Oak by Bath and Body Works

Bergamot, Sage, Juniper, Lemon.
Geranium, Clove, Lavender, Nutmeg, Orange Blossom.
Oak, Coffee, Musk, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Cedar.

The very first thing I noticed upon wearing Oak by Bath and Body Works is the "slight nod" it gives to Bigelow Black Elixir. Oak is the softer, lighter 2nd cousin and for all its listed notes, you'd be hard pressed to identify most while wearing it.

Regardless of the accords being blurred, it seems to be one of those fragrances you can simply spray on, relax and not care about progressions, projection or longevity. It's comfortably generic and on me, the intro is built around the "suggestion" of coffee instead of wood.

Once Oak has been on the skin for 10 minutes or longer, an ambery accord begins to rear its head. Smelling it up close, it possesses a subtle play-doh quality not unlike the rendition I've smelled in a few other designer fragrances. I haven't had Oak on my skin more than 15 minutes and already I'm reminded of 2 different masculines. The opening being Black Elixir and the base is somewhat similar to Calvin Klein.

Is Oak woody in the conventional sense? To me it isn't, but the house's interpretation is still recognizable as such. The manner in which Oak is tuned resembles a potpourri of ingredients. Blended together, the result is an earthy, wood-like aroma accented with spices. The clove, coffee and musk make for interesting bedfellows here. I wonder if the addition of a minimal dose of Orange Blossom ( and its interplay with those three ) could be responsible for what I'm perceiving as an amber ingredient.

In the end, it doesn't really matter. Oak proves to be an average scent that could be worn by either gender. There's nothing remarkable or unique about it, but I enjoy it for the anonymous gratification it brings when I wear it. The drydown has been compared to Obssession and it's the "ambery" quality bringing those conclusions. There are similarities, but Oak is more passive and a much easier wear.

Sillage is moderate and longevity is approximately 4 hours on me before I'd consider reapplying it. A positive neutral rating from Aromi for Bath and Body Works rendition of "Oak".