Frederic Malle Promise and Oman Luxury Oud Aquaria - real world fragrance review
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- Опубликовано: 28 мар 2025
- In this special double review, I compare two powerhouse fragrances from the same master perfumer, Dominique Ropion-Frederic Malle Promise and Oman Luxury Oud Aquilaria. Both fragrances share a rich DNA of opulent oud, spicy rose, and deep resins, but each takes a unique approach. Promise leans bold and intoxicating, with a vibrant apple-rose sweetness, while Oud Aquilaria offers a darker, smokier take, emphasizing its Middle Eastern roots. In this review, I’ll break down their differences in composition, performance, and overall wearability. Which one is right for you? Let’s dive in! Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth fragrance comparisons!
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#FredericMalle #PromisePerfume #OmanLuxury #OudAquilaria #DominiqueRopion #LuxuryFragrance #NichePerfume #PerfumeReview #FragranceComparison #FragranceLover #OudFragrance #SpicyPerfume #FragranceCommunity #PerfumeCollector #RoseAndOud #BestPerfume #LuxuryPerfume #BoldFragrance #MiddleEasternPerfume #FragranceTalk
Oud Aquilaria is my new top 5 favorite fragrance!! I’m going to get Promise as well! I’m interested in comparing both! I love this concept and content! TY!
I'm really glad you are enjoying these videos, the content is about to get even better 😉
Great review. Can you review paramour from Oman Luxury. I love the scent but i feel like i smells the dna before
Thanks! Paramour is a great one, I’ll put it on the list.
Promise is my most recent acquisition. Ironically I picked it up yesterday when this video came out lol. It’s a 10 for me but it took me a long time to gravitate towards it. At first I didn’t like it and thought it smelled like rancid apple gummy bears but now I can’t live without it.
@@CgScents hey man 👊
Promise is an amazing scent that has layers of depth to uncover. Does your wife like it? Everyone around me seems to hate it.
@@SeldomlyOften my wife loves it lol she doesn’t even find it challenging. I don’t remember what she said in my review on it but visiting it recently she really enjoys it. I hated it but now I find it pretty wearable maybe my tolerance to it has blinded my judgement lol. To me it’s a lot of Apple now.
@@CgScents lucky you, I can barely wear it without people grimacing around me.
I love that background music, buddy!
@@marklopez3459 thanks! I’m glad someone appreciates it 🤣
I’m getting a lot of people telling me to shut it off
Here’s the thing, you may say it later in the video, but, we aren’t normal. “A lot of fragrances” is considered 10 bottles max in most people view. So when a brand comes out with something similar to another or even the same exact fragrance, 99.9 percent of people will never be the wiser. So, there’s that.
@@d.s.6221 that is also VERY true, most people who buy Frederic Malle will never look at Oman Luxury. Good point.
Yasss let’s go Daniele! 🔥🫶🏻 Wonderful review as per usual! Was lovely to meet you in Milan, brother!
@@Letlovebleeddd thanks for the comment Vera!
I like the photography comparisons
I'm testing the water here, I feel that you guys and me have a lot in common :D
Great video Daniel! I’ve been eying Promise by Frederic Malle for a looong time.
Im actually totally opposite of you; I would definitely pick promise over Oud Aquilaria. I own wanderlust but no fragrances from Frederic Malle. Which makes me gravitate more towards Frederic Malle if the fragrances are so alike 😂
@@Khozai Promise is more edgy, it’s a wild ride that is still relatively classy. I highly recommend either.
Thanks for commenting Mohammed!
Never actually smelled Oud Aquilaria, but it took a while for Promise to go from a love to a "sell" for me. 😄 Don't have it anymore, but there's no question it was a beast. This was a great comparison Dan.👌
Thanks :)
I have this attraction/repulsion thing with Promise, I won't lie, I thought about selling it before... it doesn't help that everyone around me hates it...
Another banger.
@@ML-yw4hv thanks a lot 🙏
Perfect timing, as I’ve been edging closer and closer to diving into the house of Frederic Malle. I’ve only smelled Portrait and Musc Ravageur so far, both living up to the hype…
What others from the house would you recommend?
@@nathanielmoody3656 they are all pretty darn good to be honest; I haven’t found one that had me turn away. My other favorites are Carnal Flower, Synthetic Nature, French Lover…
I've never smelt Aquillaria . I can attest to Promise being very holographic. So intense. The notes float around in front of you in a sort of 3D sort of way. I like it but don't love it. It kinda annoys me.
" The name really annoys me 😂" that's why you're my favourite reviewer !
haha thanks, I'm really petty about certain decisions and I will not be able to just unsee stuff. In this case, everything else about the brand is awesome so I can live with it but still...
Glad I'm not alone when thinking Promise is really gritty and hard to wear.
Hi Daniel. Can you do a video on Blue Sapphire please by Boadicea the victorious. I just don't see what's so special about it. Can you recommend some (sweeter, more mass appealing but expensive) alternative that is also niche (no designers or cheapies) please 🙏
@@sadykf I never actually smelled it, it’s super expensive but I might find a sample. Thanks for reminding me, I’m also eager to smell it.
Promise is a fragrance that really wowed me. I'm just debating whether I'd get enough occasions to wear it before I pull the trigger.
@@TM13_7 it’s a hard, loud fragrance to wear, at least for me, but absolutely amazing and pupil dilating.
And then there is Pana Dora Swedish Wood that is extremely similar to the two above, but weaker. I agree with your evaluation - Oud Aquilaria seemed more wearable to me. Promise was almost overwhelming.
@@jurysdykcja I don’t have any experience with Pana Dora. I like Promise more but it’s so sharp and gritty that I end up wearing Oud Aquilaria wayyyy more
Hi Daniel , I wanted to know your thoughts on Alexandria 2 , you said you had a bottle, how does it compare to other oud rose fragrances
@@one3462 it’s very different to other oud/rose stuff because the oud component is barely there and the fragrance as a whole is super powdery. Very wearable, quite elegant. I liked it but it kind of reminded of clean baby diapers. I need to try it again.
Would love to hear your top picks for upcoming spring
I’m not really into making many list videos but I’ll think of something 🙂
I just picked up pana dora swedish wood.. heard it's very similar to these as well. Never smelled these though.
someone also commented this; just looked it up and it seems similar.
How do you find the scent profile? harsh and aggressive?
@@SeldomlyOften I wouldn't say that it's harsh or aggressive no, it is tart though. Maybe a little heavy on the apple for me, but that fades after an hour or so.
I cannot wait for Frederic Malle to release a perfume in collaboration with Quentin Bisch. I hope it will happen.
@@xseby_1234 now that Frederic Malle, the guy, left, who knows what will happen! I’m very curious 🙃
Christophe laudamiel says the perfumers making the same style frags between houses isnt any of their doing but the fragrance house request. A particular house recognizes the success of a fragrance from that perfumer and would like an interpretation of that same fragrance for their house.
Must be a pretty sweet gig for the perfumer 😂 copy and paste and run to the bank
@@jsam7455 this ain’t really an “interpretation”… does the perfumer own any rights to the formula? What if Ropion would have said no?
@SeldomlyOften great question. I don't know the answer to that. But like christian provenzano does with his frags he makes the same type of fragrances across multiple houses
I loved Promise, unfortunately that castoreum note lasts the longest on me, 8 hrs in and that's all I can smell. Have you tried Amouage Overture Woman? Pretty similar but more boozy, less animalic
@@AmberAda I tried it but I found it MUCH smoother and easier to wear with a much less distinct division from top to bottom
As someone who really really loved Promise, but was told multiple times that it doesn’t smell good, I tried Oud Aquilaria. Have to say, I really think Promise is so much better. To me it has so much more flavour. Oud Aquilaria is just a little stale to me. Your metaphors are spot on.
Finally, I tried Swedish Wood by Pana Dora and I found what I was looking for! You should give it a smell. It’s much more approachable, but still has the same “vibe”. More of an interpretation than a straight rip off.
Going back to photo metaphors:
Promise: HDR, high clarity
Oud: (imo) unedited flat raw
Swedish Wood: edited photo, but with a flat vintage style, but still, with a vide
Glad we align with the comparisons :)
_I'm also happy to hear that I'm not the crazy one and that Promise is just, generally, not really appreciated by third parties...
I gotta try that Pana Dora now, I'm curious.
What is the batch code of the oud aquaria please?
@yousefalakeel2970 I’m not sure where to check, it’s not on the bottle.
I owned promise in the past the day I smelled oud aquilaria sold promise straight away can’t get enough of it specially goin out on dates or an open space oud aquilaria and Lv Ombre nomade are definitely special occasion
@@ElyDenebja-c3r so you liked Oud Aquilaria more as a scent or just value wise?
@ I don’t know it’s hard to say I just feel I reached out more to oud aquilaria than I did with promise they both share amazing niche quality I just feel oud aquilaria is more wearable the same thing happened to me with Lv Ombre nomade and nouveau monde I owned both I ended up selling nouveau monde because I haven’t been using it that much same also with haltane and oud for greatness I eneded selling oud for greatness I felt that haltane was more mature and had more origaninality
@ the two LV share a similar dna but they are both really clones to each other. I’m really happy with NM, as I was having a lot of trouble wearing ON.
It’s just crazy how all three perfume share very very close profiles it always hard to let one go
@@SeldomlyOften NM?
Hello hello! :) I have promise, and glad you highlighted Omanluxury, cos i've been interested in the house's Royal Incense, cos I like incens-y stuff, and I should re-visit your videos on incense too hehe. Promise is loud and very masculine, but I wear it anyway cos I love the smell a lot. Would not mind at all if i smell it on a man 🥰 I think Portrait of A Lady that you mentioned I will eventually add to my collection too.
@@Sasainhk awesome that you have a like Promise! It’s a hard wear around these parts, despite the cold climate. Royal Incense is a really great, wearable incense fragrance from the brand, I’m just not sure how about redundancy in my case as I have tons of incense fragrances.
@@SeldomlyOften never redundant if you can detect any slight minute detail :P btw I also have Alexandre J Majestic Vetiver, it's not completely matching the notes, but the vibe is very similar in terms of fruity crisp and sharp green aromatic opening with Vetiver dried down instead of Cypriol, in case you want to try out and have that as another of your alternative if you wanna save on Promise, cos the brand is available on discounter a lot and relatively cheap.
@@Sasainhk I don't much about that brand, they have a ton of fragrances, is it a clone house? Never even seem them for sale.
@@SeldomlyOften Yeah they have a few of them, and I own some of their lower range that's because I can't control my impulse buy T_T and their over the top packaging for their "Majestic" Line I really love. I don't believe it's a clone brand and I see some of them sold on the fragrance net. They are pushing their Imperiale Peacock extrait range on Harrods and other but will be full retail priced...
Based on my knowledge(pls correct me if I'm wrong), most brands don't work with the perfumer directly, especially when the brand is a mass produce brand such as Oman Luxury. In this case, i believe the brand reached out to the IFF(manufacturer/ compounding company that Dominique Ropion worked with) and looked at D.Ropion library and chose the fomula based on their budget. A single perfumer can have 200 to 1000++ ready fomula in their library, and the similarity between each is noticeable as most of perfumer will create multiple version of 1 single perfume, based on costing. And the fomula belongs to IFF(capitalism?)
Good point, the perfumer might not even be directly involved in this stuff... But would the perfumer have at least a say on where his name ends up appearing?
I remember wearing promise from a sample to a golf outing and received 10 compliments in a matter of an hour lol very beautiful and strong fragrance
Great video!
@@MattMatti3 I guess there is hope after all! Maybe outside it’s less gritty and more tolerable
Sometimes I think perfumers may not even perceive their own similar formulas as that similar. Maybe they get fixated on the nuances that make fragrances different (especially given that they present several "mods" to the client), while consumers get fixated on the main accord, and the more innovative it is, the more fixated they get. In this case though the similarity must have been obvious even for the perfumer 😁 I think what probably happened is at the time Oud Aquilaria's formula was being developed, nobody projected that Oman Luxury would take off internationally and there would be a significant overlap between the two brands' consumers to spot the similarity, but they were wrong. Still, to me, there are enough differences to justify picking one brand over another. Promise has a slightly unpleasant but intriguing undertone that I would describe as morning breath, while Oud Aquilaria is based on harsh amberwoods that are also unpleasant, but not intriguing.
@@scentaliona thanks for the lengthy comment!
I was more wondering about the perfumer’s integrity in proposing such similar concepts. I do think the brand have different enough identities to be appealing to different audiences, and that’s totally cool.
I was looking to get Promise, but recently I got a MAB B683 Extrait in a facebook trade, and to me it is really similiar to Promise, but in a very bold way. Like if someone took Promise DNA, and made it way more challenging, bold, more stinky. Green apple note is not sweet, but rather sour, rotten smelling. I feel Promise is much more wearable and pleasing, but decided to stick with B683 Extrait just for its weirdness. Not to mention owning both would be quite redundant.
strange take! I went through two samples of B683, not only I didn't really like it but it came across as really harsh and metallic to me, close to something like Ganymede, just stronger.
Promise is still harsh but it's much more natural smelling.
I prefer promise by far, unfortunately, my girlfriend cannot stand that fragrance.
Dominique Ropion and Christian Provenzano are masters of the style you are telling about.
@@Principemostprincipe yeah these two get really bad reactions from people, no idea why… what has Cristian Provenzano replicated?
@@SeldomlyOften sospiro-vibrato
Boadicea - tigar and arrakis.
@@Principemostprincipe ah yes, the famous culprits! how could I forget!
@ he is also replicating almost every dna possible 😂😂😂 but he is doing it correct haha
The interesting "cloning" situation happened with Black Afgano and Liquides Imaginaires Fortis. Although they are made by different perfumers (or so they claim), the gcms analysis revealed all ingredients are exactly the same (!) with slightly altered ratios. Niche house resolving to cloning another house (and putting Sonia Constant signature on it) is bizarre to say the least.
@@JJplaysGuitar ok but that is a “clone” situation, not the same perfumer going and selling off his formula to multiple brands. Do you think that if Ropion would have declined, OL would have just cloned it?
@@SeldomlyOften Who knows, but I guess it's hard to turn down a quick buck 😅 btw. I agree with the brand name critique, sounds like a clone house 100%, but I love Overdose so much, very unique smelling freshie
@@SeldomlyOften I believe the intellectual property of the formulas belong to the compound factory (IFF, Givaudan, etc), not the perfumer (though I don't think there is a legal protection against reproducing or 'cloning' a formula, Laudamiel was writing smth about this but I didn't quite full understand him haha)
@@JJplaysGuitar the brand and their product are awesome, they don't need such a baity name...
@@Gonzalo_K but what about the perfumer's name appearing on products? the artist must have some say in this...
Apple shisha 🤩 I enjoy promise on occasion. It doesn’t suit my vibe, it’s a bit of an edgy bad boy scent in a way making it not very wearable at work. My wife hates it so there goes the weekend wearability. Another issue with promise for me is that it actually gets a bit overwhelming, it doesn’t transition much and really is a room filler. After a few hours I’m a bit fed up with it and fatigued. Another issue is the syntheticness, and not in the Apple side but the cypriol and amberwoods to make a fake Oud accord, it feels really synthetic and it bugs me sometimes, despite how impressive it is. I’ve got a 10ml decant which I’ll probably never finish and enjoy it a few times a year when I want the Apple beast. I need to try the Oman luxury; my dad has discovery set I will need to ‘borrow’.
I think if promise was a cheapie designer I’d be calling it a 10/10, I just expect the’ real thing’ from Malle and less synthetics. Even though it’s totally intended.
@@Scentsforthought so it’s a thing that people don’t like this, I’m not just imagining it. It’s, by far, my most hated fragrance according to third parties. The synthetic part to me is actually the apple, both realistic and synthetic at the same time. The OL oud accord actually smells more natural.
A great video - I enjoyed it. It is interesting note about the name of the Oman Luxury brand, may be it would have been better if they followed Amouage steps ; to pick an Arabic name and use it rather than picking a lame and bland Western name that does not align with the heft and quality of the Brand. I only have Serenity from OL and I believe Oud aquaria will be my next one.
@@ahmedghareeb3360 the fragrances are actually really good, I recently got a partial of Mariya and I enjoy it. What were they thinking with the name….
As someone from Oman I agree with you Oman Luxury is such a tacky name which doesn’t really reflect them
Glad we agree! They have really strong products and they should not be relying on a silly name to bring people in.
I tried aquilaria twice. It wore me out and I couldn’t stand it by the end of the experience
It started great but turned into something I can’t explain and did not enjoy.
@@Frag-Jitsu too stinky? It’s a fairly fatiguing scent profile. What about reactions from your wife?
@ she hated it. The late dry down really kicked me around. The closest I can get to describing it is a dry, hay like smell. It was rough, dry, and natural smelling. I have the Oman sample set and that one started really nice but quickly killed me in the dry down
The wife hated it 🧪
@@Frag-Jitsu thanks, this kind of confirms that this is more like a guy scent. Most women really hate this stuff… and these are women the like Silver Oud or other funky scents.
Just ordered some decants of Oman Luxury to try them out. I totally agree about the name though. Totally sounds like a generic dupe house name. Armaf and Lataffa even sound more serious than Oman Luxury. Lol give me a break..
@@alivonal7442 100% agree… what were they thinking? Kind of like Spirit of Dubai (although way better)
Is this a paid promotion? I got a disclaimer when the video opened
@@Tranquilize779 huh? Not at all, paid by whom, Ropion? 😂
Maybe it’s just the RUclips ads?
@SeldomlyOften oh thank goodness haha. No Idea. Could be user error her but I swear the badge popped up. Loved the video as usual, thank you for the entertainment
@@Tranquilize779 weird… I don’t plan on ever doing paid promotions with fragrances or fragrance related stuff, it would completely defeat the purpose of this channel.
But if someone wants to start sending me shirts or watches, by all means 😅
@@SeldomlyOftenif Roja sends you a Diaghilev for free tho you should say yes
@ I think Roja is no more, the time of the free bottles has gone with the sale of the company.
Hey, Quentin Bisch's Ganymede and Bois Imperial are literally the exact same fragrance with extremely minor differences in my opinion... I think these perfumers literally make the same thing by accident or upon demand by the brand...
They are actually not that similar 😂😂
@@ayywolf these 2 are REALLY similar, Ganymede and Bois Imperial have the very recognizable Akigala Wood in common but they seem to differ a little more (still need to try the Essential).
They're not much alike, honestly.
To my nose, they are... I must have not spent enough time with them but as far as scent profile, they are pretty much the same and I can detect Bisch's signature in many of his fragrances so maybe I'm just sensitive to that construction idk
@@ayywolf Bisch has VERY obvious signature, probably one of the more obvious in perfumery. I can detect similarities even across completely different scent profiles. I've been wearing Purpose 50 today and I'm like: this smells so much like QB...
Maybe I am biased, but I think bottle, labeling of FM is best in the industry
@@veghar7920 they are good and definitely have a clear, professional, no frills brand identity but I’ve seen better detailing. Also, for whatever reason, the caps scuff really easily.
@ Totally agree, also, quality control could have been better, I have seen scuffed labels on boutique bought bottles
"Barnyardy" is definitely your favorite adjective lately 😂👍🏻
@@filippo0703 yeah I love it too 😂
Also, it’s funny how many people born and raised in a city don’t have a clear idea of what it actually smells like. I have a cow farm across the road so I’m FAR too used to it 😅
Btw, are you going to get Orto Parisi Risvelium?
@ I’ll try to get as it launches! 🚀
I knew you got me covered 😉
You took the words out of my mind. "Oman Luxury" sounds like a clone brand. I would never buy it, as i would be sure i got knock-off versions of real niche brands. The word "luxury" is mostly used by cheap brands, as quality brands have long since realized all the cheap brands use "luxury" to lure in the unknowing customers. And "Oman", is just where i expect middle eastern fragrance comes from. And a lot of middle eastern fragrances are not to my taste. And a lot of clones and dupes are from that area too. I Hate (with passion) clones and dupes. So i'm never interested in a brand that has that vibe. "Oman Luxury" shot itself in the foot there.❤❤👏🏼👏🏼
@@Roy_Godiksen I truly have no idea who vetted the name, it’s crazy to me that they went with this brand image. But then again, it might be fairly comment there as other brands do the same; Spirit of Dubai has a similar cheap, tacky feeling.
Rasquinet with Fidelis did it first
@@MrCapitoni true (although The Moon, is different enough) but Ropion does it really often 😂
Any other clear dupes by the same guy/gal?
@SeldomlyOften Morillas with Gucci Guilty Absolute / Dark Lord / No Limit$?
By the way, what I meant with Fidelis is that really reminds me of Oud Aquilaria with the coffee instead of the apple.
@ true, I never actually smelled No Limit$!
@ ah, interesting! to me Fidelis is more of a Raspberry bomb but I kind of see the general common build.