Laboratorio Olfattivo ExplOud bottle digitalized by Cristian

When I was presented with  reviewing Laboratorio Olfattivo  ExplOud, I confess that I felt a tad intimidated and slightly apprehensive. Oud is a very complex material, and it carries such a weight of cultural and historical significance. Although I have smelled my fair share of oud-centric fragrances as well as a handful of perfumer Pierre Guéros’ creations, I was curious to see how he would handle their first oud fragrance. My trepidation dissipated the moment I actually smelled Laboratorio Olfattivo ExplOud. I drew a parallel to wine – you don’t necessarily need to know all the technical details about the grapes, the harvest, the terroir to fully appreciate a glass of good wine. The knowledge may result in a deeper appreciation of said wine, but it’s not essential to its enjoyment.

I adopted the same approach when I started writing down my impressions of Laboratorio Olfattivo  ExplOud and I am thrilled to share some thoughts below.

Roberto Drago, creative director of Laboratorio Olfattivo, gives us some insight into the decision to create the brand’s first oud fragrance and the reasoning behind enlisting Pierre Guéros to compose it: “ExpLOud marks the beginning of a new creative synergy: Laboratorio Olfattivo meets Pierre Guéros, perfumer at Symrise. This great traveler and connoisseur of Middle East immediately seduced us with his sensitivity, his human curiosity and his ability to establish an empathic contact with other cultures. Without hesitation, we entrusted him the mission of giving body to “our vision” of Oud. ExpLOud was born, as an aromatic explosion based on the most precious and luminous of Ouds, with floral notes to lift and twist the characteristic scent of this unique raw material which has already experienced numerous interpretations on the market”.

Visual interpretation of the materials used in ExplOud by Cristian©

Laboratorio Olfattivo’s vision of oud is indeed a diaphanous, luminous and surprisingly chilly one. This is one cool oud! I suspect that it is the brand’s secret mission to convince perfume lovers to reconsider some of our preconceptions about certain raw materials and the sensations we may assign them (you can read here my thoughts on Vanhera, and how Laboratorio Olfattivo created an invigorating and cold vanilla fragrance).

ExplOud opens with a burst of cold spices: the black pepper and the nutmeg pave a scintillating way for the floral distinctiveness of the heart of the fragrance. The coriander provides further spiciness while introducing a delicate woody and resinous facet. But to my nose, the opening champions the black pepper, elevating it to a point close to triggering a hearty sneeze. Close, but not quite close enough. The moment we experience “peak” black pepper, the fragrance takes a sharp (but also smooth) turn into floral territory.

Perfumer Pierre Constantin Guéros, photo captured at Pitti Fragranze 2021 by Ermano Picco, Çafleurebon Editor and Fragrance Expert©

The heart notes set ExplOud apart from more traditional interpretations of oud. Perfumer Pierre Guéros explains: “What makes this fragrance perfectly unique is the fresh floral Magnolia – Lilybelle accord in the heart, projecting the fragrance to a brighter, enthusiast and joyful place. Lilybelle® in particular, gives an almost aquatic character to the fragrance, which allows the perfume to breathe.” 

The heart notes do not cause any dissonance between the spicy flutter that precede them, nor the dark woodiness that come after. They provide a moment of respite and a sense of clarity before the plunge into the “nebuloud” (I was determined to sneak in a pun in this review, as a tribute to the name of the fragrance. My contribution here marries ‘nebulous’ and ‘oud’.) A thread of weightlessness carries through the top and the heart of Laboratorio Olfattivo ExplOud, and it can be perceived even in the base of the fragrance, despite the gradual introduction of the more tenebrous notes of the drydown. If the opening represents the “explosive” part of ExplOud, then it is here, in the base, that we get to experience the oud in all its somber glory.

Guéros explains the choice of the type of oud used in ExplOud: “Oud is the quintessence of woody notes. It is unique by its olfactive profile and sociocultural interest. I wanted to work around oud as a multifaceted diamond, the most precious raw material you can imagine. I had the chance to work with an amazing quality of Oud from Ajmal, located in India. It is the perfect balance of all the facets of oud: smoky, leathery, slightly animalic, vibrant, addictive and powerful.”

In addition to the Ajmal oud, the base of the fragrances includes patchouli heart fraction, sandalwood and vetiver. Each of these materials adding more weight to their respective counterpart qualities found in the oud. ExplOud is a worthy candidate for the title of ‘best entry-level oud fragrance’. Not because it’s a basic composition, far from it! But since oud can be a daunting material for many, I believe that Laboratorio Olfattivo have come up with a compelling invitation to  fall down the oud rabbit hole with this fragrance.

Notes: Black Pepper oil, Nutmeg oil, Red Berries extract, Coriander, Olibanum, Magnolan, Gardenia, Lilybelle, Cypriol Oil, Oud Ajmal Oil, Oud Boya Oil, Sandalwood Album Oil, Vetiver Madagascar, Patchouli Oil, Ambrocenide, Ambrostar

Disclaimer: A bottle of ExplOud was sent to me by Laboratorio Olfattivo for this review. Michelyn received a tester as well and now a male friend who nver wore a niche perfume before (he wore DISEL Fuel for Life), wonders where ExplOud has been all his life! All opinions expressed are Crisitan’s own.

Cristian Marianciuc, Senior Contributor

ExplOud by Cristian©

Thanks to the generosity of Laboratorio Olfattivo, we have a draw for one 100 ml bottle of ExplOud for one registered reader in the EU and the US. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Cristian’s review of Laboratorio Olfattivo ExplOud and where you live. Draw closes 11/24/2021

Editor’s Note: Please be sure to read Perfumer Pierre Constantin Guéros’ 2016 article about how he became a  classically trained perfumer!! Pierre is a guest contributor for CaFleureBon and has penned two articles 1000 days in Dubai and an Event Report on  The 25th anniversary of the Osmotheque

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