Welcome to Fragrance Friday, where each week weโll be keeping you abreast of the newest and most iconic releases in the dynamic world of menโs fragrances. Born out of the desire to showcase one of the most overlooked, yet versatile, elements of any discerning manโs style this weekly column will help you finesse your own signature scent.
Oud is the apparent โwood of the godsโ and possibly the most on-trend ingredient in perfumery โ both niche and designer โ over the last few years. While your European summers may waft with scents of neroli and bergamot, over in Middle Eastern destinations like Dubai and Abu Dhabi โ where expressions of power and influence are inescapable โ you canโt through any street without at least passing by someone emanating oud. I know because I just spend a day in Abu Dhabi last year, which is what has driven me to show some love to oud. Because as oversaturated as it may be, this ingredient is ridiculously popular for good reason.
A few weeks ago I wrote about some oud alternatives, so consider this the flipside. Iโve rounded up three of what I feel are some oud perfumes that bring new and interesting angles to the agar tree extract, teasing out that natural warmth and playing with balsamic and woody notes by pairing them up with other ingredients in smart ways.
Turn your attention to these three menโs perfumes and youโd more than likely see what all the fuss is about. And for those familiar with oud, they may just convince you that this expensive perfume ingredient can also be quite dynamic and adaptable, bringing a lot to the table when it comes to fitting into complex profiles to bring a sensual, smokey and sweet character to a perfume (usually in the base notes).
Of course, youโve got the obvious ones like the incredibly popular Tom Ford โOud Woodโ โ which arguably made oud famous in the first place โ and high-end showstoppers like Creed โRoyal Oud.โ These are some lesser-known ones, mixed in with a few popular expressions that really showcase the diversity of oud.
Best Oud Perfumes For Men
Frederic Malle โThe Nightโ
Perhaps one of the finest examples of an oud perfume worked to perfection, with the price tag to match. Famed perfumer Dominique Ropion, who is behind some of modern perfumeryโs greatest hits, created this one for Frederic Malleโs Editions De Parfums portfolio, formulating The Night as a very expensive, super high-end bubble of Turkish rose, saffron, frankincense and sandalwood, with what is a very large level of oud used to mirror scenes of sunset in the Middle East. While the amount of oud used doesnโt really bode well for balance, Ropion has worked this in a way thatโs incredibly animalistic and sensual, presenting something thatโs grand and ostentatious while still soft and subtle. Guess thatโs why the man is often referred to as modern perfumeryโs top gun.
Top Notes: Turkish rose
Middle Notes: Saffron, Indian oud
Base Notes: Frankincense, sandalwood, amber
Juliette Has A Gun โIn The Mood For Oudโ
Oud and citrus define the profile for this gorgeous perfume, which is easily one of my favourites from Juliette Has A Gun. The oud comes through almost immediately and smells very deep, dark and masculine but is eventually restrained a bit and balanced out with the fresher ingredients. Itโs a smart way to hit you in the face with this show of force from the agarwood and then very slowly start to bring through those notes of bergamot, saffron, papyrus, raspberry and vanilla, each centred around the middle note of oud.
Like a few other Juliette Has A Gun perfumes, you can also get In The Mood For Oud as a scented candle which I highly recommend if youโre looking for something different for your bedroom.
Top Notes: Bergamot
Middle Notes: Oud, saffron, papyrus, raspberry
Base Notes: Tonka bean, vanilla
Acqua Di Parma โOud & Spiceโ
Oud & Spice is an interesting one from this Italian luxury brand, which is perhaps much better known for those really fresh, citrus-heavy perfumes that are synonymous with European summer holidays. And yet this is one of the finest from Acqua di Parma, really teasing out the dynamism of oud and throwing in plenty of complex spice notes that dance around the heavy, woody note. Yet this is Aqua di Parma, after all, so youโd also get those really vibrant, airy notes of citrus that help keep the profile interesting.
Top Notes: Bergamot, raspberry, rose
Middle Notes: Cinnamon, pink pepper, cloves
Base Notes: Agarwood oil (oud), patchouli, cisto labdanum
