I-OUD (2017) • IO-KO 1954🔺 • ScentAdvice

I-Oud is a rose oud combination with a lot saffron. It opens with a sharper, darker woodiness, ever so slightly barnyardy (just the right amount in my opinion), giving it a mature, richer vibe than some other rose ouds.

There’s a soapy, clean element that’s very prominent throughout, I guess the rose is quite bright in contrast to the woodiness, so you get a nice balance between clean and skanky. There’s some sweetness and some leathery touches, though it doesn’t go into the territory of a Tuscan Leather for example (which I-Egocentric does), but really sticks to something akin to Dior Oud Ispahan. To my nose, there’s a patchouli like earthiness in the base, although that’s not listed. I just think this is very elegant, unisex and a fragrance that probably suits people 25-30 and up most.

As I mentioned, the quality of the blend is there, executed about as good as it gets. The main issue with the IO-KO that I tried before is that they’re expensive and that they all seem to lack uniqueness. I-Oud at least tackles that in part, because it’s cheaper than most of the line-up at €180/100ml. That’s still not a bargain, but I feel it’s reasonably prized for what you get and it makes it an option worth considering in an (over)crowded rose-oud field.