Before we get into my thoughts on Oud Fleur, let’s see how Tom Ford describes it: Oud Fleur unfolds like a brocaded silk damask of two deeply iconic Arabian ingredients: Rose and Oud Wood. The gloriously rich and aged complexity that makes oud the most prized and noble wood in perfumery, is contrasted with a symphony of rose effects orchestrated to capture every dimension of the flower. That being said, it could still be worn, by anybody. Just be aware beforehand, what you’re getting. At home sprayed on me boomed first of all a huge load of spiced oud. Some speak of associations with Tom Ford's London - and these are also absolutely not to be dismissed, even if the cumin (fortunately) is completely absent here and instead cardamom and coriander are to be perceived. Above all, however, the oud is here the tone-setting unit, which makes this fragrance seem extremely loud, strong and masculine in the first moment. Personally, I was much more interested in what a close friend of mine thought, as she is a die-hard Tom Ford fan whose “holy grail” fragrance is Oud Wood, followed then by Amber Absolute. For her, Oud Wood and Amber Absolute are absolute perfection. She is the very talented, thorough, globally successful beauty blogger, Temptalia, and her review of Tobacco Oud reads, in part, as follows: As the fragrance unfolds, hints of cardamom, saffron, and cinnamon add a touch of exotic spice, adding depth and complexity to the composition. These aromatic spices dance with the floral notes, creating an intriguing balance between sensuality and sophistication.

Introducing Tom Ford Oud Fleur Eau de Parfum 100ml, an opulent fragrance that embodies timeless elegance and exotic allure. I’m just about done with my batch of Tom Ford fragrances to review, finally. Now, I obviously still have some more from the collection to get a hold of, but I’ve made plenty of headway. For today’s entry, I am going to give my take on Oud Fleur, one of the oud based scents from this brand. How does it smell? Perform? Is it worth a try?

Currently I have a couple of the Private Blend Collection offerings by Tom Ford which are Arabian Wood and Oud Wood. I did sniff out the Fleur Oud at Saks 5th Ave. Its alright. For me it did not have that "buy me now" appeal.

Sandalwood give the fragrance in the drydown a wonderfully adult, profound and confessed character, which clearly distinguishes the Oud Fleur from all other oud-rose combinations. Completely detached, down-to-earth and sophisticated appears the wonderful combination of rough, spicy, edgy oud with the juicy, dark and dirty rose after the sandalwood brings the fragrance the necessary creaminess, smoothness and calmness into play.At the heart of Oud Fleur lies the legendary oud wood, renowned for its captivating and mysterious nature. The deep, woody aroma of oud is enhanced by a delicate bouquet of roses, jasmine, and magnolia, infusing the fragrance with a sensual and floral warmth. If you're expecting just another "rose/oud" candidate from Oud Fleur (something the majority of comments and statements here would lead you to expect), you're mistaken. Oud Fleur finds a completely different approach to this already worn out topic. Tobacco Oud opens on my skin with a burst of amber and labdanum, then hints of tobacco and oud. For those of you who may mistake the two, labdanum and amber have very different smells. As one perfume nose told me in her studio, labdanum is “real amber,” while “amber” is often the compilation of various other notes to create that overall impression. Labdanum has a very particular, completely unique aroma that is dark, slightly dirty, very nutty and toffee’d with subtle, underlying nuances of honey, beeswax, musk, and/or something a bit leathery. It is almost always a deeper, richer, denser, stronger, darker aroma that is less soft, creamy, and cuddly than regular, lighter “amber.”

I tried Oud Fleur twice, and I realised mere minutes into my first test that half of the things I was scribbling on my notepad weren’t on that list. From cardamom to ginger, apricot-y osmanthus, and more, the notes I detected didn’t match up with Fragrantica’s bare bones description. So I did some digging, and I found a much more substantial list at The Moodie Report which is presumably quoting a Tom Ford Press release. It describes Oud Fleur as follows : The opening of Oud Fleur has a bit of that pissy oud funk the Western synthetic oud materials from Firmenich and Givaudan like to implement, aka "civet oud" if you really want to get down to it. The sadly-discontinued Dior Leather Oud (2010) used it best, and I missed the boat on that one, so anywhere else it appears with few exceptions just makes me upset that it isn't done as well, and with Oud Fleur, it fades into saffron after some time. Cardamom, damask rose, pimento, davana, and dates seem to come in next, offering a bit of dried fruity spiciness with the rose oud blend, before things peter out into pedestrian patchouli and benzoin with the Tom Ford "raspberry leather" accord the house clearly overuses. The brand seems to think castoreum is in this perfume, but I get none unless it is so micro-dosed as to not matter. Caron Yatagan (1974) or Bogart One Man Show (1980) this is not. By the end of it, we get what is basically fruity synthetic oud/rose/patchouli soup that has been done way better and way more boldly than Yann Vasnier did it here, and cheaper too. Performance is average, and best use is pretty much when you want because this is still a rose oud out of context for most situations. Projection will be very loud at first, as Tom Ford private blends tend to be front-loaded to sell at the counter, but afterwards things begin falling apart into a single one-two base accord. According to CaFleureBon, Oud Fleur was created by Yann Vasnier of Givaudan who has made a number of fragrances for Tom Ford. The perfume’s notes on Fragrantica are extremely limited: To give you an idea of the debate and divergence in opinion, here are some snippets from Fragrantica: tobacco oud? this is more amber absolute with just a bit of spices. nice scent and good sillage and longevity.Step into a world of indulgence as the rich, velvety notes of Oud Fleur caress your senses, leaving an unforgettable impression. This captivating fragrance is a harmonious blend of rare oud wood, precious spices, and luxurious floral accords, creating a truly intoxicating olfactory experience. That said, my dear friend has what I affectionately call “unicorn skin,” because she gets longevity from all fragrances to a degree that is simply unique. I’ve never seen numbers (from anyone!) like what she regularly gets from a single, tiny, split spray of perfume. (Any perfume, any brand — doesn’t make a difference.) She’s in a whole other territory, beyond even “glue skin,” and verging on something completely epic. It fills me with the deepest envy, but it also requires me to caution you that you should not take her longevity numbers as the typical norm.