Comments on: By Kilian Arabian Nights Pure Oud and Back to Black Aphrodisiac ~ fragrance reviews

By: Buttercup

Buttercup — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:33:47 +0000

I’m also a latecomer to this thread.
There really is no alternative to Pure Oud Oil! The first and most prestigious company to offer Oud to the Western World is Oriscent. I have sampled many of their Pure Oud Oils and there is nothing like them. You might think that Oud isn’t for everyone and you’re not mistaken but companies like Oriscent have such a variety to choose from you’ll know what’s best suited to you.
Someone mentioned their sampler set. There are only 8 left – I highly recommend Blue Brunei for the women! A tropical paradise.
The price tags might look a tad daunting but the oil lasts a long time. I still have my samples intact from last year.

Nothing beast pure oud oil (and i mean the REAL stuff)

By: Zootgator

Zootgator — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:09:15 +0000

I’m coming to this thread late as I’ve just received a sample of Back to Black from Luck Scent and was having a look to remind myself what your take on it was.

I’m a bit perplexed because I was soooo looking forward to this – I think I’d expected something along the lines of a more oriental Bandit (having not clocked that ‘honey’ note), and on me this smells like someone has poured vanilla essence and honey into an ashtray – and I don’t mean that in a good way!

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:51:04 +0000

Absolute Scent.: do as I do…WAIT long enough and you’ll forget about it! OR it will seem OLD by the time the next truckload of releases hits your consciousness!

By: Absolute Scentualist

Absolute Scentualist — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:54:16 +0000

Kevin, I seriously LOLed over your specific musk descriptions with regard to Pure Oud. And humorous and refreshingly honest review as always. Thank you! As someone who *may* go up to a 4 on the musk scale, I don’t think I’m quite brave enough to try the oud. Back to Black, otoh, sounds dreamy. I never got to sample or pick up either of the MAC honey frags, but do adore a good honey, particularly if it’s blended with tobacco. The very idea just sets my heart aflutter, and I’m still stalking the net for the MACs since they just sounded so lovely and full of layering possibilities.

While the price point is disheartening, I will confess to owning both Indult Tihota and Manacara. Tihota is simply the best vanilla I’ve found next to Guerlain’s SDV which I also own, and Manacara isn’t complex but it is very good at what it does. That being lifting my spirits every time I wear it simply for the bright and juicy joyfulness of it. I think of it as a fruity floral for grown-ups. And Tihota is simply vanilla bliss with impossibly amazing staying power.

I got my Indults from Lucky Scent and still have no idea how the bottle refilling situation will work (they didn’t include any info/bottle numbers), but given how hard I fell for them, it is a comforting thought to know they’ll be there for a while since I waited several months to purchase Tihota, and the same for Manacara. I typically don’t like paying much more than The New Free for a frag unless it develops into a full-blown obsession. And I know this usually seems to happen at least once a year so I try to choose very carefully. But when you fall in love with a frag, sometimes a decant just won’t do if you’re sneaking off for a spritz here and there throughout the day like a hardcore lush stealing into the kitchen to hit the cooking sherry again when no one’s looking.

Most times, I’m happy with decants since my collection’s large enough that it takes me a while to even work through those.
Decanting seems like the way to go with this line anyway, particularly if you like a few of them. I’m afraid to even try them, same as I am with Amouage. So thank you for at least helping me rule out Pure Oud. Now if I can forget the description for Back to Black. No. I will not leave this site and go buy a sample. The idea never crossed my mind. *looks the other way, whistles and sits on hands*

By: lilydale aka Natalie

lilydale aka Natalie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:08:33 +0000

That’s what several SAs told me the other week — the SA for the Cartier Les Heures collection told me they weren’t allowed to spray them into any container. And she claimed they didn’t have pre-made samples, which I’m SO sure was a lie!

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:23:22 +0000

Zazie: I’ve read “complaints” galore about all those lines of fragrance, esp. the Guerlains and Amouage…and these days Le Labo is rather inexpensive compared to others of its type for 50 ml. I think there’s a psychological “barrier” when pefumes go over $200…it’s the line that makes you want WAAAAY more than “nice” “very nice” “pretty”, etc. I did wear BtoB side by side with Fumerie Turque and at a few points they seemed to “merge” they were so similar. I’ve never seen the travel sprays in person for By Kilian but they look great online.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:14:59 +0000

Cazaubon: that’s been my philosophy this year too…and I’ll probably make it to the end of the year with only four full bottles purchased. Perfume “Love” is hard to come by at any price for me….

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:12:59 +0000

Teri: here’s to that!

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:12:24 +0000

Plat14: if your limit is a Musk Level 1…then the mid section of Pure Oud would upset you! I guarantee it. (And THANKS!)

By: kjanicki

kjanicki — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:50:01 +0000

I agree, Both are great tobacco scents, but the Kilian is much more gourmand, I get chocolate, and the Lutens tobacco is closer to a real pipe tobacco, with more of a bitter edge to balance the sweetness. I prefer the Lutens.