Wood Castle

Wood Castle opens on a strong, creamy cedar - the signature of Roberto Cavalli's Oud al Qasr - here in budget form. The oud is more of a smooth, woody accord than a sharp medicinal oil, threading through the heart alongside a resinous labdanum that lends a warm, slightly leathery depth. The drydown is the cosy heart of the scent: labdanum and pure vanilla rounding the cedar into a warm, elixir-like sweetness, that opulent woody-oriental finish reviewers love in the original. Where Oud al Qasr is famous for off-the-charts longevity and lovely projection despite its softness, this take reads flatter and more linear, the cedar thinner and the vanilla simpler, settling closer to the skin. Still, it captures the mysterious, creamy woody-oriental warmth of the original - lovely for autumn and winter evenings - at a fraction of the designer price, even if the plush, all-day depth of Oud al Qasr is only suggested.