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Portia
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Hiya APJers,
Rose Oud happened in the heart of the Rose/Saffron/Oud explosion. For some reason, though I love this combo madly, it completely passed me by. Maybe I smelled it but was overwhelmed by others in the line. Also being a Calice Becker should have had me paying attention.The Arabian Nights series was exemplified for me by Amber Oud in 2011 and after they released the Asian Tales in 2012 I thought the house had completely forgotten how to make fragrance (yeah, I know. what an asshole I can be).
Rose Oud by By Kilian 2010
Rose Oud by Calice Becker
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Rose
Heart: Oud, Saffron
Base: Gaiac wood, Cardamom, Patchouli
Affable seems to be the word that keeps rolling around my head while wearing Rose Oud. It’s an interesting word because I’d rarely think it when smelling either or the name notes.
The opening of Rose Oud is jammy and luscious as it unfolds on my skin for the first couple of minutes. A sweet, rich, spiced and fruity rose that smells deep, deep pink to me. While the rose continuers well into the heart and even resurfaces a few times through the base largely it becomes a very pretty, placid tea rose once the rowdier accords come out to play.
Funny aside, as I walk the rose seems to gain absolute prominence. I catch a sniff of an outstanding spicy, slightly green rose and wonder what smells so good, then I realise it’s me. This happens for hours.
The smooth, lightly plastic balminess of saffron and the darker depth of the oud representation in Rose Oud are gorgeous. Hinting at the raw unbridled passion of real oudh but never leaving the convivial glamour of an elegant and amiable friend hosting high tea. Funny that I mention tea because there is something of the dry ache at the back of my throat I get when I open the tea caddy and breathe in its luminous dry wafts.
The woods in the base are dry and well seasoned lumber. The cardamom and the patchouli are merely support cast and while I’m sure they are there aplenty my nose doesn’t connect what I’m smelling to what I know previously.
As with so many by Kilians the longevity is excellent. Personally I like the rougher and more obnoxious JHaG Midnight Oud more than this lovely rendition.
Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels
LuckyScent have $395/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples from $5/0.5ml
Did you love Rose Oud or find it too easy?
Portia xx
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Yes yes yes, I love this Rose Oud. On my skin its long lasting and lucious! I did away with the Midnight Oud by JHAG. that was missing the little sweet touch that Rose Oud does have. Midnight Oud was just nice, Rose Oud is great on my skin. Was able to buy a back-up for a nice price!
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Glad to read someone LOVES this baby Gerda.
It is lovely. so smooth.
Portia xx
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I actually love this thing (though I will not spring for a bottle and am making do with samples). After the rose jam part, it’s very vanilla-y on me, hardly any oud at all and what oud is in there is the band-aidy kind that I really like.
I don’t know what’s up with my really liking the smell of band-aids, but there it is, I like it. It’s comforting. (I probably fell down a lot as a kid.)
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HA! Band Aids do smell good but interestingly none of that very specific smell even got registered for me Mals86, UNTIL YOU MENTIONED IT! Isn’t that crazy. I can smell Band Aids as clear as day in the dry down now you have awoken my nose to the possibility.
HA!
Love it.
Portia xx
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This is probably my favourite rose/oud fragrance. It is soft and smooth and easy to wear. It could be a tad less jammy, but otherwise it’s perfect.
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TaraC,
Ahhh, another fan. YAY! Did you buy a bottle?
Portia xx
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I did! No regrets.
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I have to agree with the other 35 Fragranticians that Kilian Rose Oud smells too similar to the much cheaper Armani Calligraphy rose. Personally I think the rose is of the Turkish variety, which I find a bit too dessert-like. In terms of its simplicity, I suspect this fragrance is meant to be layered with others in the line, particularly Pure Oud.
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Right Nickzee,
Good call. You can get Calligraphy Rose very reasonably now on the discounters.
Isn’t Rose oud a few cuts above is quality and smoothness? I can’t recall exactly but my memory was that though similar they were not same.
Portia xx
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I bought and immediately got rid of the Armani Calligraphy Rose. It was definitely not the same as Kilian Rose Oud and I didn’t like it at all.
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This is the one oud that I truly adore even though it’s not one of those stinging ones …. looking at you Montale! But even those have grown on me, my daughter loves them and I became a little addicted to catching her sillage as she sprayed up for a night out! I’ve got a theory that it is the acrid galbanum of the young generations. Yes I only had a decant but I’m going to splurge on a refill coming into winter.
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Hey Marion,
LOVE that your daughter has brought you on board via osmosis. That’s a fabulous story.
Portia x
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