Note Pyramid
Oud Patchouli
Alyssa Ashley Oud Patchouli Eau de Parfum sits at the opposite end of the brand's range from the soft clean scents it is best known for, and it makes no apology for that. Rose and pink pepper open it. The rose is deep and slightly jammy, and the pink pepper beside it is dry and sparkling rather than hot, which gives the first minutes a lift before the composition closes in. Geranium follows with a green rosy sharpness, labdanum brings resin and a faintly leathery edge, and saffron adds the dry, faintly bitter, almost metallic quality that always makes a rose read as more serious than it would alone.
Then the base, and there are five materials in it doing heavy work. Oud is the lead, used in its smooth modern form, dark and slightly medicinal with guaiac wood and sandalwood behind it. Patchouli adds earth and a sweet mustiness, guaiac wood a smoky, tarry dryness, vetiver a bitter root quality, and sandalwood smooths the whole arrangement with its creaminess. The last two hours are dry, dark and resinous. At eau de parfum strength this has real presence and genuine longevity, and it is the most assertive thing the brand makes. One or two sprays are enough, and it marks clothing. Autumn and winter are its seasons and evening is its hour. It reads unisex, and it will appeal to anyone who has come to the rose and oud pairing through the Middle Eastern houses and wants a version at a more approachable price.
Alyssa Ashley is the work of Enrico Donati, a surrealist painter from Italy who put it together under the House of Houbigant in 1969 and named it for his daughter. In 2005 the Perris family added Houbigant Paris to its holdings, and in 2019 Consuelo Perris assumed control of the brand.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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