Oud de Nil
Penhaligon's (2016)

Workaday oud fragrance that may have been a contender way back when the note first started appearing in Western perfumery, but completely lost in the torrent by the time of its launch in 2016. Oud de Nil presents quite a fresh oud, with an opening brushed by some citrus (playing in the nail varnish manner against the oud) and rose brightened by geranium in the floral bouquet that follows. The oud construct here is quite light and breezy, sweet and cedar-like, with only a slight pepperiness the main nod to something darker. All perfectly fine to wear, but a bit pointless if you've done any oud exploration at all.

The opening has the main components: Firstly oud. Secondly: oud. Thirdly: more oud. This phase is oudderly dominated by the oud. It is a smooth and soft oud, strong but never intrusive or cloying. It is quite a strong oud impression.

BIt is true that initially some grapefruit is present in the opening, enlivened y a fresh bergamot, but both these notes remain in the background. In the drydown this mix turns floral, mainly orange blossom and geranium, but with some nigh light rose an d a nice green jasmine. Orange blossom with some jasmine give more depth to it. And there is the oud - oudderly dominant.

The base includes an resinous ambery Guaïac with paper/papyrus notes, a whiff if a dusty undertone, and - surprise, surprise, the oud, but now it is in the background.

I get moderate sillage, very good projection, and seven hours of longevity on my skin.

A good oud-tumnal oud scent with a lot of oud, but all the other ingredients find it hard to develop their own character, as the oud tends to smother them. And the oud is not that sensational that it would convince on its own. Overall 2.75/5

This is a floral oud for people who don't like oud. Quite a light, bright floral and the oud note is more of the hay variety. Well balanced and very wearable. I tend to prefer something a bit more husky so won't buy a larger bottle (I got this as a set of 15 ml mini bottles), but it's nice to have while I do.

A rose-oud scent that's a little lighter and more wearable than the usual heavy version of that kind of scent. The jasmine makes it lean feminine to me in the beginning. The drydown has less of the jasmine and is just the rose-oud combo. What's nice is that's it's not as medicinal as some others. Again, this is a bit more wearable than the usual rose-oud scent.

I actually received a favorable comment from my wife after I walked into the same room with her after applying, so that's good enough for me. Feels more formal and better for cooler weather.

Projection and longevity are both good. Nothing beastly but that's what's also appealing about this scent. Its lack of power makes it more wearable.