Oud Stars : Alexandria III fragrance notes
Head
- palisander rosewood, lavender, cinnamon
Heart
- bulgarian rose, lily of the valley, cedarwood
Base
- oud, sandalwood, amber, musk, vanilla
Where to buy
Latest Reviews of Oud Stars : Alexandria III
I think Gimmegreen's review is spot-on. Alexandria III is trying to be a grand retro aldehydic floral, but it's attempts at complexity come off as clunky.So what does it smell like? There's an oily coumarin/tobacco note that stands out, with clove for spice, and topped with extremely powdery lavender. Smelled up close, I smell cinnamon and hints of smothered florals behind what's essentially a really powdery, oily fougere.
I think I'm feeling a bit let down because the aldehydic topnotes showed promise that wasn't delivered upon, but even as a fougere, this feels a little off, simultaneously too oily and too powdery. Late in the day, after the oil and powder finally fade, I'm left with honeyed tobacco, which is the most pleasant part of this journey, though arguably not worth the wait.
Don't get me wrong, Alexandria III is not bad, but it's not great either.
Another overburdened Alexandria turn from Xerjoff with many of the same protagonists as in Alexandria II here the poor donkey rose is so laden with resins and spice that it's legs are bowed and beginning to buckle. But, hark, here comes a camphoraceous lavender to the rescue on its turbo scooter of diffusive clean musks. So if the opening was world-weary and unwashed, the evolution freshens things up a bit. The oud accord is intensely dry and peppery and the overall mix is somewhat more successful than in Alexandria II: less day-glo, a tad less slopped in syrup, though I still find they could have gone a bit easier on the cinnamon. Big show-off stuff, but by that very token it needs to work harder to impress.