Ingrained in every Arab’s beauty regimen is the intoxicating scent of oud. Revered for a millennium in the region, the scent has made its way to the mainstream in recent years, with the world’s biggest fragrance houses releasing contemporary interpretations of the age-old ingredient.
Derived from the resinous heartwood from the exotic agarwood tree, the incense-like scent has become synonymous with quality and luxury. Its intoxicating power also means the scent was traditionally reserved for the elders, but contemporary versions are here to suit literally everyone. And we’ve rounded up our favourites for you.
Bvlgari ‘Eau Parfumée au Thé Noir’
Inspired by the Chinese black tea of Yunnan, this luxury fragrance is made for both men and women. Rose and bergamot notes are balanced with black tea accord and magnolia heart notes, made all the more powerful with oud wood and patchouli base notes.
bvlgari.com
Jo Malone ‘Oud & Bergamot Cologne Intense’
Jo Malone’s Oud and Bergamot Cologne is as powerful as it is fresh. It’s the perfect mix between rich and citrusy. Taking from Middle Eastern perfume tradition, the fragrance blends notes of bergamot, cedarwood and oud, leaving you with a scent that’s both sweet and warm.
jomalone.com
Tom Ford ‘Oud Minérale’
If you’re looking for a captivating scent, this is it. Tom Ford’s Oud Minerale is a blend that you’d have thought impossible to come together. It’s the perfect mix between smokey oud and fresh ocean, with keynotes of salty seaweed, pink peppercorn, oud blend, and styrax.
sephora.com
Dior ‘Oud Ispahan’
For a lighter more feminine flowery scent, Dior’s Oud Ispaphan is your new go-to. Its top note is labdanum, balanced with patchouli rose and saffron middle notes and sandalwood, oud and cedar base notes.
dior.com
Byredo ‘Oud Immortel’
If you’re looking for a woody/smoky scent, Byredo’s Oud Immortel should be your next purchase. It mixes together patchouli and papyrus with rosewood, giving it a light, earthy accord topped with sweeter citrusy notes that make it the perfect fragrance for fall and straight through to winter.
byredo.com
