Tom Ford
EDP · Unisex · 2007
Smooth approachable oud, the gateway oud for Western noses
oud · woody · warm spicy · creamy · amber · soft
Top (first impression): Rosewood · Cardamom · Chinese Pepper
Heart (the character): Oud · Sandalwood · Vetiver
Base (the dry-down): Tonka Bean · Vanilla · Amber
Season: fall, winter · Occasion: office, date night, night out, special occasion
Longevity: moderate (5-7h) · Sillage: moderate
Oud Wood launched in 2007 as part of Tom Ford's debut Private Blend collection and was composed by perfumer Richard Herpin. At a time when real oud was largely confined to niche Middle Eastern attars, Tom Ford reframed it as a luxurious, wearable Western luxury scent, softening the rawness with rosewood, cardamom, sandalwood, and a creamy tonka-vanilla base. It became one of the most influential and best-selling members of the Private Blend line and is often credited with kicking off the mainstream Western oud trend that followed. Its smooth, refined character made it a favorite for those intimidated by traditional medicinal oud. The scent has remained in continuous production and spawned an Intense flanker in 2023.
A refined, smoothed-out oud that trades the barnyard funk of traditional Middle Eastern agarwood for a creamy, spiced rosewood-and-sandalwood comfort. It is the fragrance that introduced most Western wearers to oud and remains the benchmark for accessible, polished agarwood.
Nose: Richard Herpin
Tom Ford Oud Wood Intense · Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud · Creed Royal Oud · By Kilian Pure Oud