Oud Cuir D'Arabie
by Montale

A dry and very smoky leather with a measure of oud. Not as medicinal as some of other Montale ouds. I wouldn’t say this is easy to wear, but I do like it.

7th February, 2012.

Smelled up close in teensy amounts, (the way you might first smell something when you receive a sample in the mail), the oud, rose, and leather are a beautiful combination, and I really thought that this fragrance was going to be a winner. Unfortunately, when applied properly for a daily wearing, the sillage tells a different tale as it wreaks it's dirty havoc all around the wearer. I don't know the mechanics of it, but for whatever reason this just becomes an earthy mess that has no identifiable detail. It isn't disgusting, and I wouldn't use the term barnyard as that implies animals and doody, but it is definitely outdoorsy, and NOT in a green or fresh kind of way. The rose does peek through about 5 hours in, but that's too little too late.

I cannot recommend this.

13rd December, 2011.

I've been wearing this stuff for a few days now. It's a huge, raunchy, unique fragrance. It lasts for many, many hours. My partner's comment was "you smell like an old chair", which is pretty accurate! You won't be smelling this stuff on anyone else, because it's uncommon and expensive. It's definitely unisex and definitely potent.

24th September, 2011. (Last Edited: 30th January, 2012.)

I fell in love with this perfume as soon as I smelled it. I love oud and I love leather. Being a woman, the sales lady tried to steer me in a different direction, but I'm glad I stuck to my guns ( and leather :) and purchased this perfume. My skin does strange things to perfumes, and can handle some very masculine notes with ease. On my skin this perfume brings out the rose right from the beginning with leather trailing behind. There is nothing harsh or brutal on my skin. I almost wish I could get more of the butch aspect on my skin, as I would love to get my hands on a purely brutal leather. On me, this has an average lasting power, giving me at most 2-3 hours. Like I said earlier, my skin does strange things to perfumes and eats up the most stout fragrances with ease.

8th August, 2011.

If nothing oud cuir d'arabie is an olfactory experience, which I think every fragrance lover should try. It is probably a tricky one to like because of its heavy emphasis on certain notes, and I'm surprised to find neutral ratings.

I think of Oud Cuir D'arabie as a journey of leather, from the animal to the supple worn leather.
Curiously the first moments of the fragrance is the most animalic part. An oily fatty smelll together with half digested grass marks the slaughtering the original owner of the leather. Then the scent progresses to curing process. Then it becomes a brand new leather product, which gets broken down and worn as it fades. Honestly!

I also get the most realistic oud note I've seen in Montale fragrances from this one. Probably due to the combination of notes. After several full wearings I can say that there is saffron/safraleine in the leather accord even though it's not in the notes.

For me it's easily 50ml bottle worthy, but only because I love it and I don't care too much if it will suit an occasion to wear in. If you care too much if a scent will be appropriate, it may find less use for you. At any rate put this high in your to sample list.

31st May, 2011. (Last Edited: 15th July, 2011.)

A dirty barnyard-like accord establishes the opening, and is soon accompanied by a pungently smoky note that recalls charred timbre. I can't say I enjoy this aspect - the combination smells like someone's been using animal dung for fuel. Isn't that what they used to do in ancient times?

Thankfully for me, this craggy phase settles down quickly, leaving a rather pleasantly evocative saddle leather scent that is unfortunately short-lived. On my skin, OUD CUIR D'ARABIE dries down to a lightly floral musk, with animalic nuances along the development that are mildly reminiscent of Serge Lutens' Muscs Koublai Khan.

Like a raunchy dirty dance that ends with a chaste peck to the cheek, it leaves me somewhat dissatisfied but eager for the next encounter.

29th May, 2011.