The House of Oud
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Grapefruit and lemon burst forth with almost aggressive clarity, immediately joined by darker red fruit notes that feel more tart than sweet—like biting into preserved berries. The citrus has a slightly bitter edge that announces itself before anything else settles.
The ginger and red pepper gradually sharpen the composition's profile, lending a subtle burn that makes your nose register "spiced" rather than "fruited." The citrus softens marginally but never recedes, creating a middle ground where brightness and warmth genuinely compete for attention. The accords shift noticeably green here, with the fresh component reaching its peak.
Hinoki cypress emerges to create a dry, woody framework whilst the musk and amber provide a whisper of skin-like softness rather than traditional base warmth. The composition settles into something considerably more restrained, retaining a faint citrus memory but ultimately leaning cool and slightly austere.
Live in Colours arrives as a thoroughly modern citrus fragrance that refuses the expected restraint of its category. Maurizio Cerizza has constructed something deliberately fractious—a composition where brightness collides with spice in ways that feel genuinely unsettling rather than harmonious. The red fruits (likely blackcurrant or cranberry given the accord weights) don't sweeten the lemon and grapefruit so much as destabilise them, creating a tart, slightly jammy opening that feels almost confrontational. This is the olfactory equivalent of clashing patterns: chartreuse against magenta.
What's remarkable is how the ginger and red pepper emerge not as warming elements but as sharpening agents. They cut through the citrus with almost peppery bite, transforming what could have been a summer spritz into something with genuine tension and personality. The base does little to resolve this discord—the hinoki cypress arrives cool and slightly wooden, refusing to soften the composition's edges. Instead, it contributes a dry, almost architectural quality that prevents the musk and amber from delivering any conventional cosiness.
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3.9/5 (125)