For my fall perfume pick I instinctively followed the need for comfort and set my designs around the note of chocolate. Top most in my mind was the unobtainable and now forbidden delights and all the more desirable delights of Eaudemoiselle de Givenchy Romantic, a limited edition Oriental fragrance from 2017 with notes of popcorn, cocoa, and patchouli. This scent was a much heavier, unapologetically feminine oriental in in the style of Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle, than anything I typically wear. Not at all something I would normally gravitate to, but I guarded the sample vile jealously saved it for sweater weather and the Cinderella dream of an evening out of the house. With that in mind, I recently sampled a cache of niche fragrances and discovered this incredibly captivating cocoa dusted leather/oud fragrance by Shay and Blue called Oud Alif. It has an airy freshness to it you wouldn’t expect from the notes listed; oud agarwood, dark chocolate, saffron, Napa leather, and patchouli. The leather note is sublime and soft. It is not going to reach out and belt anyone standing beside you in the nose. This fragrance is definitely daytime/office appropriate. It is marketed and I think rightly so as gentlemen’s fragrance, the dark chocolate here is not nuzzle your arm gourmand, rather it taps into cocoa more as a spice, than a sweet, resulting scent that rich and rounded, yet still airy and fresh. Oud Alif isn’t a classic cozy fall scent, yet complexity, exquisite tailoring lend it the ability to be worn on well on either a hot or cold day making it an idea fragrance for the fall season. I think it would be absolutely outstanding on a man’s skin, but it is equally alluring on a woman. I can wear this easily and not feel any compulsion to over accentuate my femininity in makeup or dress. I know I simply smell really, really good. Shay and Blue is a Perfume House out of London. If you are like me and love to change your personal fragrance based on time of day, occasion and season, I highly recommend visiting www.scentsplit.com and purchasing a decant 9ml decant . I have found 9 ml decants are the perfect amount for a seasonal scent that I won’t wear every day. The 9 ml spray bottle that I recieved was of good quality glass and works beautifully. It fits nicely into a vintage lipstick holder so I can easily display it on my vanity or take it on the go. I'm completely satisfied with my purchase and look forward to puchasing my winter niche fragrance decant with Scent Split soon.
