Hey Olfactoria’s Travels,
Portia from Australian Perfume Junkies and Perfume Posse here and glad to be back guest writing here.
Today I am going to write about a crew that I have pretty much ignored through my fragrant journey so far, no reason except the line is so enormous I have found it daunting. I grabbed this decant in a Surrender To Chance Weekly Special a while ago and it has sat forlorn and unloved, till during a major cleanup recently, I opened a bag and there it was awaiting moderation. Now I wish I’d bought 10ml because this will be empty too soon and I can’t find more on the site.
Aouda by Comptoir Sud Pacifique was created in 2009.
Photo stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Rose, geranium, chamomile
Heart: Amyris, Copahue balm, cedar, Niaouli (broad-leaved paperbark), myrtle
Base: Tolu balm, patchouli
Do you ever spray things on then look at the note lists and are absolutely baffled? I have nearly used up my 5ml of Aouda and now that I come to review it and I find absolutely no traces of what I expect rose, geranium or chamomile to smell like in the opening. No, that is a lie. If I screw my nose up as if it were squinting and think rose, rose, rose I then can tell myself that I am smelling a rose but otherwise I am getting resins, wood and a friendly, clean, synthetic oudh-ish scent with a patina of patchouli. I am the first to admit that my nose smells differently to others sometimes but it doesn’t matter, I quite like what I’m getting.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
Aouda does not smell expensive, it smells good though and better than many things which are a LOT more expensive. One thing I was expecting from a Comptoir Sud Pacifique fragrance was a gourmand which this is not in the early stages, there is no sweetness here. A scratchy, dessicated fragrance that hints at dry forests in the cool of dusk, maybe on the scrubby side near baked dry land, Aouda is a little like the Australian outback. A dry green, an interesting take on a theme I’d thought long overworked by a company that I’d dismissed. I stand corrected.
Later through the life of Aouda I get a lovely rose water tinged sweetness that reminds me of Turkish Delight, as if what should be noted at opening is too shy to come forth till around the 2 hour mark. At this point I am reminded of one of my favourite rose/oudh combination frags Midnight Oud by Juliette Has a Gun, it’s not exactly the same but there is a feeling, a remembrance. Finally Aouda turns gourmand, this is much more like my expectation and it has been a super interesting ride to get here, I am impressed.
Photo Stolen Flickr
At the 5-6 hour mark most of Aouda has gone but there is a faint sweet resinous that remains a little longer before I lose any ability to smell it. Interesting and fun, I enjoy wearing Aouda a lot and think it quirky enough to keep even a die hard perfumista interested while being easy enough to wear even at work, unless your office is completely frag phobic.
Comptoir Sud Pacifique has € 75/100ml
Europerfumes have $85/100ml
Many people seem to have Comptoir Sud Pacifique as their gateway frag house, have you tried or do you like many of their offerings? I think I might try some more in the line now, do you have suggestions for me?
Portia xx
Olfactoria's Travels 
Hi Honey
Never heard of it. Is it for me??
So nice to have you in my cookie kitchen on a Tuesday morning.
Bussi
xxx
Hey there Val,
I’m not sure honestly. I think you would really like the opening and wish for something else to close. I think you get enough gourmand in your day to day life without smelling of the shop, know what I mean.
LOVE your Cookie Kitchen and this is the ONLY way I could fit in it.
Portia xxx
Hi Portia! Know the brand but not this perfume. I liked some of their gourmand perfumes but not enough to buy a bottle – even though they are so much cheaper than what I normally like. Thanks for this review – sounds interesting. Xo
Sandra,
Great to see you. I hope you and the crew are well. Interesting that you liked some, do you remember which? Why did they not rock you, can you recall?
Portia xx
I came to this brand after I had discovered Guerlain and it was too sweet. I like sweet perfumes but it felt like I was swimming in sugary syrup. Like Poodle I too liked the one with cocoa.
I have a few samples from this line but I’ve only tried one. It was something cocoa. It was nice but a bit too foody. I like my gourmands to make me smell delicious but I don’t want to be asked if I’ve been doing some baking. I guess I want the suggestion of dessert/food but not the actual, exact smell of it. I’ll have to go and try them and that cocoa one again, just to be sure.
Hi there Poodle,
So nice to see you. Yes, I get the just been cooking problem, Guerlain sometimes skates very close to that edge but after some time this Comptoir Sud Pacifique really hits the sugar. When you find out what your cocoa one was I’m agog, please let me know.
Portia xx
This does sound fun and quirky but I can’t imagine a better Turkish Delight for me than Traversee du Bosphore. Do you like that one Portia?
I don’t have any experience of the line so am no help with further suggestions I’m afraid.
Hey Tara,
I find Traversee du Bosphore hints at what Aouda slams you with, it’s TdB times 100. Also the opening here is dry and dusty by comparison. I have a bottle of it here that I need to spend some time with again but my memory is of something softer and less in your face. Yes, I remember liking it.
I hope you’re as happy and well there as we are here.
Portia x
Hi,
I’ve tried Matin Calin, but it was too sweet for me, almost like condensed milk with a hint of sandalwood.
I’ve also tried the cocoa one -I can’t remember the name – but it also had orange in it. Both are way too gourmand for me!
Hey there Cheri,
I think it is the house style. Very sweet. I wonder who is wearing it, they are a big company and I think quite popular, maybe they have tapped the youth market?
Portia xx
The samples I’ve tried (Coco Figue, Coco Extreme and several of the Vanillas) are also quite gourmand as the names suggest. At first I thought these perfume confections might be a substitute (and curb my appetite) for real cakes and desserts. It doesn’t work that way – just the opposite, in fact.
Azar xx
Azar,
I am smiling at you. Hysterical! Yes, I often find the smell of baking will make me hungry for, guess what? Baked goods!
You wore them? How were they?
Portia xx
They sent me straight to the bakery! I smelled like vanilla and chocolate of creme puffs!
Azar xx
Hi Portia, I’ve never heard of Aouda, but the smell of the Australian outback sounds promising! My favorite CSP is Aqua Motu, it’s not very – if at all – popular amongst the blogosphere but I simply love it!
To me it smells of salty licorice (which is not listed…) with a whiff of rosemary (which is also not listed!), very fresh yet aromatic, like slightly wet skin after a long bath in the ocean.
Very laid-back.
I’m so glad Anka that you wear what you love, without worrying what the rest of the scentbloggosphere does. This is fragrance, meant to be fun and bring you joy. Wear what you want with pride.
Salty licorice also sounds REALLY good. mmmmm
Portia xx