Crazy For Oud by Mancera

It’s the easiest and cleanest oud I’ve heard of. I don’t notice the tiramisu sweetness, just soft leather, floral, pear-like fruity notes, and a very clean, pleasant oud. It’s delicious to the max, it embraces you, and accompanies you for 4 to 6 hours. It has a stable touch that gives it a lot of interest. It doesn’t have great sillage, but it doesn’t need to. Is it feminine? Perhaps, but the perfume doesn’t have to do everything; you also have to put your part in to dress it up as you like, besides, who cares if it’s posh? You like it, so go for it. Edit: It’s perfect for layering, mixing with almost anything, and giving a sweet, fruity, and animal oud touch to EVERYTHING. It looks fantastic with Fahrenheit, with Aventus, with Anonimo, with citrus… it came out by chance with a shirt soaked in Naxos and I was blown away. Also with serious leathers like Cuiris, Halfetis, or Tom Ford. This way, you ensure no one smells the same. The brown is explaining to the neighbour on the stairs what you’re wearing because they want to buy it too.

It’s a very fine, aromatic oud with an almost imperceptible sweetness. I notice it mixed with leather and rose, though I don’t feel the rest of the notes clearly. Perhaps the sweetness comes from the tiramisu, but I don’t identify it distinctly. It doesn’t smell like that typical rose-oud combo; here, the woody and leather notes dominate, with the rose only in the background. Although similar, the oud is less sweet than in Precious Oud and results in a much cleaner scent, without that stable touch that sometimes appears and is only noticeable subtly at first. Being an oud and leather perfume, with strong notes that are usually difficult for me, it seemed very wearable, but it doesn’t speak to me much and I wouldn’t buy the full bottle. When I think of oud perfumes, I look for something more complex. It has moderate sillage and lasts 6-7 hours on my skin. Despite liking it more than Precious Oud, it feels weak in projection and I use it for layering. One mix I tried was with Dubai by Zara, to which it adds an ideal sweet point because it’s too dry for me. Alongside Precious Oud, it’s my favourite combo; they complement each other brilliantly. Although I enjoy it, like with Precious Oud, it has ended up being a layering fragrance for me, and that doesn’t convince me to keep it in my collection at that price, so I won’t restock. Scent 5.5/10, Longevity 6.5/10, Sillage 6/10, Value for money 4/10, Versatility 5/10, Packaging 7/10. Would I buy again? No.

I fully agree with the two previous reviews regarding differences and similarities with PRECIOUS OUD…. Both are worn without issues by men or women, although subtly you might notice slight feminine/masculine inclinations in one or the other. To my nose, this CFO has certain reminiscences with INSTANT CRUSH, AMBER FEVER, and ROSES VANILLA by MANCERA, and also INTENSE CAFÉ by MONTALE, but I must test them side by side. Also INTENSE CAFE RISTRETTO. These last two by CAFE seem identical to me, but I must test them side by side to identify perceptible differences.

Little commented on, but it’s one of Mancera’s sexiest and most provocative ouds. It opens citrusy with leather and a friendly, astringent, herbaceous oud, mixing with a balanced tiramisu that simulates a dessert with an amaretto liqueur character. It goes cheekily towards gourmand without being cloying, with moderate sillage and good fixation. Rose, patchouli, amber, and woods close the seduction party with elegance and mystery. Wearing it is knowing what you want: a silent pretension. A hidden gem; perhaps others bet on its sister Precious Ooud for the whisky note, but apart from that, they are very similar. Try it and give this crazy oud a chance, which isn’t as crazy as it sounds.