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vlad311 – :
I agree with some of the previous reviewers. This is very rosy, which could be fine, except this is a heavy, smothering rose, not a light, sharp rose. There is not enough oud in the mix (if that is your preference, and mine is). The incense is faint but present. This might be good to layer with something more manly like Montale Dark Aoud, for example.
I also agree with another reviewer who said this reminded them of the rose note in some MFK fragrances. The MFK rose is another suffocating rose that put me off the MFK ouds totally. This one is nowhere near as bad.
I do like this fragrance but I’d prefer to smell it on my girlfriend than on myself. In fact, when she sniffed it, she liked it immediately.
FDS – :
Overwhelmingly blowsy, outrageously deep crimson-purple rose petals – so forcefully feminine that on my skin, Mr Oud only makes the briefest appearance for the first hour before Mrs Damascus smothers him completely. It’s a really rich and spicy rose, luxurious and adult enough for those who don’t like light girly florals, but for me the balance is out of whack. Diptyque Oud Palao is the perfume that this wants to be – the Diptyque having more complex and richer ‘shapes’ in both oud and rose departments, with the oud doing its half of the work. The Montale is just fine, and not bad for the price, but a bit lacking in oudy oomph for my taste.
Gypehieseeale – :
This is my favorite rose from Montale!
(Highness Rose 2nd & Intense Roses Musk 3rd)
To me it’s quite different from Black Aoud and more in line with MFK Oud Silk Mood (but better), or even Eternal Oud by Kilian with extra rose and almost no musk, and yes, quite similar to Rasasi “Mukhallat Oudh” Al Mubakhhar (NOT “Oud” Al Mubakhhar) in the middle stage.
GAW – :
Montale Damascus Aoud is strikingly similar to Black Oud to my nose, a rose/oud mix that’s well blended and strong.
Not terribly special but quite agreeable, frankincense is another listed note, though the base is not so distinctly oud or or incense but rather a muddled combination of both.
I’d probably given Black Aoud the edge over Aoud Damascus, though Aoud Damascus may suit some better than Black Aoud–they’re similar enough that it’s just a matter of taste and preference. Perhaps sample both if you’re looking for a rose/oud combination from this house.
7 out of 10
all-noob – :
Fortunately…I never had a cat sit on my face .
dimon1123581321 – :
I’ve smelled this before, you know how cats sometimes sit on your face when you sleep, yeah that’s it. Fecal, wash before people get the wrong impression about you and your cat. Only third time I have scrubbed, secretions and kouros being the only other two.
Daredevil777 – :
This was my fragrance of choice after sampling a slew of Montales from the perfumed court. I sampled Roses Musk, Black Aoud, Aoud Queen Rose, Crystal Flowers and Velvet Flowers. But this had just the right balance of rose and oud. This, to my western nose, smells like a beautiful, exotic Arabian perfume. This is the ‘essence’ of that middle eastern culture- the right accord that I was looking for. But at the same time it is gentle enough to not overpower with the medicinal aspect of the oud note. The oud is spicey and velvety. I must give this several more wearings in order to properly learn its nuances. And I will possibly update then.
zerdan – :
Thought I would try another Montale fragrance, as I am in search of an affordable, resinous, “dark rose” (with oud, which I like a lot but not as a stand-alone note) fragrance. I guess I am missing something because I do not get what all the excitement is with Montale fragrances but this is just another “no-go” or “meh” for me.
I agree with a few other reviewers that Aoud Damascus is a relatively common woodsy-rose-oud fragrance and rather “old school” in nature with a “been there, done that” character.
This is my fourth Montale try and like the others, I found the opening notes extremely harsh, almost aldehydic and very synthetic in nature. Overwhelming rose notes (which is alright ’cause this IS a rose fragrance) blast onto the skin with no mercy. Montale fragrances actually hurt my nose. With lots ‘n lots of rose, frankincense and spicy notes try emerging. The entire potion is quickly grounded by a resinous wood. That’s about it. After 90 minutes or so, it was all over…done.
Expecting great silage and incredible longevity, I experienced adequate silage but poor longevity. Also similar to other reviewers’ experiences, the entire concoction landed as a powdery, rather linear, cloying rose fragrance that ended quickly.
Perhaps it is just my chemistry but Montale fragrances and I do not seem to get along. This is a pass.
Ajdar212 – :
the damask rose overpowers all of the other ingredients, and tends to be borderline too sweet…reminds me of the rose that kurkdjian uses in his ‘oud mood’ perfumes…high quality and potent. probably a little too rose-centric for mine…
vladika – :
I find this to be rather stale smelling at first impression. Really old lady, a little soap, like opening a bath cabinet from the 1950’s and finding high end rose otto fragrance that’s gone stale. The rose a little too sharp for my liking and too much at the top end and not enough oomph in the base. Too bad. I really wanted to like this one.
ohimatomuf – :
Like how Comptoir’s vanilla based scents all seem to morph into each other after a while, I feel the same with Montale’s ouds. This does not mean I think they are unworthy of a full bottle, I just am confused after a while which to pick! Having been introduced to oud since my years in university surrounded by Arab friends who positively bathed in the stuff, I truly appreciate the rich, somewhat oily quality of a good oud. Suffice to say, Montale’s ouds pass the quality test although of course, not the best of the best, since the best would obviously be way too expensive for even a supposed niche market. Damascus brims with oud, a great slightly yeasty smell that’s almost pungent but stops short of being noxious. Once my nose becomes accustomed to the oud, only then do I pick up the rose. Other notes here are lost to me but I am quite content with my rose-oud combination that is so rich to the point of being obnoxious. Longevity is unquestionable, I got eight hours and counting, sillage I find strangely rather close but that could be because I was rather careful with the application(an overdose of oud requires bleach to remove). Overall, a scent worthy of a full bottle but for not for me. I would still go after Queen Roses, where the rose battles more fiercely for the limelight with the oud.
Beedezoowly – :
reminds of something.. drydown of some inexpensive man’s perfume. However, the dry powdery spicyness – Rose just just lingering, as in hot Middle Eastern evening. Nice idea. I would not buy full bottle, but worth trying. I am not fan of montale, but this is not the worst of the brand.
kostikla – :
WOW!!!! One of the most beautiful and noble fragrances that i have ever tried!! Love it in the beginning and ADORE it after half an hour – wood and spices are melting into something soft and sexy on my skin! Mrrrrrr….
NafanyaMaster – :
To me, this is the most subtle of all the Montale ouds. The oud provides a perfect base the sweet and sultry Damascus rose. The saffron is subtle and warming. A great fragrance, and a perfect signature for those who love unique rose scents.
sgarelov – :
Edit, I must say..this is also quite masculine, aoud is too much for a feminine fragrance IMO.
Rose&Aoud, tremendous sillage, I applied this morning at 8.30. AM and it is going stronger. Those Montales are definnately worth the bucks:))
I wish Roses Musk had the same sillage.If you like your Roses black, than this is it.Go light on the spray…
propovednik-08 – :
AOUD DAMASCUS is the aoudiest of the Montale aoud-rose perfumes I’ve tried, with a dark, oily, leather-like aoud note much more prominent in the opening than is the rose. Initially this seems like a less feminine composition which would work well for women or men, and some women may actually find the opening too masculine. I, on the other hand, like even the opening of AOUD DAMASCUS a lot, though not as much as Juliette Has a Gun MIDNIGHT OUDH, which masterfully plays the aoud and the rose off one another from start to finish.
I’m finding that the Montale aoud-rose perfumes tend to focus on one or the other of these notes rather than giving them equal prominence at the same time. (okay: that’s a weak induction on three cases…) Here it is the aoud which steals the show early on, while the rose is more like an understudy waiting on the sidelines-—important but not that memorable. But then the rose takes over, as though she hired a hit man to pick off her rival, aoud, so that she could finally share her talents with the world.
The sillage of AOUD DAMASCUS is medium and the longevity pretty good, thanks to the oiliness of the aoud. I’ll put this on my “wait and re-sniff” list for now…
Рыжая Катрин – :
I imagine Ms Damascus is lolling around in bed after an afternoon of hanky-panky with Mr Oud. She is spent, indolent & entirely relaxed in herself.
Admist the woods & the roses, this had some strange, sweet, naughty, post-coitus ladies bedroom kind of smell which made me feel a bit uncomfortable, like I had accidentally witnessed something I shouldn’t have.
A bit like Olibanum who is a silent voyeur lurking in the corner, only breathing heavily occasionally (I certainly did not get much incense or spice here). Maybe I felt his influence more than smelt it?
Most of the action for my skin happens in the first couple of hours because the scent is now soft & retreating. The oud seems to have drifted off to sleep and rose is keeping quiet, trying not to wake him.
kvin22 – :
First I get a nice scent of oud, than what smell like nice woody notes (must be the oud and olibanum) than a soft, lovely rose. It smells more complex than 3 notes would suggest. It is long lasting. This is another bewitching scent from Montale. My test samples are a treasure trove!
marsel-g – :
Whoa…. this one took me by surprise. In fact, this is my first personal encounter with any aoud fragrance and it’s DEFINITELY something that I can get into. I can detect the aoud in this and I love it with the incense. THIS is THE rose fragrance I’ve been looking for. I only applied a few swipes onto my index finger and everyone that I’ve come into contact with has been in awe from this beautiful scent. It doesn’t take a genius to know high quality when he smells it. I will have this one. Special thanks to Gojira for the sample….
citiservis – :
this is my first test of Montale, and i find Aoud Damascus absolutely gorgeous. It is quite feminine, soft and warm, but not light; strong oriental rose, frankincense is subtle, but adds some “darkness” to the composition))very balanced and refined scent!
Komacho – :
Very well balanced between Rose and Aoud. I can’t detect other notes. I dont think it’s unisex, its more femenine IMO.
Unfortunately on my woman’s skin it did not last more than 1 hour and even on clothes it last 2 hours max…
Skin chemestry I guess.
7/10
Avoisyloala – :
I”m now going on 12 hours of wearing this scent and there is still no sign of fading, and no change in consistency. This is one perfume that is very much worth the price tag. This is my first experience with Oud, and I like it, but I have nothing to compare it to. overall I like the rose/oud balance, and give this scent an 8 out of 10.
DiaStalker – :
very oriental rose , great lasting power i love it, a dark rose with something sad and nostalgic, maybe this description is very personnal but it still scents like something old and precious
neki3os – :
Aoud Damascus is one of my fave Montale together with Aoud Queen Rose. I first smelled these two and Aoud Rose Petal.
This last one I couldn’t bear because it’s too pungent and it smell like concentrated lemon dishwashing powder!
Aoud Queen Rose was my choice, I bought it and never regretted, although is not a well understood scent in my surroundings. Aoud Damascus is a different story… I own some samples I need to smell from time to time. It’s a very warm, enveloping, wooden rose that strongly reminds of Middle Eastern. It smells very heartly, still aristocratic and a little on its own, not of the crowd. I imagine a richly dressed, strong-minded, generous person in it. I see a window in an oriental palace, dark room on a sunny day and this person looking through on his/her land. I consider this a feminine scent according to our culture, because of the strong rose note, but such a person could be either a woman or a man.
For sure Aoud Damascus is a scent od distinction. Perfect for an elegant evening and for intimate life, I wouldn’t wear it everyday at the office, mostly because these scents are very expensive and my surroundings during the day are not very fond of perfume in general. and I hate my lovely scents to be eaten up by air conditioning!
forest1973 – :
I like this perfume, the rose is dark and soft, without sharpness of oud, with velvet mysterious olibanum.
Aoud roses petals is more lighter and sharper, with pronounced cold and antiseptic oud.
anystreet2012 – :
My favorite of the Montale oud line – dusky rose underlined by oud and incense. Heavenly.