Oud Mood Elixir by Lattafa Perfumes

Powerful and complex scent, nothing easy to wear. Starts strong with spices like saffron and nutmeg, but soon an animalic oud takes over, smelling like a stable and hard to handle. Over time, it softens a bit thanks to amber and vanilla, though that wild character remains. Lasts a long time, around 9 to 10 hours, and is impossible to ignore. It’s a mature fragrance, not for the young; although marketed as unisex, it leans more masculine. It’s made for people who love dark, intense aromas, not for daily use. For me, it’s one of the hardest scents I’ve tried and I didn’t like it at all. Rating: 4/10.

The first one I bought and it made me gag; upon application, it smelled like vomit, though it improved as it dried down. I won’t keep it because I won’t wear it. From this point on, I hate oud wood, even though I used to like it in Tom Ford’s Oud Voyager and others where it was the star.

It was my first Lattafa and I loved it. It’s not for everyone: nutmeg dominates with a sharp acidic touch of saffron, and the OUD is STRONG. When it dries down, it smells more like vanilla with oud. The projection is moderate, about 2 meters; sometimes people smell it from the next room depending on the weather. It lasts 5 hours on skin. It definitely smells rich; people criticize it or say it smells like blue cheese, but that’s nothing! It smells very rich.

I bought it blindly based on the price and notes, thinking it would be perfect for autumn and winter, but it’s not pleasant. I’ve given it several chances and it just doesn’t work. It has a synthetic oud opening that smells very chemical, and the saffron gives it a metallic character that, combined with nutmeg, is unappealing. After some time, the suede, amber, and vanilla mix with the oud and saffron, but they still don’t create a comforting sensation. It’s undoubtedly an oriental fragrance.

Marvelous, one of my favorites. The first time I smelled it, it reminded me a lot of Rosendo Mateu’s Fresh Oud. It smells like authentic oud, although at this price, it’s impossible for it to be real. It’s not meant for the general public or Westerners, perhaps for oud lovers or those knowledgeable about oriental scents. Although the oud is slightly animalic, it doesn’t smell like a stable, medicine, or feces; it’s not like The Night by Frederic Malle or Alexandria Orientale by Xerjoff. It also won’t get you many compliments; it’s meant to be smelled by you and felt close to the skin. Its central theme is oud; although it lists leather, saffron, amber, or nutmeg, the oud dominates. For this price, it’s one of the best oud fragrances on the market. A great success by Lattafa. I recommend it to anyone wanting to dive into complex fragrances and move away from mainstream.

Horrible! Nothing can be saved from this scent. I even thought my bottle might have been tampered with, because I don’t understand how something supposed to be perfume can smell so disgusting…

Totally disappointed. I let myself be swayed by the described notes, and it turns out to be horrible. Nothing is saved even in the dry down. Even though I got it for under 300 euros, I feel it’s too expensive for what it offers. I’ll keep it only in my collection, along with Oud Mood Reminiscence, which I prefer 100%.

At first, the oud comes out, but the dry down is musky, though not declared as such, but rather leather and a very slight sweet, vanilla-like note. The spices aren’t overpowering; don’t be scared. It seems masculine at first, but later it’s unisex; I see it as totally wearable for women who can handle that provocative oud opening. It’s not gourmand or sweet, but elegant and original, worthy of its price, something not found in that segment. It’s a semi-Arabic style for those already somewhat immersed in that taste. They say it’s difficult, but I don’t think so now that many are more comfortable with Arabic perfumery. Give it a chance, smell it. It’s one of the older launches from the house, ones that are being forgotten due to the battery of new releases.

I have better car air fresheners. It smells like an oil lamp product, like the ointment my grandma used when I was sick, like automotive oil, or expired medicine. It smells like everything but perfume.

Smells like mothballs, it’s awful. I’m not sure if I should leave it out to scare away spiders or just throw it away. Terrible blind buy.

I bought it blind and have no regrets. At first, it smells fresh and spicy, very clean, almost like hyper-pure lavender (I guess that’s the saffron). My wife said it smells like ‘fabuloso,’ that Mexican cleaner, but with affection; it reminded me of Drakkar Noir for that lavender cleanliness and eighties leather vibe. This lasts 10-20 minutes. Then it changes completely: it leaves the freshness for a softened leather with sandalwood, vanilla, amber, and a smoky touch of oud. It reminded me of Tom Ford’s Fumé Ébène, just the DNA, not a clone. I love it; it’s very masculine; I’d wear it with a leather jacket and black boots. I haven’t smelled the originals, but if it’s similar to Duro, for $29 it’s worth it. The sillage and longevity are modest, but you can’t ask for more at this price. It’s not for gifting, but for feeling powerful and tough. It will be my night perfume this winter 2023.

Same thing as with the previous review: I thought I’d already smelled it, more spicy. It’s Armaf’s Shade Wood. Personally, I don’t like this scent.

I tried it and thought, ‘I’ve heard this before, but where!’. After thinking about it, I realized: it can’t be. I put Atomicé on one hand and Nasomatto Duro on the other. It wasn’t intentional, but they smell just as strong. If you like Duro, keep this in mind.