A Buyer’s Guide to Oud for Greatness | A Versatile, Unisex Fragrance

WORDS BY: PARFUM MUSE    |    ESTIMATED READING TIME: 5MINS 

 

 

Part of The Black Gold Collection from Initio Parfums Prives, Oud for Greatness was only released in 2018, but it has swiftly become a modern classic and often a scent subject to great debate from those who love it—and those who don't.

Oud is undoubtedly a powerful, deep, heavy accent. Still, the appeal of this particular parfum is that it combines the natural, woody essence of oud with smoky undertones of patchouli, lavender, musk, and saffron, along with agarwood oil, for a complex fragrance that lasts and lasts.

This intoxicating and distinctive scent has captured interest, but it’s built around a fragrance ingredient that has been around for centuries. Oud has seen a revival among unisex, male and female perfumes and home scents, drawing inspiration from heritage accents to create wearable fragrances that are built on classic foundations—along with other historic ingredients like myrrh.

Oud for Greatness: The Scent Profile

There is nothing subtle, understated, or shy about Oud for Greatness, from its intricate, trademark bottle and styling, opulent gold and black packaging, to the boldness of the formula, offset with a sprinkle of lavender.

Many perfume connoisseurs note that the strength of the oud remains unquestioned, although the addition of more accessible accents makes it feel fresher, cleaner, and more modern, with one small spritz more than enough to last an entire day, if not longer.

As a signature fragrance, Oud for Greatness feels masculine but can be dressed up or down, layered or used sparingly. Its unusual smoothness makes it a touch less flamboyant than other Oud-based scents—which is all down to the delicacy and skill of the blend.

Wood, spice, and depth lend any oud fragrance well to the autumn and winter seasons, where a richer, warmer, and heavier scent fits into the ambience with a texture and profile that are meant to be noticed.

The History and Sustained Popularity of Oud

We’ve mentioned the prevalence of oud as a heritage perfume ingredient, and Oud for Greatness does indeed contain real oud and is entirely cruelty-free. The relevance is that oud is also known as liquid gold—one of the world's most exotic and valuable perfume oils.

While oud has been used in fragrances produced in the Middle East and parts of Asia for hundreds of years, it has now been recognised as the epitome of luxe scent in other regions, given its mystique and ability to blend easily with other aromas. It is also an equally scarce, intricate, and sustainably produced ingredient. 

Perhaps part of the longevity of oud as a scent ingredient is its potency, which makes it a subject of controversy. Where one person might find this rare accent intoxicating and seductive, others consider it unpleasantly overbearing or too musky and woody.

As you might expect from Initio Parfum Prives, Oud for Greatness doesn’t include synthetics—something that keen perfume collectors and experts will be able to detect instantly—which is why each bottle contains such a depth of complexity, given that replicas have a diluted warmth and woody quality. 

While the re-emergence of Oud as an in-demand scent began back in 2007, with the launch of a certain fragrance from Tom Ford, its decadence and uniqueness mean it is now a fragrance popular among designers, fashion leaders, and those who adore sophisticated scents that stand out.

Scents and Fragrances for Oud Lovers to Try

Regardless of your personal preferences and tastes in fragrances, there is bound to be an odd perfume or scent out there for you, given that this most exotic of accents blends perfectly with florals, spices, resins, and balsams—creating a broad scope of scents and profiles for every taste.

Satiny rose and iris, soft vanilla, blueberry and lemon, and creamy incense, leather, musks  and tobacco notes all combine beautifully with oud, depending on whether you'd opt for a cleaner scent, a weightier, baritone cologne, or a brighter but still intense fragrance for your home.

Alternatives to Oud for Greatness

If Oud for Greatness is a little outside of your comfort zone, here are a few ideas of alternative fragrances and blends that provide an introduction to Oud:

• Oud for Greatness NEO is a spin on the classic and a brighter incarnation. It still has oud as the main character but with fir balsam and Lavender Orpur® that lift the fragrance. It feels a little softer while remaining assertive.

• Oud Malaki Eau de Parfum from Chopard features oud as a base note, along with darkwoods and ambergris, with top accents of grapefruit, lavender, and artemisia. It is a culturally inspired smoky scent that uses a refreshing punch of grapefruit as a lift.

• ExpLOud Eau de Parfum by Laboratorio Olfattivo has a heady profile, with oud ajmal oil and oud boya oil base notes, a varied number of top accents such as red berries, black pepper, and coriander that create a more delicate scent, and floral heart notes with fresh magnolia, and Lilybelle® intended to add an aquatic character to the fragrance.

• Oud Abramad Eau de Parfum by BDK Parfums is another excellent option. It has heart notes of cumin and rose of Turkey, top accents of saffron and ginger, and rockrose and agarwood—the latter being the so-called Wood of Gods from which oud is extracted.

Dedicated Oud fans may also wish to try Golden Serenade Extrait de Parfum by JUSBOX, a rich, golden scent mixed with saffron, clove, incense, patchouli, vanilla and oud oil for an addictive, warming and spicy fragrance. It is surprisingly sweeter rather than bitter and designed to be romantically reminiscent of the jazz and swing mood of the 1940s.

If you'd prefer a scent for your home, Oud for Greatness itself comes in a stunning candle designed to deliver a captivating, soothing scent with a burn time of 40 hours. 

For more inspiration to help you explore the elaborateness of Oud or sample alternative luxury perfumes, home fragrances, and scents, you are welcome to browse the Parfum Muse directory or use our intelligent search function to filter by ingredients to see the full collection.