Top Notes
Bergamot
Mandarin orange
Rosemary
Heart Notes
Oud
Vetiver
Base Notes
Mandragora
Amber
Musk
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Notes01/01/2022
Elysium
610 Reviews
Elysium
3
The Oud When There Was No Oud
Some things happen without a valid reason, or we don’t know how to explain. Therefore, I cannot explain how two master perfumers, namely Alberto Morillas and Jacques Cavallier, beneath the direction of Tom Ford, could have created such an outrageous, dangerous, and gorgeous masterpiece, and then the house of YSL discontinued it. M7 was one of the first fragrances for men, if not the first, to introduce the oud accord into Occidental colognes, creating a disruptive, unique, sensual, mysterious, intriguing, and warm scent. So warm and sensual that the photographer Solve Sundsbo portrayed the hairy model Samuel de Cubber completely naked, an author’s nude, like the perfume. A scandal at the time, that male body full frontal on the posters posted on the city walls, and in all the fashion magazines, soon banned into an abbreviated version. I know the M7 was reformulated once, but here I will describe the OG in the solid brown, dark bottle, of which thankfully I still have a few precious drops inside a test bottle.
I want to remember the use I made of it and the medicinal smell that it had at the beginning of the 21st century. M7 is polarising, on a par with the manly notes of #Kouros, and has many fans and detractors, which sounds good to me. It is one of the most beautiful, original and fascinating perfumes I have ever smelled. M7 is the best powdery oud I have met in my life. It fascinated me from the very beginning when it was launched on the market in 2002. I had the original M7, then the flaker M7 Fresh. Now I have got an almost 5ml leftover of a vintage M7 tester bottle, and the reformulated "M7 Oud Absolu | Yves Saint Laurent".
M7 is a strange fragrance that announces itself with a jagged accord of cherry cough syrup with an agarwood underlay. Probably what does not convince anyone initially is the perception of the cherry liqueur that oozes for a certain moment. It’s not what Western noses are used to, then even less than now, but it’s not bad, it’s not bad at all. M7 has its particular charm unrefined, but that’s just what I’m looking for and what I need. But don’t get confused. Soon, it will fade and turn into a divine scent that you cannot resist. There is spicy citrus in the top notes thanks to the contribution of Italian bergamot and mandarin, which goes perfectly with the aromatic and pungent notes of rosemary, which gives the medicinal, slightly camphoraceous, nuance. The opening is unusual, rather dark and heavy.
In the heart, I get herbaceous vetiver, an interesting companion for resinous agarwood. I also get smoky and incensed shades, as if olibanum or incense resin was stuck in the heart. Vetiver isn’t the way I usually perceive it, but the blend gives it a nice subtle tinge once the aura of the cough syrup fades. An earthy, woody, and smoky heart.
The bottom lasts a long time on my skin, and a musky amber reveals itself, albeit slowly. There is an earthy quality to it, reminiscent of the bark of mossy trees in the heart of a wood, and it fits in well with the smoke I still hear from the heart. The noses underline the richness of the woody accord in the bottom. After the initial punch in the face, M7 has a softer, intimate, rather mild aroma that lasts all day or night. The oud is now domesticated and warmed by amber and creamy wood, a sweet endless bitterness.
Even today, it smells like nothing else. It’s luxurious, dark, and possesses raw manhood and sensuality that makes it both desirable and intriguing. M7 is revolutionary for the strangeness that is inherent in it. The perfect juice to counteract the cold months of autumn and winter. Both sillage and longevity are commendable and allow those sitting on the fence with oud to experience that note in a slightly different presentation. By applying M7 before dinner, I can still easily detect its presence on my skin the next day. To be applied with discretion, as it can be overwhelming if applied excessively. It’s a little piece of perfume history and a lot of glories.
I base the review on a decant I have owned since 2009.
-Elysium
I want to remember the use I made of it and the medicinal smell that it had at the beginning of the 21st century. M7 is polarising, on a par with the manly notes of #Kouros, and has many fans and detractors, which sounds good to me. It is one of the most beautiful, original and fascinating perfumes I have ever smelled. M7 is the best powdery oud I have met in my life. It fascinated me from the very beginning when it was launched on the market in 2002. I had the original M7, then the flaker M7 Fresh. Now I have got an almost 5ml leftover of a vintage M7 tester bottle, and the reformulated "M7 Oud Absolu | Yves Saint Laurent".
M7 is a strange fragrance that announces itself with a jagged accord of cherry cough syrup with an agarwood underlay. Probably what does not convince anyone initially is the perception of the cherry liqueur that oozes for a certain moment. It’s not what Western noses are used to, then even less than now, but it’s not bad, it’s not bad at all. M7 has its particular charm unrefined, but that’s just what I’m looking for and what I need. But don’t get confused. Soon, it will fade and turn into a divine scent that you cannot resist. There is spicy citrus in the top notes thanks to the contribution of Italian bergamot and mandarin, which goes perfectly with the aromatic and pungent notes of rosemary, which gives the medicinal, slightly camphoraceous, nuance. The opening is unusual, rather dark and heavy.
In the heart, I get herbaceous vetiver, an interesting companion for resinous agarwood. I also get smoky and incensed shades, as if olibanum or incense resin was stuck in the heart. Vetiver isn’t the way I usually perceive it, but the blend gives it a nice subtle tinge once the aura of the cough syrup fades. An earthy, woody, and smoky heart.
The bottom lasts a long time on my skin, and a musky amber reveals itself, albeit slowly. There is an earthy quality to it, reminiscent of the bark of mossy trees in the heart of a wood, and it fits in well with the smoke I still hear from the heart. The noses underline the richness of the woody accord in the bottom. After the initial punch in the face, M7 has a softer, intimate, rather mild aroma that lasts all day or night. The oud is now domesticated and warmed by amber and creamy wood, a sweet endless bitterness.
Even today, it smells like nothing else. It’s luxurious, dark, and possesses raw manhood and sensuality that makes it both desirable and intriguing. M7 is revolutionary for the strangeness that is inherent in it. The perfect juice to counteract the cold months of autumn and winter. Both sillage and longevity are commendable and allow those sitting on the fence with oud to experience that note in a slightly different presentation. By applying M7 before dinner, I can still easily detect its presence on my skin the next day. To be applied with discretion, as it can be overwhelming if applied excessively. It’s a little piece of perfume history and a lot of glories.
I base the review on a decant I have owned since 2009.
-Elysium
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