Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
01/06/2023
Elysium
815 Reviews
Elysium
4
Don't Get Too Close To Me
I was looking for the "Oud Mood | Lattafa / لطافة" perfume online since these Arabic fragrances are not found in Italian shops; I was intrigued mainly by the resemblance they attribute to Sheikh Shuyukh Luxe Edition, which we will see better when I review Oud Mood. Four variations appeared when I typed Oud Mood into the search field, all available at a ridiculous price for a 100ml EDP. I let myself be tempted and blindly bought them all. Like all the pieces of the Oud Mood collection, the packaging and the bottle are lush and very accurate in every detail. For Oud Mood Elixir, the box is a burnished cylindrical tube similar to fine whiskeys, whose cap is hooked by a golden ribbon that keeps it anchored. And the thick glass bottle is blindfolded slave-style with a burnished ribbon of the same color as the box. Not to mention the heavy metal gold cap. Incredible how a perfume paid for around €15 can provide such expensive packaging. But what surprised me the most was the perfume enclosed in the bottle, which I will try to describe. According to the olfactory notes, the fragrance should be spicy, with leather, woody, and amber influences.
Why did I write in the title not to get too close to the fragrance? When the perfume touches my skin and mixes with my chemistry, it produces a somewhat unexpected reaction. Oud Mood Elixir announces itself with a strange, bizarre opening and is not very pleasant to my nose. Once the liquid comes out of the sprayer and spreads in the air, a fantastic aroma contrasted by an unpleasant smell assails me. The pleasant side consists of warm and sweet spices with a boozy touch, among which I recognize cinnamon and nutmeg. Their scent is similar to the powder I get when I grate a cinnamon stick and a whole walnut, a rich and intense spice. Cinnamon is dominant and overpowers all other spices.
Instead, and I am a little embarrassed to write this, the dark and unpleasant side is similar to the smell of feces, a little animal, and stinky fecal matter. I checked the batch code and production date 08-2022 with expiration 08-2027, so the perfume has stayed good. I documented myself, and I discovered that one of the many ways oud resin can be presented is precisely the fecal, indolic, i.e., skatole. And this is the first time I've encountered this accord in a perfume, actually the second. Thinking about it, years ago, I bought and returned Pepe Bianco Eau de Toilette precisely because this fecal smell was felt at the opening, and I thought it had gone wrong. In low dosage, and if smelled from afar, it has a floral and sweet nuance like jasmine, gardenia, and orange blossom; these flowers contain the character. However, if I smell it too close, the concentrated nature is full of wet-mustiness and smells like poop with a strong animal odor, so pungent and suffocating. So, for at least a quarter of an hour, the opening is a freak, both dirty and pleasant, and to some extent, can lend the fragrance a human, sexual edge, similar to how pheromones work. A quarter of an hour of pure terror, this one scared me more than a little. Therefore, don't let yourself be influenced by my sensations even if the perfume may initially seem repulsive and unfriendly, but at the same time, a small part of me is inquisitive, a little intrigued in a primal way by this dirty, musty, and full of life redolence.
It takes half an hour for the perfume to settle on the skin, change direction, and release its true soul. In the heart, the creamy notes of sandalwood are revealed, interacting with the oud's animal ones and those of soft suede. The purely animal side of the oud dampens the raw aspect of the leather quite a lot, making it appear gentle, smooth, and velvety. Now the fragrance no longer scares; it is like a tamed wild animal, a tamed horse. The fecal barnyard oud nuance is gone.
At the base, the sweet spiced notes of vanilla are manifested, with its powdery and powdery sides just enough without crossing the fine line that separates it from being gourmand, supported by a salty and musky veil of amber, once again an animal musk and not at all clean or close to a fabric softener. There is also an earthy side that resembles patchouli's dark and slightly dirty notes, which is not mentioned but can be perceived at times. Now I can bring my nose to my wrists, the indolic aspects have vanished, and I get sweetness and warmth with a slightly smoky edge. The fragrance is completely different from the initial one, intimate and sensual.
Having tested all the Oud Moods simultaneously, Elixir has nothing in common with the other three, and at no point did I perceive any similarities. The perfume does not excel in projection, which stands at a moderate value. It is pleasant to the people around us and not offensive at all. Instead, the duration is excellent, and I can feel it after many hours. As far as the season is concerned, I am comfortable wearing it on late autumn days and evenings when the first chills of winter are upon us. After the initial dismay, I conclude that Elixir is a beautiful fragrance that takes time to understand and then gives pleasant sensations.
I'm basing my feelings and review on a bottle I've owned since January 2023 (PD 08.2022).
-Elysium
Why did I write in the title not to get too close to the fragrance? When the perfume touches my skin and mixes with my chemistry, it produces a somewhat unexpected reaction. Oud Mood Elixir announces itself with a strange, bizarre opening and is not very pleasant to my nose. Once the liquid comes out of the sprayer and spreads in the air, a fantastic aroma contrasted by an unpleasant smell assails me. The pleasant side consists of warm and sweet spices with a boozy touch, among which I recognize cinnamon and nutmeg. Their scent is similar to the powder I get when I grate a cinnamon stick and a whole walnut, a rich and intense spice. Cinnamon is dominant and overpowers all other spices.
Instead, and I am a little embarrassed to write this, the dark and unpleasant side is similar to the smell of feces, a little animal, and stinky fecal matter. I checked the batch code and production date 08-2022 with expiration 08-2027, so the perfume has stayed good. I documented myself, and I discovered that one of the many ways oud resin can be presented is precisely the fecal, indolic, i.e., skatole. And this is the first time I've encountered this accord in a perfume, actually the second. Thinking about it, years ago, I bought and returned Pepe Bianco Eau de Toilette precisely because this fecal smell was felt at the opening, and I thought it had gone wrong. In low dosage, and if smelled from afar, it has a floral and sweet nuance like jasmine, gardenia, and orange blossom; these flowers contain the character. However, if I smell it too close, the concentrated nature is full of wet-mustiness and smells like poop with a strong animal odor, so pungent and suffocating. So, for at least a quarter of an hour, the opening is a freak, both dirty and pleasant, and to some extent, can lend the fragrance a human, sexual edge, similar to how pheromones work. A quarter of an hour of pure terror, this one scared me more than a little. Therefore, don't let yourself be influenced by my sensations even if the perfume may initially seem repulsive and unfriendly, but at the same time, a small part of me is inquisitive, a little intrigued in a primal way by this dirty, musty, and full of life redolence.
It takes half an hour for the perfume to settle on the skin, change direction, and release its true soul. In the heart, the creamy notes of sandalwood are revealed, interacting with the oud's animal ones and those of soft suede. The purely animal side of the oud dampens the raw aspect of the leather quite a lot, making it appear gentle, smooth, and velvety. Now the fragrance no longer scares; it is like a tamed wild animal, a tamed horse. The fecal barnyard oud nuance is gone.
At the base, the sweet spiced notes of vanilla are manifested, with its powdery and powdery sides just enough without crossing the fine line that separates it from being gourmand, supported by a salty and musky veil of amber, once again an animal musk and not at all clean or close to a fabric softener. There is also an earthy side that resembles patchouli's dark and slightly dirty notes, which is not mentioned but can be perceived at times. Now I can bring my nose to my wrists, the indolic aspects have vanished, and I get sweetness and warmth with a slightly smoky edge. The fragrance is completely different from the initial one, intimate and sensual.
Having tested all the Oud Moods simultaneously, Elixir has nothing in common with the other three, and at no point did I perceive any similarities. The perfume does not excel in projection, which stands at a moderate value. It is pleasant to the people around us and not offensive at all. Instead, the duration is excellent, and I can feel it after many hours. As far as the season is concerned, I am comfortable wearing it on late autumn days and evenings when the first chills of winter are upon us. After the initial dismay, I conclude that Elixir is a beautiful fragrance that takes time to understand and then gives pleasant sensations.
I'm basing my feelings and review on a bottle I've owned since January 2023 (PD 08.2022).
-Elysium
5000ml
Elysium
