Essence N°4: Oud Elie Saab 2014

Bottle Design Sylvie de France

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7.9 / 10 78 Ratings

Essence N°4: Oud is a popular perfume by Elie Saab for women and men and was released in 2014. The scent is woody-spicy. The longevity is above-average. It is being marketed by Shiseido Group / Beauté Prestige International.

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Main accords

Woody

Spicy

Oriental

Resinous

Smoky

Fragrance Notes

Oud

Saffron

Cinnamon

Perfumer

Francis Kurkdjian

Ratings

Scent

7.978 Ratings

Longevity

8.469 Ratings

Sillage

7.669 Ratings

Bottle

8.175 Ratings

Value for money

7.512 Ratings

Submitted by Freeestyler, last update on 08.04.2024.

Reviews

5 in-depth fragrance descriptions

05/05/2019

9
Bottle 9
Sillage 9
Longevity 10
Scent

Dustymusky
14 Reviews

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Dustymusky

Very helpful Review 8

What do you think is beyond almost pure?

Elie Saab Oud Essence is a rather puristic oud presentation. The notes of black pepper and benzoin given above in the fragrance pyramid are not the same as the notes of saffron and cinnamon given on the Elie Saab website. That doesn't matter, though, because what's still in there besides Oud is only for support. This oud begins a little bit burnt or smoky, accompanied by a light note, as if someone had hot the car tires on the Saab. After about two hours, however, this resinous, rich oud scent, which fascinates lovers so much, prevails. The next eight hours or so, this perfume just keeps getting better and better. Then comes the gradual departure to hour twelve or beyond.

It's hard to believe how a single fragrance can be so captivating. If you get off after the second or third tour with this Saab, you might easily feel the urge to look for even purer oud variations. I haven't had the pleasure (and don't have the financial means) to buy a pure oud oil from over 100 or more years old eagle wood, but I'd love to smell it!

11/21/2019

8
Sillage 8
Longevity 7
Scent

Jazzbob
76 Reviews

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Jazzbob

Helpful Review 5

An unfinished fragrance

In my search for an alternative to Armanis Oud Royal I was recommended Elie Saabs Oud and I have to say that there is a certain similarity regarding the quite dry Oud note, which is probably of synthetic origin as well. I find a certain dry woodiness to be pleasant in the right context, but the result is a fragrance that is absolutely uncompromising and linear.

Who knows Bowmakers of D.S. & Durga, knows what I mean, if I speak also here of a note reminiscent of wood varnish. The spiciness of the pepper does the rest to provide for a somewhat rejecting character at first. Benzoin or even sweets can only be guessed from the background. Due to its dryness, the smoky impression is probably also created, but it cannot be compared to incense or Labdanum. You shouldn't expect much development in this creation by Francis Kurkdjian, but some of his scents have that in them and I don't see that as a problem if it just fits.

This oud scent has become a bit too one-dimensional and seems to me to be a bit unfinished and therefore more like a basic chord. Nevertheless, this woody resinous basic tone has something attractive and might be interesting for friends of layering

05/28/2020

8
Bottle 7
Sillage 9
Longevity 8.5
Scent

Darkbeat
350 Reviews

Darkbeat

Helpful Review 2

A nice oud with nuances of solvent

Magnificent work of Mr. Kurkdjian, with just three notes he has created a very mysterious and welcoming perfume, with a certain mystical air, that stimulates the senses.

The beginning of this perfume is almost exact to Bois D'encens from the Armani Prive collection, a very resinous, cold and balsamic spicy aroma, exquisite, perfectly emulating the sensation of liturgical incense, but not the smell of when it burns, but the smell of the unburned incense stones, it's like opening a bag full of this incense and breathing inside it, I love it. This start is long-lived, it stays at least half an hour or more, and little by little it becomes woody. A very spicy and warm wood begins to emerge, and together with the previous notes, they create an intense woody aroma, resinous, vibrant and balsamic, ecstatic. In the end, the protagonist is the oud, with a subtle resinous veil of very light vanilla, highlighting the many nuances of these woods. An aroma of marked character and not for everyone. The oud in this perfume is a very tamed oud, it is intense, but it does not have that dirty touch of some oud that I have smelled, here it is tinged with a smell of deep, turbulent, spicy, warm, balsamic and somewhat creamy wood.

As I said before, it is not a perfume for everyone, it is a scent with character and it needs someone who knows how to wear it, I particularly love it, but it is difficult for me to know what kind of occasions to wear it for, anyway, a beautiful perfume for cold or temperate climates and to wear at night, although as I always say, this depends on each one.

The duration has been greater than 9 hours, with a good wake for about 3 hours, then it declines to moderate, but not bad. It is not a perfume that I can openly recommend, but if you like this type of scent, it is a highly recommended perfume.

04/08/2024

7
Pricing 8
Bottle 6
Sillage 8
Longevity 7
Scent

Musicandarts
46 Reviews

Musicandarts

A mild monotonous saffron oud from Francis Kurkdjian

I bought a full bottle from Jomashop without testing, because I couldn’t find a sample. Though it is a nice perfume, I don’t think I would have bought it if I had tested it properly. The price is moderate with 3.4 oz costing me $55. As the Essence line has been discontinued, the remaining bottles will disappear from the marketplace soon.

Elie Saab Essence line fragrances are simple, focusing on one dominant note. The perfumer, Francis Kurkdjian, accentuates this dominant note using a few other ancillary notes. If I may generalize based on the two Essence scents I own, this line thrives on the intensity of a single dominant note. Complexity and development are not part of the game.

The three notes in Essence No. 4 Oud are listed differently on different websites. Basenotes lists black pepper, oud and benzoin, while Parfumo lists saffron, oud and cinnamon. My nose says saffron, oud, and benzoin with a tiny hint of black pepper. I don’t detect any cinnamon. Unfortunately, I cannot find the official notes from the perfumer. Saffron, oud and benzoin are present in the opening, heart and base notes. There is no noticeable development. The longevity is very good as it lasts about 8-10 hours on my skin. But the sillage is mediocre, making this a good office perfume. It is a low intensity perfume as these notes do not typically project much. The bottle is attractive with its unique magnetic cap.

Essence No. 4 may be a good fit for those looking for a mild, inoffensive Western-style oud with saffron. There are no sweet or floral notes anywhere in this perfume. Though I do not layer perfumes, I can see why this could become a staple for those who do so.

09/27/2023

8
Pricing 9
Bottle 8
Sillage 9
Longevity 8.5
Scent

Minigolf
306 Reviews

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Minigolf

Kurkdjian memorial forest or soft darkness

I immerse myself in the early-autumn evening forest - the sunset is not far away. Moisture spreads quietly and makes everything smell particularly fragrant. Wood. Bark. The green-rooty breath of the clearing. Grass and earth.
Now the sky in the west is turning purple, the east is already in velvety darkness. The warmth of the day is still present in the trunks of the trees and radiates slowly and pleasantly. Waiting for the coolness of the night, turning into a fine haze in the very early morning.
Here, the famous perfumer Francis Kurkdjian has created his own "memorial forest", he has succeeded in capturing the subtle "secret worlds" for which I, too, must first find the right words.
Gentle darkness? Tart evening resins? Ringing forest chords? Fragrant morning mist? Well, this beautiful fragrance is all that and more. Accompanied by the finest subliminal, spicy sweetness, this perfume fills my nose, penetrates my "olfactory brain" and immediately puts me in the mood described. And when I have it in front of me "in real life" (I live very close to a forest), the beautiful effect is doubled and tripled ;-))

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