R'oud Elements by Kerosene

Oud, Sandalwood, Amber, Vanilla, Lavender, Iris, Orange Bitters.

As soon as I sprayed this on for my first wearing, I had two thoughts. One was "I like it".....and the other was "Incense"? I hadn't expected that note, but there it is, in all its glory, wrapped up inside a fragrant tortilla consisting of mild Agarwood, Lavender, Woods and a really nice rendition of Bitter Orange.

It's interesting to note that Allysa Ashley's Oud pour Lui surprised me with Incense, but it's more of a team player in R'oud Elements and balances everything out rather well. The listed notes give a good account of themselves here and the breakdown on my skin is two stages of development. Once the spicy and bitter citric accord subsides, R'oud evolves into a Woody Oriental with resin.

The totality of my wearings is a positive experience. This scent is smoky in all the right ways without ever resorting to theatrics. I would have seriously enjoyed the Orange hanging around longer, but that's what citric accords usually do; grab your attention, seduce you and then leave you before you even know they're gone. I will say that the ghost of the opening accord lingers, but by the heart and onward, it's a pale rider. The onset of mild oriental notes, resin and woods makes up for it.

Sillage is average with longevity approximately 5 hours before reapplication. Thumbs up from Aromi For Kerosene's more smoky than oudy R'oud Elements. As always, a sample wear is highly recommended.