FRAGRANCE | Smoud Oud Extrait de Parfum by nXn Perfumes: Overall a good deal despite its lack of originality

This is the second nXn bottle that I opened after Green Mango. Presentation's the same across all of the brand's three maiden releases, so I won't talk about it again here. Suffice it to say that for the price, the packaging is so extra.

Truth be told, Smoud Oud is nothing new to me. It smells familiar in that the oud used here—the friendlier, woody kind with hardly any funk (if at all)—is something I've smelled many times over. There's really nothing wrong with it because what's familiar to me may be totally new to someone else. When I got Smoud Oud, I didn't know what to expect scent-wise although I was hoping for a different treatment or twist, however small. However, the perfumer didn't really stray far from what's tried and tested.

The fragrance opens strong, that woody oud immediately punching its way through. It's accorded a mild sweetness and a bitter, piercing sharpness. Judging from the notes printed on the label, I suspect it's cypriol that's causing the bitter sharpness, which only grows stronger by the minute to the point that it becomes a little headache-inducing already. Cypriol is also a prominent ingredient in Amouage Opus VII but it's much less abrasive there, beautiful in fact. In Smoud Oud, it's untethered, clawing at practically everything in sight. 

There's a soft rose bubbling under, biding its time. After several long minutes, it finally manages to bloom but then the vexing sharpness is unfortunately obscuring its beauty. Heck, the sharpness is obscuring even the oud! Thankfully, everything starts calming down after about an hour. As the sharpness retreats, the sweetness grows and more of the oud, rose, and the fragrance's woody character become apparent, resulting in a scent that's much more likable. I guess all's well that ends well. 

Smoud Oud may not be the most original creation out there but for something so inexpensive, you get a pretty decent oud and rose frag with awesome performance and presentation to boot. Never mind that I find the sharpness annoying because for all I care, it could just be a skin chemistry thing. Oud being oud, I think it favors colder temperatures, so use with caution when the sun is flexing its might. It also leans slightly masculine in my opinion. All things considered, I think it's worth a try.