24 Platinum
ScentStory FZE (2012)

A very capable rose/oud fragrance, sweetened with vanilla.

The oud accord is very well mannered, as is the rose accord, and Platinum 24 is not cloyingly sweet or "foodie" feeling. The vanilla does a great job of "tying the room together".

On my skin, performance was close and very polite. It is tamer than the more flamboyant Montale offerings in this vein, and tailored to Western tastes.

This is a rose/oud you may be able to bring home to meet papa, but still too much for most office settings, IMO.

All in all, a pedestrian offering for western noses, but not abrasively synthetic either.

7/10, rounding up

24 Platinum starts off with a nice rose. Further into the drydown it becomes powdery vanilla. Even further into the drydown, the powdery note evolves into a lipstick note with a bit of smokey wood.

Projects nicely and hangs around all work day.

I purchased this because of reviews and my love of 24 Gold but, I find it strage no one mentioned it smelling slighty similar to Armani Code Profumo which I dislike. I think it smells better than code IMO but still similar. It's ok but I'm not likely to buy it again.

24 Platinum Elixir opens with a rather scratchy accord that is an almost-disgusting combination of a boozy cheap vermouth/incense and a semi-sweet, fruity cedar: There's also a warmth to it, probably from the middle's amber, that doesn't seem to belong. The fruit note disappears after a minute or two, and what remains for the rest of the fragrance is a textured version of that original petty annoyance.

Actually, I do have something positive to say about this accord: It is is quite original and masculine. I guess it does have a redeeming value. An underlayment of a sweetish, musky leather eventually roils up from the base. I think if they had left out either the sweet or the leather, the projection of this base might have been more desirable. Probably the smell of 24Elixir Platinum is my particular aberration. There's a decent chance that someone who is not me might enjoy it.

After enjoying the sweet 24 Gold and Gold Oud pair, I was eager to try Platinum. First, the comparisons to Montale Red Aoud are valid, but they neglect the vanilla and rose that round out Platinum, which is both spicy and sweet. Galbanum is the many source of the spiciness, I'm guessing, and the citrus aspects add some sharpness. Still, this is much softer and slightly more powdery than Red Aoud, coming off even fruity at times with the juniper berries.

While not the gourmand tour de force of Gold (or similarly, Gold Oud), Platinum is a fascinating combination that might prove more appealing for those that find Red Aoud to be a bit too spicy, or for those in general that prefer spicier fragrances to be tempered by other (sweet, fruity, powdery) elements. If it were slightly better I might consider buying it, as it does at least follow suit with Gold and Gold Oud's strength.

6 out of 10

Not bad! The opening, I get a burst of alcohol. It dies off quickly though and rose emerges from the start. A nice red rose, with some other notes around it, but mostly rose. I really didn't pay attention to this drying down, but I smelled my hand about an hour later and was left with nothing but rose and vanilla. Then I smelled my hand again about 3 hours later, and still rose and vanilla. The rose in the dry down isn't overly floral, there are no other stupid floral notes clouding the rose, and the rose overpowers the vanilla to perfection. Just the right 75% to 25% rose to vanilla ratio that I desire. My only complaint.. I wish this fragrance was a little darker.