Matière Première Oud Seven Review (Aurélien Guichard) 2021 + the urban oud draw

September 13, 2021September 13, 2021

Matière Première Oud Seven feels like an urbane, Parisian oud leaning against the Louvre museum Pei pyramid – Pei pyramid ©Pixabay and Oud Seven bottle ©Matière Première – photo montage ©Emmanuelle Varron

Social networks magically remove geographical borders (even Brexit ones!) which is how many perfumistas learned that Takasago Senior perfumer Aurélien Guichard who also is the perfumer for his own brand t Matière Première has just released an exclusive perfume at London Harrods department store. Since its official launch, everyone I know wants to smell and wear Matière Première Oud Seven. The name evokes sensuality, magic and universality, as the number 7 is omnipresent in our daily live; 7 days of the week, the 7 rays of the sun, the 7 colors of the rainbow -in-heaven, the 7 musical notes, the 7 chakras or even… the 7 capital sins. Lucky number 7 is the basis of myths and folklore and in Matière Première Oud Seven it symbolizes the 7 raw materials that accompany Oud Assam Bangladesh, its flagship ingredient. And it’s my personal privilege, from Paris, to review this very surprising fragrance.

Perfumer Aurelien Guichard, Matière Première co-founder, at Nose Autumn Scent Bar event in Paris, 8th September – ©Emmanuelle Varron

But first, why a new oud? I remember discovering this intense and ultra-animalic note about ten years ago, when I was a salesperson for L’Artisan Parfumeur. Bertrand Duchaufour, then in-house perfumer, had just created L’Artisan Parfumeur Al Oudh, which was the oudiest, most animalic oud I had ever smelt. It was an avant-garde fragrance that went beyond my comfort zone at the time. Over the years, my nose has gotten used to oud. I have never been a great fan of it, although it remains a very fashionable note in perfumery, with a commercial success that does not seem to weaken and continues to inspire the greatest perfumers. In any case, it is a raw material that Aurélien Guichard knows well for bringing it into the bright light of Robert Piguet Oud Divin and Oud Délice.

But Matière Première Oud Seven is not JUST another oud, as M. Guichard told me: “What makes Oud Seven unique is first its central raw material: the Oud Assam Oil by Jalali Argarwood. To me it was an obvious choice, first for its olfactive qualities – it had the strength, warmth, the ambery, rich, animal aspects I was looking for. But it was also the one that became magical when I started overdosing it, like I do for all the central ingredients of Matière Première fragrances. And very importantly, it is an Oud produced responsibly, by a company that contributes socially for its workers and the local population. When you overdose the most qualitative Assam Oud, the challenge is to preserve the outstanding quality of the central raw material, while making a unique fragrance. This overdose of Oud Assam Oil became the diamond I could start faceting with seven ingredients, that I selected from the same, extended family for their strong character, that could highlight the most sophisticated aspects of Oud while containing its animal side.”

Matière Première Oud Seven is a Harrods exclusive – Harrods department store picture ©Emmanuelle Varron, Matière Première Oud Seven 100 ml bottle ©Matière Première.

And why does Matière Première give Harrods a new exclusivity? There is a strong link between Aurélien Guichard and London’s most famous department store: first in 2013 when his Robert Piguet Knightsbridge, a tribute to the luxury store, was introduced. Then, in 2019, when Matière Première Falcon Leather was launched as an Harrods exclusive, giving the young perfume house the opportunity to stand out among very demanding and knowledgeable customers. A success that cannot be denied and it is one of the Fall big hits. In short, London and Harrods seem to bring him luck …

But let’s talk about Matière Première Oud Seven. You know my usual frankness, before smelling it I imagined I was about to discover another “Eastern” oud (that would remind me of the famous seven veils dance performed by the sublime Rita Hayworth in William Dieterle Salomé, or a stroll in a souk or, even, an excursion in the desert). I was wrong. At the first spritz I immediately imagined myself wearing Oud Seven in my beautiful city of Paris strolling along the banks of the Seine, visiting the last exhibition at the Picasso museum, or sharing a “happy hour” on a bistro terrace with friends as it is so urban in character. If usually oud gives me the impression of living in a cage with the most ferocious felines, Matière Première Oud Seven completely changes my perception, and places me outside this famous cage, my face glued to the bars. The intensity, animality and sensuality are still there, but more set back, more framed and totally controlled. For those who are familiar with the Matière Première collection to me Oud Seven is the “evening” counterpart of Parisian Musc: the same finesse, French elegance and an olfactory harmony and universality.

Matière Première Oud Seven symbolic 7 bottles – Bottle picture ©Matière Première, photomontage ©Emmanuelle Varron

The opening is lively, playing on the contrast between masculine and feminine: here, vetiver and violet leaves are linked from the first seconds, oscillating between woody and powdery notes, with green and earthy accents specific to the two ingredients. This appetizer takes on aromatic accents when tobacco makes its appearance, even tending towards honey. Slowly, Matière Première Oud Seven warms up and rolls out the red carpet to the fabulous and opulent oud assam Bangladesh, that, miraculously, does not overwhelm the other raw materials. Its animalic side is perceptible, dark and linear, gently raising the temperature and gradually taking on the light. This is perhaps the only moment I feel that Matière Première Oud Seven is leaning masculine with a leathery note. Balance, always! Over the next hour, I perceive the camphorous facet of patchouli which blends wonderfully with oud, giving it a slightly greedy twist (tobacco is undoubtedly for something too) and densifying its opulence, but always in the measure. Looking at the list of ingredients, I noticed the presence of cypriol; it is a raw material that is very popular in India, (bearer of luck in love), with powerful woody accents, which here are juxtaposed with the patchouli-oud accord. A triptych like a spine holds like a plinth. The longevity being, as you can imagine, exceptional, I am each time surprised to feel its presence long hours after vaporizing it. The oud is still noticeable, like a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean, but warmer and rounder notes have succeeded to the powerful woody facets: my skin madly loving labdanum and amber, these two ingredients find their place in this well-balanced perfume bringing a touch of lustful sensuality. Matière Première Oud Seven by Aurelien Guichard is an addictive multi faceted skin fragrance, never falling into an excess of animalics. It is the most urban of ouds.

Notes: vetiver oil Haiti, violet leaf absolute Egypt, tobacco leaf absolute Balkans, oud assam Bangladesh, patchouli oil Indonesia, cypriol oil India, labdanum absolute Andalusia and amber.

Disclaimer: A huge “merci” to Matière Première for the Oud Seven bottle provided for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Emmanuelle Varron, Senior contributor

Thanks to Matière Première, we have a fantastic gift for one registered reader worldwide (with the exception of Russia) of a 100 ml Oud Seven bottle (remember, it’s a Harrods exclusive!). To be eligible, please leave a comment on what you feel about Emmanuelle’s review, where you live, if you like/dislike oud centric perfumes and which is your favorite Matière Première fragrance. Draw closes 09/17/2021.

Please read Despina’s “The three you should be wearing” here.

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