Jovan Intense Oud

Lemongrass, Saffron, Rose, Labdanum, Oud, Sandalwood, Patchouli.

I read what I could about Jovan's Intense Oud and I suppose what intrigued me the most was it's apparent scarcity. I pulled the trigger on a few bottles and figured if I didn't like it, I could always sell it. I genuinely had hoped I'd like it. After all, more than a few had included "silky" and "niche-like" in their descriptions. In the end however, we like what we like and the numerous oud releases available are like comparing apples to apples. So many interpretations of this particular note flood the market that, what one deems a gem, another deems unfit to wear. I happen to fall in the middle here. Being that this is a "Jovan" has nothing to do with my opinion of Intense Oud. In truth, this doesn't smell like a "Jovan", but that in itself just isn't enough for me.

This reminds of Oudy Woody due to it's dominant agarwood note and pungency. I experience no smoothness, nor silky niche-appeal. Intense Oud is simply too brusque for my palette, although I'm sure others will find this attractive. To each his own as the saying goes.

All the listed players are here, but the tuning of them is where Intense Oud loses me. I love Labdanum, yet it's treated like the proverbial red-headed stepchild and lacks the attention it needs. The favorite son here is agarwood and I admit to liking it when tempered a certain way with other notes such as these. For this consumer, Oud is wearable and even better, enjoyable as long as it doesn't possess that B.O. quality. I get hints of it during the top and heart accords, but less as the wearings ensue.

Sillage is good and longevity is approximately 5-6 hours on my skin. Neutral rating from Aromi for Jovan's Intense Oud with a strong recommendation to sample before purchase.

Comments

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Paco Rabanne Pour Homme

I am reviewing the original Paco Rabanne Pour Homme ( circa 1973 ) thanks to a generous basenoter who sent it to me recently in a swap. He also sent me the current formulation in order for me to do a side by side comparison. The side by side resulted in what I had already imagined would be the case. Not that the newer formula is terrible by any means. The original version simply is better by being deeper and a bit more masculine. No......you shouldn't go to ebay searching for the vintage formula and paying stupid prices. It's simply a notch or two better than the current and noticeable by comparing the two in real time. Rabanne Pour Homme opens with a slight shimmer in conjunction with lavender, spices and a subtle woodiness. It's an old school introduction, however a good one. The lavender takes about 5 minutes to raise its volume and evolve into a soapy rendition. I dislike when a boatload of soapy lavender takes over a composition, but here it doesn't go over t...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog