Oud by Armaf

Smells like Grand Soir but without the feminine note or that addictive niche finish. It’s 80% similar, yet more masculine, with a humble personality, like an old balm oil. It reminds me of a wise librarian or an experienced shepherd giving a lecture. I associate it with culture, like old books smelling of furniture and autumn plants. For me, it has orange, black, coffee, and green touches. It doesn’t try to be extroverted or serious; its warmth makes it seem meditative, like a stable, mature, objective family man. It suits a formal office but leans more casual-semiformal; it doesn’t quite reach executive territory due to that antique air. It pairs well with cigars, coffee, whisky, and rain. It remains unisex but leans towards men. It reminds me of the Man in Black family from Bulgari, but that one is more dynamic. Basically, it smells of brown wood, like the cedar chairs in churches, woody and semi-sweet. Perhaps due to the amber, it has a good vibe. It’s semi-heavy with a fresh citrus touch so people don’t say it smells old. I enjoy it in quiet moments; honestly, it’s still difficult in heat, but some cook chicken soup in summer, so it shouldn’t be an impediment. When you’ve smelled many perfumes, you know it’s not high-end, but it doesn’t smell synthetic either. It won’t get you compliments, but it creates a good presence without trying to be seen. The notes are clear; I see it on someone aged 35 to 50. A formal wood but not elegant, reminding me of autumn.

I was tempted to buy it for a long time until I swapped it for another in my collection. As an oud fan, I recognise two things: only in the opening do I feel a slight touch of oud (perhaps a combination of notes, as it’s not declared) and it is far from the similarity to YSL’s M7 (that was my purpose; I was looking for an alternative to the discontinued M7). The opening scent is rich, but it sticks to the skin quickly and projects little. I have a habit of smelling perfumes on skin, and this has a scent that is, to a certain point, unpleasant. I will continue to use it, but to be frank, it’s not in my top oud perfumes.

Very good fragrance at a bargain price. Good scent and performance. I do feel the spices: at first a bit spicy and strident, but as it dries down it becomes more pleasant and bearable. This part is what attracts me most. You can feel the iris, amber, vanilla, and also patchouli. For cold weather and formal occasions. I wouldn’t buy it because I see it as within formality, a bit youthful, and not entirely versatile. It has several pros, but I wouldn’t acquire it as I’d wear it very few times. Still, good aroma.

I was looking for something similar to Opium pour Homme Parfum; on Fragrantica it’s compared to this and the truth is it’s very similar. I have an Opium, and the opening notes are very similar, but as it dries down the difference is huge. With this EDP, on my skin it doesn’t last an hour with 8 sprays. It barely projects; I thought it was a success, but nothing could be further from the truth. It leaves much to be desired on my skin.

It’s a beast perfume: intensity and power from the very first instant, careful with the sprays because more than three suffocates. In the opening you feel the vanilla, slightly spicy, then in the dry down it opens a soft makeup-like iris. The wood becomes intense and improves the vanilla in the base without being too sweet; a very marked amber and wood appear. It’s very long-lasting on my skin, about 9 hours, with a huge trail for the first two hours and then moderate. I bought it in Chile four days ago and used it two nights in a row, although I’ve been alternating with another purchase (also from Armaf). I can say that Armaf Niche Oud is a tremendous perfume, but it’s far from my style, so I’ll pass on it. What doesn’t change is that it’s beast mode. Without trying to be rude, watch the sprays; definitely not for everyone and much less buy blindly as I read somewhere. For night use in autumn and winter I think it should do well.

I ordered it today, 17/01/2023, eager to open it; the packaging is lovely and the bottle looks great. When I applied it to my arm, the first note smelled superb, but after a few seconds it became a bit cloying and had a musky scent. It stabilises a little, although the scent is difficult to define; what does stand out is its projection, it’s noticeable from afar. The definitive test is missing: whether my partner likes it. I bought it blind because I can’t find it in many shops here in Chile where you can try it; I guided myself by the comments on this site and other reviews. I paid 37,990 CLP (around $46). I detect a soft touch of vanilla and musk; I don’t know more to say; I’m new to this but I already have several perfumes and always add to the collection. This is my first Armaf Niche Oud, we’ll see how it evolves over time. Update: I’ve had it for about two hours now and it’s still very strong, despite just one spray, with not many variations. At six hours, it still smells potent on the skin with the same scent.

Thank goodness I ordered a 10ml sample to try it several times and not die in the attempt with the first impressions. When I received it with enthusiasm, I liked the opening, then I applied it on skin to perceive it fully. The first minutes I loved for the spicy and bergamot notes, giving it that incense, mystical and powerful air, just as @Juangseas mentions below. The first minutes are glorious, but then, after passing the 10 minutes, something didn’t convince me. On my skin it doesn’t work as well as I’d like; from then on it becomes chaotic, without harmony. As if the vanilla note tried to come out but couldn’t, remaining subtly there, shy, vague and lost among the other discordant base notes. The amber dissolves with patchouli, pepper and iris (which isn’t the famous one from DHI), giving a scent I can’t stand due to its intensity. I have it well identified: it smells like the Antiácaros Acar Klean Spray used for mattresses and pillows. That’s how it develops. I applaud those who don’t experience that, but if you have the opportunity, try decants; surely you won’t end up with a 90ml bottle. Unfortunately, I didn’t like it, moving on with this one from Armaf. My verdict: Scent 4, Projection 7, Longevity 8, Rating 6.3. Tiens!

Although I added it to the list straight after buying it on eBay from India, I wasn’t very trusting. Seeing 900 positive votes and only 15 negative in twelve months, I took a chance. Unfortunately, I think I was given a cat for a hare; it doesn’t smell bad, but I don’t notice that explosiveness people talk about. Comparing it with the Niche White Diamond and Pink Coral from a well-known website, I noticed those from the website fit perfectly in the cylindrical box (the Niche Oud has some play) and they have the batch number in black under the Armaf sticker, while this one doesn’t. Edit: In the end it does have a batch, but the B and A are superimposed. It’s supposed to be from February 2020, expires in 2025, but unlike my other Armaf Niche with ‘Made in France’, this one doesn’t have it.

Hello Dungvasil. I understand, it always happens to me with any perfume. The first two days I barely smell it and the performance is poor, but after three days without using it, everything changes. I’ll take your advice and leave it for a month. I already noticed it resembled Pink Coral, they share ingredients, but as it dries down I start to like it. Hopefully with the rest it improves the performance and projection, because I quite like it. Best regards.

The opening is brutal, but then, as happens with almost everything, the spectacularity drops in revs as the scent evolves. It reminded me of the opening of Dunhill Icon Absolute, only much more pleasant and refined. The dry-down is more common; I’ve heard it before. I would buy it if that initial burst lasted for the life of the perfume.

I like it. Sweet, intoxicating, and spicy opening, with an avoindal and amber base that blends leather, cedar, and black pepper in the heart, finishing on a lovely woody amber. There is a green note underneath that doesn’t quite convince me. It is a spicy oriental with woody touches, very pleasant, good quality and performance. It brings me memories of Opium and a bit of Soul. For autumn, winter, and night. Long-lasting longevity and a heavy trail.

Good value for money. Complex scent with nuances, great performance. In phases, it reminded me of Ultraviolet (I’ve never used it, but a relative always wears it and it came to mind). It is an amber scent with patchouli and a dark touch of woods and leather; it is not a standard oud, I think the woody part is well-loaded with cashmeran.

I don’t know where to start; I feel I was cheated. I bought this fragrance blind (as almost everything), letting myself be led by expert comments here and a YouTuber, a big mistake. I even gave it to my mother’s sister and ended up returning it. It smells of pure cinnamon and amber; the oud seems to have been forgotten and that name was put on it just for the hype. As there is a taste for everything, perhaps someone might like it, but for me it is ruled out. Nevertheless, after returning it I used it three times; it cost me 35 quid and every time people told me: ‘Mate, you smell like a woman’. If anyone is interested, it is dead in my collection. Oriental perfumes are not for everyone, but rather for noses that have been profaned.

Come on, forgive my olfactory ignorance, but… where is the oud wood in this fragrance? They compare it with YSL M7 and I cannot understand why. Is it due to the composition of the notes? I want a fragrance (I think feminine as it is more wearable) with oud touches and I thought of Panthere Noir Absolut. Where can I find this at a reasonable price? Thanks in advance and once again, forgive my ignorance.

Well, it is called Oud and it has no oud, hmm let’s see, what would happen if we added it? I have the Sultan Al Oud Al-Rehab perfume which is a roll-on oil and its aroma of moulded, tarred, almost putrefied wood is so potent and penetrating that I decided to make a small experiment: I put a swipe of the aforementioned ‘resurrection’ oil on my forearm and covered it with several sprays of Armaf Niche Oud. Magic! There you have it, a tamed oud, as you say: ‘westernised’. I even got the impression that the result of the mixture is similar to Polo Supreme Oud. Hours and hours the aroma of this improvised combination lasts; the key is to put little of the Al-Rehab oil and cover with plenty of Armaf.