Sand Aoud Mancera for women and men

#629 in my "Tour de Fragrance"

This is a mild, spicy, incense and oud scent. It is reminiscent of Amouage XXV but spicier and better longevity and sillage. Priced right. Car pool, elevator and office safe, but more of a date night scent to me. I'm beginning to think I should just stick to Mancera and Montale since the majority of their scents I've tried so far have been a hit with me, but I think that's because they're pretty much all variations on the same theme and I like the base notes they so frequently use. Sand Aoud, Wind Wood, Hindu Kush, Saharian Wind, Gold Incense all have the same basic character with a couple of note variations, so they're all likeable in the same way, but all pretty much interchangeable. You could have thirty of them on the shelf, but which one you reach for doesn't really make much difference. But I'm a stockpiler (kind of a 'hoarder lite') so I may end up with thirty of these on the shelf by the time I hit 800 trials.

As if 2024 now I just read the top 10 or 20 reviews and even though they’re all over the place I’m thinking yeah I can see that too! I’ve had this for such a long time & just now seeing how truly good it is. 45 min after a good heavy dose of this applied in out now in some really cold weather I’m getting some of the best sweet incense & amber along with eucalyptus even thought it’s not listed doesn’t mean it’s not there! It’s stronger in the initial spray but still in there. & it’s it’s smoothed out nicely with just the right sweetness headed towards the dry down!..I purchased this I dunno guessing 2011 or 2012 and my bottle is full today! I never even gave it a chance account how felt about the initial spray of it way back then…But yeah when simply put Icy Hot, Incense & amber lol and loving it!

One of the better Mancera offerings. The way I perceive it is as a Patch-Rose frag, with spices at the opening (very well blended spices so there isn't a specific prominent note), and a mild Oud note at the base. Good performance. For me, it is more suited for spring.

Proper niche. Unique, deep and complex. Love it.

I don't mean to offend anyone

I am very confident I have more sealed bottles of the first formulation of M7 by YSL... Than anyone here.. I wear it regularly...

I'm a self confessed M7 addict.... and to me Sand Aoud is on a very similar vibe... If you don't have the vintage M7 this is most definitely with getting hold of...

I can't comprehend how this fragrance is so low on the top rated Mancera fragrances on Fragrantica. Of the 12+ Mancera fragrances I own this is easily one of the best. It strikes the perfect balance of what makes the other more talked about Mancera fragrances so good. Sand Aoud will always work. The longevity is not in your face but is easily 8-10 hours. The image I get in my mind is like aging wine in a wooden barrel to get the aromas from the wood into the wine, this is what Sand Aoud reminds me off, almost like a sweet port wine matured in oak barrels. Not to say the the fragrance smells like wine and woods, but the class of Sand Aoud can not be mistaken. Don't sleep on Sand Aoud, get it. On the days you don't feel like Instant Crush or Red Tobacco this will slot in perfectly. If I was forced to, I would easily let some of my more well known Mancera's go to keep this gem. Matt's review from Questioning Scents on YT describes Sand Aoud perfectly and ultimately made me pull the trigger. 10/10 in every aspect.

Quite a unique scent - starts with a sour and syrupy black currant, with a middle of mainly incense. At the end of the day I get a base of musky vanilla, some patchouli. Not for everyone but I personally love it. My brother told me I smell like a "crystal store" so if that means anything to you...

Let me say , Mancera Sand Aoud is a combination of Green Patchouli and some hints of dry woods (oud?) and Incense.
Smells like a mix of Diptyque Tempo 40% - Oud Wood TF 30% -YsL M7 30% in a very soft way..
This is what I get from this scent..
Not original for sure.
8 out of 10 for the Older bottles ..
The new ones are just great for massage oils..
It's known that IFRA ruins the entire perfumery in a criminaly lvl.

I've changed my mind. It's a well done fruity amber scent that leans masculine.

It certainly goes in the same direction as Amouage Jubilation, but it's not a clone.

The black currant note is very realistic and I used to eat a lot of those :)

Scent 8/10
Performance 7/10
Versatility 8/10

One of Mancera's best, this is a stunning scent, especially the dry down, which lasts forever.

The initial spicy scent quickly calms down and evolves into an Asian exotic appealing scent. It will be the best spicy scent in my collection. 9/10

Very nice warm spicy fruity oud fragrance. Long lasting and great sillage. There is something boozy also.

This fragrance transports me to a vineyard in the woods while enjoying a beautiful candle lit dinner and just enjoying each other’s company. The blackberry liqueur is very prominent and reminds me of a sweet blackberry wine, the incense gives it a light smokiness mixed with beautiful floral notes as well. It then mainly becomes a woody sweet fragrance not much after that. It’s truly a work of art. Great fragrance if you enjoy niche perfumery.

For me this reminds me of sand dunes. I still dont understand how they conjured such a unique scent. rest assured it will push you for the whole day. Kinda sour and fruity tones. At some point you get nose blind, however it will still be kicking. It gives me a full day of very good perfomance. When i put it on, my collegues always know that i am in the vicinity. Chances are high the next person you meet, they have never smelled something like this.

Smells like wet tree bark but in a good way

This is good stuff...if Aramis by Aramis and Cedrat Boise had a baby, you'd have Sand Aoud. Perfectly masculine, good longevity and moderate projection. The black currant liquor is wonderful and helps balance it out. The dry down is woody, vanillic and marshmellow-esque. Signature worthy for sure.

This is my dumb reach fragrance, I adore it in all its facets. Highly recommend.

9.75/10

Thats funny. It does smell like sandpaper. The slight medicinal note actually resembles a sort of adhesive, or varnish to me. And paper, I can smell a sort of parchment paper smell. It literally smells like a dude thats been working in a wood shop- but a subdued iteration of that idea. The dry-down smells like chopped wood, like what you would build a fire with at the cottage. I dont know what to make of it, but i do think Mancera has these accords that are made up of the notes, and although you can read what the notes are you need to piece together the accords yourself.

Wood & Fruits.

Sand Aoud takes a while to develop fully!.

It is a Mancera's synthetic oud with a fruity twist. It starts with incensy, woody, & Arabic scent. As it dries down, sweet, syrupy fruitiness & green grassy patchouli emerge more & more. The fruitiness is syrupy & slightly bitter, like a true medicine syrup. Luckily that dials down with time. There is a light, warm spiciness through out the life of Sand Aoud.

The ends smell is woody, warmly spicy, incensy, ambery, earthy, medicinal, sweet, lightly-fruity, syrupy.

The name "sand aoud" might suggest something serious, woody, dry, spicy but that is no the full picture, as the sweet fruitiness is a predominant accord here.

It is a likeable scent. Not very oudy. The spices note is really good; cozy & warm, but the smell overall is not my cup of tea due to the fruitiness. Substitute amber for the black currant & this could've been a killer.

As a current owner of vintage M7, Sand Aoud does not smell very similar to M7 but it has shades of it: lightly-sweet, incensy ambery scent. You are better off getting YSL's M7 Oud Absolu, as it literally is the scent of M7. All the variation talk is over-exaggerated.

What Sand Aoud actually smell like is Zirh Ikon. Very similar spicy incense.

Winter, unisex leaning masculine.

"Like"

Black currant is hidden in this fragrance and shines on me with subtle floral and spicy notes, carried by incense. The sweetness at the beginning soon gives way to oriental echoes, suddenly I can smell medicinal saffron. At the end there is a small cloud of musk. Despite the nice name, I can't make out any oud.

Fragrance 7.5/10, Longevity 8/10, Sillage 7/10.

Nice compostion. I’d say it’s more of an “evening scent”. Probably should test it before buying.
Interesting thing is that it resembles legendary M7 (vintage edition)

I was in a official retail store here in russia, actually wanting to buy aoud lemon mint, but unfortunately it was out of stock but they had this one for a great price at 80$ And i couldn’t let it pass, it was actually the last sand aoud they had in stock, this opens up with spices oud and black currant, its smells citrusy and a tad bit medicinal which i love, drys down to a clean oud musk spice combo with touches of that saffron, black currant and rose giving it a little sweetness.
Longevity is good sprayed on hand before bed woke up 8 hours later and still was noticeable,
Projection is good for the first 2 hours then is more intimate but not a skin scent, and sillage is a good 5-6 feet behind the wearer.
Overall i give this a good 8.75 out 10. Its a recent purchase so i might boost up the rating in the near future.

Lovely warm spicy woody scent. Was so happy to receive this as a gift from the missus.
Finally found a great replacement for YSL M7 (modern one), as that one lasts an hour—two at most (pathetic).
It's different, not quite as sweet, but a similar vibe to it. And it lasts 6 hours or so.
Also, although I've suggested it's like M7, ironically I find it very unique!
It's not heavy or loud, but soft and kind of classy. Very safe Oud (as in not barn-yardy at all).
8.5 - 9 out of 10

To me it smells like industrial warehouse. Strange mix of black currant, spices and sandpaper. Yes, literally smells like a roll of sandpaper - dry, abrasive and chemical. I guess that's the oud, however I don't think I've ever came across this type of oud in any other Mancera (to me it's not the oud in Aoud Vanille as someone else mentioned below). It's not off-putting, just not my type of scent.
Projection and longevity are very good, as expected of this house.

Sand Aoud is a very beautiful Sauce by Mancera💯

The name suits it very well as it start off smelling like sand or rough sand paper in your nose. Not unpleasant, but interesting. Most of that goes away quite fast though. Besides that it smells mostly like sweet blackcurrant and oud with some incence. Warm and spicy. For me it smells a bit like wine also, maybe from the oud. I like oud when it´s not too animalic or medicic. This one is of that sort. Nice and smooth. Just a bit animalic. Overall a very nice oud fragrance which I like a lot.

Been wanting this for over a year after watching Scentrifugal Force review. Over 10+ Mancera, this has immediately climbed to top 2 with Kumkat Wood. Both are semi-sweet along with the wood and sand accord. Close your eyes and you are walking in the desert. Very pleasant, soothing, and not the typical boring scent. Super happy adding this to my collection.

I actually ordered this by accident trying to pick up Cedrat Boise. This was my first niche fragrance and at first it was off putting because it was different then anything I was used to. After acquiring some different and more challenging fragrances I decided it was time to return to Sand Aoud.

On the opening I get a dry sweetness mixed with spices and some oud. In my opinion the opening oud isn't bad but comes off a little like a fresh box of band aids. For me the real magic happens about an hour in when the oud calms down and the woody, vanilla musk comes in. The scent turns into a warm, sweet, but still dry vanilla that I thoroughly enjoy and find very relaxing.

The performance is the usual Mancera beast mode and I usually apply 2 or 3 sprays to skin about an hour before I need to leave the house to out and that will last me 8+ hours.

I bought a decant and dismissed after a couple of wears. My partner found it sprayed and said she rather liked it so I bought this as a Christmas gift. On a number of occasions she has wafted passed me and I have asked what she is wearing as I get blasts of blackcurrant sweet and lovely but with a woody depth. I have complimented her many times on the blackcurrant note. When I wear this scent I get a medicinal note with a touch of fruit. I guess this is good to try on skin first. On my partner I love it on me not so much the opening. Dry done is smokey woods and patchouli which lasts several hours. Great value and nice bottle.

Awesome fragrance, this belongs to the same "scent family" as vintage M7 and M7 Oud Absolu by YSL. If you like those fragrances, you will love this one.
This is also one of those type of fragrances which you have to let them set for a while after sparying (like vintage A*Man by Thierry Mugler) in order to get the real scent, because the opening and the first part of the dry-down are "very loud".

Sent: 9/10
Longevity: 9,5/10
Sillage: 8/10

Overall: A solid 9/10.

I'm confused with this fragrance. First of all the opening reminds me of the dental clinic. A blast of medicinal opening that lingers for almost few hours. It''s peppery and very dry. The Montal version of Aoud Melody is much better than this. The only way I can wear this fragrance is to layer it with Rose Calligraphy by Aramis. The rose toned down that medicinal accord.

Reminds me very closely to vintage M7 especially the dry down.

To me this smells kind of minty, though it's not mentioned in the comment section or the note breakdown. I don't detect much oud, but what i do get is a medicinal oud and not smooth and luxurious (the lack of rose maybe?) On me It kind of smells like a minty tooth thread. This is not for me and I wouldn't call it a safe blind buy. Even if you're just starting out with oud.

although i´m a big mancera/montale fan ...
i wished this was superpleasant fragrance,
it´s not, it´s disappointing smell ... nothing impressive,
nothing sexy, nothing pleasant for nose either ....
just plain bug reppelent with pepper (yeah, and sand)
literally like sand with a hint of pepper in hand ...
but it´s nothing impressive, interesting, noble, mysterious ... missing everything from mentioned above, that´s a pity ..

in today´s perfect marketing and perfect looking bottles,noone knows what to expect (surprise or disappointment) ... it´s sad when you love some companies and trust them a lot because they make nice products but you just buy it because of sympathy for the name and expectation of something mindblowing/original/stylistic .... but it´s not !!! time to get back to many times mentioned/reviewed fragrances probably ... the world didn´t bring something new .... sad !!!!

I first tried Mancera Sand Aoud back in 2013 and, finally, just got around to pulling-the-trigger on a full-bottle purchase this evening. I love Sand Aoud so why the five year delay?

Well, Sand Aoud is certainly a unique oud fragrance. The feeling I get is sweet, dry, desert sand when wafts of this fragrance reach my nose. The oud is noticeable but it is certainly not the pungent, dark, medicinal (e.g, Bandaid) or overly smokey variety, so it is safe for the office and significant other. Moreover, Sand Aoud is a little spicy (warm) combined with that light sweetness.

I was drawn to this fragrance, which I really enjoyed when I first sniffed it, but decided not to purchase a bottle because I didn't quite love it enough. You known the feeling! Yep, really unique...and interesting...and the type of scent that I keep sniffing my arm. Alas, it's just difficult to find an appropriate time to wear this one and I had enough of these "for myself" fragrances. Plus, I had more than a half-dozen samples so what the heck.

Over the years I would occasionally wear one of my samples and find myself loving it more with each and every wearing. Sand Aoud is a quality fragrance and there is just something ultra unique and interesting about it. Sand Aoud is a perfect name and I am so glad that my bottle will be arriving shortly after wanting a bottle for so long.

I’m gonna go against the grain here and say that this starts off as a very medicinal oud fragrance, and to my nose remains that way. I’m not the biggest fan of oud fragrances when the oud is overpowering, and it is here to my nose.

To be honest, there is nothing groundbreaking or unique here.

This is one sophisticated fragrance with an inimitable blend of spices, rose, INCENSE, patchouli & oud. I must add here that the oud isn't pronounced, just in wimpy proportions, while the incense note is more pronounced.

SAND AOUD is now one of my fave fragrances from Mancera in my collection! I strongly recommend this frag for connoisseurs (or even newbies) venturing into "safe" spicy and balsamic oud themed fragrances!

Mancera Sand Aoud is one of the more agreeable aoud-named fragrances from the Mancera/Montale empire, in which aoud-named fragrances are numerous, seemingly beyond comparison to other western houses.

This isn't very oud-intensive, though, or at least the oud is not very medicinal or animalic as it sometimes can be. It's rather smooth to the point that it comes off more like leather, with some sweetness coming from the blackcurrant and vanilla and a bit of mystery (spice, woods) coming from the saffron. It's a harmonious grouping that is easy to wear, both for men and women, though preferable in cooler weather based on the collection of notes.

Performance is strong, as with most cold-weather-leaning Montale and Mancera offerings, and at $92 for 120ml on Notino, the value is strong. Even the retail pricing at $160 (or perhaps $180 with the increase) could be justified for this versatile cool weather winner.

It's a "like" not a "love" for, though, even as agreeable as it is. Unsurprisingly, the more Mancera and Montale fragrances one tries, the one more inevitably encounters some redundancy, and there definitely feels like some overlap between Mancera Sand Aoud and Montale Aoud Cuir d'Arabie despite the latter being a little dirtier in my recollection. They've a dry, leathery commonality, though I need to retry the Montale.

Very good stuff overall, though.

7 out of 10

Very nice beautiful fragrance oudy and sweet only tried today reminds me of a more smooth aramis calligraphy. This juice it's perfect for the British colder months. A stunningly beautiful fragrance excellent longevity and silage with approximately 4 good sprays.
Ps
When i first sprayed it rite at the beginning smells so much like the vintage M7 still has that vibe about it. I should no vintage M7 is my favourite fragrance, ever.

Been wearing this today honestly most definitely old school vintage M7 vibe about it if your thinking of buying yves saint laurent M7 oud absolu pay a bit extra and buy this it's much better quality.

The vintage M7 prices are ridiculous now.

Wish I could like this scent, but it is just too sour for me. The sourness detracts from the warmth of the oud, making the scent smell sharp and mean instead of warm and mysterious. Impressive sillage and longevity though!

My girlfriend likes it much more than I do - the sourness doesn't bother her.

true oud, slightly sour, sweet and dry; powdery with some patch and hint of vanilla

Typical oudy mukhallat type of fragrance. I find it very similar to Mukhallat Rashid from Ajmal. The dry down of this is smoother in my opinion. I have the original oil from Ajmal, and find this a very good interpretation of the mukhallat, but kind of a redundant purchase for me. Nice though.

A true winner.....'I LIKE THIS!!!'

Woodsy (Black Currant) yet with a touch of sweetness, both creamy and oudy (in the beginning this reminds me of Viktor & Rolf Antidote). There is gourmand spiciness to it yet, fresh; a little powdery from the Vanilla and Saffron.

Later, the Patchouli comes forth strong giving it a spicy powdery feel....kind of a cinnamon/sweet spice, even a musk vibe although not one of the listed notes. Brings to mind D&G Anthology L' Amoureux 6 also!

One spritz and it felt extremely big upfront from the Patchouli (almost like the sharpness your get in Real Patchouly and/or Sushi Imperiale-Bois 1920 a bite), the scent bubble is enormous and in your face. I agree with those who concluded this to be aggressive in nature...
The idea of projection.....astringent/sharp all to indicate the need to be careful with the trigger.

Some might find this fragrance nice overall, then again some might find it a little too strong. I likey, likey....Again, that could be curtailed by the amount of spray(s).

Sand Aoud to me is a dry aromatic, slightly oriental scent; less balsamic but more patchouli-ish with a warm sweet spiciness in the background which brings a great deal of balance to the fragrances' performance. The sweet spiciness is what gives this fragrance depth and sets it a part from others in the Mancera fragrance line not to mention there is no rose :o).

More masculine IMHO;
Performance-9/10
Silage-8/10
Longevity-8/10
Overall-8.5/10

Great fragrance!

This is a pretty serious fragrance! It projects like a beast and lasts forever. I can smell it on my skin after 24 hours and that's with a shower. To me it's quite gritty and sharp, but still with a slightly soft/sweet touch. It really does smell like sand.

It's suitable to wear in a more serious environment, rather than going out or playing pool with. In all honesty I'm still trying to figure it out. I don't love it, I like it, however with more wears I think I'll love it. No compliments with it so far. I'm 28, maybe it's a more mature mans fragrance. 40+?
I have a 120ml bottle. Wear a fragrance everyday. I would maybe grab this once a month for that night to be noticed.

Mancera is a great fragrance house. They have such high quality fragrances! Overall I would recommend this. However to a mature man. Not a friend who's in his twenties.

Tried this one from a decant, its a patchouli in your face at the beginning, mixed with spices. The drydown is more woody, spicey, and ambery. I cant see amber in the notes but maybe its there, or its just the mixture of notes giving me that impression.

I cant smell musk, and the rose is very faint, which I find surprising in a perfume created by Pierre Montale.

Its not feminine in my opinion, and need to be tried before considering to buy.

I hate strong patchouli notes and those perfumes that drydown to ambroxane aroma.

Certainly not for me.

Alright guys , those of you who read my previous review, I have some actual news. Recently, I was able to send the spoiled bottle which I purchased from an online store to the Mancera company in France, and received a brand new bottle. Oh sweet lord ! the best fragrance I have ever smelled. I have many popular fragrances, especially those ones that are popular in the fragrance community. However , for my personal test, this is the definition of "close to perfect" fragrance. No other fragrance so far made me feel this way. Some times I am tempted to just open the bottle and drink the hack out of it. Whenever, I spray it, it drives me insane, in a good way. Power, longevity etc is on another level. But I am just talking about the smell itself...glad that I found a fragrance which satisfies my craving for a beautiful smell, completely. However, I can't stop my self from seeking for that better smell. I am a fragrance junky. So far , Sand Aoud has been the best of all drugs till I encounter a better one. However , this is the third fragrance which gets a 10/10.

I love this. It's so nice and intensly spicy, and woody. Not the strong type of oud rather an earthy woody next to the spicy. Right up my street for the winter weather.

Amazing Mancera fragrance once again that is only to be judged after 20 mins! When it dries down one is left with a gorgeous blend of fruityness (mainly black currant) on a dusty bed of oud and patchouly surrounded by saffron and light spices but smelling still kind of fresh! Really unique stuff and I know nothing like it. It has above average projection and longevity for sure and performs marvelous.
Thumbs way up! Rating: 8.5/10

I don't like to start these "it has been reformulated" threads, but i see more and more comments (and not just here) about Sand Aoud "not smelling the same as before" and i have the same experience. I've had a sample a year ago and it was my first encounter with Sand Aoud and i've dropped my jaw after i smelled it, it was so good. Perfect balance between the black currant, the oud and the spices. Now, a year later i purchased a full bottle from a trusted webshop and it's not the same at all. That amazing smell is still there somewhere in the background, but now it's more saffron-dominant and just not nearly as good anymore. It's a shame, this is one of the most unique fragrances i've ever tried.

I agree with Jack_Hunter....

It is a well executed and quality fragrance, somehow smooth and nice...but you need to like/love oud...
Oud is not for everyone...I would dare to say that 8 of 10 persons (possibly outside of the arab world) would dislike oud notes which combined with rose are even worse...unfortunately that is my case...I cannot get to like it enough so as to buy a full bottle...if a fragrance has oud...it has to be extremely subtle or modified in order for me to like it....e.g. Maremma from Tiziana Terenzi...I love the fragrance cause I cannot barely feel oud in it...

Despite the boring and but refined rose+oud combo on the top notes...the fragrance manages to develop and change a lot...it is a nice example of a well-done fragrance where you can certainly smell different depending on how much time has passed after the application...Being said so...the drydown is much better IMO...maybe because you can feel less oud and much more wood and even a bit of incense.....

So... it is a good fragrance at a good value for the good oud lovers...for me is a pass...simply cause I cannot get to like the top notes of the fragrance...I have to suffer too much with the medicinal oud and the rose before getting to the best and more wearable part of the fragrance...its drydown...I pretty much prefer cedrat boise..however I must admit I admire the evolution of Sand Aoud and the drydown itself...nice work but again...not full bottle worthy for me..

PS. good longevity and projection...

I am afraid it is a big no for me. The oud is a killer and the saffron note is overwhelming at the starters. Unfortunately, I get no currant nor roses to cheer me up. It is dusty, heavy, very spicey and my skin does not like it. Need to find my perfect Mancera still

This is the scent of Doha Qatar for me...Either way people using it over there...or it has oud and inscence they burn it...on a souq Wahib...Very middle eastern and modern...I like the quality of this a lot.

In love...

Very good, fresh scent. This kind of aoud i like. It's not overwelming, sweet fragrance. In this scent aoud note is splashing with spieces and incenses. This is very nice combo. I realy feel free, charm and happy during wearing this scent. Hope to get known more of Mancera scents... This one is "Montale in siut" :D

One word... Exquisite

This one smells absolutely amazing... high quality ingredients blended to perfection...with great performance, had to go out today and buy a large 120ml bottle of this stuff...

A true Masterpiece

My new signature scent

Just smells exquisite.

29/10/2017
My 2 year on review of this scent still my number fragrance of all time.
I have bought 2 back up bottles just in case love this stuff. .

Am not sure if it is the retailer shop or the fault of the company, Mancera, the bottle I have received from an online retailer smells completely different than the one I have tested in perfume store. what a waste, what a disappointment. However, I can't be sure if the alteration is due to reformulation or other reasons. So , for all Sand Aoud lovers , check well before you buy one. The first time I tried Sand Aoud was in a High end store in ZH, and it smelled fantastic. Then, I ordered it online from a seemingly legit shop, for half of its price, and sand aoud now smells like shit.

Interesting, unique oud fragrance.

It's dusty, little spicy with a touch of black currant. I think, it'll smell better on gents, although the mix is very smooth and soft, thanks to musk. There are some challenging notes too: old wood, slight bitterness. This is type of fragrance that isn't a crowd pleaser and will appeal to only few, but I am among a few who likes this one very much.

Ouch, not much love here for this Mancera in recent comments, hm? Perhaps it's meant more for a woman's skin, because on me it is really a beauty.

The sweet juicy (& just a pinch bitter, like any dark berry) blackcurrants blend very nicely with an earthy patch, saffron, and a light oud in what my nose perceives to be even amounts. On one sniff I'll get mostly patch, the next sniff mostly oud/saffron, next sniff mostly tart blackcurrant and a bit of warm spice.

I would call it 'linear' except that the notes seem to be blended such that it's 2 or 3 different scents in one. I really enjoy it! It also has that kind of chewy oud/vanilla combo going on in the later drydown that's really delicious. Maybe 4 hours in: the oud/patchouli blend is the most prominent along with a splash of sourness still and something that smells like another woody/herbalness that I can't quite place at the moment. Hmm... Feels a bit more cool now that I'm not picking up the spices and vanilla.

Will happily use up my 10ml decant. Longevity's over 6hrs for sure but haven't really counted, projection's at least moderate as I get wafts of myself that entire period from spritzing on my wrists/inner elbows only.

My 2nd Mancera after Roses Vanille and I love both! Honestly this one's not super groundbreaking in the oud category but it is very pleasant indeed and the power is great.

[10.8.14]

dry desert, sand? what are you guys talking about, this is just cheap powdery synthetic oud. terrible, smells dated,cant stand it, im gonna flush my 15 ml decant

In love with this stuff. Spicy, dusty, oudy, black current...I received a full bottle in the mail today.

I will do a review soon. I'm just happy I tried it again.

...with Cedrat Boisè, the best fragrance by Mancera. Unique sensation: feel good!

On first application I can pick up on a blend of Oud, blackcurrant and patchouli with a slight medicinal undercurrent.

The scent is fruity and spicy and eventually gets more sweeter as it eventually drys down.

A nice scent though not my cup of tea.

This is a refined version of Aoud Musk Montale, more unisex, less masculine. Too much saffron in the opening, but fortunately it gets better and better. Full bottle worthy, for sure.

This was my second fragrance from Mancera. I also have Cedrat Boise+Wild Fruits and all three have black current which Mancera does extremely well and receives many compliments from the ladies. In Sand Aoud this note adds a very pleasant sweetness followed by a very natural musky vanilla balanced perfectly with, incense type saffron, and a spicy soft patchouli. The Rose seems to be well hidden to me. The oud is very pronounced in the beginning, but seems to drift into the other notes seamlessly.
Sillage is good and longevity is excellent.

8/10

DIVINE!! Just perfect! Looooong lasting! Huge notes of spices and Black Currant...it makes me feel good, what else would you ask? Bravo Mancera!

Ok well some further thoughts. Longevity is 24 hours (and counting), sillage is what I'd describe as perfect. Not enormous, which is what I want with an oud (given the love/hate feelings it develops in so many people).

If this was twice the price, people wouldn't question it.

Well goodness me. I stumbled upon this range in Selfridges Birmingham earlier today. The names appealed, leading to a few tests. The tests appealed, leading me to think that I had found another brand.that charges £150 a bottle. How nice it was to find the actual price was so reasonable. Whether their oud is real or synthetic I don't know or care, what I do know is that for me, this is the best value range available today. Wonderful stuff, a real consideration if you wish to enter the world of oud without breaking the bank.

I am now off to buy the oud gold...

Full reviews to come.

Just bought sand aoud and I was blown away. Sweet oud with a dry down between LDDM and Halston man amber. Awesome juice lasts literally over 24 hours and projects like a beast. Love the juice and I want more mancera.

As for me it is very stange. The description of this scent in the store was intriguing) - the fragrance of cooling down desert))). I tried it on my arm, it started ok with bright spicy wood which I liked very much, but then turned into strong dental medicine smell(((. I could not get rid of it. Very steady, lasts for ever. It is not for me or my loved one...never. Sorry((( My body chemistry does not stand the heat of deserts)even cooling down ones.