Hello again,
I’m back with another fragrance review! Today, I am going in-depth on Oud Royal by Armani/Prive. I was given a 100ml bottle as a gift for Christmas after sampling the entire Prive lineup at Bloomingdale’s and I was blown away by the fragrance! It is perfect for wintry weather, but it is both soft and complex enough to wear throughout the year, in my opinion. On first spray, the fragrance’s agarwood shines above all else, but the resin does not overpower the nose as it quickly turns sweet, revealing a brighter-than-usual but ultimately pleasing sandalwood.
From here, Oud Royal’s amber becomes prominent, intriguing the nose and drawing it closer to the underlying rose and incense base. As this Armani collection is more a fragrance spectrum than a lineup of disparate scents, one can easily detect the bases of and inspirations for other Prive members, including Ambre Eccentrico, Bois d’Encens, and (our favorite!) Rose D’Arabie. If Oud Royal were to have any more body to it, one may mistake it for Myrrhe Imperiale!
Lastly, as the Prive collection itself is unisex, and I could easily see both men and women wearing this fragrance, although Oud Royal does lean masculine given its intensity. However, the delicate rose and saffron notes soften the fragrance’s finish and it clings to clothes as well as it does skin!
- Concentration: Eau de Parfum
- Primary: Agar Resin and Sandalwood.
- Secondary: Incense and Amber.
- Tertiary: Rose and Saffron.
- Sillage: While Oud Royal doesn’t fill a room in the same way similar fragrances such as Tom Ford’s Oud Wood might, it projects very well.
- Longevity: I have found this fragrance, along with all other Armani/Prive offerings, to last an incredibly long time! I have been able to detect its base notes on my skin 8+ hours later.
- Versatility: I think this is one area where it may come up short as it’s depth and sillage are certainly powerful and masculine, which may reduce the number of both its potential wearers and environments to-be-worn-in.
- Originality: Oud Royal is one of the most unique oud-based fragrances I have ever smelled! Most rely upon the heavily-woody resin to dominate a scent, but Armani/Prive and the fragrance’s nose – Evelyne Boulanger – have done an incredible job making this one of the most mysterious (even knowing its ingredients) and interesting fragrances I have owned.
- Packaging: Like its Prive family members, Oud Royal comes in some of the nicest packaging around – it would take quite a bit of effort to damage this bottle in-box and, once out, is an opaque black that lets little-to-no light into the bottle. Capped with a golden stone, the presentation is simple, elegant, and well-made!
- Price: This is not an easy one to stomach… in the U.S., you will be paying well over $300 with tax for Oud Royal, but I must say its combination of power, delicacy, and uniqueness make it well worth the cost!
Thank you so much for reading!
