Quick answers
History
Oud appeared in 2012 and founded the collection of the same name at Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Francis Kurkdjian approached oud wood as an immense material he says he long worked to tame before inviting it into his palette: he makes it the prince of Arabian perfumes, born between the fine sand of the dunes and the starlit night.
To frame that power, he surrounds it with woody companions: cedar and patchouli structure the heart, while delicate saffron and elemi gum brighten the opening. Laotian oud wood holds the base, woody and deep rather than animalic.
The result is an opulent yet legible oud, both feminine and masculine, presented in the Thousand and One Nights bottle crowned with a golden dome. It would become the matrix of a whole family: the extrait de parfum version in 2018, then the Mood variations built around the textures of fabrics.
Fragrance notes
Here are the notes of Oud, from the saffron opening to the oud wood in the base.
From delicate saffron to oud wood, Oud holds a woody, spicy line, ample without ever turning medicinal.
Scent profile
Oud opens on leathery saffron and resinous elemi gum: the accord is spicy and dry from the start, at a remove from raw oud and its sometimes medicinal facets.
The woody heart brings in cedar and patchouli, a dry, earthy footing that prepares the arrival of the Laotian oud.
The base then sets the Laotian oud over a discreet ambery warmth: a deep, refined wood, more resinous than animalic, which gives the scent its opulence without making it stifling. In eau de parfum form, the material stays ample and well held, a touch airier than the extrait: an evening oud for the cold season, both masculine and feminine.
"One of the purest and rarest ouds, an olfactory giant tamed to enter the palette."Maison Francis Kurkdjian, press kit
Key characteristics
When and where to wear
Oud is a woody scent for evenings and the cold season. Its breadth and strong longevity make it a scent for dinners and dressed-up outings; in eau de parfum form it stays a little more manageable than the extrait, yet keeps a marked presence.
How to wear it
Seasonal fit
| Season | Fit | Critical notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | ★★☆☆ | A little dense for shoulder weather. |
| Summer | ★☆☆☆ | The oud weighs in the heat. |
| Autumn | ★★★★ | The ideal season for this spicy wood. |
| Winter | ★★★★ | Its woody warmth unfolds fully. |
Context fit
| Context | Fit | Wear recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Office | ★★☆☆ | Too present in a shared space. |
| Everyday | ★★★☆ | Possible in a small dose for wood lovers. |
| Evening | ★★★★ | Its home ground. |
| Formal events | ★★★★ | A dressed wood, at ease at night. |
Similar perfumes
The house's woody oud speaks with its own variations and with other great ouds of niche perfumery.
| Perfume | House · year | Why it is close |
|---|---|---|
| Oud Extrait de parfum | Maison Francis Kurkdjian · 2018 | The concentrated version of the same Oud, denser and longer-lasting. |
| Oud Satin Mood | Maison Francis Kurkdjian · 2015 | The floral, satiny side of oud according to the house, built around rose. |
| Oud for Greatness | Initio · 2018 | A saffron-laced, powerful, very diffusive oud. |
Frequently asked questions
See also
Sources
- Maison Francis Kurkdjian, official press kit (2025) and Oud product page
- franciskurkdjian.com
- Kafkaesque (5 juillet 2013): longevity and sillage reading
- ÇaFleureBon (Mark Behnke, 4 mai 2012): longevity and sillage reading
- Auparfum (2 septembre 2012): longevity and sillage reading
- YouTube, 70: longevity and sillage reading
- YouTube, FragranceView: longevity and sillage reading