Lattafa's Khalis Oudi/Pure Oudi has the opulent mystique of an oriental niche due to a nice hefty bottle design that is marked in golden calligraphic print and contains cinnamon bark edges swimming inside the flacon. The presentation is beguiling given the lower price tag. For the most part, this fragrance is mellifluous with its cinnamon, vanilla, ambery musk flow of woody richness. Yes, the oud is there but more in a star cameo among the creamy resinous dancers, particularly guaic wood, sandalwood and cedar. Despite the limited role, the oud leaves a kinky presence on the rest of the stage players whereby the scent flourishes into a honeyed wood floral musk. The opening is an Eastern allspice with a tempered oud that is intriguingly familiar yet distinct, with an intervening soapy note of jasmine florals wrapped in creamy sandalwood, that gives way to a soft vanilla musk filled with amberous wood resins that would rub nicely in a cold setting. What potentially seems like a loud saccharine performance is a bit muted in actuality and balanced enough to be not cloying. Khalis Oudi/Pure Oudi is an an inexpensive gateway for those who like their Eastern syrup slightly gourmandy, sweetly soft as cuddles, and for those who are overwhelmed by the niche strength of the agarwood barnyard.
