Persolaise Review: Oud Mood from Maison Francis Kurkdjian (Francis Kurkdjian; 2013)

I guess it’s not surprising that Francis Kurkdjian decided (or was persuaded?) to release more agar wood perfumes. His Oud was easily one of the best scents of 2012 and a genuinely original take on what has become a tiresome cliche. Sadly, his Oud Mood trio is less impressive. Silk, Velvet and Cashmere aren’t cuddly – I will give them that much – but they’re nowhere near as interesting as last year’s release. The eponymous mood in each of them is created by a combo of an agar facet with an overdose of a strident chemical note: in Velvet it’s paint, in Silk it’s glass cleaner and in Cashmere it’s glue. Needless to say, other elements come into play too – plums, raisins, rose, smoke, tar et al – but even though they’re all strident and assertive, they ultimately fail to sustain interest. I’m sure there are still several great oud-based scents waiting to be made, but until they come along, I suppose we’re going to have to keep putting up with this sort of highly-competent-yet-forgettable stuff.