Ask ten people what oud in perfume is and you will get ten answers, most of them wrong. Here is the short version, in the order the questions usually come.

Where it comes from

Oud is the resin an aquilaria tree produces when a specific mould infects its heartwood. A healthy tree yields nothing. The dark, saturated wood that forms around the infection is agarwood, and distilling it gives oud oil.

Why the price is what it is

Fewer than one tree in ten becomes infected naturally, the process takes years, and wild aquilaria is a protected species. Good oud oil trades above gold by weight — a comparison that gets repeated because it is literally true.

So is there oud in a mainstream bottle?

Almost certainly not, and that is not a scandal. Most fragrances listing oud use an oud accord: a blend of woody, leathery, smoky and resinous materials assembled to reproduce the character rather than the chemistry. Accords are more consistent, more sustainable and considerably easier to wear than the real thing.

What it smells like

Genuine oud is not simply expensive-smelling wood. It can be barnyard, medicinal, damp, leathery, bitter. Western perfumery nearly always softens it, and the standard partners tell you which direction a fragrance has taken:

  • Oud and rose — the Gulf classic, rich and instantly recognisable
  • Oud and saffron — drier, spicier, more leathery
  • Oud and vanilla — the sweetened entry point for newcomers
  • Oud and incense — the austere, meditative end

Wearing it

Oud is never quiet. That is the point, and also the limitation — it is rarely appropriate in a small shared office.

One spray, on skin rather than clothing, because oud embeds itself in fabric for a very long time. Expect ten to twelve hours or more, and do not top up during the day; you stop perceiving your own oud well before other people do.

Cold weather and evenings suit it. In summer, if at all, use a fraction of your usual amount.

Buy from a sample rather than a counter test. This is not a five-minute decision — oud changes considerably across a full day on skin.

For a specific fragrance's notes, see the catalogue on faberlic.com. Other woody materials are covered in the perfume section.