sprays gave me between 9 and 9.75 hours in duration, but the perfume consistently became a skin scent at the start of the 3rd hour. I frequently thought that it had vanished by the end of the 5th hour, but, no, Black Oud definitely lingered, and was noticeable when I put my nose directly on my skin and smelled very hard. With 3 big sprays, Black Oud lasted a good 12 hours on my skin, but, again, it was extremely discreet.

A number of LM Parfums start strongly and then become much more intimate, as that seems to be part of the brand’s overall aesthetic. The gorgeous Sensual Orchid is one example, where the opulent, bold, narcotic sensuality slowly turns into something more romantically discreet, as though it were olfactory lingerie. I am starting to have the impression that Laurent Mazzone might feel that a subtler suggestion is better for his bolder, richer aromas, the new Hard Leather excepted. So, when seen in that light, perhaps Black Oud’s softness and subtlety makes sense, but I was still taken aback. It really didn’t feel like an Extrait on my skin, and its wispiness was another thing that made me think of the intentionally “whispering” Puredistance Black.

While I have extremely wonky, perfume-consuming skin, I’m apparently not alone on the issue of Black Oud’s subtlety and limited projection. On Fragrantica, two other people felt the same way, though their overall assessment for the fragrance was very positive. For example:

If Valentino ever produced an OUD based fragrance it would smell something like this.

Romantic and Deep are the key words here. A rich mix of delicate spices and oud emphasizing the intricate balance between eastern and western perfumery. Smooth pristine and dressed up.

It isn’t loud by any means. In fact I think it is a sleeper that will wake up at unexpected moments. It is however very durable.

Leave it on for a while before you try to decipher it….it’s one of those. […][¶]

EDIT :
Been wearing this for a full day now. I hate to say it but this has nothing to do with an Extrait as far as projection goes. […] EDIT : TWO Days later. I share the same feelings still. Nice *subtle* romantic oud scent that lasts a good amount of time as a skin scent with just minimal projection. [¶] DEFINITELY not one of the stronger Extraits/Parfums that I have sampled but what can you expect for $225 100ml Extrait.

Others agree on the romantic, refined nature of Black Oud, including a woman commentator who offers up the first review below:

  • This perfume is a dream come true : when I wear it,I have the feeling that I smell a mysterious lover’s smell (a latin one, of course !)on my skin all day long! Very erotic ! Wonderful ! You’ll feel very sexy while wearing it (for men or women.)
  • very amazing perfume and it’s like Black Afgano but with more Oud and more sillage .. [¶] I love this perfume[.] [Emphasis to name added by me.]

On Basenotes, there are 3 reviews for Black Oud, 2 of which are positive and one is a mere “neutral.” Their views, in part or in full, are as follows:

  • Simple comfort to wear animalic oud scent.
  • It starts quite alcoholic and spiced , with a soft frankincense. Then it develops to a sweet-rosey oud .Finally it dries down towards a kind of animalic sandalwood . [¶] This reminds me of L’Air du Desert Marocain with a touch of oud .This is not dark nor black . [¶] Longevity is regular , taking into account that this is an extract of parfum . [¶] Over-priced for what it is , 200 eur . [Emphasis to name added by me.]
  • Wonderfully smooth and powerful scent [….][¶] I love it, it isn’t too powerful, very “smooth” as someone else mentioned, and it is really just what I was looking for, a sensual date scent. […]
Source: HDwallpapers.

Source: HDwallpapers.

One perfume blogger who isn’t a fan of agarwood wrote that Black Oud was the first scent with the note that she liked. The site, Esperanza Van Der Zon, wrote, in part:

Black Oud became the first oud perfume I really liked. It is a very well blended oud extrait with rich wood and incense elements. The oud is not dominating the perfume but part of the whole composition like a primus inter pares, equal amongst the other notes. It is hard to detect individual notes as they are very well blended. But I do detect rich frankincense lingering at the beginning, followed by warm dark woods to continue to labdanum and golden oud. The extrait changes its scent showing some different aspects at first but does not change very much during the day on my skin. What remains is a warm wooden resinous drydown, modern, strong, very present and with a little edge. Compared to a texture it would be soft black wool, still a bit tingling when you touch it. […][¶]

Although the Black Oud is an extrait (pure perfume), its sillage is enormous, one spitz is enough for a whole day. Some called Black Oud a sillage monster. I would say this extrait is for true sillage lovers or people who do not like to reapply during the day. You can still scent Black Oud after 24 hours so have some caution when applying !

Her sillage and longevity experiences are obviously quite different from what I or some of the Fragrantica people experienced, so skin chemistry is clearly key. What I found interesting about her review is how taken she was by Black Oud. Even though she found the perfume a “bit too masculine” by her standards, she said she would still buy a full bottle if it were cheaper:

There are cold days I really enjoy wearing Black Oud. It is a pity it only comes in 100 ml bottles for about 200 euro. If it was sold in smaller bottles I would have bought a full bottle some time ago.

That’s quite an endorsement from someone who says bluntly that she does “not like oud very much.”

Speaking of prices, Black Oud costs $225 or €195 for the 100 ml bottle. It may not be cheap, but it is substantially less expensive than Puredistance Black which costs almost $600 for a similar 100 ml size. (Both are Extrait fragrances, so their prices can definitely be compared on an equal basis.)

Source: 8tracks.com

Source: 8tracks.com

Black Oud is a much better value than the Black, and a better fragrance as a whole, in my opinion, because it feels much more refined. The oud smells more luxurious and smoother, and the perfume lacks the annoying rose-fruitchouli singularity of Puredistance Black. The latter ended up making me think of pinks and purples, fluffy clouds, and Turkish delight. It was not “Black,” let alone very smoky or woody on my skin. In fact, it smelled significantly aromachemical in nature, and was much more generic in profile, two reasons why I think Puredistance Black is badly over-hyped and over-priced for what it is.

Black Oud, on the other hand, seems darker, smokier, woodier, and drier. The opening 30 minutes are really fantastic, and the drydown is both pretty and quite sexy. The middle stage, alas, didn’t thrill me at all; I don’t like whatever amber aromachemical was used in the base, and the liqueured sweetness of Black Oud was a bit difficult for me as a whole. I’m also not enthused by the discreet, intimate sillage. However, at the end of the day, all of those things are a matter of personal tastes and skin chemistry. Black Oud isn’t very me, but I can respect it (minus that aromachemical bit) and I can completely see why people find it to be a beautifully blended oud fragrance. Puredistance Black, on the other hand, just leaves me scratching my head. At best.

In short, if you’re looking for a refined, approachable oud scent with sweetness, incense, and dryness, you may want to give Black Oud a sniff.

Disclosure: Perfume provided courtesy of LM Parfums. That did not impact this review. I do not do paid reviews, my opinions are my own, and my first obligation is honesty to my readers. 

DETAILS:
Cost & Availability: Black Oud is pure parfum extrait that is available only in a 100 ml/3.4 oz bottle which costs $225 or €195. In the U.S.: Laurent Mazzone’s fragrances are sold exclusively at Osswald NYC. If, at some point in the future, you don’t see Black Oud listed at that link, it’s because Osswald takes down a perfume’s page when they’re temporarily out-of-stock, then puts it back up later. Outside the U.S.: you can buy Black Oud directly from LM Parfums. In addition, they offer large decant samples of all LM Parfums extraits which are priced at €19 for 5 ml size. LM Parfums also owns Premiere Avenue which sells both Black Oud and the 5 ml decant. It ships worldwide. In the UK, the LM Parfums line is exclusive to Harvey Nichols. In Paris, LM Parfums are sold at Jovoy. In the Netherlands, you can find Black Oud at ParfuMaria. The LM Parfums line is also available at Silks Cosmetics. In Germany, First in Fragrance carries the full line, and sells samples as well. You can also find LM Parfums at Essenza Nobile, Italy’s Vittoria Profumi, or Alla Violetta. In the Middle East, I found most of the LM Parfums line at the UAE’s Souq perfume site. For all other countries, you can find a vendor near you from Switzerland to Belgium, Lithuania, Russia, Romania, Croatia, Azerbaijan, and more, by using the LM Parfums Partner listing. Laurent Mazzone or LM Parfums fragrances are widely available throughout Europe, and many of those sites sell samples as well. Samples: A number of the sites listed above sell samples. In the U.S., none of the decanting sites carry LM Parfums, but you can call Osswald NYC at (212) 625-3111 to order samples. They have a special phone deal for U.S. customers where 10 samples of any 10 fragrances in 1 ml vials is $10 with free shipping. However, they are currently out of vials until mid-March.

24 thoughts on “LM Parfums Black Oud

  1. Dear Kafka,
    This sounds so interesting in spite the fact I don’t like oud or the renditions I have tried this far. However, if this has real sandalwood I feel it is a must for me. Like you, I didn’t like Puredistance Black and I did not like Puredistance 1. I have not tried M just yet.
    Afraid as I am of oud, the sexy muskiness (amplified by Tom Ford’s picture!) sounds so enticing as the red gold sandalwood hue that you describe. I love cumin and I love nutmeg even more. Black Oud sounds yummy.

    • I think you might like this one, WeFadetoGrey, especially given the fact that the blogger who dislikes oud really seemed to fall for the oud here. The thing that is good about Black Oud is that everything seems perfectly balanced. Even the sweetness, which others would probably not even find to be as sweet as I did. (I don’t have a high tolerance for sweetness as a whole.) But the oud, the incense, the dryness, amber and the rest are all in perfect proportions. (BTW, balanced proportions are NOT something that I would associate with Puredistance Black.) Even Black Oud’s muskiness at the end is subtle and well-balanced. It’s almost more of a suggestion on my skin, than actual musk. (The perfume is too discreet at that point for it to actually be a loud, strong note.)

      Most of all, though, the oud is very, very smooth. It’s not sharp, raw, medicinal, fecal, or pungent. It’s soft and very refined, and the cumin touch just makes it wonderful. I actually wish the dry, dusty, vaguely herbal cumin that was so visible in the opening 30 minutes remained in the same way later on, but it just blends into the base. No doubt, that will reassure the many cumin-phobes out there. LOL As for the nutmeg, it did not appear on my skin, but maybe you’ll have better luck.

      You know, you should try to stop by Osswald and give the line a sniff. I’d love to know what you thought of Sensual Orchid. (That’s my 2nd favorite from the line after Hard Leather.) I think you’d love its Valkyrie, Wagnerian, wholly operatic song of sensuality. Va-va-voom florals in a way that might appeal to you very much.

      BTW, how funny that you didn’t like Puredistance Black either. We are in a distinct minority on that point!

  2. I enjoyed Reading your review and read how it develops on your skin. Very interesting to read how different your skin reacts to it. As I wrote in my review I can still scent it THE day afterwards so I am careful wearing it as I want to change fragrances Every day. One of the reasons I like it so much is That I like sillage monsters I must confess and the fact That black oud is so Well blended.

    I can really imagine Tom Ford wearing it 🙂 A dark haired man with a bit of a beard.

    You got me confused with THE Perfumer as I understood it to be Richard ibanez but you wrote it to be Antoine lieu ? Do you know who made Hard leather ?

    • I think we must have very different skin, and I envy yours a little. The thing is, I can well believe that you can still smell it the next day, but is it really a sillage monster on you, Esperanza, at that point? I mean, is it projecting out and wafting several inches or an arm’s length on you? I can see Black Oud as being a longevity monster, but sillage and actual projection?? If so, you have very lucky skin indeed. 🙂

      With regard to Antoine Lie, I didn’t say that he made the perfume. I wrote that Black Oud had such similarities to Puredistance Black that it got to the point “where I wonder if Antoine Lie made LM Parfums’ Black Oud a year before he made the significantly more expensive (and over-priced) Puredistance Black.” 🙂 I don’t know who made either Black Oud or Hard Leather. But I’m very glad you enjoyed Black Oud so much.

    • Hmmm….. I don’t know, James. My first instinctive reaction is, “It will depend on your skin,” with my second thought being, “Yes, it may be too sweet.” But then there are fragrances where you’ve surprised me on the sweetness issue.

      Plus, even apart from the skin chemistry issue being key, Black Oud is very well-modulated, to the point where I’ve thought to myself, “this is so much less sweet and gooeey than Puredistance Black.” (Man, Puredistance Black drove me OUT of my mind!!!) With Black Oud, I enjoyed the balanced touch, and you know that I have issues with things that are too sweet. This is nothing like Phaedon’s line of perfumes, for example. In the beginning, the spices counter the sweetness, while later, it is that very dry aromachemical amber. So, bottom line, I don’t know. It could go either way for you.

  3. Nice review Kafka. As you know, I bought Black Oud sample (5 ml) and I like it very much. You’ll feel very sexy while wearing it (for men or women.) In fact, not one of the stronger Extraits/Parfums but I do believe this is a fragrance for oud enthusiasts to try.

    • I’m glad you enjoyed it so much, Walter. I can definitely see why you’d feel sexy while wearing it. 🙂 But I would add that it may also be a fragrance for NON-oud enthusiasts to try, as the wood is very smooth and refined here.

  4. I have never counted myself lucky with my skin but I do now Thanks to you, Kafka 🙂 regarding sillage I would say black oud wafts several metres from my arms for some Hours and THE next day it wears close to my skin but still so noticible I can’t wear another fragrance. I remember getting complimented last year on Black oud in THE supermarket by a lady who must have been at least 2 to 3 meters away from me.

    • OH.MY.GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Do you have magical unicorn skin??!?! You lucky, lucky devil. I can’t even imagine such a thing! I don’t think you realise quite how rare your skin is, even ignoring me and my particularly wonky one. I’ve never heard of anyone but one friend of mine having something like that, both in terms of massive projection and longevity. 🙂

      Good lord, I think I now need to go lie down to get over the shock of those further details!

  5. Kefka –

    I’ve worn it once so far and I’m quite taken with it. I plan on wearing it again tomorrow before deciding if I truly must buy a bottle. Is it bad that the $225 price tag seems reasonable to me?

    I must say that the whole blend on my skin was dark, smooth, evenly spiced inky oud, with a hit of dark plum. Probably the first perfume I’ve worn in ages that can accurately be labelled “Black.” The longevity was massive, although I found the sillage discreet. Granted I only wore it around the house so maybe I’ll get a better gauge for it’s sillage in public tomorrow.

    My shirt still smells amazing from yesterday. It holds on to fabric very well. The only other Oud I can compare it to is Kilian’s Pure Oud. Needless to say I’m quite smitten.

    – Hunter

    • It definitely was the first fragrance I’ve tried in a long time that seemed “black” to me, at least at first. It’s interesting that you found a similarity to Kilian’s Pure Oud. I recall that one being quite different. I’d be interested to see what you thought if you ever tried Puredistance’s (purported) Black.

      I think you’d find the sillage to be low even if you wore Black Oud out of the house. I’ve sprayed from a bottle, not dabbed, and the sillage always drops to something discreet at the end of 2 hours. Maybe you’ll have better luck with your skin.

      As for the price, given the really high quality (not to mention the fact that Puredistance’s sadly over-hyped version is substantially and massively more expensive at around $590 for the same size bottle), I don’t think $225 is outrageous.

      I’m glad you enjoyed the sample, and that I could help you find a new love.

  6. Reading this review was a bit of a rollerocaster – I found Puredistance Black (errr, sorry BLACK) to be abysmally boring. So I’m glad to see Black Oud is much better. However, it sounds like the experience really declines, which is unfortunate. I may try it one day, but frankly it sounds like a big disappointment compared to Hard Leather.

    • Well, for me, Black Oud went down and then went back up, but that’s only because I always struggle with the sweetness of that purple jamminess. I know others who also don’t like a lot of sweetness and had a substantially better time with it, so it’s a skin chemistry thing. My skin just amplifies that purpleness to an extent that I personally don’t like. To my surprise, though, even people who normally dislike oud or purple patchouli seem to have really liked the samples of Black Oud that I sent them with the giveaway. So, bottom line, if you get the chance to try Black Oud, I think you should. Just to see. Next time I do a package, I’ll send you some if you haven’t tried it before then, and you can decide for yourself.

      As for Puredistance’s Black, it WAS a bore, wasn’t it? LOL. This is truly the way that perfume should have been, and it’s definitely not boring, perhaps because the balance and measurements are all so much better calibrated. Plus, the Mysore sandalwood makes a huge difference and adds a small vein of connection to Hard Leather. Almost as if this were the sweet, woodier, non-leathered version of Hard Leather, if that makes sense.

  7. I am trying this one today. You and must be uber-sensitive to the same bunch of amber/dry aromachemicals. I got that right at the opening – a dryness that I can feel at the back of my throat. It’s not going to go away? Oh dear.

    • Oh dear indeed. I am starting to wonder if your skin brings out the base elements in the way that mine does. It just might, since others don’t seem very fazed by the same thing. At least it’s money saved for you! Perhaps to spend on Perris Monte Carlo’s Bois d’Oud instead? 😉

  8. After Hard Leather, Black Oud is my next current love. You sent me a small sample that I use sparingly, but this morning, I got what I think was a great deal on a fb of Black Oud on ebay & ordered it without thinking twice (saved $79). I don’t seem to have perfume consuming skin & the Black Oud really lasts & projects on me. I think the smell of Black Oud is beautiful from beginning to end.

    Thank God I don’t have kids to support, just an expensive perfume habit! Love you K!!! I wouldn’t have known about LM Parfums without your reviews!

    ps. Vetiver is something I’m becoming curious about & will be my next note to explore. I’m thinking about starting off with Vetiver Tonka by Hermessence.

    Ed (wearing Mitzah today, mmmmmmmmitzah). I hope you’re having a less stressful week than the previous ones!

    • Haha, you succumbed! I KNEW you would, Ed, I just knew it. And it sounds like you got a great deal on it as well, so that should bring you double the pleasure. I’m really so pleased that the tiny sample I sent you resulted in such a happy marriage of man and perfume. I hope you will feel free to spray with wild abandon and to totally give in to the sensory pleasure!

      As for Vetiver, down the road, you may want to consider getting a sample of Sycomore from Chanel’s Exclusif line. But ease into the vetiver genre slowly before you do so, as that is a very vetiver-centric fragrance and quite dark, though very refined.

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