Oud Essentiel by Guerlain

I’ve had this Guerlain sample vial for three months or so and knew that I needed to get around to wearing it so that I can post a review. The scent? Oud Essentiel. Released in 2017, this Guerlain fragrance is a unisex offering, for folks who are in search of a great oud perfume. Does it live up to the billing? Please continue below for my full take.

What does Oud Essentiel by Guerlain Smell Like?

Notes include: Bulgarian rose, agarwood (oud), leather, frankincense, and saffron

Click here to try: Oud Essential Guerlain EDP Spray

My Full Review

Before I start with my review, let’s see what Guerlain has to say about Oud Essentiel: To create the new fragrance in the Absolus d’Orient collection, Guerlain Perfumer Thierry Wasser drew his inspiration from the unique and precious oud wood. The fragrance is a majestic celebration of this rare ingredient which reveals its true strength and sensuality. Both mellow and intense, this woody leather fragrance blends the mysterious notes of leather and frankincense and the sweet notes of Bulgarian rose in a subtle alchemy. A unique olfactory encounter between East and West.

This is the second review I’ve done from the Absolus d’Orient collection, the first being of Santal Royal. Obviously, this whole line is going to be more of a niche luxury collection, than anything that will ever appeal to the mass market and usually focuses on a singular note of that part of the world.

Oud Essentiel opens up with a really sharp/sweet mixture of the rose and oud. Underneath that is saffron and just a peak at the leather note, which emerges later on in the wear. This stuff is an absolute monster at the beginning, very loud, and in your face.

You know right off the bat, that this is a fragrance that isn’t going to appeal universally, and won’t have a place in everyone else’s collection.

I don’t feel that the oud note is ever totally dominate in this composition. It is most certainly there, however, it is blended expertly with the other notes. It super sweet, dark, and resinous.

One can tell that the quality of the ingredients is very high, as each note, smells absolutely wonderful. Very bold but very wonderful.

As it dries down, the composition is still lead by the oud and Bulgarian Rose. It is fairly linear, in that regard. However, the frankincense, leather, saffron, and other woody notes each seem to take their turn being a highlight.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage is huge for the first half of the wear or so. Two sprays is more than enough and one spray will be all that is required many times.

Think half of the wear isn’t long enough? Well, this one hits 12 hours or so on my skin. So, half or more of that time, it’s a beast. Then, calms down into something more moderate. Either way, performance is top notch.

This is billed as a unisex fragrance, but leans more masculine. A woman can wear this absolutely, but it requires confidence (for anyone) to put this on. When you consider what most modern fragrances are, this one stands out totally.

Seasonally, I’d stick to this in fall and winter. Colder weather only, for me at least. I wouldn’t want to have this on in the humidity of the summer months. This is more for semi-formal to formal wear. It’s loud, so, it might be out of the question for some folks to wear to work.

I could see throwing this on at night, though. Wouldn’t call it sexy, as many women would probably think that it’s too loud. This is one perfume that you’ve got to wear for yourself and not solely to draw complements.

Overall Impressions of Oud Essentiel

Overall, do I like Oud Essentiel? For a oud scent? It’s got one of the best oud notes, I’ve ever come across. It’s not my kind of style, since I’m not a huge fan of wearing oud. But, I still think that it smells good.

For those who love the note, love bold fragrances, and can afford the Guerlain prices; go for it. It’s a great blend and the performance is utterly magnificent.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.