Oud Ispahan (2012)
by Christian Dior

A familiar, yet beloved combination for me. I always enjoy smelling and wearing Oud, rose, labdanum, sandalwood, and patchouli in any incarnation. This one in particular isn't screechy. I think it's well balanced. The base has a tad sweetness to it.

I won't purchase a FB but, I will enjoy the small decant I have.

Stardate 20170815:

Synthetic oud with some roses. Well done.
Oud is barnyardy.
Nothing original here but the blending and balance is good. Perhaps a bit too pricey at retail prices.

I just ran out of my sample of this and I wanted to wait until I had used through it before I gave my review.

It's safe to say I have smelled this mix before... Oud, Rose, & Patchouli. Seems to be a very common combination. But I can say that this particular blend is breathtaking. At first it comes across as your average runofthemill Oud but as it dries down you get a much more complex soft smooth blend of Oud, Labdanum and rose. Very rich, complex, soft and sensuous. Overall this is really a fantastic Oud fragrance for oud lovers!

Excellent Projection and Longevity as well!

This is an outstanding fragrance that will make you feel like a king. Don't buy it if you don't like rose because there's loads of rose in there ;)

Oud Ispahan is the first in-production Dior Privee I've tried on skin for the first time in a while, and much like its strong reputation, it does not disappoint.

As most can attest, this starts off with a sharp, acerbic blast of labdanum that fades into a rose/oud mix that is softened by the heart of sandalwood along the way.

It is in the family of rose/oud blends that are so commonplace, but the addition of labdanum is what gives Oud Ispahan its own character, a slightly feminine character, in the vein of the cosmetics smell that is a key aspect (for me) of Chanel Coromandel and Dior Homme Intense. It's also slightly powdery so I can see this leaning feminine for most people most of the time, but it's surely unisex enough for men to wear effectively and enjoy. As far as I'm concerned, it dresses up better than it dresses down--I would wear this at night exclusively.

It's a rose/oud scent that sophisticated in both of its key elements. The rose isn't a sweet or heavy rose but rather a relatively fresh, bright rose. And the oud is soft, terribly harsh. It's not a dry desert harsh scent, but rather something moist and welcoming.

Performance-wise, Oud Ispahan is superb. I'll echo that it's tremendous in terms of both projection and longevity. Its power can be polarizing for both men and women, I can imagine. Certainly this should be reserved for colder weather, and might not be ideal for scenarios where you do not want to stand out.

Any rose/oud fans should check this out. Among rose/ouds that I've tried or own, I'd still probably give the edge to Armani Prive Rose d'Arabie, which is simply a little more welcoming, a little better blended in my opinion. Still, Oud Ispahan is surely the favorite of many, and I'll have to try it some more.

8 out of 10