Lao Oud by Bortnikoff
Men Women 2021
Main accords
Description
Lao Oud by Bortnikoff is an oriental woody fragrance for men and women. Launched in 2021, this composition is directed by nose Dmitry Bortnikoff. The olfactory pyramid unfolds with an opening of magnolia and pink pepper; a heart evoking cacao, beeswax, Peru balsam, chamomile and cinnamon; and an intense base of oud wood, Indian oud, coffee, guaiac wood, woody notes,…
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The olfactory pyramid
A guide to the opening, heart and lasting trail of the fragrance.
The community speaks
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In the collection
Leading answer I want it
660 votes
What do you think?
Leading answer Love it
209 votes
Season
Choose severalLeading answer Winter
235 votes
Time of day
Choose severalLeading answer Night
128 votes
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Fragrance profile
About Lao Oud
Lao Oud by Bortnikoff is an oriental woody fragrance for men and women. Launched in 2021, this composition is directed by nose Dmitry Bortnikoff. The olfactory pyramid unfolds with an opening of magnolia and pink pepper; a heart evoking cacao, beeswax, Peru balsam, chamomile and cinnamon; and an intense base of oud wood, Indian oud, coffee, guaiac wood, woody notes, vanilla absolute, birch tar and tonka bean.
Flowers Spices Musk, amber and animalic Resins and balsams Woods and mosses
It may remind you of
Ranked by what the community voted.
More from Bortnikoff
Related editions
More from Dmitry Bortnikoff
How it wears
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Longevity
Leading answer Long-lasting
102 votes
Sillage
Leading answer Strong
106 votes
Character
Leading answer Leans masculine
105 votes
Value perception
Leading answer Fair price
94 votes
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Community reviews
4 reviews
Share what you noticed: opening, drydown, sillage and the moments when it works for you.
Lao Oud by Bortnikoff is a dense beast, starting with a spicy kick from the pepper and Indian Oud right from the first second. That initial spiciness fades after 30 minutes, but the Oud becomes more animalistic, leaving a ‘spicy cheese’ sensation that lingers for two hours. Afterwards, the fragrance drops drastically, staying close to the skin for another three hours; the other notes are barely noticeable due to the intensity of the Oud. It’s more of an experience than a perfume, difficult to wear in the West. It has quality, but buying a bottle is excessive and expensive, making it inaccessible, although the discovery set is sufficient to try this unique experience.
It arrived late but was worth it; a risky blind purchase that turned out a winner. Lao Oud is beautiful: a wet Indian Oud, like blue cheese but without the stench, with a delicious touch of cacao that is well-controlled, nothing like in Russian Oud 2. You can immediately smell the beeswax in the opening, it gives it brightness and accompanies the blend. It has well-crafted chamomile and magnolia flowers, and the dry-down of Oud + chamomile + vanilla is exquisite. I wish they sold it in 100ml so I didn’t have to buy two, but in the end, I think I’ll buy another one; I loved it.
For me, this is the classic example of Oud to blue cheese… a NO for now. I don’t know when I would want to smell like this for myself or others, perhaps as a conceptual perfume for specific moments. With a 2ml sample and after a thousand attempts to open the cap, I conclude there are times to smell it and try it again, but not to wear it. It’s like a scent I sometimes like and other times don’t, like when you are hungry and smell a good stew, or just after eating and you detest any food smell. It smells like cheese without being cheese, hard to explain; it also reminds me of the soft Manley waxes I used for painting in Fine Arts, with a touch of dark cacao sometimes. I suppose one has to be an expert in Ouds to appreciate it; for me, understanding something so complex is difficult. It’s not a resounding no, as I do sometimes enjoy it and need to return to the sample to smell that complex scent I don’t quite understand. Bortnikoff has beautiful and top-tier perfumes, but others are confusing and difficult, of indisputable quality. One has to be a knowledgeable connoisseur, smell them and re-smell them many times to perhaps appreciate them or not. Sometimes, seeing similarities, I understand why there are perfumes I can’t stand and others people adore, because every nose is a world. If you decide to buy it, try it carefully and check that you like this type of Oud. I will keep this sample in my collection to go to it when I feel called, and who knows further down the line…
This new composition by Dimitri, with Oud as the protagonist, has a smoky wood note and a vanilla touch that brings it closer to Sans Fleurs. It is not one of those ‘balsamic’ Ouds to reinforce a charismatic halo (like Oud Loukoum), but a friendly, comfortable, and cosy woody scent that invites closeness, in the style of Sayat Nova or Sans Fleurs. The performance is not extreme or spectacular; it is standard for a natural line: moderate projection of just over a metre for about two hours and skin longevity of 6-8 hours. Something similar to the ones mentioned above for those who know Bortnikoff.