Honey Aoud

Lovely, sweet cinnamon honey backed by woods. This is my 2nd favorite from Montale and it has a very mature vibe. Undeniably unisex, but leans slightly feminine to my Middle Eastern nose, If you like oud, Middle Eastern perfumery, honey and something sweet balanced with spices, this is for you. If you like something light and airy, and expecting something very natural smelling, this is probably not for you.

This was my first known foray into an oud. I tried Calvin Klein's Euphoria years ago, and it smelled so much like cigarette smoke on me. I wonder now if there was oud in it. You really have to own the oud. You can't be ambivalent about such a serious, powerful scent. Montale's Honey Aoud has no honey at all to me. It is a very potent scent, not unpleasant, but not to be toyed with. I wore it three times and decided it wasn't quite my style. It's very much a burnt wood smell on me. It has powerful sillage and incredible staying power. One drop on my wrist lasted about 8 hours. Maybe a different type of oud could work for me, but this one is a little too potent.

Cinnamon, honey, and...leather? Why not. Cheerfully odd for a sweet (super-sweet) gourmand, with Montale’s smoky agarwood reining in what would otherwise be a daunting vanilla note. This is a bottle of autumn leaf piles, baked goods, and warm sweaters; not sure how it might hold up during the warmer months (or, rather, I suspect the sillage is strong enough to physically hold up the wearer), but I am going to pretend it’s September already and hand over that fifth star.

I'm in love. Sweet and woody, definitely unique. Purchased a bottle.

Way too sweet for my taste. But it is a grown-up kind of sweet. Not for me but if you like sweeter fragrances, this might be for you. Caution: don't use a heavy hand when applying this.

My new favorite Montale! Not at all what I was expecting based on the name. This perfume starts prominently with cade, with strong campfire smoke, juniper berries, and almost hidden green notes. The patchouli leans more soapy than herbal. The dry-down is cistus labdanum, leather, resins, and smoky vanilla riding on top of clean white musk. Dark and woody but not in a heavy way. Perfect for fall.