Diptyque launched Oud Palao last autumn. I just got around to trying it this week. Why? Because I was 99.9 percent sure I wouldn't like it. Oud Palao's list of notes didn't sound original...but to make up for that, each note, trying way too hard to excite, had a Travel the World with Diptyque! signifier in front of it: Bulgarian (rose), Laotian (oud), Madagascar (vanilla), Indian (cypriol), Sri Lankan (sandalwood), Somalian (olibanum), Spanish (cistus) and Indonesian (patchouli). I laughed.
The laugh's on me! I love Oud Palao.
Oud Palao opens with a sensational accord that brings to mind tropical forests: a mix of indoles, fleshy green leaves, raw, just-hewn hardwoods and rose (the rose, combined with the wood notes, brings to nose the scent of rare rosewood). The head notes are lively, pungent, bright, almost searing — camphor? Oud Palao's opening zapped me out of a mild depression when I first smelled it on a gloomy winter's day.
Though the designs on Oud Palao's packaging are inspired (loosely) by Moroccan tiles, the fragrance reminds me of Southeast Asia — with its wood, incense/smoke, oud, nagarmotha and vanillic patchouli (Oud Palao's oud supposedly comes from Laos). The heart of Oud Palao is floral-spicy with an undercurrent of mild incense. For awhile, Oud Palao's rose becomes creamy but then, surprisingly, it's joined by a "rice cracker" note. In the base, there's more smoke, this time associated with leather-tobacco-like notes, not incense. Next up? "Green" frankincense (vegetal in character and mixing with notes that smell of sweet dry grass). A lovely, semi-sweet oud-patchouli accord finishes the fragrance. Oud Palao's oud smells NOTHING like the annoying "oud" used in Montale's ouds; Oud Palao's oud is delicate, beautiful and it weaves its way in and out of the composition.
Though I've made (and kept...mostly) a VOW not to buy another bottle of fragrance for y e a r s, Oud Palao is now in the top five contenders for my next full-bottle purchase. Thanks to Oud Palao (and last year's Florabellio) I'll start paying close attention to Diptyque's new fragrances. My favorite oud perfume? It's now a tie between Le Labo Oud 27 and Oud Palao.
Diptyque Oud Palao was developed by perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin. It is available in 75 ml Eau de Parfum, $145; for buying information see the listing for Diptyque under Perfume Houses.
I’m trying to remember the last time one of your reviews was for something you liked, Kevin! So glad you’re enjoying. (I mean, I love your snark reviews. But this is a different kind of happy.)
I was about to comment on the same thing! Happily surprised.
Mals…I’ve liked the last five fragrances I’ve reviewed!
I may have stopped reading.
????
I really like Oud Palao a lot and am glad to see it get some love by someone with a way better nose than mine!
from I mean — somehow I forget grammar here . . .
Amy…that’s sweet of you to say but I am sure each of our noses has strenghts and weaknesses! Ha!
I was waiting for some good snark because, well, it’s an oud frag, but this sounds lovely, so up to my sampling list.
Solanace…I think I have more patience with ouds than most, but can’t bear the Montales.
Interesting! Maybe I’ll give this one a shot. I think it was Montale that originally put me off oud, too…
And I’m still a big fan of Florabellio. What a nice surprise that one was!
Jessica…FUNNY! The only reason I gave Florabellio a chance was because of your review.
I normally avoid oud, but you make this sound delightful!
Doc…I really enjoy this one.
Oud Palao is one of two fragrances that made it into my fragrance wardrobe last year! Great choice Kevin
Lucas…thank you!
Lucas, I read your review recently and took note. And when you and Kevin both like a perfume, then I know I have to try it!
Same, oud and I never seem to get along, especially the Montale monstrosities (sorry to all who love them, I’m sort of wussy). But I literally just tried Byredo’s Oud Accord last night (what a two-fer of things I normally don’t care for much – Byredo and Oud!) — it was sexy and fun and delightful.
So I guess this is a must try! Oud, I will give you another shot.
Kelly, do! There are some good ouds out there.
That’s a great review. Looks like it’s not contained in the sampler set, which is out of stock at Diptyque UK anyway. So this one will wait until I wander past one of their London shops, which may be some years… :^)
Koenigsberg, maybe it will find its way to a big department store…I found it at Barneys and in the US Nordstrom carries it, too.
Going to Atlanta next Tuesday so I will get to try this and Floriobello finally!!!
Chandler b…happy sampling….
I was so sure I would like this because my scent twin Lucas loved it on first wearing. For me, since 99% of the time I eliminate a fragrance based on how it smells on paper, I’m ready to unsmell this because I recoiled every time I smelled this – I hate to say it – it smelled like vomit. I’m not even sure why I kept torturing myself. I now have a sample so I can test at leisure and not on paper either (it better be worth it once I find it in Mount Sample). Thanks for your review. Let’s see if I do a 180!
I hated it too, and I like oud. It was just really unpleasant.
Heh, looks like I can delay the Mount Sample search! We do tend to like/dislike the same perfumes!
Hajusuuri…ha! If vomit smelled like this even I could be a nurse!
I’m a nurse and only wish this were true!
Kevin, as much as I admire your snark, I am much happier when you find a perfume to love. It’s also heartening to hear that Diptyque is doing good work. So many niche brands have sold out or given up in the face of the current preference for clean scents, IFRA, etc.
Noz…yes, I’m happy that Diptyque is perking up!
I tested this and bought a FB 10 minutes later. It was one of my 4 purchases last quarter and I love it’s smokiness.
Apsara…I can barely hold back from buying…I m about to empty several bottles of perfume…who knows!?
I adore Oud Palao, but I hold Diptyque in higher regard than most my fellow fragonerds. Oud Palao tops my – short – FBW list, and when it arrives home, it will join my favorite vanilla, Eau Duelle, and the great fig Philosykos, which sunnily deserves its L.A. ubiquity.