La Collection M7 Oud Absolu FOR MEN by Yves Saint Laurent - 81 ml EDT Spray

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She says: […] on the right day, it is one of my very favorite fragrances for men. [¶] As with most fragrances containing agarwood, it starts with a bit of a medicinal edge, but that fades along with the short-lived citrus top notes. After that, it is dark, warm, and dry, with a mild spiciness and deep earthy woods. To my nose, it isn’t heavy in the least, but it does make a statement, and the intensity of the vetiver and agarwood are not likely to suit you unless you like both notes. [¶] It is rare that I find a scent too masculine to wear, but M7 probably qualifies on that score. I do wear it, but I rarely wear it out of the house. On a man, it is one of the sexiest fragrances I can think of. But today the chef is trying something new. He exchanges the starter and the dessert and remains behind a new experience. I would still call the first two my "bosses". Again and again and again I have tested scents that included these two, but I just (mostly) never could really get used to them, which hasn't changed until today. On the one hand the feeling as if the oud would bring a depth and maturity into the perfume which makes it a very noble perfume and on the other hand as if the whole menu would be served in a cowshed. Oud is something special. In this combination, with the fruits and the salt, it is converted to mass production. In the base, I find it to be balsamic-sweet and spicy-warm, which should be due to the myrrh and amber. The freshness from the opening is retained throughout the fragrance, although not as strong as at the beginning

Since reading is very helpful and promotes knowledge if you don't just read trashy novels, I was soon smarter. I can't deny it, there is a certain melancholy in M7 Oud Absolu. It is not a fragrance that is sad, oh no. But due to the interplay of dry citrus fruits with the serious resins and spices, the cheerfulness is a bit cloudy and cloudy. I wear on the arm so a sail dew bracelet which I like to spray, here I take the scent good 4-5 hours again and again perceive. As for other comments on Fragrantica, you may be interested to know that a large number of people write about the “cherry cola” opening to M7; a small amount mention that they smell lavender, florals or incense (which supports my argument that M7 has perhaps double the officially listed notes); and a handful talk about how it is fleeting in nature. Women love to wear it on themselves as much as they love to smell it on men. In fact, in a He Said/She Said assessment of vintage M7 on Now Smell This, the male reviewer thought it was simply too, too much, while the female one adored it:

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I think this is one of the most unisex ouds I’ve come across in a while, short of the purely, totally feminine stuff with heaps of roses (like Mohur) which only have a portion of oud amidst all the notes. But in terms of oud-centered fragrances, this is totally something that can be worn by women. At least, based upon how it was on my skin which often amplifies base notes and power notes (like oud). I truly didn’t find it to be hugely masculine but, rather, a very spicy oriental woody fragrance. And I think it would be beautiful on women. With the Santal Royal by Guerlain and Intense Oud by Gucci I owned two other oud-heavy treasures besides the M7 for a long time, but in the end I passed them on, because the Santal Royal was simply too leathery and the Intense Oud was too sour because of the saffron (I also wanted to reduce my collection, which fortunately went well for me recently). But some time ago I sniffed at him for the first time and was very surprised, in a positive sense. So surprised that I said to myself: "Oh, it's beautiful. Not the way oud usually smells." In terms of occasions, it is suitable for work (but if so, then only in a discreet dosage, as it has power), everyday life (preferably with a little more chic clothing), as well as the evening to go out.

Anyway, that's how I perceived it at the time, it smelled spicy, warm, oriental. At first the scent startled me, but even when it was my turn I perceived the scent as very pleasant and masculine. Every time the door opened and the hot, sultry air of the street blew in, the spicy oriental was again noticeable. For those of you who are more at war with Oud, I can recommend that you try a test here. Nothing is really disturbing here I see the fragrance preferentially in autumn and in not too cold winter. And you can't smell it on every street cornerWhat we have with the original M7 is — without a doubt — the template for many of the fragrances that Tom Ford would go on to put out under his personal label. The closest and most obvious progeny is his Private Blend Oud Wood, but there are also traces of M7’s impact in Tobacco Vanille, Café Rose, and even to a minor extent, the new Sahara Noir fragrances. I have no doubt that M7 was a work of love for Tom Ford, even if he didn’t actually blend all the notes together himself. For this, his very first fragrance, he must have directed Jacques Cavalier and Alberto Morillas to include all his favorite notes or combinations: oud with cardamom; oud with labdanum; oud with frankincense; labdanum and frankincense; a jammy rose with bitter, earthy elements; woody notes with vanilla and vetiver; and more. M7 is a roadmap that branches out to all sorts of Private Blend fragrances, but, honestly, it is better than almost all of them with two exceptions: sillage and longevity. On my skin (which admittedly is wonky) M7 had maybe 0.01% of most Private Blends’ potency and duration. I’ve often said that Tom Ford’s Oud Wood was an attempt to remedy the mistakes he went through with M7 but, clearly, he also decided to make up for M7’s sheer body and lifespan as well. Is Oud Wood a better fragrance? That’s a personal, subjective matter. I think it’s a very different fragrance; and I much prefer M7.