Oud Ispahan by Dior

An intense, unisex rose, deeply woody and mysterious. I detect a very strong resinous scent, very ambered, warm, and velvety, with an almost incense-like potency. However, the rose isn’t intimidated and continues as the absolute queen of this fragrance, with a majestic presence on her oud throne. Unbeatable.

Oud Ispahan is one of Maison Christian Dior’s best-selling perfumes, being the most oriental and challenging in the collection. It opens with an intense rose that at times resembles rose water from mosques. This rose is accompanied by amber notes that add warmth and a touch of sweetness. In the dry-down, the oud and dark notes are barely distinguishable. Personally, I find the dry-down somewhat synthetic and overwhelming due to this sweet rose, though this can vary. After hours, you reach a middle ground where the rose loses intensity and the amber becomes less prominent, allowing the oud, frankincense, and musk to emerge. That balance between the warmth of the rose and the darkness of the oud is the best part. You feel like you’re in a Middle Eastern mosque with wood smoke and a floor soaked in rose water. In the end, the rose disappears, leaving a dark scent with labdanum, oud, and a black, animalic musk. The oud doesn’t stand out on its own because the frankincense and musk take the spotlight. Longevity is considerable: 2 hours of rose and amber, 2 hours of balance, and 10 hours of the dark phase. Best tested on skin, as that’s where it truly develops; on blotter, you’ll only catch the middle phase. Projection is considerable for the first 4 hours.

This cologne smells very, very strong and very masculine to me; I can’t detect any floral notes at all. Plus, it clung to my skin so much I couldn’t get it off. It’s a resounding NO: heavy, suffocating, and cloying, with a dark scent that I find nothing beautiful about.

When I applied it, it reminded me of an 80s perfume from my mother (due to its strength). A delight: spicy, rose, oud, and lots of saffron. Two sprays and that’s it; it doesn’t bother you because its intensity and longevity are incredible.

I’ve only had it for a week, and it has pleasantly surprised me. A very good oud and a fine, elegant rose that reminds me of a rose bush. Acceptable price (40ml for €120). Longevity and projection are huge. 10/10.

Oud Ispahan (Ispahan is a city in Iran) presents a hard, medicinal, even difficult oud in a traditional formula with roses that reveals it hasn’t been westernized. It’s totally oriental, 100% Asian, with the goal of transporting you and providing an experience, not just compliments. I love it, but I wouldn’t recommend it blindly. Unisex leaning masculine. Off-the-charts quality and exceptional development. I’d love to own it, but the price is prohibitive.

My father gifted me this powerhouse this Christmas. He knows I adore the collection, and this one in particular. I hadn’t bought it due to my issue with saffron, which, though volatile, gets stuck in my brain and prevents me from smelling anything else. Well, Oud Ispahan is no exception. A beautiful rose, with intense and elegant wood, smeared with smoked saffron… gorgeous, but it’s not for me. It projects all day long and its longevity is nuclear. I’ll never use it; it’s not my style, no matter how gorgeous it is. If anyone wants a change, it’s unused; it’s the 40ml bottle… I’m all ears.

The first time I tried it, I had a little ‘accident’—it ended up on my bed and overwhelmed me to the point of disgust. But over time, I gave it a second chance, and yes, it is a difficult oud; even people told me no, but this time I handled it better. It wasn’t very projecting at first, but based on comments I received hours later, I imagine people did notice it. The longevity exceeds 10 hours. When I left, I wanted to focus on the labdanum because it’s a note I struggle to catch and still can’t quite place, but the scent is primarily a dirty, animalic oud softened by rose.

I like this Dior oud. Generally, I don’t like oud perfumes, but this one is different. The opening is strong, but over time it evolves to smell mostly like a very elegant rose; it becomes somewhat more feminine, yet perfectly wearable for a man. I don’t detect patchouli, just a hint of labdanum, but what I smell most is oud and roses. It projects well and has great longevity. I see it as a bit more feminine due to the rose, but very usable for a man. I’d say it’s better suited for cold weather.