Oud - Arabian treasure
Oud is currently probably one of the most hyped substances in the fragrance industry and gives every perfume an unmistakable, Arabic and usually very luxurious note. The treasurefrom the Arabian Peninsula is also contained in some of our perfumes and we are thereforegoing to get to the bottom of the origin of this substance a little more closely today. What isoud anyway? How is it extracted and what makes a good oud fragrance?
Oud is a fragrance oil extracted from the resin of the eagle tree, which grows mainly in northeast India and southeast Asia. In Arab countries, especially in the bazaars there, it hasbeen burned as an incense for over 2000 years and gives the clothes of Arab women thattypical smoky scent when they bend over the incense burners. The scent of oud is intensifiedwhen the resin is attacked by a very specific mold. Here, more is more, because the moremold there is, the more intense and spicy the scent of oud becomes. And the more expensive it also becomes, because a really spicy oud can then cost well and gladly times 50000 eurosper kilo. No wonder, then, that it is used primarily in expensive and luxurious nichefragrances.
Depending on what you combine oud with in perfumes, oud scents can smell masculine spicy, aromatic sweet or exotic. At Philly&Phill, we used oud in "Midnight on Maxstreet," for example. There, oud is present in the base note, along with vanilla. Plum, rose and cinnamonmake up the heart notes, and orange, pink berry and nutmeg give the fragrance a fresh yetexotic top note. In this combination, the fragrance seems exotic and oriental, yet reflects the vibrant life on Munich's Maximilianstrasse, where people of all cultures meet to enjoy a balmy summer evening. A luxurious fragrance fireworks.
Oud is also present in "Date me in Downtown". Here it is combined with sandalwood and vanilla in the base note. The heart note contains plum, orange blossom and jasmine and in the top note apple, saffron and cherry shine. "Date me in Downtown" is the perfect example of an oud fragrance that doesn't necessarily go in the oriental direction, but exudes the flair of a sunset in a big western city while still retaining its sparkling, exotic side. Date me in Downtown" is a perfume full of tension and sizzle. Sexy and feminine, yet unobtrusive. A fragrance that gives you self-confidence and not only captivates the other person on a relaxed date in the afternoon in the sun.
Oud is something very special and there will hardly be a fragrance lover who does not have at least one oud fragrance in his collection. Because no matter whether oud is one of the personal fragrance favorites or not, it can make a perfume just incredibly sexy and mostprobably have nothing against it.