Arabian Nights by Jesus Del Pozo

A friendly basenoter by the name of blackened recently sent me an unsolicited sample pack of Del Pozo's Arabian Nights. I had been trying for quite awhile to get info pertaining to the availability of this release and found it to be non existent here in the USA. He was kind enough to send me some to try and naturally I took him up on his generous offer.

Before trying Arabian Nights, I held the assumption that it would be similar to Bogart's release of the same name. I had a bottle of that and found it interesting. I let it go since Mrs. Aromi absolutely detested it and I didn't love it enough to keep it.

The Del Pozo is a likable oud for me. I have a hard time with this particular note, but there's "something" in even the ones I don't like that keeps me searching for one that will work for me. I feel steamrolled by most Montale renditions and the oud version in ( let's say ) Oudy Woody comes off as distinct body odor aroma.

So.......hoping this wouldn't be a B.O. candidate or nuclear oud, I wore Arabian Nights twice in the last 24 hours. I originally planned to wear it this weekend, but decided I didn't want to wait. The opening has the oud note present from the base along with rose and thyme in the top accord. The thyme isn't the same as I've grown accustomed to in numerous designers that have it. Let me just say that I don't "recognize" it like I'm used to. It's either an entirely different rendition or the combination of it along with rose with oud makes this note seem like a stranger here. The volume is appropriate and reminiscent of L'Artisan's version. It has that same type of breathing room and foregoes the denseness I usually associate with oud fragrances.

It doesn't take long for the woodiness to accompany the rose-oud accord. At about this time, there's a nice saffron note jumping in the fray. The listed patchouli and vetiver seem very content, on my skin, to stay way in the background. The woody-rose-oud-saffron coalition are the star players for me and they make up a good portion of this scent's life. They are surprisingly polite and the additions of labdanum and musk further improve an already good accord.

Suffice it say that Del Pozo's Arabian Nights is an oud I like and could wear. It's not groundbreaking, but it still smells better than quite a few I have smelled lately. I applaud the volume and enjoyed the drydown very much. It's also superior to Bogart's fragrance of the same name. Totally different and truer to the oud aroma most come to expect.

Thumbs up from Aromi for Arabian Nights.