Aoud Exclusif by Mancera

It’s a sweetie, but beware: only for seasoned noses. Some people smell old age in it, while others think it’s a lady’s perfume, haha. It’s super elegant and you need character to wear it. The performance is extraordinary: it lasts from when I wake up until the next day and projects a lot.

I never imagined Mancera could be this good. I walked away from the brand after a bad experience with Cedrat Boise in 2020, but this Aoud Exclusif surprised me in a department store. It smells of quality, is well-blended, and, better still, it’s not challenging. Seeing the notes, I expected that typical cumin or castoreum, but it’s not like that; it doesn’t smell dirty like Penhaligon’s Sohan nor as animalistic as Oud Palao. It’s even superior to Oud Ispahan. If you like this type of fragrance, it will steal a smile from you. It reminds me a lot of The Moon by Frederic Malle, especially after the third hour when the oud and spices with the rose give a fruity leather touch. It’s elegant, oriental, balanced, and has good performance. My batch has a demagnetised cap 24A6B033B.

What can I say about this fragrance, I’ve loved it. It’s a dark amber with a very easy-to-please oud, accompanied by violet (I smell it more than the rose), saffron, and moderate spices. The cumin, which I can’t stand, isn’t prominent. Patchouli and labdanum give it that dark touch. If I compare it to Gucci Intense Oud, it’s more potent, less humid, and slightly sweeter, although the trail is equally moderate. Mancera doesn’t disappoint; it’s one of my favourite niche brands.

A good fragrance with the classic rose-oud combo. Although the market is saturated with this blend, I think it’s an option to consider if you’re taking your first steps on this olfactory journey. Aoud Exclusif begins with an intense, colourful spicy mix. At first, it’s hard to smell anything specific, but I think it smells of cumin and saffron. Then come the violets and patchouli; the violet creates a slight petrol note and the patchouli is dark and chocolatey. Only when those notes settle does a beautiful dark rose appear. This combination lasts a while until the typical Montale-Mancera oud enters. Once the oud integrates, leather, soft resins, and a clean musk come in, making the perfume rounded and usable until the end. I really like the strong woody base with oud, vanilla, amber, and a soft sandalwood that makes it perfect for fresh evenings and nights. Mancera has created a great pink oud. Personally, I won’t buy it as I already have several from this family, but if you’re looking for your first rose-oud combo, it’s perfect. It demonstrates how it balances seductive darkness with refined light, while the leather base supports the warmth of the wood.

The one above didn’t survive to tell the experience; the truth is, Mancera fragrances have become my obsession, to the point that they smell better than eating… haha

It’s excellent, but I prefer it after the first quarter of an hour. The opening notes are brutal and didn’t convince me at first; after 15 minutes, it smells of Bulgarian rose and the patchouli is fine, although the labdanum lingers and I don’t quite like that note. The saffron is very potent and also stays in the trail. I’m not sure I like it as much as other Mancera fragrances; there’s a bitter note that won’t go away… (it’s probably the resin). I’ll give it another chance, but for now, it gave me a runny nose, obviously, as it has plenty of pepper. I can’t handle so much pepper and resin; it completely mutes the flowers, the violet is almost non-existent. I wanted to love it… but I didn’t. It’s never happened to me before and I’m by no means picky… but it gave me nausea. I’ll try again tomorrow and let you know!