Oud & Spice by Acqua di Parma

What a pleasant surprise! At first, I thought it was a copy of ADP Oud, but it has its own charm. It evokes memories of my grandmother and her rose bushes; playing nearby without touching the flowers. It’s a fragrance with character, featuring a gentle Oud, ideal for someone cool yet kind. The Oud isn’t creamy like the ADP version, but I highly recommend it.

More for special occasions than daily wear. I recommend it for serious events. With it, you project the presence of someone elegant, like a boss or a perfume expert; it’s not easy to like, but it shows class, especially due to the oud, spices, and woody notes.

Work of art: Initio-style oud with heavy spices and a classic house base. Very unique, and my wife absolutely loves it. I smell like myself until 10+ hours; in summer, I think it will shine even brighter with a fresher vibe. Elegant, unique, high quality, memorable, and excellent performance. A straight-up 10.

I tried a 2ml sample and never thought I’d find something so disgusting. Who could possibly like this? The worst perfume of my life if this is what they call perfume. I wouldn’t give it to my enemy. It smells like burnt tobacco, clothes soaked in cigarette smoke, and the smoke from a fire. I wore it once and was relieved nothing happened. What a horror? It must be the cloves combined with the oud that give off this repulsive scent. My notes for Aqua di Parma Oud & Spice: Scent – minus 10, it gave me actual nausea. Longevity – 10, projection – 10. Advice: if you want to stand out and make people back away, use this. It works as an insect repellent; you’ll disgust the entire audience.

Upon application, it gives me the sensation of a total incense perfume, even though it’s not listed in the notes. It has a spectacular aroma and the typical quality of Aqua di Parma. The performance is normal for me: it projects for about 2 hours and then stays on the skin for more than 8. I see it as expensive for 100ml.

One of the best in my favorite ADP line. It doesn’t resemble its sister Oud at first, only a slight similarity after several hours. It’s a more leathery version of the Oud (I do feel it, though many say I don’t), reminiscent of green olives in vinegar with pink pepper and a subtle skin-level rose. It’s elegant, imposing, mature, and goes well with semi-formal to formal attire. It suits men over 30. Its performance is regular; for the price, I expected more. It projects well for the first hour, then drops and lingers a couple of hours more at a distance. On my skin, it lasts 7 hours before I need to reapply. It’s one of the few ADP fragrances without the original citrus notes. I don’t recommend buying it blindly, but I do suggest giving it a second or third chance if the first experience wasn’t pleasant.

I’m not sure if it was by Francois Demachy, because to me, it smells more like Emilio Valeros or Christian Carbonnel. I don’t understand the ‘fashion’ note if there’s no Oud; it seems they were looking for sales. I like Ouds like The Night or Beauty & The Beast, even the one by Zafar, but here there’s nothing of that sort, not sweet like the Cambodian one nor wet wood like the Oud Couture by CH. In Italian, it should be called ‘Acqua di Parma Chiodo di garofano’. I can’t find the rose, labdanum, or raspberry; it’s a smoky leather opening like T-Rex or Cruz del Sur I, with very prominent clove like Loewe 7 Anónimo. It has nuances similar to Luxor by Xerjoff. The clove is so strong it smells fresh, metallic, and medicinal, like a dentist’s office. Maybe I don’t perceive the rest of the notes, which is a pity, since I love this line. It’s the most niche bet of the ‘Signature of the sun’. The performance is aggressive for the first 90-120 minutes before becoming elegant and lasting quite a while on the skin. Out of the whole line, the one you should NEVER buy blindly.

Smells like dentist anesthesia.

Absolutely spectacular. It opens with leather and myrrh, a hint of clove, then settles into a super masculine, sweet, and incredibly confident rose. Smells like a classic Italian perfumer from over 40 years ago—the kind who has Ferraris in the garage and yachts in Capri.

It takes classic Italian perfumery from Acqua di Parma to another level, just with unusual ingredients. The opening is overwhelming and peculiar, like a mix of myrrh and leather. Even though it doesn’t say leather, it’s evident through intense spices: a sharp clove and sensual pink pepper, beautifully crafted. There’s a slightly artificial but well-rendered oud that’s medicinal and deep, giving it body and distinction. It’s an autumn and winter creation, elegant and recommended for those who love warm, spicy scents. Alongside Essenza, it’s my favorite from the brand.

The opening is surprising: it evokes a meditation room with very fine incense, highlighted by pepper, labdanum, clove, and cinnamon; it’s elegant. I love it. The oud is much more subtle than in the previous one. ‘Oud and Spices’ is sweeter and dustier, perhaps a bit too smoky, but that’s why I’ll need to try it a few more times to be convinced of this ‘Spices’.