Reviews of Aoud Roses Petals
by Montale

As much as I’ve found this line to be a revelation in itself (as well as the main reason for my recent interest in ouds) the differences between most of them are just too subtle. For example, is it really worth owning both Aoud Roses Petals and Black Aoud? If you’re expecting each fragrance in your wardrobe to be distinctive from the others then the answer will be ‘no’.

For me, Black Aoud contains more aoud (and is thus edgier) while Aoud Roses Petals has more… well, roses. It’s as simple as that! I’m sure many readers will strongly disagree and accuse me of being too simplistic here. However, at the end of the day, after the intense analysis of complex notes and waxing lyrical pretensions, the practicalities of life are impossible to avoid.

Fragrances serve a function – not only for the wearer (i.e. to smell good) but also for the people that the wearer comes into contact with. For the man or woman on the street, these two Montales come across as almost identical and that’s something that I’m not really prepared to waste my money on. No, I don’t wear fragrances to please (or attract) others but I would like people to immediately know that I’m wearing something very different from the last time they met me.

However, that’s not to say that either of these creations are bad – quite the contrary (I actually own, and much prefer, Black Aoud). The point I’m trying to make is that many fragrances from the aoud line simply remind me of the Serge Lutens Bois series – pretty much the same fragrance but with each one putting more emphasis on one particular note (or even with the odd extra note added or eliminated). I need more distinction from this line but, even though there are fine examples such as Aoud Cuir d’Arabie, this is not enough for me.

Anyway, I still look forward to future releases from this line with the hope that, one day, the differences between them will become much more distinctive.

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[Original submission date: 13 April 2008]

I thought I was in love with the top notes... but after a minute it calmed down to a pleasant but somewhat flat oud and rose combo.

I'm underwhelmed, but this fragrance does have excellent longevity and sillage.

It's my favourite Aoud from Montale. It's more warm and "honeyed" than the rest of feminine aoud roses perfumes. The multi-dimensional sweetness and sour melt and blend with the body heat so well and slowly becoming part of you. Simply addictive.

I was able to smell this, as I was undecided about which Montale rose scent to get. I get more patchouli and oud than roses out of Black Aoud, and I got a sweet rose and a creamy Sandalwood from Attar. The roses in Damascus were sweet as well. I was wanting a darker rose to predominate and this, Rose Petals, is the answer. I agree with Trebor that it is the reverse of Black Aoud on the strength of roses - that is, this starts off with roses and the aoud props it up. I guess, Black vs. Rose Petals depends on where you come from, and what you want the scent to be, roses first and foremost, or roses in a supporting role. This is no girlie scent, at least not on my skin, a 48 year old businessman

Oud has a preternatural way of taking rose and ramping it up to glowing neon intensity. Gorgeous, pungent, spicy, dark rose. Bitter, leather-like presence. Creatively rosey, like the distinct rose fragrance of the old-fashioned cream in the white glass jar. Sexy on men and women. This whole line of fragrances is bewitching. Black Aoud is also great.
After wearing this for a long time, I finally got my hands on a sample of real oud extract, and I have to say I'm unsure if any commercial perfumes actually contain real oud. The real substance is sweetly dirty, has an almost "repulsive" quality, and smells alot like rotten wood. It also smells like oak wood that has been sawed too quickly in a mill, and has a "destroyed" smell. All of the oud perfumes I have tested, including Montales, have more bitterness and an acetone edginess that real oud doesn't have. I think Madini's Agarwood has come the closest to the real thing.

Rose Petals--Tea Roses with some green which gives a lifting sensation. this isn't a favorite rose of mine. I think this kind of rose is best in small doses and this is too over the top for me. If you love the sweet girlie rose, you'll flip for this. Very sophisticated but dangerously strong.

Despite Montale changing their marketing to aim this at women, I find this to be a very wearable rose for a man. It is dark, spicy and brazenly rosey. The Oud gives it an earthiness so much more pleasant than the patchouli so often paired with darker roses. Much more straightforward than the Black oud which to me is overly complex, this belongs with attar as the very best from this house.

after a heavy rain.a rose pulled from the roots.moist dirt and rose pedals with water beads starting to dry. bewitched was how one described this and that is absolutely correct. and very sexy. inhailing this saying ooooh, very admiring. thumbs up

I am relatively new to quality perfumes. I used to only own department store perfumes. My boyfriend was constantly complaining about my latest 5 purchases. He said that after a few hours, they all smelled of rotting fruit. I was becoming distraut, frustrated, even disconsolate.

Then I discovered a perfume only store in Vancouver. I was guided to Aoud Roses Petals. My sweety does not complain about this perfume, in fact, he actually likes the smell. At least he says so.

The aroma is very complex, woody, hard to define spices like Sandalwood, nutmeg. But again it is not sweet. Then after an hour a pure, clean aroma of rose dominates, supported by the other aromas. Best of all - my sweety says it does not degenerate into that rotting fruit smell that the last 5 department store purchases did.

I used up that enormous bottle in a few weeks and am now trying another product. My sweety is nudging me to get another bottle of this one - when will he get the hint to buy me the next cauldron, after all he is the one benefitting.