Outcast Blue Eau de Parfum by Ex Nihilo

A pleasant happy aromatic woody scent. The scent opens with aromatic notes of saffron and pink pepper before moving to a heart of vetiver and lily of the valley. It settles on a base of cedar, sandalwood, oakmoss, slight tobacco and patchouli. Not overpowering but lingers on forever leaving a joyful aura around you. The masculine leaning scent has moderate to strong sillage and excellent longevity. Enjoy!

Ex Nihilo, whilst not groundbreaking, do make some quality fragrances, albeit overpriced.

On paper, I thought this would be up my street and, eventually, I was right. I say eventually, as when first applied I got a semi-sweet amber scent with slight vanilla nuances and a strong saffron note with its leather facets, bordering on rubber, which I found a bit disconcerting. This wasn’t what I was expecting from the reviews or fragrance accords listed at the top of this page. Fortunately, this aspect fades quite quickly and I’m left with a wonderful masculine creamy amber sandalwood smell with a touch of tobacco that is really quite appealing. It almost has a caramel chewiness without being gourmand. The drydown is quite different from the top so don’t be put off from the initial spray.

It’s not overly complex and, as mentioned, not particularly groundbreaking but it’s very pleasing and comforting in a familiar way and yet manages to smell classy at the same time. It’s also versatile and can be used in various situations and in different seasons. I get excellent longevity with moderate projection that creates a noticeable scent bubble, without it having to shout it’s presence. I like this a lot, even if it threw me at first. As always with Ex Nihilo, it’s a sophisticated presentation with an excellent atomiser.