THE oud perfumes are intense, opulent, with a recognizable trail. Evocative of distant worldsbetween caravans and sand dunes, the oud is one raw material among the most decisive, it gives its best with the autumn season and is particularly popular with fragrance creators. In recent years he has conquered the market thanks to many interpretations, for this reason his production is strongly controlled so as to stem any damage to local ecosystems.
Oud perfumes, oriental atmospheres in a bottle
Evocative of distant worlds and ages, the oud has very ancient origins. Nicknamed “wood of the Gods” or “King of incense”, the oud has always been used in Buddhist and Muslim ceremonies and its use is also mentioned in the Old Testament. Originally from Southeast Asia, this ingredient is one resin produced by two types of plants, the aquilaria and the gyrinops, to defend against the attack of an external fungus. Oil is then obtained from the resin by extraction.
With an intense aroma – many experts define it as “animalic” – the oud is worked by many Maison to make it softer and more enveloping. As did Delphine Jelk, parfumeur Guerlain, who signed Oud Nudeone of the two new creations dedicated to this raw material in the collection Art et la Matière.
“I composed this fragrance like a fairy tale whose scents express the sensuality of the bodies, their curves, their skin” declared the nose, which not only made the oud, usually very mystical and gloomy, luminous, with notes of cedar but above all sweetened it with vanilla from Madagascar. A sweetness that becomes malice in the second interpretation of him, Cherry Oud: irreverent and unusual, with the cherry in an unexpected contrast.
In oud perfumes, a multi-faceted material
Only apparently complex, the oud is very much shaped by the creators of fragrances, thus lending itself to multiple interpretations: «Our oud collection is made up of eleven different creations that revolve around this ingredient» he explains Julian Bedel, nose and founder of Fueguia 1833a niche perfumery brand with its roots in distant Patagonia and its heart in Milan.
Oud, a rare and precious resin extract, is the keynote of many perfumes for winter 2022/23
And if Julian Bedel has played with oud making it fresh and floral too – as in Oud Burma which contains the freshness of an Asian landscape surrounded by high mountains -, Armani returns a more classic, intense and enveloping interpretation with Oud Royal from the Privè collection: «I wanted Oud Royal to capture the alchemical spirit of the East by enhancing the Oud wood, a precious symbol of those distant lands. Considering it as a jewel is the only way to pay homage to its extraordinary wealth »said Giorgio Armani.
Equally refined are Dior’s interpretations. Oud Ispahan, Leather Oud and Purple Oud they are oriental and highlight, each in a different way, the many shades of an intriguing and particularly requested ingredient in perfumery.
Behind the production of oud
The great demand for the raw material has led to a real exploitation of the plantations. For this the CITES, Convention on International Trade, in order to protect the plants that produce the particular resin has inserted the aquilaria plant among the species to be protected and at risk of extinction.
The problem of pollution should also not be underestimated. In fact, many crops have problems with phthalates, organic substances derived from petroleum and used as plasticizing agents, which, when in contact with the extracted oil, pollute its purity, no longer allowing its use in perfumery according to current regulations. Because of this very often it is processed in Europe, however, causing the already high basic cost to riseon average it is between 30 thousand and 40 thousand euros.
Natural or synthetic?
To curb the exploitation of plantations which therefore put some global ecosystems at risk, perfumery has chosen two alternative routes. The first is the production of synthetic oud made by essence houses. Starting from a natural base of oud rhizomes distilled from other natural ingredients are added such as cypriol, a dark oil obtained from the distillation of a plant from the papyrus family, or synthetic notes such as Firmenich’s Norlimbanol, IFF’s Karmawood and Cashmran which recreate the woody, animalic and leathery aroma of natural oud.
In other cases, small fashion houses have started more careful productions and green crops. This is the case of Fueguia: «Thanks to a series of grafts made with botanical experts, we were able not only to create four new variants of oud from our lands but above all to maintain a controlled production with a few numbered bottles »explains founder Julian Bedel.
In fact, alongside the traditional productions in Bangladesh, from Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, the Argentine brand has started a production of oud also in South America and New Caledonia. These particular ouds, considered green, contain the influences of the surrounding environment: the most particular is in fact the Oud Caledonia, whose intense aroma is softened by the saltiness and sea water.
Guerlain instead it gets the oud, the Assam quality, from sustainable sources: not only that for each felled tree, twenty more are planted for the benefit of future generations, but the wood is harvested by hand with an ancient technique. Then cut into shavings, it is steam distilled from which the black resin is obtained. For a more aware and careful production.
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