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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Seriously Sensual: Montale Aoud Queen Rose

By Donna

Some time ago I received a much-coveted sample of Montale Aoud Queen Rose from a fellow perfumista and then promptly lost it. Recently I was doing some deep cleaning (by my definition anyway) and there it was. Between the time I had lost the sample and then found it again, I had tried it at my local perfume shop when they began to carry the Montale line. I discovered the addictive character of Aoud in a big way via the many Montales that have a hefty dose of this resinous wonder in them. In fact, there was not a single scent in their Aoud series that I did not find fascinating. There were standouts of course, and among them were the “sister scents” Aoud Roses Petals and Aoud Queen Rose. You might wonder why there even need to be more than one Aoud/Rose perfumes in the same line (and there are more of them, check out Aoud Damascus), and I had the same thought. Yet upon closer examination they are quite different, and even if they were not, can you ever have too much of what’s in these perfumes? I didn’t think so.

Aoud Queen Rose belongs to a class of fragrance very dear to my heart: The “Bombshell Rose.” This elite club counts among its members such classics as Parfum Sacré, Magie Noire and Nahema, so the standard is high. Many bombshell scents are either white florals (Fracas, take a bow) or gigantic chypres (Paloma Picasso). The bombshell rose has to have some of the same elements, such as room-clearing sillage, a strong base of wood/leather/spices/vetiver etc. and a big wallop of sex appeal from animalic elements. Aoud Queen Rose has the whole package; Velvety Grasse and Arabian roses, Hibiscus, and a lot of Aoud. The roses are so heavy they are almost candied, like my beloved Nahema, but the overall effect is not nearly as sweet because of the musky, somewhat nutty hibiscus and pungent aoud. This is a dark perfume, smoldering with mystery, and once it’s on your skin it’s on for good – this stuff does not just have longevity, it has the half-life of a radioactive isotope. That’s good if you love aoud but exercise caution anyway. There are other Montales that have a bigger hit of aoud, but there is plenty of it in this.

The effect of this perfume is almost narcotic as it wraps the wearer in a haze of sensuality like smoke from a magic lantern. Like Parfum Sacré, it seems to have an effect on other people too; doors are opened, chairs are pulled out, eyes lock and smiles are exchanged. Wear it when you feel daring and a bit wild - it’s a perfect match for any fantasy you might conjure up.

Available at Luckyscent online and select retail stores such as The Perfume House - $150 for 50 ml of Eau de Parfum.

Image credit: Photo of Hybrid Tea rose ‘Red Chateau’ from Wikimedia Commons.

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15 Comments:

Blogger bevfred said...

OMG.....I think I must try this. I had a sample of Black Oud and love it.
I need an arsenal of seriously sensual perfumes just to keep me happy!

8:43 AM EDT  
Blogger bevfred said...

Oops! I meant "loved" it.

8:44 AM EDT  
Blogger ScentScelf said...

Well, Donna, you just threw a light of clarity over my perfume leanings: when it comes to bombshells, I *do* like me some rose. Magie Noir and Parfum Sacre are both on my happy list--though, truth be told, I feel more "bombshell-y" in the Magie Noir, more comfy exotic in the Parfum Sacre. (Maybe that's "mock-xotic"; a hint of incense, yes, but sweet...)

Anyway...

Means that I really should dare to try the aoud again. Had given it a go about a year ago, when I was first slipping into perfume-dom, and found the aouds a bit, well, medicinal/overbearing/etc., the usual kind of non-embracing reaction. Thanks for sharing your impressions.

9:30 AM EDT  
Blogger elle said...

Bombshell roses! What a great name for a category of scents I do indeed adore. :-) The Montale roses really are brilliant and the Montale boutique will amp up the concentration of a scent if you request it. I have Aoud Damascus in that form. Heaven!!

9:31 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have Black Aoud, Aoud Roses Petals, and decants of Aoud Queen Roses and White Aoud, as I finally decided that each variation on rose and aoud was different in important ways! Queen Roses definitely fits the bill for nighttime bombshell scent, one of my favorite "going out" 'fumes. Thanks for the lovely review!

10:33 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi there Montale lovers, anyone ever tried Roses Musk? I get no musk from it, but pretty intense oud in a borderline compelling/queasy way. I have a bottle and have never seen it referred to anywhere. I'm wondering how it compares with the other Rose ouds.

2:41 PM EDT  
Blogger saralevy said...

Love Aoud Queen Roses! It was the first Montale I ever bought when I visited the Paris store. I would add L'Arte di Gucci to your bombshell rose category!

9:05 PM EDT  
Blogger Flora said...

Bevfred, you really must try at least one of the Montale Aoud Rose scents- they are magnificent.

11:01 PM EDT  
Blogger Flora said...

ScentSelf, I don't know if I can take credit for that term, but it's one of my favorite styles, and of course also a type that must be worn with caution, like any other bombshell. The Aoud in these Montale rose perfumes is partially subsumed by the florals and does not smell medicinal, though it is of course prominent. I recommend them highly!

11:04 PM EDT  
Blogger Flora said...

Elle - amped up Aoud Damascus!? I can hardly imagine how good it must be! I would never leave the house! :-D

11:06 PM EDT  
Blogger Flora said...

Thank you 2scents, I like the way you think! Of course they each have their special place, so we must collect ALL of them. ;-)

11:08 PM EDT  
Blogger Flora said...

Scensible girl, I do not recall ever trying Roses Musk, but I could be wrong. I get so involved in the Montales when I have the chance to sniff them, I lose track sometimes.

11:10 PM EDT  
Blogger Flora said...

Saralevy, I have never tried that Gucci, but obviously I must do so. I love me some big perfumes! :-)

I might even include Paloma Picasso Mon Parfum in this category - it is a rose chypre after all, and like Magie Noire it is not really considered to be a "rose perfume" but the rose colors everything in it.

11:13 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I always enjoy your reviews, Donna - and you've never steered me wrong. (Scent twin?) I haven't tried ANY oud yet - that ol' wallet things keeps getting in the way, as well as many things on hand to be sniffed - but I just added this one to my sample list.

I adore my Parfum Sacre. I recently happened across a vintage mini of Magie Noire and snapped it up, and boy, is that a stunner! It's so compelling, so bold and yet so feminine; must be that rose. Likewise, I have a parfum mini of Nahema yet to be tried - and all of this before I read your lovely review.

10:17 AM EDT  
Blogger Flora said...

Mals86, thanks so much, we MUST be scent twins!

Oh, and there is another "bombshell rose" I should mention: Tauer Perfumes' Le Maroc pour Elle. Va-va-voom!

10:04 PM EDT  

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