Oud Galore
Oud, what is it? You’ve probably come across an oud fragrance or oil in your last peruse through the fragrance department. The resinous wood is becoming increasingly popular in formulations today, often used as a base note in a rich, luxurious scent. The purest ouds will come as a concentrated gold tone oil, where only a few dabs are needed for long-lasting sillage. Oud is powerful, some will say it’s too strong, but if you like a fragrance with power and lust, look no further. Today, I’m going to walk you through what oud is and some of the most unique oud-based fragrances today.
Let’s start with understanding oud’s origin. The irony of oud being such a beautiful scent comes from the fact that it’s actually the byproduct of an infected tree, specifically the Aquilaria tree. When an Aquilaria become infected with a specific mold parasite, it produces an aromatic resin on the wood, which is what we know as oud. An oud’s scent will vary depending on many factors — climate in the Aquilaria’s growing region, the tree’s age and soil composition, the amount of time passed since infection and the oxidation of the resin— to name a few. For example, Aquilarias grown in hotter, humid climates create a sweeter oud than those in hot, dry climates and older trees tend to produce richer scents than their nascent counterparts. The distillation method adds another layer of variability in determining the final scent of the oud. The extraction process must be meticulously executed to produce a pure oud, making oud expensive to produce. Those costs ultimately flow through to the end consumer where you’ll find that the more authentic the oud, the higher the price point.
Ouds at their core have a rich and deep personality, which is what makes them sensual but also valorized by the glitterati and royalty of various Middle Eastern and Eastern cultures. Today, oud remains a hallmark in those parts of the world, but its allure has become global with many top perfume brands offering at least one oud in their collection. Now, there are a lot of ouds out there and no oud will ever smell the same, but I’ve smelled at least 100+ ouds to evaluate which unisex formulations are both unique yet have a universal cultural appeal.
Musk Oud
by Kilian Paris
$460
Musk Oud is a mesmerizing classic in Kilian’s ‘Smokes’ family which marries the heritage of Hennessy liquors like cognac with Arabian incenses like Bakhoor and tobacco. Musk Oud tends to appeal to more men than women due to the spiciness of the musk and patchouli mixed with the oud base. One whiff captures the essence of the adjective ‘handsome.’ It’s a fresher oud with floral top notes of rose and geranium, hints of a dark liquor, and wafts of davana, a long lasting fruity herb. This oud will still be rich but more fresh, dry, and spicy than sweet and warm.
Oud Ispahan
by Christian Dior
$330
While Musk Oud may be more favored by men, Oud Ispahan is the favored oud by women. If Musk Oud screams handsome, Oud Ispahan screams sexy sophistication. Oud Ispahan is a star in Dior’s La Collection Privée, centered in roses, sandalwood, and oud. The woodiness of the oud is cut by the sweetness of sultry roses from Damascus, Syria. The roses are sweetened by labdanum, a resin similar to oud that exudes amber, honey notes and adds a creaminess to the formulation. Oud Ispahan is potent, Arabian at its core, and luscious in all the best ways.
Opus V Woods Symphony
by Amouage
$380
To understand Opus V Woods Symphony, you have to understand the ethos behind the brand Amouage. Created by Sayyid Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi in collaboration with Oman Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Amouage was created to bring Oman’s heritage in perfumery to the global stage. The essence of Opus is centered in craftsmanship. The oud is a drier variation due to its harvesting —6 weeks of aging and 3 weeks of maceration to create a ~25% concentrated oud oil base. Opus is similar to Oud Ispahan in its use of rose, but differs by adding jasmine, rum, and orris, which gives a dry, iris-like smell. Inspired by a library, Opus is dry, woody, and somewhat floral just like a collection of vintage books.
Halfeti Leather
by Penhaligon’s
$290
Penhalighan’s holds deep reverence in British tradition and luxury goods history dating back to its founding in 1870. Penhaligan’s first ever perfume was Hammam Bouquet, a floral and spicy scent inspired by William Penhaligan’s experience in Turkish hammams (baths). I mention this because Halfeti Leather almost feels as if it’s a reincarnation of Hammam Bouquet paying homage to the brand’s founder. Halfeti Leather is the younger sister to the original Halfeti perfume, enhancing the oud base with a leather accord. Both Halfeti scents are inspired by journeys to the namesake city in Turkey, reminiscent of the inception story behind Hamman Bouquet. Halfeti Leather is definitely an intense, more masculine leaning perfume although I think it settles quite nicely on women as well. Meant to embody the ‘haze of the bazaar,’ Halfeti Leather is deep, warm, and spicy. The top notes you’ll smell initially are light florals like lavender and sage that are sweetened with amber and plum. The woody base is built with oud, leather, and cedar which is topped with rose and spices like cardamon, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cumin. If you’re looking for a strong gourmand-dominant fragrance, look no further than Halfeti Leather.
$240
Tom Ford is reknown for the popularity of its oud and leather-based fragrances. Many are familiar with the signature best seller Oud Wood, which undoubtedly is a delicious, sensual staple, but the brand’s relationship with ouds is ever evolving in creative ways. Tom Ford recently relaunched Oud Minérale, which takes oud but gives it a fresh oceanic twist. Most oud-based fragrances tend to lean into the natural richness of the resin, layering it with spices and sweet notes, which is why Oud Minérale is a truly unique scent. Oud Minérale managed to take ouds in a new, enticing direction — towards the natural aquatic world for a refreshing twist. The oud’s depth is challenged by notes of refreshing pink peppercorn, fir, and styrax which gives a balsamic edge. All in all, you get a revitalizing oud that remains categorically rich but feels new age.
Oud Satin Mood
by MFK
$315
Oud Satin Mood is an all around winner as far as unisex ouds go. Men and women tend to like this oud equally. While many ouds tend to be louder and deeper in nature, this oud is smooth, light, and warm. The oud is softened by violet, rose, vanilla, amber, and benzoin, which gives a warm caramel and vanilla scent. The fragrance was developed for wearers to feel like they’re enveloping themselves in a rich fabric like silk or satin. The amber and vanilla are the more dominant notes outside the oud. If you’re looking for a perfume with depth that’s not too overwhelming and leaves a soft sophisticated linger, Oud Satin Mood is your winner.
Oud Khôl
by Guerlain
$395
It’s no surprise that Guerlain, one of the longest-standing premiere fragrance maisons and lauded embodiment of savoir faire in the beauty world, has one of the most potent and exquisite ouds in the market. Oud Khol is a strong, bold, and exquisitely rich fragrance that truly feels like a million bucks. Khol, the Arabic word for the deep charcoal used as eyeliner, is a fitting dovetail demonstrating both the intensity of this oud and its homage to bakhoor, Arabian incenses.
This oud is more animalic in nature given the oud comes from Bangladesh, which tends to produce drier earthy ouds with a more muted sweetness profile. To amplify the oud, Guerlain added caramelized praline, musk, and leather to drive the intensity and long-lasting nature of the parfum. It is then topped off with neroli, a hint of geranium, and subtle aldehydes to reinforce a clean but deeply rich and magnetic oud.
Oud Cadenza
by Maison Crivelli
$310
Started by Thibaud Crivelli in 2018, Maison Crivelli offers a holistic set of ouds with diverse smell profiles. The ouds were created in collaboration with Givaudan perfumer Jordi Fernandez who does a phenomenal job at capturing tradition in a bottle with a nuanced twist. Within the curated collection, there’s Oud Maracujá, a fruity, fresh-infused oud, Oud Stallion, a leather-forward oud, and my favorite, Oud Cadenza, a sweet and subtly spicy oud. Oud Cadenza takes oud and mixes it with warm gourmand scents — dates, toasted caramel, Madagascan vanilla, tonka bean, and cacao. The sweetness is cut by both the oud and a mix of spices including cardamon, cinnamon, saffron, ginger, nutmeg, and pink pepper. The fragrance is complexified with the addition of hints of leather, patchouli, and balsamic Indian davana oil. All in all, if you’re looking for a sweeter oud that still maintains a captivating mystery to it, Oud Cadenza is worth a smell.
