Vintage M7 [YSL] vs Black Aoud [MONTALE]

IF you like roses , go for BA if you dont , go for M7 simple.

Oud plays a much more important role in Black Aoud, so if you're interested in having a first representative oud, this would be it. M7 has the oud much more subdued among the other notes. I prefer Black Aoud.

I voted for Black Oud. As LL and others were saying, it is closer to Arabian traditional ouds. No risk of smelling like grampa, unless grampa happened to be from some Arabian country. It is however extremely strong and assertive, so you need to be comfortable with huge powerhouses. Do not worry about the rose; the rose is huge, but this is not the rose found in traditional feminines.

M7, no safe haven itself, is more traditionally woody and sweeter up top relative to black oud, and a better bet if you want something less than size XXXL.

cacio

Roses can have different inflections. there is one brand, Rosine, which has a couple of dozen perfumes, all roses. The rose of Black oud is not sweet (or candied rose jam), it's sharp and clean. But the main point, I think, is how the rose is accompanied. In most traditionally feminine perfumes, the rose is the main actor. In Black oud, the main actor is the strong, sharp oud and cedar-like woods, the rose just intensifies these notes. It is hard to compare Black oud to anything else - again, think about something sharp, intense and woody (like a supersized cedar block with a bunch of other darker notes).

M7 would instead be more like old wood with some sweetish candied fruit up top.

cacio

I have a bottle of vintage M7 and would suggest that if you have a chance to get a vintage bottle that you do that first. Although not impossible to find it will get harder and harder to find the vintage. I have samples of Black Aoud and will be getting that one soon in a full bottle, but it is not something I expect will be discontinued. So, get the M7 first and look to getting Black Aoud later. Just my thoughts...

YSL vintage M7, IMHO as stated in another thread, is the best designer frag of the past ten years, that I've smelled. M7 is very wearable for any occasion and is very sexy. I consider M7 as being the vivacious red headed sister of Creeds sultry brown haired bombshell Royal Oud. Both have a discernible Oud note, Creed surrounds their Oud note with other woods and spices, whereas M7's Oud is accompanied by what seems like dark dried berries. M7 is a powerhouse, but it does it smoothly, there is nothing offensive at all about it, one spray to the chest and one on the wrist for your personal enjoyment is all that is needed.

Black Aoud, again IMHO, if I use my imagination, is what a cross between Freddy kruger with blood dripping out of his mouth and the predator form the Arnie movies would smell like. Believe me I mean no offense, as this is just my nose, but how anyone, anywhere could wear even one spray of this is beyond my comprehension. And, I detect no Oud note, just a sickly, assaultive, synthetic rose.

I would get the vintage M7. In fact, if you know where I can score some before what I have is gone, pm me.

Ive only recently come around to M7 and cant quite grasp the Black Aoud hype quite yet. The dry down of M7 is really something.

It depends on when you want to wear the fragrance. I assume this is for "going out", correct ?

The two fragrances to me are vastly different. I like the current YSL M7 alot. Vintage is okay, but too medicinal to me. It actually doesn't really smell like Oudh as I personally know it, but that is just me.

Black Aoud has rose and patchouli along with the oudh. But you have to like oudh and rose, which I personally love, to enjoy this one. Its nothing like the L'Artisan ( nor is M7). Its a projection and sillage beast. I'm very careful where I wear these types of high sillage fragrances.

I hope you will sample before you buy. Just sayin' ...

I'd choose Black Aoud

M7 vintage since you can buy BA any time. They're not comparable though.

Another question:

I like dark fragrances (e.g. Encre Noire- take a look at my wardrobe) and I like loud fragrances (Musc Ravageur), but I do not like Rose fragrances (Rose 31/Lyric Man - Amouage) not because I don't actually like rose but because they smell too feminine to me. My girlfriend walked in to the middle of me wearing Lyric Man and immediately said: "Oh my God. You smell like a girl."

My question: Does Black Aoud offer a less feminine/loud interpretation of Rose than Lyric Man and Rose 31?

Disclaimer: before someone attacks with the: "Anyone can wear anything at anytime depending on their confidence when they wear it", and "fragrance has no gender," please....don't. You're entitled to your opinion but I don't buy it.

In my opinion, definitely not.

Personally I do not find Aoud an interesting note, neither understand the hype that it has been receiving at moment.
IMO is ok, Reason why I would choose M7 over Black Aoud, however if you the type of person that likes to embrace your duty as as some sort of "Human diffuser of smells" , Black Aoud will grant you with the necessary weapons.

Trust me if you are new to fragrances and to rose, I would STEER CLEAR of Black Aoud. ...

For the first 8 hours of the frag it's just one big, huge, enormous, loud "punch-you-in-the-face" ROSE. The oud and patchouli only really come out to play after the rose has been around forever. And then they stick around till the 24th hour + more.
(I mean, I need to suffer thru 6 hours of solid rose, before I actually start finally enjoying the oud/patch in this fragrance.)

Trust me go with M7 ! You won't regret it. (It's great from start to finish, and much less likely to offend anyone !)

Mmark:

given its power, black aoud will send a message of extreme confidence and power. Perfume critic Luca Turin described oud-rose arabian combos as having "aquiline beauty", and it seems appropriate. M7 is darker and less strong, so it's a more balanced view of masculinity.

Jridgen:

I don't find anything feminine in Black Aoud, unless your ideas of femininity include female boxers and south african athlete Semenya. That said, if your girlfriend doesn't like rose on men, you should rather explore the ouds without rose, like Oud Cuir d'Arabie.

cacio

I can't see any of these for a 19'er at the University... both are very serious stuff with great power (they can be a bit overpowering).

It's a hard choice, I think I prefer Black Aoud but both are great. My main concern is about if they're versatile enough just to wear them at the University,

That's pretty interesting Cacio. After the brutal animalic opening (which I love) I actually get a remarkable rose note from OCdA.

It
If you did not enjoy the rose in Lyric Man then I think you'll equally dislike it in Black Aoud. In fact it's probably even stronger and more potent & "in-your-face" rose than in Lyric. ... (And "Rose 31" is like plain water when compared to Black Aoud).


Like *cacio* I also do not find "Black Aoud" particularly feminine either. (Nor "rose" itself either even). ...
In fact it's only mostly western men that associate rose with femininity. The majority of the rest of the world actually tend to think that rose is better suited to men rather. (In fact, in many parts of the world even Jasmine is seen as quite masculine).
And of course some of those western men's girlfriends/wives also now tend to think rose rather feminine because they are just so used to smelling them in their own fragrances. So they tend to associate the scent with themselves.

But if one really thinks about it rationally, it really is rather nonsensical and silly to associate and label an aroma or smell with a sex. Smells should be genderless. Attributing smells a gender is just illogical. ... (Or even to associate flowers specifically with women. ~ Why exactly ???)


I will never understand why it's ok for women to be able to enjoy and appropriate all the "more traditionally masculine" things they like. Like wearing trousers & other "mens" fashion, or wearing whatever scents they like, weather more "masculine" or not. And etc. etc. the list goes on .... . But men aren't allowed the same freedoms. Or not without their "masculinity" or "manliness" being brought into question. ... In fact it's women who are the first to ridicule or look down on a man when he tries to appropriate anything they consider more "feminine". ...
All this "blue-for-men/pink-for-women" only mentality really pi**es me off.
Equality my a** !!! (Women have got it so damned good. They are allowed any and every single freedom they wish. Men certainly aren't allowed the same freedoms. (Yet they the ones that always feel hard done by).

~ But the tide is slowly changing, thankfully ........ ( * Type I, relaxing in my "man-skirt" * ) ;o)

Ok, mini-rant over ! ... Sorry bout that little thread derail & hijacking.

I totally agree they are not very versatile ! ~ They are both pretty formal or more "evening" suited scents. ...

(At least with M7 you can sort of apply it with a light hand and can get away with it. Whereas with Black Aoud there is no such thing as a light hand. Even a minimal application is a total powerhouse.)

alfarom:

I really have to go back and rewear OCdA. But then, this would not be the first time I'm missing the rose. I noticed already that in many perfumes I don't get the rose when it's mixed with other strong materials, at first I only perceive something strong that reinforces them. After reading a review, I then go back and notice it. but only when I become aware. This happened with a few things, Portrait of a lady, ombre dans l'eau, etc etc.

cacio

I love my vintage M7. Black Aoud was a rose bomb in my opinion. Too strong for me.

listen to this man!!

I prefer any version of M7 (not only vintage) ALL THE WAY!!

REASONS: M7 is much more naturel , masculine , much more perfume smell , etc........
BA is a very synthetic and artificially inflated take on a radioactive Oud.

M7 is an awesome fragrance... Enough said

We are talking about two fragrances with differents ouds. I think it can´t be compared. Both are great and I can´t to choose.

I don't mean to change the subject on the thread but I can only find the reformulated M7 and it's a longevity beast on me. What an awesome fragrance, is there really a huge difference between this and the original? The oud note In M7 Is pretty powerful...

I own both, and IMO I find Black Aoud thrashes M7 in about every category I can think of, save versatility.

Of course it does, it's one loud brash bully that Black Aoud. ;o) ... (Sorry M7 is just so much more sophisticated)

+1 Different takes on Oud. Black Aoud is more about the roses than about Oud.


+1, well i wouldn't say it "trashes", maybe "outpowers" M7. M7 is friendly as it's les powerful and easier to wear.

Vintage M7 isn't all it's cracked up to be. The oud in it doesn't stay around very long, but when it is there (first 2 hours or so) it is great. M7 vintage's dry down doesn't sit too well with me. Boring, and not at all enjoyable. I plan on trying the current formulation soon, to see if the dry down is improved.

I don't know if you'll be all that thrilled. I've only had my nose on the current one, but it's supposed to have an identical dry down, which honestly didn't floor me in a way that I was led to believe that it would. Also a bit bored with it over all.

Anyone know where to get vintage M7?

I recommend you sample Black Aoud before ordering, because I just got it and it's not for everyone. I could easily see lot of people disliking this one (one is my wife)

M7 by FaRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRr

M7
I'm wearing it right now.
Vintage formula.
Much sweeter and more mainstream than black Aoud, less overt Oud, but both still do have the bitter, furniture/woody Oud note in their drydowns. The newer M7 is much less bitter and dark in the drydown, and I really like both formulas.

Black Aoud is FANTASTIC if you love loud tart/Bulgarian Rose scents with masculine undertones, but I myself think Montale should tweak Black Aoud into a New scent with more sweetness and spices in the manner of Creed's Royal Oud drydown flanking the signature Montale Oud under that massive rose note.

Can I say that most people who recommand M7 are young ( 19 or 20 years old?).