If there is one perfumer who I trust to give me something different when he chooses to work with oud it is Francis Kurkdjian. He is a perfumer who has put oud through its paces and realized specific visions not only for his own Maison Francis Kurkdjian line but for other lines as well. M. Kurkdjian reminds me a bit of a lion tamer at the circus surrounded by all of these snarling rambunctious oud notes. Like that lion tamer he summons one to the center of the ring and begins to form a perfume. In 2013 he took my favorite, Laotian Oud, and created three tactile versions of oud using it; Oud Cahmere Mood, Oud Silk Mood, and Oud Velvet Mood. Like my metaphorical animal wrangler M. Kurkdjian put that Laotian oud through its paces. The only thing that was missing was the warmth that accompanies that particular oud I wanted one which was also warm. The new Oud Satin Mood is what I was looking for.
What makes Oud Satin Mood so very different is most of the time perfumers allow oud to gallop headlong over the horizon trailing whatever can keep pace with it. In all of the Oud Mood collection M. Kurkdjian makes sure the exquisite Laotian oud does not get lost in the need for power. It takes a perfumer with an innate feel for his raw material and after four perfumes it seems pretty clear to me that when it comes to Laotian oud and M. Kurkdjian he has found his king of the perfumed jungle. Oud Satin Mood is when that royal presence wants to rest indolently in the sun as M. Kurkdjian wraps his oud up in a warm blanket of notes.
Francis Kurkdjian
Oud Satin Mood opens with a less metallic violet accord as M. Kurkdjian puts forward the candied sweet aspects over the edgier facets. The oud begins to rise as the violet seems to sprinkle itself over it. As the oud become more prominent a rose mixture of Bulgarian and Turkish varieties also rise. Rose and oud are a classic pairing and if the rose continued to increase in intensity this might be one of those perfumes. M. Kurkdjian has a different destination in mind and for that the rose needs to lag behind the oud. The final phase of development is a cuddly warm mixture of the oud, benzoin, and vanilla. M. Kurkdjian pulls this all together into a plush slightly floral comfort perfume. That it has one of the strongest ouds out there and it can still be called comforting tells you what a good job he did in balancing this.
Oud Satin Mood has 14-16 hour longevity and average sillage.
I’m not sure if M. Kurkdjian has more tricks to teach the Laotian member of his menagerie. I am hoping if there are more Oud Moods to come that he calls forth the Vietnamese version. The sweet and spicy nature would be very interesting to see what he would create. If you want to try one of the most comfortable oud perfumes on the market head to your local Maison Francis Kurkdjian stockist in May.
Disclsoure: This review was based on a sample provided by Maison Francis Kurkdjian.
–Mark Behnke
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