FRAGRANCE | Revisiting Oud for Greatness EDP by Initio Parfums Privés when it no longer is talked about as much

I don't know if it's just me but I no longer see much fuss over Oud for Greatness by Initio Parfums Privés nowadays. Yet just a few years ago when it was first released, it was quite the hit among fragheads, appearing frequently in posts in our Facebook fragrance groups. Somehow, that ubiquity made me lose interest in it, much like how I never cared for Creed Aventus at the height of its popularity. However, I was drawn to the bottle’s striking design. There's something about that flashy combination of black and gold that just appealed to my tastes, so eventually, I gave in. 

Sadly, just like most frags in our stack, it's rarely used. But thanks to the recent string of rainy days, I made a conscious effort of browsing through our collection for options that suited the weather, and Oud for Greatness was one of the few that I plucked out of hiding. The actual bottle does look good; sturdy and moderately heavy. I can’t quite tell if the material used for the gold accents is aluminum or plastic although I feel it’s the latter. Nevertheless, the bottle looks really nice, nestled snugly in a cushioned, lift-top, hard box that comes with a thin outer sleeve. The inner box’s material, however, has developed a sort of sticky quality due to prolonged storage, so prying it out of the sleeve took some effort. Still, presentation is great overall.

Spraying it again, I'm reminded of why I never loved it in the first place. Oud announces itself immediately upon first spritz. It has a dry, woody character, brushed with a tinge of sweetness and loaded with a lot of sharp spiciness. The scent just tears through the air with its unapologetic, nuclear intensity. The sharpness can be headache-inducing, especially when oversprayed, more so when it’s hot and humid (in which case, it would be absolutely suffocating).

There’s a mild cooling sensation when sniffed up close but in the air, it's practically imperceptible. It's still the woody oud and sharp spiciness from saffron that dominate the scent. I usually adore oud but here it's almost devoid of its usual warmth, mainly due to the over-performing saffron, the very reason that's holding me back from loving this frag. The sweetness becomes less shy over time but is not enough for me to call OFG a sweet scent. If I were to isolate the sweetness and sharpness, this sweet and sharp combo has a remote resemblance to that of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540; not the entire scent, though, just to be clear, as that Kurkdjian opus is way sweeter with a touch of smokiness.

Oud for Greatness definitely leans masculine. While I'm still not a fan, I must admit that I like it more when it's cold because it's not as sharp and obnoxious. The lower mercury levels must have tamed this beast somehow, smoothening most of its otherwise rough edges. It gets even more pleasant as it dries down further, becoming softer as it stretches for hours on end. I may have kept it for the bottle but I guess I now have another reason: a reliable option for cold days.