Royal Aoud by Montale

An excellent Montale fragrance. Understated, bright clean opening of citrus and medicinal aoud, that quickly blossoms into an airy and very beautiful dusty rose and aoud combination that smells a lot like Band-Aids. I really enjoy it. Be careful when you spray it, the opening is deceptively quiet for a Montale. It takes about five minutes to develop, and when it does it is very powerful with strong silage and tremendous longevity. I get 12-15 hours with this one, and much much longer if it gets on my clothing. Two sprays are enough for most situations. The dry down is a beautiful soft, dusty rose and medicinal aoud. This one is the most medicinal smelling of any Montale fragrance that I have owned. It really does smell like Band Aids for the first two or three hours. The aoud dies down a bit after five or six hours and you are left with a gorgeous, soft rose. Comparisons to Montale's Taj are not well-founded. While both are powerful and have a strong Aoud presence, Taj is dark, heavy, and dirty, and smells of ground tobacco leaves and leather, while Royal Aoud is bright, happy, and clean and smells of bandaids and roses. I love them both. Unlike Taj, Royal Aoud is definitely unisex, and the rose is light and airy - not dark, heavy or dense like the rose in Black Aoud, for example. I'd say, within the Montale line of Aouds, Royal Aoud is the polar opposite of Black Aoud. Quiet, understated, and lovely opening. Light and bright. Soft, dusty rose dry down. As opposed to Black Aoud, which has a raw and forceful opening, deep and dark rose heart, and is deep and mysterious as it dries down. Both smell great. Both are sexy. Both project like crazy and last over a half a day. I highly recommend this one. If you don't like dusty rose or you don't like aoud, then this one isn't for you. But, if you are looking on a fresh, happy, clean take on an aoud and rose based fragrance, then this one is will be a very welcome addition to your wardrobe.

I obviously catch in the air some similarities with Aoud Lime and Black Aoud and i agree who with smells Royal Aoud as a sort of Aoud Lime (one of my absolute favourite of the line) without the initial strong citrusy blast (at least, with a fainter initial citrusy splash) although  i would also add that Royal Aoud lacks the notable Aoud Lime's lingering cool greeness and introduces a more developed woody and rosey powdery final sweetness. This  one is indeed basically a rosey and spicy oudh with a final touch of vanillic  luxurious smoothness and nothing else. The right balance among the main notes, i mean medicinal aoud and final softness, makes this fragrance slightly different since the beginning. I mean that the rustic and medicinal aoud effect is shorter in duration and softer in temperament while we can catch since the beginning a touch of velvety and dusty smoothness rising from the balsams. I agree who with detect in here a more complex and sophisticated temperament exuding from a less brash and brutal aoud's vibe. While analyzing its homonymous scent appointed by Creed (the Royal Oud, another one with a subdued medicinal harshness and a more developed creamy smoothness) i have to deduce  that the word "royal " in association with the note of audh means softer, less boisterous and more complex. The fair dosage of the note of oudh, i'm refering to a sort of civilized oudh by its combination with softening and more appealing edible notes, is enough to turn it out as a "royal" one since this woody resin, despite its fair dosage, owns itself inside the quality and facets to conjure however up exotic-royal ambiences and atmospheres. The dry down is warm, resinous and slightly honeyed. Obviously this is more wearable, may be more refined but to me less compelling than the heavyweights  from the Montale line, i mean Black Aoud, Dark Aoud, Aoud Lime, Steam Aoud and others. Its softness transmits the impression of a shorter lasting power but i suppose it's just an ostensible feeling.