Used for centuries in the Arabian world, Oud is a traditional and richly evocative scent that is deeply associated with Middle Eastern culture. Now offered in combination with classic French perfumes, it brings cherished traditions into the modern era to offer new generations around the world the chance to enjoy a variety of seductive fragrances.

Oud is the collective name for a family of fragrances derived from the Agarwood. It is harvested from Aquilaria trees – Aquilaria malaccensis – whose heartwood has become infected with a form of mould. This genus of trees is native to the rainforests of Southern India, but can also be found throughout South East Asia, where it has long been used to create impactful fragrances. Merchants from Arabia were quick to recognise the potential of this product, and they began trading it many centuries ago, exporting their wares throughout the Middle East and North Africa, where a distinctive form of preparation produced the Oud Fragrances we now associate so strongly with Arabia.

The unique essence comes from the reaction of the Agarwood to the mould, Phialophora parasitica, which changes its tone from light to a darker grey-brown due to the formation of a highly aromatic resin, called aloes. This should of course not be confused with the commonly known aloe vera that is used extensively around the world for its healing powers. The exact fragrant qualities of the Agarwood, whose scarcity makes it one of the most precious commodities in the world today, depend upon the location, age, degree of mould infection and species of the Aquilaria tree it stems from – and of course from the processing method.

In ancient times, the Agarwood was burned as incense, but these days it is mostly Oud oil that is produced through a steam distillation process that extracts the aromatic and highly valuable liquid concentrate from the resin within the wood. Prime quality Agarwood can be worth as much as $100.000/kg, and the quality of the end product can range extensively.

The Oud Luxury Collection is produced from certified high-grade Agarwood to ensure long-lasting effect of a gorgeous range of blended and concentrated perfumes.