Royal Oud
Creed (2011)

People say that only the word "Royal" in the name is truly fitting. While the word "Oud" in this name can be questioned, one cannot deny the refined, princely, and regal allure it exudes! Certainly, Oud is not the star of the show here, but it is undoubtedly present behind the scenes. During a friendly exchange with the creator of the perfume, Julien Rasquinet, he confirmed that Royal Oud contains more natural Oud than the majority of perfumes with "Oud" in their name. He explained that this was intentional as part of the technical work to tame the Oud and make it less prominent. Rasquinet’s words perfectly align with Erwin Creed’s statement in an interview during the perfume’s launch in 2011 at Esxence (video available on YouTube). Erwin said that the basic idea behind this creation was to develop a more wearable and more tolerable Oud perfume for the Western audience, who often find the aggressive and dominant aspect of "Oud" difficult to tolerate.

Based on these facts, we can ultimately say that "Royal Oud" is not a random or poorly chosen name, as the perfume genuinely contains Oud, and it was deliberate that it does not smell like the stereotypical Oud as we usually conceive.

Evolution of scent:

The perfume opens with a vibrant, spicy blend of citrus and pink pepper, immediately giving an impression of sophisticated freshness.
Very quickly, woody notes take over—particularly cedar, accompanied by angelica—imparting a green, dry, and noble character.

The fragrance then evolves into a warm, luxurious base with Oud, creamy sandalwood, and clean musk, subtly wrapped in a touch of incense, giving it a slightly mystical aura.

Oud, often perceived as animalic or medicinal in most compositions, is here softened, polished, and almost discreet, serving more as the backbone than as the star.

What it makes me think of:

Royal Oud evokes luxurious interiors with polished dark wood and marble in European palaces with subtle Oriental influences.

Scent: 5/5 (Masterpiece)
Longevity: 4.5/5
Projection: 4.5/5

Creed royal Oud is exceptional in so many ways, that it may be my favorite Creed, let alone favorite fragrance. Oud is so controversial through the fact that with fragrance, a majority of Oud is likely not authentic due to the expense and volume/sustainability, thus giving a false perception of what it actually smells like. To those who have had the pleasure of smelling real Oud, there’s many types, and Royal Oud actually reminds me of a sample I purchased from Rising Phoenix, a company that sells exquisite Ouds, and in particular in this case a Thai variety that doesn’t have the typical barnyard odor, but is so complex and beautiful, almost citrusy. I got out the sample and compared them on each wrist and I would honestly be shocked if there isn’t real Oud in this fragrance. It was almost identical. If not, Creed is really good at blending to create the illusion of a high quality Oud. The beauty of this house is small batches and smaller volume make it possible for them to actually use the real stuff.
On the other end, unlike the typical Creeds, this fragrance doesn’t come and go throughout the day but sticks around and is present all day long. Love this! The Oud is extended with what smells like Coronal perhaps and/or Sclareolate, which smooths it out and makes it project perfectly off the skin. Makes me want to experiment with my oils again.
For Oud lovers, understand that Oud is unique and like sandalwood can have different qualities and characteristics depending on where it comes from. This is a very high quality Oud and is very present throughout the entire dry down. It’s as close as you can get to wearing it straight up, but they make it smooth and will project and last all day. It’s a masterpiece and so versatile.

made me think they sell root beer in austria alas it was me. probably the best fragrance ever

If this is oud then sign me up but I think it’s more of a woodsy, peppery tobacco affair, which I love. Smells natural and all but 2 pricey retail 4 me lol

Probably the best Creed I have smelled or tried, yes it is pricey and isnt worth that kind of price tag, but as a scent it is awesome for the 5 to 6 hours that it lasts on my skin




Overall 9-10
Longevity 5-10
Silage 5.2- 10

Try if you like dry spicy Cedar

Royal Oud is for me both exasperating and enticing. If money was no object I would buy a flacon and coat myself with this scent continuously. It is a subtle, dry expression of cedar with the angelica and other elements bringing a bit of 'noir' to the party. It smells really expensive but is not all that powerful and it's longevity and sillage are not equitable to its obnoxiously high price. I have about 15ml left and will treasure it but can't fathom paying upwards of $400 for a standard bottle. Some claim the cheapo synthetic homage to Royal Oud is Lomani's Intense Black. I can't entirely agree as Intense Black's note pyramid is somewhat similar yet just incredibly synthetic and unable to touch the 'organic' natural dry cedar of Royal Oud. Therefore the Lomani would not be a suitable substitute IMO, and I have both fragrances. Royal Oud doesn't smell youthful, and it's elegance demands it be worn with finer clothes such as a suit. It is wearable all seasons except hot summer days. It is not a beast, and considering the price you aren't getting great performance. Part of it may be that I get nose blind to it, and maybe others (hopefully) can still smell it. Even with the cons of performance and price this is still one of my favorite fragrances of all time, so thumbs up. I would never blind buy this but definitely get a decant. Royal Oud is an amazing, sophisticated, elusive fragrance.