Royal Oud by Creed

Royal Oud doesn’t contain real oud and could be called Royal Wood; no need to blame marketing. It’s not for oud lovers; there are only fleeting touches of a very transparent accord. The fact that it’s not natural doesn’t mean it lacks expensive ingredients; it has them. It is elegant and soft, featuring woods ranging from clean cedar to green guaiac and a cashmere that mimics a subtle oud. The citrus adds brightness, coumarin provides a sweet floral touch like jasmine, and a residual vetiver that isn’t too dark closes the composition. The musks give it cleanliness. In my opinion, it is one of the best Creeds, if not the best. Suitable for all year round and any occasion as a signature. Compositionally, it is a masterpiece: a transparent woody structure. Moderate projection, medium/good longevity (8 hours on skin). Very exclusive and leaves a mark.

Well, there is a delight here! If it were more potent and had more presence, I would give it a 10. It radiates class, neatness, and elegance; it has no flaws.

Simply a very rich and easy-to-please fragrance for temperate or cold weather, and it also works well in autumn at 20 degrees. It is memorable; everyone remembers you. I will buy it again; I am one of those people for whom perfumes don’t last long.

If I had to summarise it: woods with fresh herbal touches. It is very classic without inventing anything, but sometimes it isn’t necessary. It feels high quality. I highlight the citrus of the opening, which are exquisite but fleeting, lasting only seconds. Then comes the dry down: woody and herbal. The herbal part is sharp; even to me who likes it, it results in a bit of a shock, although once it settles, you forget about it. Definitely not something to buy blindly. What is the negative point? It is one of the worst things tried in recent times regarding performance; after three hours, it already costs effort to feel it. Without a doubt, this perfume helped Creed earn its bad reputation. Tested courtesy of Mithrandir.

Creed Royal Oud is a classic fougère that is very woody. It starts dry, woody, slightly herbal, bitter, and dark, but with a citrus and fresh part that contrasts with the bitterness, giving a bright and lively scent. Over time, the fresh part of lemon and bergamot declines along with the dark tone, giving way to the woods and pink pepper. Although a classic citrus and herbal essence is preserved, the pink pepper takes the lead with the cedar. Gradually, the sandalwood appears with dry and creamy facets. In the background, a smoky and slightly dark note is perceived, possibly from the oud, almost undetectable at a distance. This classic and vintage perfume evokes an old house in a damp, green forest. It lasts 6 to 8 hours with moderate projection.

Brutal quality, although the name is misleading: there is very little oud. Upon smelling it, it’s as if a gentleman in a tweed jacket, leather elbow patches and plenty of money were to approach. It lacks sensuality; it’s not for conquest but for projecting status and hierarchy, like a company boss. It has a vintage air; I recommend it for men over 55. 8/10.

If we’re talking about elegance, this is a benchmark. It’s a fragrance with an adult character, but nothing vintage; on the contrary, very modern. It opens sweet with sparkling citrus notes before moving to a refined and subtle oud, nothing aggressive or faecal, but light and accompanied by musk. It achieves an extremely fine and elegant aroma, delicious to wear with class in the James Bond style. It demonstrates luxury, confidence, and good taste. I see it as ideal for men aged 35 and over. Note: it’s not an old or old-school fragrance; it’s for people with class. I wear it all year round, preferably at night, though it works well during the day too. I’ve loved it. Scent: 10. Projection: good for 3 hours. Longevity: 8 hours. Recommended.

Same family as Boucheron and Dior Dune, a very ‘acidic’ citrus due to the pink pepper, only in the opening. Then it evolves, becoming more powdery and floral. Very 80s, it doesn’t fit the current trend; it’s for veterans, not for the young. You have to overapply because it isn’t potent. I see it more for ladies or women over 40.

The true masterpiece of Creed (and it has much competition). 10 out of 10.

@J.O.S.F the perfumer behind this masterpiece is Julien Rasquinet.

Gentlemen, the most elegant perfume I have ever smelled. This is impressive. It’s a staple purchase.

I love it. It arrived as an original sample. When I first tried it, being a fragrance novice and not knowing what oud is, it smelled of wet earth and an older man. I gifted it to my dad for special occasions, saying it smells distinguished. Today, with more knowledge, I smelled it again and fell in love at first sight. Obviously, I didn’t steal the decant, but I did spray it on my arm and hope it lasts forever. Goodbye, shower. Edit 28/03: I bought the bottle. It came with a decant of Green Irish Tweed; I tested both and concluded that the one smelling of forest is Royal Oud. It’s like walking through a humid jungle after rain, finding tree trunks covered in moss. In short, it smells of wet green woods. It’s beautiful. It lasts an eternity and the oud becomes noticeable as it dries. GIT seemed nice, but it doesn’t transport me to that green Irish forest. I have Cool Water and already cover the ‘marine’ scent.

I have just received it at home. My bottle does not have the ‘Millesime’ designation like the photo, I’m not quite sure what the difference is between the two. I had already tried this jewel in a sample a few weeks ago, where it had to compete with other niche Oud perfumes, and I loved the scent: it is elegant, refined, clean, addictive, truly the scent of a king or a prince. I think it will be one of my favourite fragrances, especially for going to work on special days, as it is discreet in projection yet unlike any other perfume I have smelled; whoever smells it won’t forget you in a hurry. The only thing I would improve is the longevity; for the price, it should be greater, but well, simply reapplying at 4 or 5 hours is enough if you want it to last all day.

I don’t understand why it’s called Royal Oud by Creed if it smells nothing of oud; it could confuse anyone looking for that note. It opens with bright citrus notes of lemon and bergamot, a spicy kick of pepper that adds elegance and class. Then it blends with herbs like galbanum and angelica: the former contributes a balsamic, coniferous green with a camphoraceous, almost turpentine-like quality and a luminous musk; the angelica is spicy, aniseed, and very lively. It’s a beautiful composition, citrusy, herbaceous, and woody, but that wood is green, tender, and refreshing, lacking the deep warmth of Eastern ouds. It seems the wrong name was put on the label; it should be Royal Wood by Creed, which sounds similar and better describes the fragrance’s character. It’s a pity the trail and longevity don’t justify the exorbitant price; although I tested it as a sample, if I had to buy it, I’d choose cheaper options with similar quality.

Creed Royal Oud presents a version of oud that is extremely westernised, where the blend is perfectly polished and suitable to please from the very first moment. The opening marks its territory with very natural citrus, Sicilian lemon and bergamot playing off each other, followed by a spicy sensation from the pepper that makes you hook; on my skin these sensations lasted around 2 hours, after which the fragrance begins to turn warm and cosy. During its heart stage, I can appreciate the sandalwood very clearly and something of green notes very hidden but almost imperceptible. Towards the final dry down, the woods take the lead of the entire blend and maintain it until it slowly fades into a skin-scent sensation that is slightly earthy. Creed Royal Oud is, for me, the Oud fragrance that is not Oud but wants to be so. The downsides, like almost all Creeds, is the price, but as I always think, do all the sensations it provokes not make it worth it? The tone of Creed Royal Oud transports us to dark and refined places where the personality of the wearer will enhance the fragrance, hypnotising those around them. ‘Hello, I am Lodin, Prince Ventrue of Chicago, and now we are going to get to know each other…’