Dolce & Gabbana
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The frankincense hits first with its characteristic sharp, citric-resinous edge, immediately joined by dry tobacco leaf—not sweet or syrupy, but almost dusty. There's an immediate smokiness, as though someone's just extinguished incense sticks, with saffron threading through like a red-gold filament, metallic and slightly bitter.
The leather emerges properly now, soft and suede-like, wrapped in a cocoon of amber that's more honeyed than powdery. The oud begins to make itself known—dry, woody, not particularly animalic—whilst the saffron continues its metallic hum underneath. The whole composition softens considerably, becoming rounder and warmer, though that persistent smokiness never quite dissipates.
What remains is a skin-close veil of musky amber with whispers of wood and leather, like the scent of an antique wooden chest lined with soft hide. The frankincense has mellowed into a gentle resinous glow, and there's a subtle sweetness now, almost vanillic, that wasn't present earlier. It's warm, intimate, and surprisingly comforting—all the drama has settled into quiet confidence.
Velvet Desert Oud is Alberto Morillas' meditation on the ecclesiastical meeting the Bedouin, a composition where church incense collides with nomadic leather and the result is unexpectedly wearable opulence. The frankincense announces itself immediately—not the polite, diluted kind from niche flankers, but proper resinous frankincense with its lemony-pine bite intact. Tobacco weaves through like smoke from a thurible, whilst the saffron adds a metallic, almost iodine-like quality that prevents this from becoming another sweet amber pastiche. The oud here reads as supporting actor rather than screaming protagonist; it's woody and dry rather than animalic, creating a scaffolding for the amber and leather to drape themselves across. That leather note has a distinctive suede-like softness, almost buttery, which plays beautifully against the austere smokiness pervading the composition. This isn't a fragrance for the faint-hearted or those seeking crowd-pleasing mass appeal—it's for the person who appreciates the smell of old prayer books, worn saddles, and precious resins melting on hot coals. Wear it when you want to feel like a character from a Wilbur Smith novel, all desert mystique and quiet authority. It sits close to the skin with an intimate warmth, perfect for those who understand that true luxury whispers rather than shouts. The 'velvet' in the name is apt; everything here is burnished, smooth, and decidedly grown-up.
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3.8/5 (104)