Best Oud 27 by Le Labo Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

The lush Indonesian rainforest is home to the palm civet, a small mammal that eats coffee beans which, once excreted, are harvested for their malty flavour. Kopi Luwak is inspired by this connoisseur’s beverage, with rich coffee notes mingling with animalic civet. Incense and oud underscore the fermented darkness, with dark amber and aged vanilla adding a sweaty sweetness.

Stone Cap: 100% Picasso quartz

A sultry heat wafts across the land, lapped up greedily by the abundant flora that thrives in its midst. Trees soar to majestic heights and plants flower for the first time, their petals spreading to give birth to a world rich in diversity. The Cretaceous period comes of age against a backdrop scorched by wildfire and lightning strikes. Over this turbulent landscape, a massive predator looms. Giants rule the earth, but even giants can be cut down within the powerful jaws of the fearsome tyrannosaur. Standing tall, the terrifying beast fears nothing, until that pivotal moment when a fire in the sky signals the end of their deadly reign.

Zoologist Tyrannosaurus Rex is a gargantuan scent that sinks its teeth into the world of delicate fragrances and rips it wide open. Primitive woods and florals seize you and snatch you away to an ancient era. Smoky, charred wood warns of the danger of smouldering fire, setting your senses on edge, while droplets of metallic rose oxide offer a chilling premonition of blood-lust. The mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex is sometimes menacing, sometimes fascinating, but never, ever ordinary.

Arabesque takes you on a journey through the enchanting and mystical Middle East by way of flowers, fruits and woods entwined together. Inspired by the most beautifully carved arabesque's of Islamic art. A heart of rose and jasmine absolute dance together to create a sense of well-being and serenity while patchouli and oud transports you to another world.

As the sun sinks over the dense tropical forest, civets emerge warily from the thickets. Under a carpet of narcotic flower blossoms, a smattering of coffee berries peppers the ground. The moist air is heavy with mossy aromas that penetrate every crevice, but the musky scent of the civets dominates; their marked territory daring one to enter at one’s own risk.

Civet pays homage to the age-old ingredient, civet, as well as chypre perfumes of bygone days – perfumes that refused to be intimidated by raw, alluring, animalistic musks. Civet is a moody and complex brew entwined in mystery. It opens with a spicy floral accord, threaded through with dark coffee tones. Slowly it prowls forward, unraveling base notes of leather, moss and vanilla that combines with distinctive civet musk to create a bewildering, sophisticated scent with the promise of a sultry nighttime rendezvous.

Perfumer: Shelley Waddington

A rustic sauna on a windswept beach. Outside, the air carries salty ocean waves and the bitter burnt wood of extinguished bonfires. Inside, there’s mineral steam, herbal tinctures and damp skin. Rare ambergris and a cluster of exotic ouds suggest seaweed, leather and sex.

Limited to 40 bottles 58% extrait.

Blended with

Natuna wild oud,
Pontianak wild oud,
Vintage Merauke wild oud,
Ambergris absolute,
Immortelle essential oil,
Myrrh tincture,
Okoume tincture,
Buckwheat tincture,
Caper absolute,
Marigold absolute,
Aloe resin tincture,
Salsola soda tincture,
Seaweed absolute,
Onycha absolute,
Robinia pseudoacacia tincture,
Gardenia absolute,
Jasmine sambac absolute,
Myrtle tincture,
Citron essential oil

Important notice:

Zanini blends are living botanical compositions, crafted entirely from natural materials and free from synthetic fixatives or stabilizers. As with all things living, subtle variations are part of their nature: over time, you may notice a gentle evolution in colour, texture, or the appearance of natural sediment. These are not imperfections, but part of the character of the raw materials themselves.

These blends are olfactive smellscapes (but neither aromatherapy, nor ‘spray-and-go’ perfumes) and sensory experiences, closer to works of art created in the scented plane (rather than, say, visual or audio).

Certain essential oils and absolutes that are used in Zanini’s 100% natural blends may potentially cause allergies in some people. Please spray Zanini’s blends on fabric (on sleeves, scarves, etc.). 

Zanini advise that those who are prone to allergic reactions, pregnant and nursing women, as well as people with chronic illnesses to be extra careful. Before trying natural blends, study the list of ingredients and consult with a doctor if you are not sure or a had a history of allergies. If you do decide to put these blends on your skin (unable to resist the temptation) always test the blend on the inside part of your elbow first and wait.

Do not spray these blends liberally as a cloud in the way you would spray a conventional perfume. Zanini’s smellscapes need to be… carefully applied and experienced. Be mindful that some oils can also make your skin hyper-sensitive to UV.

Nawab of Oudh is part of the Four Corners of the Earth collection and represents India, the land that gives us oud, a plethora of spices, and so many beautiful flowers.

The name of the perfume can be interpreted in two ways. It’s a literal reference to the rich history and culture of India: hawab or nabob meaning ‘the ruler’, and Oudh the historical name of the modern day Uttar Pradesh region. However, given the current fashion for oud perfumes, you can interpret the name “the oud to rule them all’.

Nawab of Oudh has the complex architecture of many ingredients, surrounding the oud heart deep within. And on the way there, you will travel through layers of cardamom and other fresh spices, extravagant garlands of exotic flowers, the sea breeze of ambergris, and more.

The elixir is also exceptionally concentrated, at 42% - hence the 'intensivo' in the title.

L’Eau Guerrière water as a warrior. A transparent, fresh incense, an eau infused with dry wood. This could have been the scent of an ancient Oracle ritual: the fumes of burning incense, the aroma of laurel branches and sweet noble resins gently releasing their fragrance.

Inspired by the ‘white gold’ that appears occasionally on Scottish beaches and the alchemy of time & tide, The Grudge finds beauty in the unexpected: the journey of ambergris from the rectum of the sperm whale, rolled on the tide, retrieved from a beach and tinctured into a bottle. A metaphor for the alchemy of presence; forgiveness; peace.

Separately, the aromas of rose, pear, patchouli, strawberry, vanilla and sandalwood are objectively appealing. But combined with fecal civet, rotting cucumber and burnt rubber, V.I.T.R.I.O.L. evokes the odour of a garbage dump where a man is digging his own grave.

A tribute to the peace and harmony of a late summer afternoon; a fragrance that is pure, serene and enveloping.

A peaceful stroll through the wheat fields and almond trees as the light of a summer day wanes and the warmth of the air caresses your skin… Admiring the beauty of the sun as it starts dipping behind the rolling hills and bunches of wild roses and geraniums color the dimming countryside.

Their bountiful blooms release subtle droplets of nectar that float in the air and blend with the earthy scent of freshly cut wood, invading the early night…