Aoud Musk Montale for women and men

Very beautifully executed Woody scent. Ebony is the star of the show. Smells like aged woods with spices and musk. The listed notes are certainly there contributing from the background.

On first few wears you might feel it's "red and hot", wait, give it a few more wears to understand it.

Fall/ winter only
Masculine, 30+
Long lasting, you wake up next day and still smell it on your wrist and clothes, leaves a trail.

If you love montale but tired of rose which is found in most of their perfumes, if you love woodsy perfumes. Consider this.

one of the best dark woody earthy fragrances i’ve tried (and now own). and then if you’re feeling sweeter resinous vanillic you can layer with Vanagloria.

At the very dry down the musk you can smell reminds me to one of my favorites fragrance acqua di Parma oud
I love it

Edit 2: I thought I was anosic but no, it's just not as in your face as other Montales. Its one of these frags that is kind of airy and you get whifs here and there. It smells really good.

Edit 1: this has a dry, slightwarm airiness that is giving me late summer vibes like in September where I live it's still warm but dry and dusty. This will shine in September. Not a fall frag per se though, you could wear this year round.

Original comment:
If there's one thing you can say about Montale it's that they never smell how you expect. And also that two different people will get two drastically different things out of the same Montale fragrance. I don't get any of the notes listed, nor does my experience resemble any of these comments. I think I'm maybe anosic with this because I don't smell much. I have over a dozen Montales btw so I know the line. It seems like a ton of syntheticey musk, like ambroxan or iso e esqe molecule vibes. More research is needed.

I wanted to really like this. I think there is more complexity to it than I first appreciated BUT I can't stop smelling a slightly mouldy undercurrent. There is a dank mould smell somewhere in there which ruins it for me... And I do love musky frags like Narciso Rodriquez EDT

Still my Numero Uno, since I have it, I guess 2019.
And for good reason.
Strong, masculine, sexy AF.
VERY good.

Mark

I blindbought Aoud Musk during the hottest week of last summer. I found a bottle with about 70ml left for €30, never having owned or even smelled a montale fragrance I wanted to see what the fuss was about. In my mind their lineup is a bit homogenous in scent profile and on top I despise their bottle design.
During the heatwave it fell a bit flat, I dont mind heavy fragrances in any weather but this just made the humid summer weather feel even stickier while the scent itself still felt terribly dry somehow. I shelved it and forgot about it.
A few weeks ago I was making some decants to take on a week long trip to Zürich and this is where I grew to love it. In the colder weather it turns beautifully rich woody and deep earthy. The sticky, boring and synthetic oud had faded to the background all of a sudden, being almost innoticable but still there in just the right amount.
Wondering if I'll still feel this way next summer.

Omg !!! This one is so underrated
It’s elegant, sexy, sophisticated and powerful!
It’s similar to Duro by Nasomatto but I prefer this one for being smoother.
100ml for 120€ is just amazing bc it performs very well compared to Duro.
I can’t wait for my 100ml bottle to arrive I will enjoy this in the cooler weather with confidence ✨

Scary how close this one and Nasomatto Duro are. Not sure what the new formulations are like since I’ve had my bottle since 2013. Only 2 sprays max needed for serious projection and sillage. This lasts over 24hrs for me.

Not sure why, but on me this smells like Epic Woman. Not great, not terrible

This is a very Interesting scent - highly recommend not blind buying though and I’ll tell you why. The herbaceous note that a lot of people are commenting on, even calling it skanky etc is the vetiver in the base, which I thought I would really like because vetiver is one of my favorite ingredients, but it mixes with the musk on my skin in a way that is sour - I get no saffron, it’s totally overpowered by the woods and the musk, leaving a rather dry scent. Once fully dried down the base is ambery and resinous, and the longevity is a 7.6/10.
Personally I think if you layer this under móntale full incense, you’re left with the most complex kaleidoscope of frankincense and resin notes which is to die for!!

I dont know why, I smell something like menthol of eucalyptus, like a cold breeze. Dusty Oud and faint musk from beginning to dry down. Linear, no character like with almost all Montale fragrances. I also get a metallic smell, typical for Montal Fragrances. Big pass

I swear I smell patchouli… like mentholated patchouli. Probably the woods. Very earthy, woody and dank. Not getting much musk or oud but I like this. It’d be good for layering.

Aoud Musk Montale is a good one from Montale , the ( Our , Musk & Safran ) really good Mix for the Winter.
Longvity : 7 Hours.
Projection : 6 Hours
Smell : 6/10.
Bottle Design : 5/10.

It is a Duro sweeter clone. Less medicinal, less woody. Very noticeable amber note. Nasamotto has its DNA but for this ml/$ is worth o purchase.

To me Aoud Musk smells very similar (like +80%) to Margiela's Soul Of The Forest, I get a slightly sweet woody and wet earthy/soil smell with clean musk in the background, great longevity too.

8/10

@flirtboy come on now I owned both Duro & aoud musk found it redundant i can Admit i purchased the montale to get what i thought was a better blended Duro with more juice , and that is almost what this is a less medicinal version of Duro which i kind of like for Duro , you get almost 4 times the juice , they are almost identical on the skin … if you own Duro and love it no need for this unless you want to preserve your tiny Nasomatto

It is nice, woody-musky and a bit sweet cologne with a tiny oud note...I don´t find much resemblance with Duro which is smokier and denser woody stuff, anyway Aoud Musk is nice, pleasant oriental and if you don´t overapply, it can be worn anywhere...

A peppery clean oud. Reminds me of the dry down of Xerjoff Zafar, although the Xerjoff has clear real oud in it but the Montale is an accord.

Good stuff for the price.

Weird, it smells red to me. I also strongly get cherry coke but there's no cherry. It's the combination of saffron, musk, vetiver and a bit of oud bound together by a bit woody dryness from the ebony. The bit spicy from the musk becomes rounder in the drydown, more a woody saffron then. A very peculiar though enjoyable combination, especially in the opening. Sillage is quite strong in the beginning but fading a bit too soon to a moderate projecting almost skin scent. Not something to really wear, I think, but it's very nice to smell once in a while. Red, like I would've thought Red Vetiver could've smelled.

As Mila Le Blanc said,this smells MEAN and i say GORGEOUS <3
If u wanna smell like power buy this <3

Je to stále krásny parfum, ale už nie to čo býval.
Vydrž je omnoho slabšia ako bola pred dvoma rokmi keď som ho spoznal. Som si istý že bol preformulovaný pre určitý trh. Neviem ako sú na tom verzie made in france...
Už to nie je to krásne pižmo na konci, ale ambroxan ktorým sa to končí. Vydrž možno 6 hodín. Dva roky späť to bolo beast 24 hodín. Vo vzduchu ho už ani ľudia nevnímajú ako beast mode. Som trochu sklamaný...

First thing I have to get out, you’re going to want to test this first, definitely do not blind buy it.

I did blind buy this, I don’t regret it because I got a discounted tester, but don’t love it.

Solid fragrance, very woody, very musky. To my nose, very dirty animalistic woody fragrance. This is a man scent short and simple. I can’t see wearing this out to a nice dinner, definitely wouldn’t wear this to the office. While testing i just kept having an image of flannel shirt, chopping wood, coming in by the fireplace kinda vibe. Absolutely winter fragrance, I think I it may be...I’m going to full on say disgusting in any kind of heat.

I’m absolutely looking forward to wearing this in the winter, absolutely beast woody fragrance that just fits me. However, can’t stress enough, test this first, your mileage may vary

Iodine oud opening. 3 minutes
Black bread mid (natural oud feeling). 4 hours
Harsh, agressive, indolic, skanky, b.o, drydown. 7 hours
Total duration. 11+ hours

The mid is reaaally nice.
Drydown...just no.
Overall...a nice addition..
Just replace the drydown with something more nose friendly...

Got a decant and ordered a bottle the next day. This fragrance is unique in that it has a spicy, effervescent, Cherry Coke/Dr pepper vibe but is not too sweet. Maybe this is ebony woods, or ebony woods mixed with saffron/oud, that gives it that fizzy cola vibe?

It stays pretty linear but lasts a long time and projects really well.
The oud is very agreeable and "western" ie, not barnyard or animalic. Since I now have a full bottle, I gave my decant to a friend who does not wear fragrances. He loved it, wore it on a date with a girl he just met, and she loved it. I gave a little to my brother and a couple other friends and they love it as well and purchased.

Pierre Montale should give me sales commission. But seriously, this is my favorite from the house.

Smell 9/10
Performance 8/10

Similar to Gucci Intense Oud but this has far better performance. On the downside, Gucci smells a little better and more interesting because of the slight sweetness but Montale is preferable because you can perceive and enjoy it continually while wearing. If this has a flaw, it is slightly bland and linear overall, but I love it anyway.

Comparison to Duro is understandable, but this is much better in scent and performance and has none of Duro's synthetic qualities. Can smell continually for over 4 hours though becomes less intense during that window.

Better when smelled in sillage than up close. Woodsy, medicinal, band-aid, masculine. Need to wait for awesome dry down.

Also, samples are very inexpensive on the Montale website. Kudos to Montale for great marketing.

The first time i tried aoud musk with a friend was a beast mode and it was the first ever montale i tried and i certainly fell in love with it . After a year of looking for it and finally bought a full bnb bottle, unfortunately its not the same beast mode i don't know where i went wrong i can't get the result in 10 sprays as i had in only 2 3 sprays ..

This is an update to my previous review. Couldn't find a way to edit the old post.

After five hours of waiting for the overpowering, acrid, metallic smell to fade and the musk to appear, I ran out of patience. I washed my wrist with unscented soap and very hot water for about 5 minutes. The smell faded a bit, but didn't change. I don't know how to describe it. As I said before, at a distance, I could smell a fairly good synthetic oud mixed with what must be a bit of the real thing, but not even a hint of musk. Musk is my favorite note and the reason I bought this product. I have never had any issue with musk anosmia with any other fragrance, and I'd assume that they use at least a few if not several different musk molecules as this is just standard practice.

I do know that many musk molecules, especially the more animalic ones, can be nearly imperceptible at high concentrations and really come into their own the more they are diluted, so I diluted a spritz of Montale Aoud Musk to about 12:1 and put it in a very fine atomizer. I sprayed this at the back of my hand from a good distance, and that same awful smell was still present, but not as fierce. After several hours, I can still smell it up close, but it's very mild now. However, no musk notes appeared.

I thought it could be a problem with my skin chemistry because many fragrances that smell great on others will smell ridiculously sweet on me, but I've never had an issue with musks, which is why I almost exclusively sample musk based blends. So, I sprayed some on my shirt sleeve. The piercing note was only mildly present and fairly quickly faded, but there is still no trace of any musk. I got my hopes up for a minute, because I caught a subtle musk in the air, but traced it to the fingers of my other hand which I'd used to clean a funnel from another fragrance. This is how sensitive to musks I usually am. I can't understand what is going on with this, as I am certain it's an authentic product, so I think it's important that anyone considering a blind buy of this make 100% certain that it will work on their skin. From these reviews, I thought I'd found the answer to my prayers, but it turns out to be just another in a long line of disappointments. Very sad. :'(

About an hour ago I put the first spray on my wrist from a 33 ml sample that Im sure is legit both because of the source and the oud note. First few minutes are the soil/earthy quality that people here have reported. An hour later, it is still very sharp and medicinal if I get close to the wrist, but from a distance I get a fairly good quality oud that is somewhere between the medium and high grade oud incense I used to get from a Japanese maker. The medium quality incense was about $50/oz while the top quality was over $100. (Yes, I used to have money to burn—literally.)

However, I really bought this fragrance for the musk that everyone was raving about, and, so far, I'm not smelling any of it. I'm pretty sure I'm not suffering from musk anosmia because I've been on a hunt for the perfect musk since I smelled an exquisite blend based on real Tonquin musk stored in sandalwood that defined the way skin should smell since I was four, and I have never had any problem smelling it in anything. They were just all either too cloying and thick or powdery and soft. The only thing I've yet to find that is the perfect match is the base note of Bvlgari Extrême, which is a masterful blend from top to bottom with a woody, clean but not at all powdery blend of sandalwood, oak moss and musk. Sadly, it was reformulated so the base note was relegated to a light skin scent with little to no projection and is now discontinued. Thus my search for a replacement.

I was really looking for the "80s powerhouse" musk that everyone here was touting, but I'm getting nothing but a strong oud, a bit of ebony, and a tiny hint of saffron desperately trying to get some attention from under the beastly (in a good way) oud. I wanted a powerful but not sticky musk with a nice wood note that I could use to warm up some of the modern fruity/leathery frags like Aventus. But so far, nothing in way of musk coming from this an hour and half after spraying. and the overly concentrated (as in hurts the nose) blast if I get within 3 inches of my wrist is just beginning to mellow some, but the oud is nice and smooth from a distance. This stuff really projects! But still not even a hint of musk.

Can any long-term wearers of this formula tell me if the musk has been tempered recently? Or will it eventually appear? Almost every review here says the musk is prevalent from the start, so I'm feeling really let down by the advertising of this fairly straightforward blend. Can any musk lovers recommend something that really is a elegant powerhouse of skin-like musk? I'm at my wits end trying to find something. I guess it's time to start buying my own natural and chemical musks and set up a lab.

Well, This is my favorite fragrance, period. The synchronism with my skin is incredible. My most complimented fragrance, period. I remember on one occasion, I was running late to a friend's birthday dinner and when I arrived everyone was already seated so I had to greet everyone and the first thing that all of them said (4 women and 1 man) was: You smell great. Later that night the man beside me, asked me what I was wearing. That being said, this is phenomenal. 10 out of 10 (Smell, Longevity, Projection). I've sprayed accidentally on my jacket and the smell lingered for weeks.

This is one real good fragrance. Sex in a bottle. Über masculine.

Some of the reviews below might be right when they say: this is the musk that used to be found in the 80's powerhouses.

It's what I call REAL musk: animalic, dirty, sexy, masculine.

Mixed with some awesome woods, it makes for the perfect men's cologne.

The only question is: why does it seem dang near impossible to find this 'real' musk in any fragrance any more at all... short of this one?

Regulations? Then how come Montale Paris manages.

Has it fallen 'out of fashion'?

Aoud Musk is very popular with the ladies, trust me on this. ;-)

It's a real perfume, and while the projection could be stronger for longer (but maybe it wouldn't be safe if so..? You might get mobbed in the elevator) it sure lasts. 10 hours plus longevity easy.

I will rebuy this one, and that's a fact. Top 5.

Mark

PS please make sure to sample first as a rule.
Montale does these free 20 ml travel sprays when you buy a 100 ml bottle on their website, or test it in a store, or ask for a free 2ml sample with another order.

Fragrances are so subjective and they ALWAYS smell different from what you think/what they sound like in reviews.

I'd hate for someone to read my review, think DANG! This is it!! And go ahead and blind buy a full bottle just to find out that, well, it smells completely different than what they expected.

Having said all that, I have it on my left wrist, still discernable after 12 hours and smelling great! 😊

I ve been never disappointed in Montale. This one has been the 4 th Montale I ve bought. Must say had Duro Nasomatto too, but Duro on my skin was very wick / hardly felt it even after half an hour!!! / . This one is a strong biombe. ❤️

Aoud Musk by Montale opens with a slightly sweet hit of syrup that quickly recedes and exposes a semi-challenging oud accord. The oud accord is comprised of moldy basement and soil and sits on top of a mainstream designer ‘musk’. This musk reminds me of Brut or powerhouse fragrances from the 80s marketed toward men. Aoud Musk makes me think of Fahrenheit without the violet leaf—the notes are very different, but both fragrances have a similar vibe. A saffron note is screaming for help under all of the designer musk, and the first time I tried the fragrance, all I could smell was leather. However, after a couple wears, it became clear that I was smelling oud on designer musk with saffron.

Good, but not my cup of tea

3.5/5

This is my favorite Montale so far and I have about 6 of them. So smooth and long-lasting.



9/10

Never smelt Duro, but if this is close to that then no... That's just acid.

The only Montale (together with Dark Aoud) that got some of my attention. (I still have to test Aoud Cuir d'Arabie and Original Aoud, though)

Beautiful round oud opening (surprisingly, to my nose the oud here is not on the burnt/rubbery side like other Montale frags, but warmer). Shortly after, the oud leaves the front of the stage to a beautiful silky musk, rounded and slightly sweetened by saffron, ebony and oud, all of them 3 present, but in the background. Where Khiel's Original Musk is a reference but also slightly boring, Aoud Musk also manages to deliver a perfect musk but makes it intriguing and more interesting.

Except for the opening, the main player here is the musk (like other Montale's frag, the main player is often the 2nd in the list, not the oud), and oud is here just a supporting note. And just to be clear, the oud-saffron note here used is identical to the one used in designer's ouds (Versace, YSL, Dunhill), just here used in larger amounts -this is not a criticism, I like it. Very well balanced, very unisex, slightly leaning on the masculine side (but very wearable by a women, without overspraying). Great performance.

Musk vs sandalwood. Aoud Musk vs Dark Aoud. I like both but my preference goes to Dark Aoud. Still, I highly recommend Aoud Musk for musk lovers.

Fall/Spring evenings, Winter days, 30+


Side funny note: I'm always surprised how ugly Montale's bottles are, and how small is a Montale 50ml bottle haha. Also, can you believe that the name on the bottle is just a sticker, and not stamped on it? Really Montale?
For the $50 I paid I'm happy, but not worth retail price imo.

Note: tested Nasomatto Duro in store. Very similar to this one, a step higher in terms of quality, but not high or different enough to justify its prohibitive price. Would still go for Montale Aoud Musk.
Also, apparently some Roja fanboy got offended that someone spotted strong similarities with his $500 bottle, compared it to one costing around $80, and thus downvoted it in the "reminds me of" section. But honestly I find Roja Dove Musk Aoud very similar, even if not exactly identical (Montale performs better, but Roja is a step higher in terms of quality, with a warm - probably real - oud oil and a more balanced musk... Worth the price difference? Test it and you tell me! Imo, one may smell the difference on skin, but there's no way to tell more than a foot away, so my answer is a firm NO, like for Nasomatto's).

Men wearing this is one thing. But women wearing this is nasty. What has the world come to when women want to smell like a guy's sweaty armpit. Bring back the real ladies that prefer to smell feminine... Please!

Beautiful! Just beautiful. Gorgeous. That's about all I can say!

This musk note, used in many of Montale's musk scents, is truly divine. Perfectly unisex, and it just outright smells expensive. It smells like luxury - like a rare natural musk that's hard to obtain. Admittedly, musk usually isn't my thing, so I haven't smelled many musk scents from other brands, but this is the first scent to give my favorite Egyptian Musk oil a run for its money. This fragrance has a very similar scent profile to that Egyptian Musk oil, but with a spicier base.

Monster longevity, projection and sillage, which I've come to love and expect from Montale Paris. While this is a very formal scent in my opinion, I'd have some severe reservations about ever wearing this one to work, or any formal event, really. This stuff is STRONG! Even vintage formula Tuscan Leather sits closer than this does, by a large margin. Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT COMPLAINING! But undoubtedly, it will be difficult for many to choose an appropriate time to wear Aoud Musk. In my opinion, this scent would fit in perfectly at a formal event in a scent-rich environment where it's okay to stand out, i.e. a formal dinner at a fancy steakhouse, or a company holiday party.

ONE SPRAY IS LITERALLY ALL YOU'LL NEED! And, quite possibly, more than you'll need! :))

Personally, the only nick I have for this fragrance is the final hours of dry down, which can be a bit abrasive if spicy scents aren't your thing. But if they are, you're in for a treat! I like the spicy drydown personally, but I can assume some others might not. I suppose I also wish there were a bit more Oud to balance out the musk. The musk is the star of the show here, but I really have no complaints.

Well done all around.

i love montale and mancera scents ...
but if you wanna smell like russian animalic witch from the forrest ... ok, go for it!

it´s overpowering skanky oud ...
some people who like duro will like this, not me ..

i don´t wanna scare the people out ... i wanna smell classy,
not like crazy forrest wolf child arriving to the town for the first time ...

if you wanna stop all of your attractivity to the women and the positive vibe from all the people around you, spray it, spray it ... you don´t have to go heavy on a trigger ... the result is definitely done!

Basic Oriental piney oud and saffron. Dominant oud note and the musky spicy additions makes the blend reminding me of Amouage Epic. It has powerful longevity and super performance. If you love animalic / raw oud, this is excellent value for money.

I am so in love with this fragrance! But then again, I love Duro, so... Like Duro this frag is for manly men that are confident and know what they want. Men that are charismatic, witty and always dress professionally (even on the weekends). Bosses wear this fragrance. Gangsters wear this fragrance. Those that dont give a f*ck wear this fragrance.

This review is reminding me, time to buy my 2nd bottle.

Tested this today
Initial blast meets you with synthetic almost plasticky smell.
After 2 hours you can barely detect it on skin. I really wanted that beautiful saffron note to last. At the same time i tested wild aoud and it lasts considerably longer, which should not be the case according to votes here.
My guess it got reformulated. You can get good deals on it, but as of right now it is junk.
EDIT:
Decided to do the justice and gave it another try. I found a different tester and i could say it smells pretty more natural. I can detect each and every note listed in here. But the problem is it still does not last. Here I am 6 hours after the testing: twice on my arm, 3 times on my neck and also sampled it on paper. All i detect is slight hint of musk. Its a shame

Strong and untamed blend of agar wood and musk, if only it was less earthy and smooth, other than that the drydown is harsh and not for the squeamish, strictly a fall fragrance, it's a very good musk scent.

This is the third sample of the 7 I have and this is better than the first two for sure. Due to the quality of this juice I do have a 50ml can of this now. I give this a slight thumbs up due to it, at least to my nose, being a sweeter version of BRUT lol. Now it isn't an exact copy but it is close but with better quality of construction and notes. It is a strong musk scent but not too overbearing and the oud isn't over the top. Overall I like it but I suggest a TRY BEFORE YOU BUY with this house. Other wise... Enjoy!

Soil, oud, wood and medicine. Well - ballanced. The only thing that combines all Montale scents - they never smell natural.

Killing good -best from this house i promise you !!!

What a great smell!

Warm, spicy musk with a hint oud.

Smells so natural & cozy, almost herbal.

Like a warm cup of tea.

Beware, though!

It's a Montale. It is too strong & can be so easily overwhelming. A little of this goes a long way.

This is a seriously heavy, winter musque smell. Something I would say I would wear in the same settings as a suede based cologne.

The defining and unique note in this isn't as much musk or aoud as it was for other reviewers or even on my first two impression. it is EBONY! It's a heavy medicinal note that you will note on many subsaharan and west african communities.

Beware! I've been a big fan of montale fragrances for years. My originals were Black Aoud and Aoud Cuir d'Arabie. I purchased those a couple of years ago, along with many other samples. One of these was this scent. That sample was amazing. Rich, full musk with a good balance of Aoud.
Flash forward to today. I purchased some new samples. These were awful. For some reason, scents being raved about on this very forum, at least to me, were overwhelmed by brash and irritating levels of synthetic aoud. Obviously, I did not purchase another sample of Aoud musk, as I already had one. So, when a great price came up for this, I jumped on it.
What I got was not close to the quality of my 'classic' sample. Gone was the richness of the original and replaced with something which is pretty much the fake oud, with the barest remnant of musk. I have worn this many times to see if it is just me, but it isn't. I believe that Montale has probably reformulated their entire line, and caution anyone to not rely on old samples. I do not believe these are worthy of purchase for most at this point.

The scent is quite aromatic, a little sweet, musky and earthy. The oud is light, I'd prefer it to have more depth, as it's mostly saffron and musk on my skin. While I find it pretty dry and harsh at start, there is a wet musky smell into the heart, it's also sweeter and warm. The scent is mostly linear and it feels synthetic and chemical at time, but it does work and I enjoy it. I find it in the same vein as Duro, but that one is done better.

Scent: 8/10
Longevity: 10/10
Projection: 9/10

Over 40 male reviewer:

Ooops! I boarded the mini hype train on this one, once again, (when will I ever learn) and was met with mild disappointment...

...that wouldn't have existed if I didn't hop on that cheap and grungy train.

No misunderstanding, this is a good fragrance. My experience with Montale remains limited, but everything I've tried so far, I like, which is exceedingly rare with me.

What I bought into that didn't meet my expectations:

It is not really innovative, and it is not the beast projector people are claiming.

But what it is, that is positive:

It IS "oud" and "musk." Straight up, to my nose, we're getting exactly what they say they're giving us.

Unlike some fragrances that shall go unnamed, (Tom Ford Cafe Rose, where they demolished the cafe before I was able to acquire my cup of overpriced coffee...no "cafe" anywhere in that scent), we are indeed getting an authentic all-out oud, all-out musk, just as the dang name suggests.

No headache or nausea. That's a good thing.

It actually does give me a quirky sinus and eye reaction; I can see where some people are having mild reactions to it, possibly due to it's density; this stuff is thicker than stale yogurt.

Longevity is huge. I'm one of those weirdos who prefers less longevity. I don't like being stuck with the same scent for more than six hours, and I sure as heck want it to wash off.

I also wear my frags on my clothes, because I'd imagine these Montale concoctions seeping so deep into the body via their sheer potency that they would permeate my entire being at the subatomic level, sticking to my very soul for all eternity.

I can see this being a compliment getter, but nothing at all as remarkable as the hype train is suggesting; just a mid-level compliment getter, perhaps an extra wink from the 80 year old gentleman at the book store this week.

But not much more than that.

Should you try it out? Absolutely yes. If you dig Montale, give it a go.

Just know that you must like oud, you must like musk.

Must like musk. Must like musk. Must like musk.

Whoa... this stuff is strong! and that was not meant as a compliment.. yet another way too sweet and spicy perfume for my taste. Reminds me of an old man fresh from a barber shop. I guess 'Brut' is the word I'm looking.

I was disappointed this didn't floor me too (like Greyland and Black Oud did, two of my favourites from Montale) based on all the rave reviews below.

Guess our nostrils (and brain?) are quite subjective when it comes to the definition of a good/bad smell.

Glad I only ordered a sample first.

Extremely nice. It's surely one of the most compliment getting scent I've ever dressed.
The Oud is held back by the musk, predominant note of this fragrance. While in the opening it's sharpened by the saffron, the musk is getting sweeter and sweeter trough time thanks to the amber, that fits perfectly in this nice Oud/Musk combo from Montale.

It's a long lasting fragrance (~12 hours) with and heavy sillage during the first few hours, then it becomes softer.

I did not expect to discover such a nice fragrance
9/10.

Wow! This is my 2nd Montale that I have purchased. I must say I am not am not disappointed! My first introduction to this house was Black Aoud a gorgeous peppered rose oud with nuclear performance. Now for what I think of Aoud Musk... I find it to be slightly more palatable for the masses... A well blended sweet saffron and woody musk. The oud here is clean and is the base of this fragrance, giving a nice wood backbone. I'm not going to get into the notes of this fragrance too much because most of the other reviews are spot on! I will tell you from my research on this house that this Aoud Musk is not for the faint of heart... with that said, if you have enjoy heavy complex fragrances that have insane longevity... this is for you. The dry down is just to die for!

Edit: I have to add, this may not be my most favorite fragrance I have in my collection, but I am really enjoying it! Over the last 2 weeks this thing has gotten me many compliments! I have never had so many... I'm a large bearded guy and people usually don't say too much... no matter what I'm wearing as a fragrance... But this scent really projects a nice scent trail. Even after when 8 hours people are still commenting " WOW you smell nice"... I guess that's all I can ask for!

Edit: 4 months wearing this maybe once a week... Hands DOWN! I have never gotten so many compliments from strangers! People in the store stop me and ask "Oh Migh, what are you wearing... you smell so nice!"I mean, I put this thing on in the morning with 3 sprays and late in the afternoon or even into the evening people around me still pick it up... THIS IS SOME CRAZY STUFF!

Amazing;-)

Saffron bomb!!

This is beautiful stuff!

I get oud and saffron.
Saffron starts of very heavy, natural and slightly sweet.
Oud plays a supporting role and both of them run the show.

The first time I smelled it, it put a grin on my face!

The woodyness is nice but I feel near the end (7-8 hour mark) falls a bit flat with dull sweet, musky odor to finish things off.

For majority of its life it's very impressive but the end leaves me thinking that there is something cheap--?synthetic oud left behind.

I think I am being a bit too padentic, because for a majority of its long stay it smells very natural.

Solid performance 10 hr with near beast projection

Colder months only.
Overall 8/10
Opening and mid first 7 hours 10/10

On a precautionary note- this is very middle eastern/Indian type of smell so you may find it too daring to wear in western countries. In this case my advice would be to go light on the trigger! But definitely dont be discouraged to have a go!

Like many fragrances by Montale it's has the medicinal character of the oud very present. Aoud Musk for me it's quite manly since I perceive a remarkable earthy and musky aspects. Mainly, I detect saffron, amber, musk and oud.


In conclusion, a dark fragrance with character. I recommend it for cold weather since due to thickness for hot weather can be overwhelming.



Scent: 8
Longevity: 9
Projection: 9
Sillage: 8
Uniqueness: 6
Versatility: 6


Overall: 7,66

My Montale journey began as with many others with Black Aoud. I was intrigued by it and loved Montale's treatment of oud more than any others I've tried up to that point, including vintage M7. But the rose killed it for me. I set out to find a Montale for me. Dark Aoud and a few others didn't do anything for me and then I found Aoud Musk and it was instant love.

I've heard rumors of reformulation making this weaker but my recently purchased bottle is still quite strong. Per my wife, a one or two spray application is offensively strong and I'm not allowed to wear this around her.

I can see that people think this is like Duro. For me Duro is much better. I bought a 20 ml of Aoud Musk thinking it could replace Duro. It cannot.
Aoud Musk is harsh and almost sickening. Duro is much greener and more fresh.
Duro is a green field of grass.
Aoud Musk is a dark swamp.

Aoud Musk by Montale: A blast of all the notes explode together like an erupting volcano spewing it's deliciously aromatic sillage to all the known lands around you. Everyone within close proximity to you will be turned to stone and they will be glad of it because the opening of this fragrance is so bloody good. It is so powerful and good you can't stop sniffing, your lungs and brain crystallizing with every deep breath. I love fragrances that are powerful, potent enough to peel paint or curl straight hair. This fragrance is that and so much more, but in a good way worthy of praise. The opening of this is that of legend. The sweet, spicy slap of Saffron, together with bright, crisp Vetiver, damp woody Oud, and sweaty, pungent Musk, blow the roof off the house. Never fear this powerhouse does mellow down after about an hour or two, drying down to Vetiver, Oud, Musk and Amber, but I am getting an extra note not mentioned in the description. I believe I am sensing Labdanum in this mix, it comes out strongly and plays with the rest of the clan till the sun comes up.
This is a Wow, Fragrance, be prepared. The longevity is very, very long, the sillage is Enormous at beginning 1 to 2 hours then heavy from 2 to 3 hours, then moderate from 4 to 6, then skin scent from 6 to 12 hours, with it still being quite detectable the next morning. I love when fragrances do that.
Montale Aoud Musk- High Five, Bravo!

IF your looking for a manly yet modern scent, this is a definite buy.

A deep earthy, woody musky fragrance with saffron blended and some florals to smooth it out.

It has ridiculous longevity , I got 14 hours and it projects very well which is quite rare in this IFRA dominated fragrance world. The Paris concentree versions are even more potent but the retail versions, which I have are as good IMO and more wearable.

9.5/10

Wonderful stuff! Upon first spray you get a blast of saffron, followed by a medicial oud accord. After about 15 minutes the saffron disappears, and you are left with an earthy musk with an oud accord in the background. As this fragrance dries down you get a nice sexy, earthy musk. Very wearable, and only one spray will get the job done for an entire day. Those around you will thank you for wearing this!

opening is really strong. half an hour after its calms down. for more than 12 hours it remains the same. powder and loukoum are present like many of montales creations. rose is there also balanced with musk. but like white aoud of montale the "aoud" note is very synthetic. it's something like loukoum/rose note very common to many other montales parfum with rubber or leather or mechanics oil with smoke. but this oud smell is not oud at all.
in my opinion aoud musk is very linear and boring.
longevity is excellent as sillage.

For a long while I've been putting off trying Montale's fragrances due to the simple fact that I didn't know where to start. There are just so many that all sound so similar that it's damn near impossible to find an entry point. Eventually I decided to bite the bullet and test out Aoud Musk seeing as how I love both aoud and musk.

Opens with an extremely powerful blend of, you guessed it, oud and musk. There are some other woods thrown in there without a doubt that contribute to giving it a very earthy, naturalistic, and slightly dirty kick. Later on I started to pick up a slightly sweet saffron. Once the oud and musk soften, my skin sort of turned the two into a strange,dirty- woody-bready vibe. Interesting and totally appealing. This all hangs around for a good day or two depending on your shower schedule.

Simple, strong and effective, I am excited to try more from Montale.
8/10

Aoud Musk is another interesting offering from Montale, but I can't say I enjoy it as much as the others I've tried (Red Aoud, Black Aoud, Blue Amber), mainly since the musk and oud take over a little too much to make this a great blend. It leans earthier without a sweet note to balance it out initially, though the dry down is a little softer and more blended, and less acerbic than the opening.

Fans who enjoy aoud, musk, and amber will certainly find this interesting. With the amber and potentially the ebony wood as the only sources of sweetness, it leans unisex and not in the way that I'm accustomed to (with floral or sweet notes). Perhaps this takes more getting used to, or perhaps the oud/musk pairing isn't for me, but while this is good and the oud Montale DNA is present, it simply doesn't come off as pleasant and refined.

Similarly strong on projection and longevity, and worth trying if you like the other Montale Aoud entries, or like the concept of an oud/musk blend.

6 out of 10

This is a nuclear fragrance bom in a bottle! Max 1 or 2 sprays. With three sprays my nose starts running (probably the musk). Anyhow, after 3 or 4 hours of the nuclear blast when the molecules have vaporized a bit and settled down, it is a warm, safrony, aggarbatti. A very high class perfumed incense stick from India. I would rather use it as a room fragrance than a personal fragrance, it anyway becomes a room filler when you are wearing it. It's not really a sexy fragrance, but rather a nice comfort scent for the cold days.

One of the best Montale offerings in the gargantuan range of Aoud fragrances they create (something like 45!). Jefferson Starship sang "We built this city on rock 'n roll." Montale would sing "We built this company on lots of aoud!"

Pierre Montale, the founder, spent quite some time in Saudi Arabia, where he created perfumes for nobility, kings and queens. The Arabian influence is obvious, given his devotion to aoud variations.

They all start to smell the same, with subtle variations. I sampled about 5 of them, until I found Aoud Musk. I love musk, and this one just feels good, not overtly synthetic, and has pretty solid longevity with decent sillage. It's very satisfying and I'm happy I found this at a very reasonable price.

If you keep your eye out, you can occasionally find bottles of this on discount, sometimes as low as $1/1ml.

Scent - 9.0/10
Sillage - 6.5/10
Longevity - 6.5/10

EXCELLENT scent, the immediate blast smells of Heavy DRIED SAFFRON, EXACTLY. I have saffron and I smelled it right after spraying my wrist, the scent is dead on saffron at first. The transfomation this scent makes is nothing short of amazing. It goes from the earthy saffron smell to Dr. Pepper / smoked wood smell, then gives way to the amber with the opening saffron always looming. The drydown is similar to vintage M7, but much better. This is very high quality juice. It smells different depending on how close you are to the person wearing it, and this is a really cool effect that I have not noticed as much with other scents. It is almost a bit of a chameleon. Everyone who has smelled this on me loves it. BE WARNED, the initial blast is ROUGH, but 30 minutes later you are transformed. DO not base your impression on a wif from the bottle.
I would not blind buy a full bottle, but if you love serious smoked aoud, vintage M7, you should be fine.

Scent - 9.5/10
Sillage - 6.5/10
Longevity - 9/10

Starts off with a dirty soil like vetiver oud combo that is strong and masculine, smells a little like duro by nasomatto but not quite. This is extrememly strong but after an hour is when the magice really comes in. The fragrance sofens up a bit because a warm sweet wave of saffron, amber, and musk totally come in and make this really beautiful and sexy. I love how it keeps the componets of the oud and vetiver still to keep it masculine and unique, and not overly too sweet. But yes beast in projection and longevity one spray goes a long way with almost any montale!

My god what a nice feeling of security! Great insight of Montale to pull over to aoud also ebony wood that enhances and strengthens the scent exponentially. Excellent sillage and infinite longevity. A must have.

similar to M7 vintage and more to Nasomatto Duro, this is much better than Duro which since reformulation grabs your money and fades away...
seems to be low on sillage compared to other Montales...

The drydown is where the magic really happens with Aoud Musk. Definitely don't judge this one from it's opening, because it opens with a STRONG hit of pungent, medicinal and incredibly earthy oud that smells like sweet wet dirt. This is the sort of opening I wouldn't feel comfortable going out of the house with until it fades. And it does fade... after 30 minutes or so the wet dirt smell eases up, but don't fret the oud always maintains a presence throughout the fragrance. If you like the earthiness in Terre d'Hermes (especially the EDP) you'll probably like this too.

Thankfully that opening eventually loosens it's grip and we find the beautiful drydown. Here, the earthy oud is softened and well-balanced by sweet saffron, clean musk and dark woods. Overall this fragrance comes across very strong, dark, masculine and daring. Go easy on the trigger when applying! Longevity and projection seem about on par with something like Dior Homme Intense, but don't underestimate the pungency of Aoud Musk's opening! You've been warned.

Like others have said, Montale is not for the faint of heart and sampling before buying is highly recommended. Aoud Musk probably represents the highest rated Montale scent amongst the entire fragrance community, but that by no means makes it a safe blind buy. Aoud Musk is a like for me, but not a love. I need more time to tame this beast...

Reminds me in first hours of Gao by Xerjoff, but then the two scents are drifting apart. Gao seems to be more complex in the base notes.
But compliments for both scents!

Brutal punch of acrid, medicinal oud with earthy/musky/woody undertones that softens a bit to reveal a softer side with saffron, gentle spices and a warm touch of amber. A bit of a rainbow over the desolation, as compared to Dark Oud, which never leaves the dungeon.

I have to controll myself with this perfume. I love it and see the similarities with another favorite of mine (M7 vintage), so I am almost compelled to give this one some extra sprays when going out. Mistake!!! The eyes of my girlfriend wil start to tear and she wil start sneezing, complaining: what the hell are you wearing! Of course, that is kind of a downfall and makes me wonder if I am the only one who thinks this smells so great....So you have to go easy on the trigger with this one, this Montale has nucleair sillage and a little is more then enough.

Hail Zeus, Apollo and Ares!

To paraphrase mindwilie: "it is a sensual scent of the gods" - this is how Olympians smell.

Very masculine, mystical, dark woody and earthy. It is a sexy scent, but more in a comforting and despite the tremendous sillage - somehow introvert, more mature way. So youngsters, wait until you are 35.

And yes, Montale Aoud Musk smells almost the same as Nasomatto Duro, and it is definitely a better buy.

5/5

I have only worn this for a couple hours but I am so stoked by this fragrance that I just have to write a first impressions review. If you love oud or TF our wood you will definitely like this scent. This is a very dark and powerful scent. It is very organic smelling and you can tell it is a quality fragrance. It is very masculine and sexy, at least to me. This is definitely not a blind buy. If you like light scents, sweet scents or fruity scents this is definitely not any of those! I can see how some people would absolutely hate this. It is a pretty unique smell and you will stand out if you wear this fragrance. If you do not like our or musk you will definitely not be a big fan of this scent. I have not smelled duro or harrods agar wood so I am not sure if this scent is similar to them or not. I would say this is very masculine like TF Tuscan leather. Even thought these two scents don't necessarily smell the same I think that if you like Tuscan leather you will like this. Both very dark and masculine. I put on the sample tonight and my family could smell me from a couple feet away while I was wearing this. As far as I can tell this is a beast, like most Montales, in the performance category. I am new to the fragrance game and again this is my first impressions so I may have a far off review. This is just my opinion and what I am getting after a couple hours of use. I personally think this is a great scent! I have many scents such as GIT that are considered masterpieces and I think this has the potential to be a masterpiece scent from my arsenal. I will definitely be looking to pick up a bottle of this sometime this winter!

I wear this to rebel against all those women who believe that a man should smell soft and feminine. I wear this only to attract alpha females to mate with.

Aoud Musk by Montale... nothing less than perfection on this one. Impossible to review it short, because this scent SCREAMS so many things, that can't be kept in a secret.

1h-1h 30m -> What a powerfull opening for the first hour, hour and a half, but in a invigorated way, not like a strong and compulsive opening. The opening has different oud feeling, like i said in a refreshing way. I think that the vetiver and the saffron are dominating in the first hour, slighly followed by the Oud, and thats why i have the feeling for different oud - more fresh, more citrus like.

2h-4h -> In the second hour the Oud is getting warmer and more earthly... lighter vetiver, saffron is melting down and i can detect the incoming musk and ambre...the saffron will last till the end, but the other ingrediants will be over it, so to say and it will just reminds of itself in a warmer and softer way. The Oud is even more earthly, more masculine and the musk and the ambre are strenghhtening it.

I Think the best think about this scent is right between the 4th hour and infinity

4h - ∞+ -> All ingrediants are getting even softer, (but it doesn't mean, that the projection is getting lesser - NO! :):) The Projection stays the same till the next shower you take) with more natural aroma, everything is in the perfect Yin Yang ballance. And due the softening of the oud, ambre, musk and the saffron you can recognize vetiver reborning itself among the others and giving just the slighly needed fresh note again. And the secret VOILA! moment -> the ebony wood - I thought that the saffron, the musk and the ambre mixed somehow together and gave this another - Second type of really gentle and natural Oud scent, but then i realized that this is the Ebony Wood.

Not enough said, but i think the unsaid will be supplemented by the comliments of the people you meet. There is no ******* way you have no attention and stay unrecognizable by the others with this perfume. NO WAY!!! The king of compliments and positive attention!

About spraying - be carefull, because it's like explosive - more means more danger. 1 is truly enough!

Scent: 10/10

Projection: 10/10

Silage: 10/10

Longevity: Only two showers one afther another can stop it! It's like a tattoo ON your skin - it STAYS FOREVER!

Duro- musk aoud...hmmm toss up ill give this one 8.0/10

Like many Montales it begins with a massive blast of medicinal oud. This one in particular comes across as an heavy bearded dude in leather who has just recently pinned some dianabol (steroid) syringes.

Where Dark Aoud went astray with too much band aid and muddled spices this one smooths out and sweetens up a bit overtime with the help of the musk and saffron. The dark woodiness is always present. This one is awesome and it performs like most Montales, need I say more?

8.5/10

I've sampled Dark Aoud, that I really liked, so based on the reviews I bought blind a full bottle of Aoud Musk.
Bingo!
This is perfect, like dark aoud but much more cleaner, refined and rounded, without the stinky spices.
This is in my top 5 for sure, perhaps it will be my new number one but it's to early to say.
Black Aoud on me is to sweet and sticky, Dark Aoud is to dry but this one is wonderful.
EDIT: Saffron in the beginning is a bit loud, but it calms down and I can feel the aoud and the musk. Longevity is extraordinary, but I would not say it is a sillage monster, sillage is just fine.

Perfume Monster Montale.
Strong, powerful, beautiful, sensual scent of the gods.
I love the creations of Montale, are mostly powerful and leave a trail wherever they go.
This is no different, besides being powerful, smells great, the Oud here is very well mixed, with ebony wood, strong wood mixed with other strong wood, musk and saffron present here try to give a smoothed weighted and balanced.
I'm fascinated by it.
 
I rank it like this:
Smell: 10/10
Projection: 10/10
Longevity: 10/10

Another great Oud fragrance, where the oud is less sweet, setting a perfect stage for the sweet musk entrance...

However, I would have replaced the amber note by a tobacco one.

Although discreet, Aoud musk has a long and warm dry-down that is unique!

Buy it, and you won't regret it...

If you over apply this can smell medicinal. If you apply sparingly, you will smell like an eathy grounded swirl or mesmerizing aod, amber, and ebony. I think it is an amazing addition to ground any scent you have that isn't quite right alone.

got my sample of this 5 days ago, since that moment till now i been looking for a full bottle in my area, cant find it at all.
anyways this dosnt matter, lets talk about the smell!!
spray it once on a paper sample, put it in your wallet inside your pocket, go out and wait for the compliments, this thing kept hitting me with waves of smells for a whole day just from a 1 spray on paper sample that was far away from me in my room, its a room filling smell if you did over apply it, mostly a smell of oud with a hint of some soft nice smell, could be the saffron and musk.

for me getting this perfume is a must.

You are probably right. I'll check out Mancera. Thanks!.

It's not oud you need to stay away from, it's Montale.
From the notes and on paper, many a Montale seem alluring, however, not everybody's body chemistry mixes well with Montale.

Try Mancera for similar notes and projection, but the oud is cleaner and less screechy for some people's chemistry.

Or if you live in the right place on earth ... Ajmal

Wondering how this compare to Dark Aoud ?. Dark Aoud has nasty opening and remains nasty. Maybe I should stay away from Oud notes :).

MY GOODNES. This is an absolute masterpiece. A reviewer below me called this "paralyzing". Yes. Thats basically what happens. When you take in the aroma of this scent, it takes you to another place. You're totally incapacitated.

The opening is like all Montale Aoud's. Its got that BOOM of Oud and, and then takes you into the rest of the scent. Immediately you get hit with a gorgeous blend of Musk and saffron thats got just a touch of natural sweetness. Its soft and sumptuous, but not feminine. In the background, the oud makes sure of it.

I literally could not stop smelling myself. Firstly because this projects like a BEAST. But in a good way. Its not cloying. But like the rest of the Montales, don't over apply. Its not necessary.

I also find a very earthy, soil like scent for the first hour or so. But strangely you don't notice it unless you smell it directly on your skin. It's not bad, but i'm glad you don't pick it up as its projecting. I'm assuming this is from the ebony wood. Its very faint.


I applied my 2 favorites from the 10 samples i received to each wrist. Aoud Musk and Dark Aoud. Dark Aoud is nice, but its very linear, and doesn't really project anywhere near as much as Aoud Musk does.

The clincher was when i washed my hands. The wrist with Aoud musk was unaffected by the wash. The wrist with Dark Aoud on the other hand, the potency was cut in half.

Then i showered about an hour later. Aoud Musk STILL kicking. Dark Aoud, completely gone.

This was a great indicator of longevity for me, and sealed the deal. I ordered a full 100ML bottle of Aoud Musk. It will probably last me my entire life since i think 2 sprays will be MORE than sufficient.


Scent: 10/10

Projection: 10/10

Silage: 10/10

Longevity: INSANITY

Overall: Amazing scent, amazing performance, and stellar value!


Word of caution: Do NOT blind buy any Montale. Always sample first. This house is not for the weak.
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Edit June 11, 2013:

I've worn this out many times now. I must tell you....there are not many perfumes i own that receive this many compliments! A woman stopped me at an OUTDOOR shopping mall and made me write down what it was called so she could buy it for her husband.

My fiance is absolutely in LOVE with it! She's sniffing me constantly.

Silage and projection is absoultely insane! Its been 13 hours now, and i can still smell the 2 sprays eminating off of my skin!

THIS IS WHAT ALL FRAGRANCES SHOULD BE LIKE!

This is a phenomenal fragrance. So good, it's almost paralyzing. Literally, I get compliments every time I wear it out.

GREAT! I will try to be brief and clear about this: it is exactly a toned down version of Dark Aoud which for me at least was too much, too loud and even if amazing smell... I wouldn't feel at ease wearing it around (I mean Dark Aoud). This is pure oud and musk á la Montale and immediately after I sprayed I said: yes!

This is sexy, people will notice it and indeed it is very masculine and easy to wear. It also has that pencil shaving vibe (I don't think it is ebony though) but nothing to worry about. I disagree, this isn't loud at all. Perfect projection and longevity (not the beast Black, Red and Dark aouds but still ok). Extremely wearable and safe, but not at all boring or mainstream. Do yourself a favour and sample this!

Definitely Montale is one of my 2 favourite houses. This is how I love to smell!

I spent months looking for a fragrance that suited my nose. This cologne lasts hours and exudes testosterone packed masculinity. This is not perfect, but every cologne has it's downfall. My signature scent.

Opening is the a somewhat synthetic, medicinal oud. The middle is Duro without a doubt... truly a masculine scent here. When I asked a friend what the base notes were (i couldn't smell myself any longer, this ones powerful) they simply said manly woodsy and dirty. It requires a certain personality to wear this scent, but for people that can pull off a loud cologne. Give it a shot, i've gotten my fair share of compliments and this ones staying on my shelf.

I want to echo Ravfan4vr's review. The only thing I will add is that it starts off very spicy much like Nasomatta Duro but adds the medicinal oud formula found in all of Montale's oud fragrances. The opening can be a shock, especially if you don't like spicy and even more if you don't like the medicinal oud note that Montale is famous for. The spiciness has to come from the vetiver (maybe it is so sharp that it feels spicy) and I don't know ebony wood that well but I assume that is what is unfolding in the dry down.

However, give it an hour and these start to subside (now I love the opening so I don't have to wait to enjoy this baby). After an hour it really starts to sweeten up and curb some of the spiciness and starts to soften up the oud. I believe the sweetness is the mix of the ebony wood/amber and musk. This is not a dirty musk, I believe it is a sweet and smooth musk, much of what you find in some of the Creed fragrances. I don't get animal at all from this.

Unlike many of the other Montale's the saffron here doesn't dominate the fragrance. It does add some floral sweetness and almost that prada amber soapiness vibe but the oud/woods/musk/vetiver sort of makes it a non-factor.

This is potent juice like the other montales. I can smell it for ages and it projects feet in front of you. I go three sprays on this which should be illegal in all 50 states; however, it is never chemical like Nasamatto and is much more smooth so it never destroys anyone but they will know you were there and you are coming.

Easy 4/5 on this one.

Fragranza completamente a sè, anche rispetto gli altri Aoud di Montale a mio avviso.
Legno nero si sente da subito, zafferano appena il profumo si aggrappa alla mia pelle e oud penetrante, profondo, balsamico e canforato per un tempo incalcolabile.
Mi rivolgono sempre domande curiose quando lo indosso.

I feel that this is a rich, deep slightly sweet and dark scent. It starts off strong and lightly sweet in a very good way. As it dries down it becomes slightly earthy. And then it begins to go into different phases. It sweetens again and becomes earthy again until the very end when it becomes a slightly sweet skin scent many many hours later. This one just reacts differently on my skin than other fragrances. I see this more as a masculine scent but could air on the side of unsex due to the semi sweet stages.

Love this stuff. I would put this in my top 10 list of fragrances. One of my favorite Montale frags, if not my favorite behind Black Aoud, Red Aoud, and Red Vetiver. I get numerous compliments with Aoud Musk. I get noticed with Black Aoud and complimented with this one. Great fragrance!!

Earthy, dirty, woody and masculine. This is quite a beast of an oud-themed concoction. Far more masculine that Black Aoud (to my nose), I enjoy wearing this when my testosterone is getting the best of me.

Hey Marcos, I think your nose might be burnt out, perhaps even broken. This stuff is unrelentingly strong.

I've been wearing this a few hours now, so I'll try to describe this. Imagine gardening in springtime. You smell the fresh and moist earth beneath you as you dig your hands to transplant. That's your vibe. This would be your fragrance.

It's VERY earthy, a moist ground type of earthy musk scent that is pervasive throughout. Oud is in there, but in this case it feels subordinate to the very heavy and musky animalic notes. It really takes some time for that muskiness to diminish, and then you start picking up the ebony woods and amber and a more subtle dry-down.

The key is that you either need to tolerate the earthiness, or be able to get beyond the first 2-3 hours to enjoy this. Otherwise, this is probably not a scent you'll enjoy.

wearing this today. about two hours into it and i'm not enjoying it. concerned now that it will have incredible lasting power ;-) . the word that popped to mind when i put it on was "cloying". not sure that's fair though. it's quite distinctive. very aggressive. nothing "pretty" about it. all that said, i think i can grok why some folks would like it. it's got a "dark and stormy" feel to it; perhaps you could think of it as a nighttime scent you wear to a dark, low-key club when you want people to be able to pick you out from the crowd with their nose. they'll pay attention if they get a whiff IMHO. not for me though. i'm not against oud or musk, but i like a lot more lightness in my scents as well.

This one is mystical, hypnotizing Perfume! It's some metaphysical in it!

Very loud, sharp, resinous -woody- vetivery stem of deep blue-dark colour, suddenly becomes alive, like a mysterious infernal creature, under the touch of the Sun....

It spreads it's waves in a distance from where you can smell the shining of it's Aura, satiated with Saffron and Amber set in deep Aoud. What is the magnificent scene!

Definitely, this Aroma is not for those who prefer light and close-to skin odour. You should have a bold to wear it!

Just try to put it on...
Perhaps, Aoud Musk will be surrendered by you, or you will find in his Power.

It is similar on Duro but Aoud Musk is richer and it scatters as the heated sand. Montale added in Vetiver Des Sables impudent oud and musk. The brown bottle is the right choice.

It is mega powerful for the first three hours, but then disappears. I find it best applied with a roll on and reapplied every three hours. The oud and musk combination is strong and not exactly pretty or sophisticated. It is a smell of brute strength and tremendous presence. Wearing it feels like being in a company of stylish but dangerous males - stressful, but the image draws you in.

Update: Turns out that it lasts for way longer than three hours. It just kills my nose so that I can't smell it after a few hours, but everyone around me can. And when I wake up the next morning, I can always smell it on me from the day before.

Ok, this is a very loud fragrance but I love it. The opening is quite typical if you're already familiar with Montale's ouds. A strong medicinal/synthetic vibe and botloads of saffron joined by the distinctive Montale's hallmark: a prominent and harsh oud note! It gets even darker and warmer in the drydown with the addition of dark woods, vetiver and some musky-amber. Bold but never claustrophobic, tremendously woody and intense, it always claims your attention and everybody else's by surrounding everything with its dark warmness. Someone says it's similar to Nasomatto Duro, and for a few aspects I agree, but Aoud Musk results much more balanced and definitely not vulgar! Outstanding sillage and extraordinary lasting power. One spray on the neck and you're set for the whole day, night, late night and early moring after: be aware! Surely not for laidback type of guys!

Rating: 8.5/10