Oud Ispahan by Dior

Intense rose and unisex, with a woody and mysterious base. There is a lot of resin, very ambered, warm and velvety, powerful almost like incense. But the rose is not intimidated; it remains the absolute queen on her throne of oud. Unbeatable.

Oud Ispahan is one of Maison Christian Dior’s best-selling perfumes, being the most oriental and challenging in the collection. It opens with an intense rose that at times resembles the rose water found in mosques. This rose is accompanied by amber notes that add warmth and a touch of sweetness. On the dry down, the oud and darker notes are barely distinguishable. Personally, I find the dry down somewhat synthetic and overwhelming due to this sweet rose, though this may vary. After a few hours, it reaches a middle ground where the rose loses intensity and the amber becomes less prominent, allowing the oud, frankincense, and musk to emerge. That balance between the warmth of the rose and the darkness of the oud is the best part. You feel as though you’re in a Middle Eastern mosque with wood smoke and floors soaked in rose water. Finally, the rose disappears, leaving a dark scent with labdanum, oud, and a black, animalic musk. The oud doesn’t stand out alone because the frankincense and musk take the spotlight. Longevity is considerable: two hours of rose and amber, two hours of balance, and ten hours of the dark phase. Best tested on skin, as that’s where it truly develops, whereas in a tester you’ll only catch the middle phase. Projection is considerable for the first four hours.

To me, this cologne smells very strong, very masculine; I don’t see anything floral. It stuck to my skin and I couldn’t get it off. A resounding NO, heavy, oppressive and cloying, a dark scent; I can’t find anything nice about it.

When I applied it, it reminded me of an 80s perfume from my mother (due to its strength). A delight: spiced, rose, oud and lots of saffron. Two sprays and that’s it; it doesn’t bother you because its intensity and longevity are incredible.

I’ve only had it for a week and it has surprised me for the better. A very good oud and a fine, elegant rose; it reminds me of a rose bush. Acceptable price (40ml for €120). Longevity and projection are enormous. 10/10.

Oud Ispahan (Ispahan is a city in Iran) presents a hard, medicinal, even difficult oud in a traditional formula with roses that reveals it is not westernised. It is totally oriental, 100% Asian, with the aim of transporting you and giving an experience, not just compliments. I love it, but I wouldn’t recommend it blindly. Unisex leaning masculine. Out-of-this-world quality and exceptional development. I would love to own it, but the price is prohibitive.

My father gifted me this great perfume this Christmas. He knows I adore the collection and this one in particular. I hadn’t bought it due to my issue with saffron, which, although volatile, gets into my brain and prevents me from smelling anything else. Well, Oud Ispahan is no exception. A beautiful rose, with intense and elegant wood, smeared with smoked saffron… beautiful, but it’s not for me. It projects all day and its longevity is nuclear. I will never use it; it’s not my style, no matter how beautiful it is. If anyone wants a change, it is unused; it’s the 40ml bottle… I’m all ears.

The first time I tried it, I had a bit of an ‘accident’ – it ended up on my bed and overwhelmed me to the point of dislike. But with time, I gave it a second chance, and yes, it is a difficult oud; even people told me I shouldn’t wear it, yet this time I managed it better. It didn’t feel very projecting at first, but based on comments I received hours later, I imagine people did notice it. The longevity exceeds 10 hours. When I stepped out, I wanted to check the labdanum because it’s a note I struggle to detect and haven’t quite placed yet, but the perfume smells mainly of a dirty, animalic oud softened by rose.