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Diptyque Oud Palao ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 17 February 2016 34 Comments

Diptyque Oud Palao brand banner

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.

Diptyque Oud Palao fragrance bottle

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.

Possibly of interest

Les Essences de Diptyque ~ new fragrances
Diptyque L’Eau Papier, Jones Road Beauty Shower & Perfumer H Powder ~ fragrance reviews
Diptyque Eau Nabati ~ new fragrance

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: diptyque, fabrice pellegrin, oud, please no more oud, wood

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34 Comments

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  1. mals86 says:
    17 February 2016 at 1:03 pm

    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.)

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    • ihadanidea says:
      17 February 2016 at 3:46 pm

      I was about to comment on the same thing! Happily surprised.

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  2. Kevin says:
    17 February 2016 at 1:09 pm

    Mals…I’ve liked the last five fragrances I’ve reviewed!

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    • mals86 says:
      17 February 2016 at 4:45 pm

      I may have stopped reading.

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      • Bear says:
        17 February 2016 at 7:50 pm

        😉

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        • Kevin says:
          19 February 2016 at 12:15 am

          ????

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  3. Amy says:
    17 February 2016 at 1:19 pm

    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!

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    • Amy says:
      17 February 2016 at 1:19 pm

      from I mean — somehow I forget grammar here . . .

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    • Kevin says:
      17 February 2016 at 5:51 pm

      Amy…that’s sweet of you to say but I am sure each of our noses has strenghts and weaknesses! Ha!

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  4. solanace says:
    17 February 2016 at 2:10 pm

    I was waiting for some good snark because, well, it’s an oud frag, but this sounds lovely, so up to my sampling list.

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    • Kevin says:
      17 February 2016 at 5:52 pm

      Solanace…I think I have more patience with ouds than most, but can’t bear the Montales.

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  5. Jessica says:
    17 February 2016 at 2:29 pm

    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!

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    • Kevin says:
      17 February 2016 at 5:53 pm

      Jessica…FUNNY! The only reason I gave Florabellio a chance was because of your review.

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  6. Doc Sinister says:
    17 February 2016 at 3:59 pm

    I normally avoid oud, but you make this sound delightful!

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    • Kevin says:
      17 February 2016 at 5:54 pm

      Doc…I really enjoy this one.

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  7. lucasai says:
    17 February 2016 at 5:03 pm

    Oud Palao is one of two fragrances that made it into my fragrance wardrobe last year! Great choice Kevin

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    • Kevin says:
      17 February 2016 at 5:54 pm

      Lucas…thank you!

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    • nozknoz says:
      17 February 2016 at 7:42 pm

      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!

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  8. Kelly says:
    17 February 2016 at 5:05 pm

    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.

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    • Kevin says:
      17 February 2016 at 5:55 pm

      Kelly, do! There are some good ouds out there.

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  9. Koenigsberg says:
    17 February 2016 at 5:24 pm

    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… :^)

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  10. Kevin says:
    17 February 2016 at 5:57 pm

    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.

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  11. chandler_b says:
    17 February 2016 at 6:14 pm

    Going to Atlanta next Tuesday so I will get to try this and Floriobello finally!!!

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    • Kevin says:
      17 February 2016 at 11:10 pm

      Chandler b…happy sampling….

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  12. hajusuuri says:
    17 February 2016 at 7:03 pm

    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!

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    • cazaubon says:
      17 February 2016 at 8:14 pm

      I hated it too, and I like oud. It was just really unpleasant.

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      • hajusuuri says:
        17 February 2016 at 9:21 pm

        Heh, looks like I can delay the Mount Sample search! We do tend to like/dislike the same perfumes!

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    • Kevin says:
      17 February 2016 at 10:12 pm

      Hajusuuri…ha! If vomit smelled like this even I could be a nurse!

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      • Deva says:
        17 February 2016 at 10:55 pm

        I’m a nurse and only wish this were true!

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  13. nozknoz says:
    17 February 2016 at 7:45 pm

    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.

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    • Kevin says:
      17 February 2016 at 11:09 pm

      Noz…yes, I’m happy that Diptyque is perking up!

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  14. apsara says:
    17 February 2016 at 11:26 pm

    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.

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    • Kevin says:
      17 February 2016 at 11:53 pm

      Apsara…I can barely hold back from buying…I m about to empty several bottles of perfume…who knows!?

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  15. Merrily Row says:
    25 February 2016 at 3:25 pm

    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.

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