Reviews of Incense Oud by By Kilian
My First review on Basenotes!
I am admittedly a Kilian Paris fanboy. I do not dislike any of his scents. Some are meh, but the vast majority are fantastic. With that being said, Incense Oud is my favorite from the house. I like to think this is what catholic churches in the middle east smell like. When I first sprayed it all I got was the oud...which I hate. After first wearing my mind was changed. Frankincense and myrrh with a touch of oud to even it out. Projection and sillage are both amazing. I still smell it when I am pulling stuff out of the clothes I wore the day before. BtV Notting hill is very similar, but Notting Hill has a stronger wood scent. My favorite from the house and could be my overall favorite/signature scent.
I am admittedly a Kilian Paris fanboy. I do not dislike any of his scents. Some are meh, but the vast majority are fantastic. With that being said, Incense Oud is my favorite from the house. I like to think this is what catholic churches in the middle east smell like. When I first sprayed it all I got was the oud...which I hate. After first wearing my mind was changed. Frankincense and myrrh with a touch of oud to even it out. Projection and sillage are both amazing. I still smell it when I am pulling stuff out of the clothes I wore the day before. BtV Notting hill is very similar, but Notting Hill has a stronger wood scent. My favorite from the house and could be my overall favorite/signature scent.
During my discovery phase of the phenomenon known as oud fragrances, Kilian's Incense Oud was one of the first to catch my attention. From the fancy box to the gorgeous bottle, when I first saw it at a local Saks Fifth Avenue, I just had to try it.
I must say that Incense Oud resembles several other oud scents that I have tried, with its inclusion of pink pepper and Turkish rose. At this level of observation, Incense Oud - so far - is lovely and safe but not unique.
But, as others have pointed out, this has layers of character which sticks its head out over time. I find a luxurious smoky incense, dense spices, as well as the requisite band-aid-like oud note. It truly is a well-crafted niche fragrance worthy of inspection.
I must say that Incense Oud resembles several other oud scents that I have tried, with its inclusion of pink pepper and Turkish rose. At this level of observation, Incense Oud - so far - is lovely and safe but not unique.
But, as others have pointed out, this has layers of character which sticks its head out over time. I find a luxurious smoky incense, dense spices, as well as the requisite band-aid-like oud note. It truly is a well-crafted niche fragrance worthy of inspection.
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At first sniff this seemed boring, linear, safe, pretty, and almost completely inoffensive. Over time it's revealed itself to be a study in contrasts - an ethereal, light otherworldly incense on one hand, earthy wood and spices on the other. Grapefruit and a creamy rose bridge the divide, if it's possible to say that. It's more like etheric fields overlapping briefly to me. On some wearings it's cool and poised and on others it's hot, giving the impression of a sauna. After some time I've realized my own body temperature at the time of application determines this effect so I wait a few minutes after a really hot shower if I don't want that steamy effect.
This scent transports me and always puts a smile on my face. That first whiff affects my overall impression of the experience even though it dissipates quickly. Like the opening chord of Black Sabbaths "Paranoid" you only hear it once but your brain convinces you you're hearing it for the entire song.
People who reject this for its lack of "real" oud relative to its high price are missing the point-there's nothing else out there this good, this sleek and elegant, and downright beautiful that is so wearable on a daily basis. I have many other colognes and edp's in my collection but this negates the need to wear a lot of them, that have elements in common, but are not nearly as good. I definitely don't and probably couldn't wear this every day but I find myself reaching for it a lot!
Longevity from the original bottle is stellar, compared to other samples and decants I've owned. I can smell this on myself 12 hours later no problem.
Solid, consistent performer, versatile, enjoyable and eminently wearable scent!
This scent transports me and always puts a smile on my face. That first whiff affects my overall impression of the experience even though it dissipates quickly. Like the opening chord of Black Sabbaths "Paranoid" you only hear it once but your brain convinces you you're hearing it for the entire song.
People who reject this for its lack of "real" oud relative to its high price are missing the point-there's nothing else out there this good, this sleek and elegant, and downright beautiful that is so wearable on a daily basis. I have many other colognes and edp's in my collection but this negates the need to wear a lot of them, that have elements in common, but are not nearly as good. I definitely don't and probably couldn't wear this every day but I find myself reaching for it a lot!
Longevity from the original bottle is stellar, compared to other samples and decants I've owned. I can smell this on myself 12 hours later no problem.
Solid, consistent performer, versatile, enjoyable and eminently wearable scent!
The main focus is on the frankincense and the gorgeous opening adds oud and spices. These will fade leaving space to a dirty patchouli paired with a thick, sweet rose and a resinous base. The blend is addictive, classy, elegant.
By Kilian doesn't grab me, but Incense Oud is inoffensively wearable. It smells like rose with a modern, dark mix of incense, wood, and/or oud-like accords.
Incense Oud is a quality composition with incense as the main focus. The other most prominent notes are cardamom and rose, with oud somewhere there in the background. It is refined, polished and even a bit sophisticated. Any animalic element has been removed and instead it is quite elegant. Unfortunately it is only elegant, rather than being opulent - which would have been a perfect fit in this case. It stops singing on skin and performs a disappearing act in about four hours.
3/5
3/5
The second member of the Arabian Nights collection By Kilian, Incense Oud, like Amber Oud, is a fine composition, but performs significantly better on my skin.
Frankincense dominates this, with oud and some other notes being subservient to the eponymous note. The notes listed is immense but the mix of peppers and indistinct florals cited by one online reviewer ring true to me. There's a slight peppery aspect to this in concert with the oud, though at their meeting it becomes a little difficult to distinguish between the two.
The result is a scent that is not sharp or abrasive but still bold. In conclusion, Incense Oud is one of the most refined incense-based fragrances that doesn't use sweet notes. Still, a tough sell at $395 for 50ml, but there's always the 50ml refill route that in this case is half the price at $195.
8 out of 10
Frankincense dominates this, with oud and some other notes being subservient to the eponymous note. The notes listed is immense but the mix of peppers and indistinct florals cited by one online reviewer ring true to me. There's a slight peppery aspect to this in concert with the oud, though at their meeting it becomes a little difficult to distinguish between the two.
The result is a scent that is not sharp or abrasive but still bold. In conclusion, Incense Oud is one of the most refined incense-based fragrances that doesn't use sweet notes. Still, a tough sell at $395 for 50ml, but there's always the 50ml refill route that in this case is half the price at $195.
8 out of 10
At first sniff Incense Oud appears to be one of those love-at-first-sniff fragrances… how could anything smell this good? Incense Oud presents firm, remarkably refined accords …impressively smooth, elegantly resinous, impeccably balanced. The opening / heart presents a delicate but impossibly complex accord that is lightly aromatic, softly resinous, richly and broadly wood /spice centered. Of the long list of notes, I can definitely identify oud, rose, geranium, cardamom, pepper, cedar. I can believe musk, patchouli, and labdanum. Once or twice I've thought that I smelled a hint of papyrus. I'm sure I don't smell frankincense. The other notes… who knows?
Although the opening carries a beautiful elemental force, the remainder of the scent is simply a not-so-gradual reduction of the intensity of the original accord… or slight variations thereof. Incense Oud is incredibly beautiful in a gentle, refined sort of way - as opposed to the more dramatic, more rustic ways of several of the other rose-oud-resin offerings.
It ends its fleeting existence as a vague skin scent, leaving me quite unsatisfied because of its teasing coyness and lack of longevity. Yet I'm voting a thumbs-up for its contemplative, other-worldly quality.
Coming from a person who is kind of tired of the rose - oud combos, I really liked this one. For it to have so many notes, it's pretty tamed. Looks like a future purchase. 8/10
The opening blast is mainly a cardamom-cedar combination, which fairly soon is paired with an incense impression. This olfactoric cluster is the main longitudinal determinant of this composition, and it is a successful stew: elegant, mildly cedary and just enough incense to balance it out.
One thing is clear: this is never a heavy scent. The incense is light years away from heavy Interlude-style incense monsters, and it lacks the elegant creamy richness of Messe a Minuit, and the quality of ingredients is a million miles below the divine Angelique Encens. Still, this is a respectable incense creation.
Oh, the oud! Well, somewhere it shows after the opening blast, more present than in this House's Amber Oud but quite in the background, and not in any way your face as in BK's Rose Oud.
Other components come and go, with occasional whiffs of a meek rose noticeable, as well as a soft light patchouli, which provides this creation with a mildly crispy edge at times in the middle phase. Overall, though, this is quite linear on my skin.
I get moderate silage, good projection and an excellent ten hours of longevity on me.
Quite well executed overall, nothing exciting but solid and with very good performance. 3.25/5
One thing is clear: this is never a heavy scent. The incense is light years away from heavy Interlude-style incense monsters, and it lacks the elegant creamy richness of Messe a Minuit, and the quality of ingredients is a million miles below the divine Angelique Encens. Still, this is a respectable incense creation.
Oh, the oud! Well, somewhere it shows after the opening blast, more present than in this House's Amber Oud but quite in the background, and not in any way your face as in BK's Rose Oud.
Other components come and go, with occasional whiffs of a meek rose noticeable, as well as a soft light patchouli, which provides this creation with a mildly crispy edge at times in the middle phase. Overall, though, this is quite linear on my skin.
I get moderate silage, good projection and an excellent ten hours of longevity on me.
Quite well executed overall, nothing exciting but solid and with very good performance. 3.25/5
The opening is bold with a slap in the face of patchouli fueled frankincense dark woods with a serious attitude of tar stained wood aroma that is a bit too bold for me to enjoy. I like this opening smell but I wouldn't want to live with for too long as it has a very stern and serious tone that reminds me of black freshly polished boots and an "at arms!" command. This assertive dark incense passes on quickly into an entirely different register of fragrance. One that is warm spice sandalwood with a slight incense note spritzed with cardamom, pink pepper and holding a radiant form powered by a gentle rose and geranium civility. Incense Oud, at the one hour stage smells quite similar to TDC Oud Shamash at this point and is my favorite part of the fragrance. There are several things I don't smell in this "oud" and the first is oud. Unlike Oud Shamash where the oud note is noticeable, Incense Oud never reveals its oud namesake. I also do not detect a leading rose note even though it is listed, rose is definitely not a star player here. This fragrance settles into a smooth warm spice, sandalwood and incense woods fragrance. It softens considerably from its opening but lingers in the background for hours. This is a very nice fragrance. I can not think of it as an oud scent but it definitely fits into the Incense category and smells very similar to a fine quality sandalwood incense stick. Thumbs up! 3.5 / 5 rating!
Genre: Woods
Kilian Hennessy does Montale. Seriously. With its bold, simple arrangement of medicinal oudh, frankincense, and heavy, heady rose, Incense Oud inhabits the same territory that Montale has covered for decades. I'll let more sophisticated noses judge the relative quality of By Kilian's and Montale's oudhs, but in terms of style, Incense Oud isn't far removed from Black Aoud, Royal Aoud, or Aoud Damascus. That's perhaps because the incense that might otherwise distinguish the By Kilian takes a back seat to the potent oudh-and-rose accord. As oudh and rose in league so often do, Incense Oud projects potently and with very little change for quite a few hours before breaking off into a labdanum-heavy animalic amber drydown. The wearing experience is very pleasant, and I have no trouble recommending Incense Oud to anyone in search of an uninhibited unisex oudh and rose fragrance, except perhaps for one caveat: through its pricing policy, By Kilian achieves the impossible by making Montale's oudhs look like bargains. Try this, but try Black Aoud or Royal Aoud too while you're at it.
Kilian Hennessy does Montale. Seriously. With its bold, simple arrangement of medicinal oudh, frankincense, and heavy, heady rose, Incense Oud inhabits the same territory that Montale has covered for decades. I'll let more sophisticated noses judge the relative quality of By Kilian's and Montale's oudhs, but in terms of style, Incense Oud isn't far removed from Black Aoud, Royal Aoud, or Aoud Damascus. That's perhaps because the incense that might otherwise distinguish the By Kilian takes a back seat to the potent oudh-and-rose accord. As oudh and rose in league so often do, Incense Oud projects potently and with very little change for quite a few hours before breaking off into a labdanum-heavy animalic amber drydown. The wearing experience is very pleasant, and I have no trouble recommending Incense Oud to anyone in search of an uninhibited unisex oudh and rose fragrance, except perhaps for one caveat: through its pricing policy, By Kilian achieves the impossible by making Montale's oudhs look like bargains. Try this, but try Black Aoud or Royal Aoud too while you're at it.
Beautiful. With a few caveats:
1. It is quite similar to Tauer's Incense Extreme (with perhaps a smidge of Incense Rose), at least to my nose. Given that I have a 10ml bottle of Incense Rose and a 2ml sample of Incense Extreme, I am feeling a bit relieved that I don't feel the need to rush out and pay ridiculous money for this (the price, yikes...)
2. I sprayed it onto the back on my hand liberally, and half an hour later, I have to push my nose right into my skin to perceive it at all. It could be that I am projecting it like mad and am simply not aware of it, so I will test it again in the office and ask if anyone can smell me.
3. For the glorious half hour that I could smell this perfume, I did get the impression that the oud here is a particularly delicate and smooth thing, not something too rough and loud like some ouds can be. That may be a plus or a minus, depending on your preferences. But I must point out that in smoothing down and refining the oud like this, it not only demonstrates the skill and taste of the perfumer himself but also necessarily takes out a bit of the complexity of real oud, and its unpredictability.
But caveats aside, a lovely, lovely thing, and I would have no problem wearing this every day were someone to give me a bottle of it!
1. It is quite similar to Tauer's Incense Extreme (with perhaps a smidge of Incense Rose), at least to my nose. Given that I have a 10ml bottle of Incense Rose and a 2ml sample of Incense Extreme, I am feeling a bit relieved that I don't feel the need to rush out and pay ridiculous money for this (the price, yikes...)
2. I sprayed it onto the back on my hand liberally, and half an hour later, I have to push my nose right into my skin to perceive it at all. It could be that I am projecting it like mad and am simply not aware of it, so I will test it again in the office and ask if anyone can smell me.
3. For the glorious half hour that I could smell this perfume, I did get the impression that the oud here is a particularly delicate and smooth thing, not something too rough and loud like some ouds can be. That may be a plus or a minus, depending on your preferences. But I must point out that in smoothing down and refining the oud like this, it not only demonstrates the skill and taste of the perfumer himself but also necessarily takes out a bit of the complexity of real oud, and its unpredictability.
But caveats aside, a lovely, lovely thing, and I would have no problem wearing this every day were someone to give me a bottle of it!
It does what its name suggests. Oud and incense. A bed of resin, spices, smoke, flowers, even a note of tea to me, but finally it all comes to oud and incense. Clear, clever, pleasant and really well-balanced. It would be a better scent if it had some more projection and persistency.
6/10
6/10
Opens forcefully as a somewhat typical Middle Eastern spiced frankincense concoction: a bit thrusting but definitely knowing its mind, and with a square cut to its jaw that's sexy in an in your face kind of way.
As Incense Oud matures on skin the progression is towards a somewhat sourish (almost fermented) rose note (faint echoes of Lyric woman) bolstered with soft spices, of which cardamom is the most prominent with its milk-chai-and-soap familiarity. The incense fades ever so gradually over the hours as this somewhat turned rose accord takes its place at the core of this creation. The oud is here only in name for shame.
As Incense Oud matures on skin the progression is towards a somewhat sourish (almost fermented) rose note (faint echoes of Lyric woman) bolstered with soft spices, of which cardamom is the most prominent with its milk-chai-and-soap familiarity. The incense fades ever so gradually over the hours as this somewhat turned rose accord takes its place at the core of this creation. The oud is here only in name for shame.
Review by mccann690Find this to be very light and close to the skin not what i was expecting from an incense Oud combo i does smell nice but not great would not buy a bottle of this would be very good for a formal wearing but can think of better Colognes at half the price of this one for that situation over all the worst of the Arabian Knight Collection IMOPros: ClassyCons: Poor Projection"
WOW!!! This is an awesome nighttime fragrance. Cold weather date? Nice restaurant? This is a nice choice! Ive worn it in Texas heat and it holds up damn well! Pros: Outstanding projection!Cons: Rose may be a too feminine to some .. not me!
The name suggests a masculine scent. However there is too much rose to be worn by a man.
Smoky sweet warmth in a powder cloud of peppery woods and gourmand spices. This opens with a loud cacophany of muddled notes that can overpower, but softens in twenty minutes or so to those warm sweet notes. Delightfully mature and sophisticated.
Incredibly mouthwatering herbal opening gives way to woody incense. A very faint smokiness. Lots of wood. Very dry. Saying the oud isn't overdone here is wry understatement. I prefer the presentation of this buttery incense to many other fragrances of it's ilk.
As good as it all is, Incense Oud strikes me as maybe a little too by the numbers. No surprizes, no wrong moves, no sparks. It's just there. Sitting there on your skin. Right in the middle of the road.
As good as it all is, Incense Oud strikes me as maybe a little too by the numbers. No surprizes, no wrong moves, no sparks. It's just there. Sitting there on your skin. Right in the middle of the road.
"incense, mystic perfume, is combined with oud. Giving birth to fragrance that is mysterious and warm, yet stunningly modern."
Incense Oud opens up with a characteristic dominant incense note followed by a slight spicy combo. Nothing harsh at all instead this is quite relaxing and comforting since the incense note is nothing that screams in your face like in Avignon (which is a masterpiece but difficult to wear).
Incredibly scent made By Kilian. This along with Beyond Love would be my 2 pick ups from the By Kilian house.
Incense Oud opens up with a characteristic dominant incense note followed by a slight spicy combo. Nothing harsh at all instead this is quite relaxing and comforting since the incense note is nothing that screams in your face like in Avignon (which is a masterpiece but difficult to wear).
Incredibly scent made By Kilian. This along with Beyond Love would be my 2 pick ups from the By Kilian house.
Articulated smell, at least at the beginning, before a sort of too linear, amalgamated and syrupy mellifluence takes the scene, loses in complexity and projection and slides towards an almost dissonant sort of edible mélange. The first whiff (probably the best part of the smell) is something powerfully vintage, evocative, ancestral, syrupy, boozy and leathery. I inhale an oriental blend of sweet resins, incense, seasoned woods, pepper, leather , liquor, mould, musks and cream. This obscure exhalation is complex and multifaceted, it's a sort of reminiscence of old woody rooms of dusty houses full of odours of tobacco, aged wood, whisky, leather and ancient books. The air does not circulate. With the running of minutes a sort of rosey incense starts to outline itself in all its resinous temperament and vintage vibe. The central stage is the unique part in which i smell a plain smell of rose and a touch of medicinal resin, before a sort of too "acid linearity" takes the scene. As well as Pure Oud, this fragrance is a really "stuffy" and vintage one, the complicated scent is something that smells fuggy, macerated, mouldy, antique. The combination of dark oily patchouli, resins, moss, rose-geranium, oil of agarwood and labdanum is claustrophobic, smoky and arcane. Some obscure balsams compose the puzzle, together with sweet woodsy resins, honeyed amber and cream of whisky, i perceive this or something else that exudes that characterizing leathery-corporeal and almost edible jammy note that makes this juice anyway attractive. At this stage i have the sensation to inhale some not listed mellow fruits as berries, plums or apricot but i think is just a misleading impression. I detect with time a sort of viney acidity in the background, an element that could turn it as a bit too mellow and eggy. I prefer the Pure Oud that is as vintage as this one (and basically as animal and dense) but effectively more balanced, articulated, smokier, earthier and without syrupy-acid and dissonant trails. A new interpretation of incense and oud (subdued in power and blended in a more variegated mix) is expressed by this release that enters a new element among the vintage concoctions. In my opinion this scent, while promising the heaven at the beginning and being anyway a more than pleasant vintage concoction , loses the occasion to be greater due to en excess of "generosity" in balsams and resins that turn it too linear. The smell has a not so long lasting power and smells close to the skin.
Incense Oud starts with pepper, followed by the smell of fresh rose petals sprinkled with dew. Incense appears almost simultaneously followed by woody notes that give the illusion of oud, albeit a very soft one. In spite of its name, oud is not a note in Incense Oud. The stars of this perfume are Incense and Rose. Other than pepper at the beginning, the rose and incense, I cannot discern the rest of the notes, the woody notes stay in the background only to enhance and adorn the incense/rose combination. The simplest way to describe it is as a very natural rose water with incense. I would like to say that it is transparent, but that may be misinterpreted as being unsubstantial. It has great projection and sillage, but it is not thick or oerwhelimng. It lasts on me about 10 hours.
Incense Oud gives me a peaceful feeling. Although there are many incense perfumes in the market and I love many of them, I cannot think of any other perfume as an alternative. It seems so simple and yet so elegant and wearable. This is not a churchy incense, it is cool but not cold or dry. It makes me think of holy water, but more in the sense that it gives me a feeling of purity and clarity of mind.
This perfume is very versatile. I wear it to the office and I have worn it to more formal occassions, also it seems to work well in all kinds of weather, although I prefer it in cooler days.
This is a creation of Sidonie Lancesseur, who in my opinion does not get the credit or publicity she deserves for her beautiful perfumes that include Cruel Intentions and Straight to Heaven.
The formula is not listed in the by Kilian website, but the notes courtesy of Luckyscent are: Guatemala cardamon, pink pepper, Turkish rose, Egyptian geranium, methyl pamplemousse, Virginia cedarwood, Indonesian patchouli, Indian papyrus, Somalia incense (oil and absolute), sandalwood, Macedonian oakmoss, Spanish cistus labdanum, musks.
Incense Oud gives me a peaceful feeling. Although there are many incense perfumes in the market and I love many of them, I cannot think of any other perfume as an alternative. It seems so simple and yet so elegant and wearable. This is not a churchy incense, it is cool but not cold or dry. It makes me think of holy water, but more in the sense that it gives me a feeling of purity and clarity of mind.
This perfume is very versatile. I wear it to the office and I have worn it to more formal occassions, also it seems to work well in all kinds of weather, although I prefer it in cooler days.
This is a creation of Sidonie Lancesseur, who in my opinion does not get the credit or publicity she deserves for her beautiful perfumes that include Cruel Intentions and Straight to Heaven.
The formula is not listed in the by Kilian website, but the notes courtesy of Luckyscent are: Guatemala cardamon, pink pepper, Turkish rose, Egyptian geranium, methyl pamplemousse, Virginia cedarwood, Indonesian patchouli, Indian papyrus, Somalia incense (oil and absolute), sandalwood, Macedonian oakmoss, Spanish cistus labdanum, musks.