Al Majed Oud notes, explained
The 43 Al Majed Oud scents with a note list name 69 different notes between them. 26 notes return in three or more scents and have a page of their own; every note is explained below in a sentence.
The most listed notes
With the number of scents that list each: Musk leads with 24.
Musk (24)Patchouli (16)Rose (16)Amber (15)Bergamot (15)Vanilla (15)Jasmine (13)Mandarin (12)Sandalwood (10)Cedarwood (8)Leather (8)Caramel (7)Lily of the valley (7)Pink pepper (7)Peach (6)Geranium (5)Lavender (5)Orange blossom (5)Oud (5)Saffron (5)Oakmoss (4)Tonka bean (4)Vetiver (4)Grapefruit (3)Iris (3)Labdanum (3)
Citrus
Bergamot
Grown mainly in Calabria in southern Italy, this citrus fruit gives a peel oil that smells bright, fresh and faintly bitter, with a floral edge.
Listed by 15 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with bergamot
Mandarin
Pressed from the peel of a small, loose-skinned citrus fruit, mandarin oil smells sweet, juicy and gentler than lemon or grapefruit.
Listed by 12 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with mandarin
Citrus fruits
As an umbrella term, citrus fruits names a group of peels such as lemon, orange or mandarin, not one material, and usually stands for a fresh, zesty, juicy effect.
Listed in Elbrince (top), Fei (top), Retaj (top) and Viola (top).
Grapefruit
Tart, juicy and slightly bitter, grapefruit peel oil gives a vivid citrus smell with a sparkling edge.
Listed by 3 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with grapefruit
Orange
Orange oil comes from the peel of the sweet orange and smells juicy, sunny and sweet, with only a hint of bitterness.
Listed in Miral Rouge (top) and Serious (heart).
Lemon
Sharp, zesty and clean, lemon peel oil is one of the most recognisable fresh smells in perfumery.
Listed in Aris (top).
Petitgrain
The leaves and young twigs of the bitter orange tree are distilled to give petitgrain, which smells green, woody and citrusy rather than fruity.
Listed in Serious (top).
Fruit
Peach
Velvety, sweet and juicy, peach has a soft fruit smell with a creamy, slightly floral side.
Listed by 6 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with peach
Berries
An umbrella term for small soft fruits rather than one material, berries usually stand for a mix of red and dark fruit that smells sweet, tart and juicy.
Listed in Gold Stone (top), Miral Rouge (top) and Prestige Black (top).
Cherry
Cherry in perfumery usually recalls the sweet, juicy fruit with a hint of almond-like bitterness from the stone, and is often built from aroma materials rather than extracted from the fruit.
Listed in Dark Extrait (top) and Retaj (top).
Fruits
Fruits is an umbrella term for a group of notes, not one material, covering the juicy, sweet or tart smells of fruit such as apple, pear, peach and berries.
Listed in Rannan VIP (top) and Wood Gray (top).
Pineapple
Tropical, juicy and sweet with a tangy, slightly sharp edge, pineapple brings a sunny fruit note to a blend.
Raspberry
Sweet, tart and jammy, raspberry gives a bright red-fruit smell with a faint floral side.
Listed in Black Secret (top) and Noir (top).
Apple
Crisp, juicy and fresh, the apple note can lean green and tart or round and sweet, depending on the variety it suggests.
Listed in Aris (top).
Blackcurrant
The dark berry of a shrub also known as cassis, blackcurrant smells tart, juicy and a little green.
Listed in Gold Stone (top).
Fig
Fig covers both the green, milky smell of the leaves and branches and the soft, sweet, slightly seedy smell of the ripe fruit, giving a note that is part fruity, part woody and part green.
Listed in Hakem (top).
Mango
Mango is a tropical fruit note that smells juicy, sweet and slightly resinous, with a sunny, peachy quality and sometimes a faint green or turpentine-like edge from the skin.
Listed in Sun (top).
Mulberry
Mulberry is a dark berry note that smells sweet, jammy and slightly tart, often with a soft, earthy depth compared with the brighter, sharper character of raspberry or strawberry.
Listed in Sekoon (top).
Pear
Lightly sweet and juicy, pear has a gentle, watery fruit smell with a slightly green freshness.
Listed in Prestige Ruby (top).
Quince
Quince is a firm, golden fruit that smells tart and honeyed, somewhere between apple and pear, with a slightly floral, waxy and dry edge that is less juicy than most fruit notes.
Listed in Rose de Mai (top).
Flowers
Rose
The petals of the rose give a classic floral smell that can be fresh and dewy, honeyed and rich, or slightly peppery, depending on the variety.
Listed by 16 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with rose
Jasmine
Small white jasmine flowers are picked for their heady fragrance, which is rich, warm and honeyed, with a touch of fruit and a faintly animal warmth.
Listed by 13 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with jasmine
Lily of the valley
Fresh, green and softly floral, lily of the valley, also called muguet, smells of a spring garden after rain, with a dewy lightness.
Listed by 7 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with lily of the valley
Flowers
Flowers is an umbrella term for a group of notes, not one material, standing for the scent of blooms in general, from rose and jasmine to lighter garden and white flowers.
Listed in Fei (heart), Leqaa Al Ahiba (heart), Retaj (heart), Sekoon (heart) and Viola (heart).
Geranium
The leaves of the scented pelargonium give an oil that smells green, rosy and slightly minty, with a lemony freshness.
Listed by 5 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with geranium
Orange blossom
The white flower of the orange tree gives a note that is honeyed, fresh and soft, with a slightly citrusy, green edge.
Listed by 5 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with orange blossom
Iris
The dried root of the iris plant gives the note usually called orris, which is cool, powdery and slightly earthy, with a buttery floral softness.
Listed by 3 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with iris
Neroli
Distilled from the blossom of the bitter orange tree, neroli oil smells fresh, floral and gently bitter, with a hint of citrus and green.
Ylang-ylang
Ylang-ylang flowers come from a tropical tree and give a creamy, sweet and heady smell, with a banana-like fruitiness and a jasmine-like richness.
Gardenia
Creamy, lush and softly fruity, gardenia is a white flower with a rich, slightly green fragrance.
Listed in Aris (heart).
Lotus
Lotus is a water flower whose scent is soft, clean and lightly floral, with a watery, slightly green freshness; the note is usually recreated from aroma materials rather than extracted from the bloom.
Listed in Layal (heart).
Magnolia
Magnolia is a large, creamy flower with a smell that combines soft floral, lemony and slightly woody facets, giving a clean, rounded and gently fresh white floral impression.
Listed in Powdery Fuchsia (heart).
Peony
Soft, rosy and lightly fresh, peony gives a fluffy, watery floral smell with a delicate green and slightly fruity side.
Listed in Rose de Mai (heart).
Violet
Soft, sweet and powdery, violet has a cool floral smell with a green, leafy side and a faint hint of fruit.
Listed in Boisée (top).
Spices, herbs and tea
Pink pepper
Despite the name, pink pepper comes from the dried berries of the Peruvian pepper tree and smells fresh, lightly peppery and a little rosy and citrusy.
Listed by 7 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with pink pepper
Lavender
Lavender is a purple-flowered Mediterranean herb whose oil smells fresh, herbal and floral, with a slightly camphor-like edge.
Listed by 5 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with lavender
Saffron
Saffron consists of the dried stigmas of a crocus flower, and it smells dry, warm and leathery, with a honeyed, slightly metallic edge.
Listed by 5 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with saffron
Ginger
The knobbly root of a tropical plant, ginger smells warm, peppery and zesty, with a fresh, slightly lemony sparkle.
Listed in Prestige Ruby (top) and Serious (top).
Pepper
Dry, sharp and warm, pepper comes from the dried berries of a climbing vine, and has a woody side with a touch of citrus.
Spices
An umbrella term that names a group, not one material, spices usually stand for warm, aromatic seasonings such as cinnamon, clove, cardamom and pepper.
Listed in Abaq (top) and Wood White (top).
Basil
Green, fresh and slightly peppery, basil is a leafy kitchen herb with a gentle sweetness and a hint of aniseed.
Listed in Elbrince (heart).
Cardamom
The seed pods of a plant related to ginger give cardamom its smell, which is spicy, aromatic and slightly sweet, with a cool, eucalyptus-like freshness.
Listed in Maany (top).
Cinnamon
Cinnamon comes from the dried inner bark of a tropical tree and smells warm, sweet and spicy, with a faintly woody edge.
Listed in Dark Extrait (heart).
Davana
Davana is an aromatic plant from India whose oil smells fruity and herbaceous, with warm facets of dried fruit, apple and sweet spice, and a slightly boozy, tobacco-like depth.
Listed in Dark Extrait (top).
Sage
The silvery leaves of the sage herb give a dry, green and aromatic note, with a faint camphor-like and earthy quality.
Listed in Sea (heart).
Tea
Tea in perfumery suggests the dry, leafy smell of an infusion, soft and slightly bitter, without naming a particular variety.
Listed in Serious (heart).
Woods and moss
Patchouli
The leaves of a tropical herb give patchouli its smell, which is earthy, dark and woody, with a damp, sweet and slightly camphor-like side.
Listed by 16 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with patchouli
Sandalwood
The heartwood of the sandalwood tree gives a creamy, soft and slightly milky woody smell with a faint sweetness.
Listed by 10 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with sandalwood
Cedarwood
Dry, clean and lightly resinous, cedarwood has the scent of freshly sharpened pencils, with a warm woody sweetness underneath.
Listed by 8 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with cedarwood
Oud
Formed in agarwood trees as a reaction to a fungal infection, oud is a dark, resinous wood that smells deep, smoky and slightly animalic.
Listed by 5 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with oud
Oakmoss
A pale lichen that grows on oak trees, oakmoss smells earthy, damp and mossy, with a sweet, slightly leathery forest-floor depth.
Listed by 4 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with oakmoss
Vetiver
Extracted from the roots of a tall tropical grass, vetiver smells earthy, smoky and woody, with a green, slightly bitter freshness.
Listed by 4 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with vetiver
Woody notes
An umbrella term for a group, not one material, woody notes stands for the dry, warm or creamy smells of woods such as cedar or sandalwood.
Akigalawood
Among modern woody aroma ingredients, akigalawood smells dry, woody and peppery, with a hint of spice and a slightly earthy undertone.
Listed in Serious (base).
Cypress
A tall evergreen conifer, cypress gives a fresh, green and resinous smell that is woody, slightly piney and aromatic.
Listed in Boisée (heart).
Amber, resins and incense
Amber
Not a single material but a warm, sweet accord, amber is typically built from resins such as labdanum and benzoin, with a soft, powdery, vanilla-like glow.
Listed by 15 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with amber
Labdanum
Gathered from the rock-rose shrub as a sticky resin, labdanum smells warm, ambery and sweet, with leathery, slightly animal and honeyed tones.
Listed by 3 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with labdanum
Incense
Incense comes from the dried resin of Boswellia trees, also called olibanum or frankincense, and smells smoky, dry and resinous, with a faint lemony freshness.
Elemi
Elemi is a tree resin from the Philippines that smells fresh, lemony and peppery, with a light, balsamic, incense-like character.
Listed in Night Oud (top).
Leather and tobacco
Leather
Built from smoky, resinous and tarry ingredients rather than real hide, the leather note smells dry, warm and slightly animalic.
Listed by 8 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with leather
Vanilla and sweet notes
Vanilla
Cured pods of a climbing orchid give vanilla its smell, which is sweet, creamy, warm and comforting, with a soft, slightly smoky depth.
Listed by 15 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with vanilla
Caramel
Based on the smell of cooked sugar, the caramel note is sweet, toasty and buttery, with a faint burnt edge.
Listed by 7 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with caramel
Tonka bean
The seed of a South American tree, tonka bean smells sweet and warm, like a mix of vanilla, almond and freshly cut hay.
Listed by 4 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with tonka bean
Cocoa
Cocoa smells of dark, slightly bitter chocolate, with roasted, powdery and faintly sweet facets that range from dry and earthy to rich and creamy depending on the other notes around it.
Listed in Solin (base).
Musk and aroma molecules
Musk
Synthetic molecules supply most musk today, and the note smells soft, smooth and skin-like, from clean and powdery to warm and slightly sweet.
Listed by 24 scents. All Al Majed Oud perfumes with musk
Ambroxan
Warm, dry and slightly salty, ambroxan is a modern woody-ambery aroma molecule with a smooth, skin-like mineral quality.
Listed in Sahara Rose (base).
Cashmeran
Cashmeran is a modern aroma material that smells woody, musky and softly spicy, with a warm, slightly fruity and velvety character often described as like a soft cashmere wool.
Listed in Miral Rouge (base).
Marine and mineral notes
Caviar accord
Caviar accord is an accord, a made-up blend rather than a single material, built to suggest a salty, marine and slightly creamy character in the manner of the sea.
Listed in Dark Extrait (top).
Marine notes
A collective term for the effect of sea air rather than one material, marine notes stands for fresh, salty, watery and slightly mineral smells.
Listed in Wood Gray (top).
Notes and families
A note list tells you what a perfume is built from; the family tells you where it is heading. The range is sorted both ways: see Al Majed Oud perfumes by scent family.
Top, heart and base
Top notes are what you smell straight after spraying. Heart notes follow once those have faded. Base notes stay the longest. A note list tells you what a perfume is built from, not how it will smell on your skin; for that there is no substitute for trying it.
Collective terms such as woody notes, spices or powdery notes are in the glossary as well. They name an effect or a group without naming one material, so this guide does not count them when it compares two scents.
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