Why your oud perfume stinks!

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

We’ve been working behind the scenes on something truly exciting, and we can’t wait to start sharing it with you step by step. What we can reveal now is that this project is one-of-a-kind and a journey we don’t want to take alone.

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: 2025 trends, Vanilla and neo ouds
2. Strictly Independent: Orto Parisi
3. Scent MythBusters: The stinkier the oud, the more naturals it contains
4. Quiz: Priciest oud wood piece ever sold
5. Material Spotlight: Kynam Oud

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

#SCENTFUTURE: 2025 trends blend innovation and sustainability — AI-crafted scents offer hyper-personalisation, while bioengineered ingredients replace rare naturals like oud. Climate-inspired and maximalist compositions dominate, alongside cross-cultural blends like oud with cherry blossom.

#VANILLATRENDS: Vanilla dominated the 2024 Fragrantica Readers’ Awards, with hits like Burberry Goddess and Parfums de Marly’s Althaïr. Its comforting nature and versatility — from lactonic tropical to resinous oriental — cement its timeless status.

#NEO-OUD: Neo-oud has solidified as a staple. Moving beyond Middle Eastern roots, contemporary oud integrates lighter elements like bergamot, lavender and soft florals — see Initio’s Oud for Greatness Neo and Hermès’ Oud Alezan.

Strictly Independent 🎨 🌟 — Orto Parisi

Alessandro Gualtieri’s next chapter after Nasomatto. Inspired by the gardens of southeast Italy, he sees the body as a living garden — bold, visceral compositions that mirror life’s primal essence. Based in Amsterdam. Scents: 9.

Bergamask. Zesty bergamot and orange peel against a creamy sandalwood core driven by Javanol and Ebanol, with an animalic musk edge.

Brutus. Fiery black pepper and bergamot grounded by smoky cedarwood and earthy patchouli, softened by vanilla with an animalic undertone.

Stercus. Primal and earthy — sharp ammoniac freshness with oud, leather and balsamic sweetness, smoky vetiver and tonka.

Scent MythBusters 🎭️

“The stinkier the oud, the more naturals it contains.”
Myth of the week

TL;DR

Some believe an intensely “barnyard” oud aroma indicates high pure-agarwood content. In reality, synthetic oud can be engineered to smell even more animalic, while genuine oud ranges from soft and sweet to full-on funky depending on origin, Aquilaria species and distillation.

A brief tour

Assam: dark, fermented, smoky — but also tea-like accents. Myanmar: smoky, resinous, leathery. Laos: sweeter, almost chocolatey, rarely a barnyard bomb. Synthetic molecules like Black Agar Givco capture only a slice of the spectrum, often a singular unchanging facet rather than an evolving journey.

Verdict

An aggressive smell is no sure sign of authenticity. Real oud is a broad spectrum shaped by geography, resin formation and distillation; synthetics allow precise fine-tuning in either direction.

Material Spotlight: Kynam Oud 👑

“Kynam” (or “kyara”) is the rarest and most prized variety of agarwood — often fetching prices higher than gold, historically gifted to emperors. Harvested mainly from Aquilaria crassna in Vietnam, it forms at the tree’s core when stress triggers dense, beeswax-like resin. Its scent unites sweet, woody and gentle smoky accents with honeyed warmth. Personality: majestic, enigmatic, meditative. Notable: Ensar Oud Oud Sultani Brunei Kynam, Bortnikoff Oud Kinam, D.S. & Durga Royal Kinam Oud.