OUD

Oud 2012 Eau de Parfum

Oud (Eau de Parfum) by Maison Francis Kurkdjian
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7.8 / 10 705 Ratings
A popular perfume by Maison Francis Kurkdjian for women and men, released in 2012. The scent is woody-spicy. It is being marketed by LVMH.
Pronunciation
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Main accords

Woody
Spicy
Oriental
Resinous
Sweet

Fragrance Notes

SaffronSaffron Laotian oudLaotian oud Philippine elemiPhilippine elemi Atlas cedarAtlas cedar Singapore patchouliSingapore patchouli

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.8705 Ratings
Longevity
7.8597 Ratings
Sillage
7.0604 Ratings
Bottle
8.4578 Ratings
Value for money
6.5265 Ratings
Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 04/15/2025.
Interesting Facts
The fragrance is part of the "OUD" collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Oud (Extrait de Parfum) by Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Oud Extrait de Parfum
Aoud Melody by Montale
Aoud Melody
Incense Oud by Nicolaï / Parfums de Nicolaï
Incense Oud
Pandolfo by V Canto
Pandolfo
Saffron by Jo Malone
Saffron
Original Oud by Mizensir
Original Oud

Reviews

19 in-depth fragrance descriptions
jtd

484 Reviews
jtd
jtd
Very helpful Review 7  
MFK'oud
Oud perfumes are the new “orientals”. Like their early 20th century predecessors, their fantasy/reality ratio is sky-high. They are less overtly culturally offensive, but in terms of authenticity, they are just as much a bill of goods.

Francis Kurkdjian avoided the pitfall of attempting to mimic Arabic style. Instead, he treated oud like any other centerpiece note in western traditional perfumery. His Oud has some of the characteristic scent of oud materials, particularly the band-aid note, but the setting is unexpected. Rather than pairing oud with rose, syrup or smoke, Kurkdjian made a sort of woody-floral with a soft oud note. (Though the brand’s list of notes doesn’t include florals.)

Kurkdjian approaches oud as a material rather than a genre. He seems to have given it the same scrutiny he might ambroxan or rosewood, breaking it down into its constituent notes and evaluating the olfactory dynamics, seeing how it interacts with other materials. Some of oud’s traits are underscored, others are played down. By treating it to classical western perfume analysis and technique, Kurkdjian assimilated oud.

In skipping the Arabian fantasy, he avoids the stereotypes of the material. Of the hundreds of oud perfumes to hit the market in the past 5-10 years, not many stray from a narrow interpretation of the material. Kurkdjian took a measured approach and demonstrated his signature talent for composing a perfume that is somewhat unusual but not at all strange. It smells deliciously of shoe polish + lipstick + floor wax. It is cool to the touch and reserved. Kurkdjian aligned oud with patchouli, a material with some similar characteristics, to create a new style of woody-floral perfume. Oud and patchouli are both woody materials that range from pitchy highs to durable, resinous bass ranges. Patchouli’s camphorous chill matches oud’s rubber band-aid note and both share a dusty, woody feel. They don’t smell alike, but the behave similarly.

Classical perfumery has always had a loving appreciation of ‘off’ notes. The most effective materials of traditional perfumery tended to have a stark, asymmetric beauty at their core. Modulating them created a well-proportioned aesthetic that captured the interest and the imagination. Oud is well suited for a similar use—it is idiosyncratic and quintessentially jolie-laide. Kurkdjian didn’t disguise oud, but he did make it his own and proposed a new, western style of oud perfume.
0 Comments
5
Bottle
5
Sillage
10
Longevity
8
Scent
Apicius

224 Reviews
Apicius
Apicius
Very helpful Review 6  
Softness And Protection
Is this a reaction to the oud hype? Releasing perfumes under that name with almost no discernible oud note in it?

I would classify Kurkdjians Oud as a musky fragrance – it has lots in common with a very good body butter or skin cream. Almost a cosy scent for cuddling, if there wasn't a certain hint of that “hairspray” note that we know from so many Montales and others that refer to oud. By its character, not necessarily by its ingredients, Kurkdjians's Oud approaches the dark, vibrant and slightly animalic “Musk” by Keiko Mecheri, and it can be recommended as an alternative of it.

Besides that, we find discreet resinous notes and a minimal fruitiness mostly in the top notes, which suit this fragrance quite well. If at all, there are only traces of saffron. There are powdery aspects and also something woody. In this case the perfumer shows his abilities by leaving things open. None of the notes are in any way dominating the fragrance and so, this Oud makes a very discreet appearance – but not without beauty!

The discretion and the integration of the notes which was conducted here makes it difficult to associate images or pictures with this fragrance. I suppose this Oud will appeal to those who use cosmetic products and appreciate a good skin cream. The positive and relaxing feelings but also the beauty that a good skin cream may evoke are being quoted by Kurkdjian's Oud.

Next to the expected softness typical for this kind of skin cream perfumes, also, this fragrance transports a feeling of acerbity, a kind of distance, maybe aloofness. Whoever feels the notion to protect one's skin against the environment with a thin transparent layer might feel addressed by it. Possibly, the environment will not notice this fragrance as a perfume but rather as a freshly applied skin cream.

I regard softness and protection as the main theme of Kurkdjian's Oud, and the link between both that the perfumer succeeded to establish may provoke your heart to beat a little faster. However, one has to get engaged a little with this perfume. A quick test in the shop will not suffice to cope with this tender high quality fragrance. If possible, get a sample! (I thank The Different Scent for it)
2 Comments
7.5
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
7
Scent
Drseid

821 Reviews
Drseid
Drseid
4  
MFK Jumps On The Oud Bandwagon...
Oud immediately opens with the apparent star making itself known before anything else. This is not the semi-animalic smelling woody oud you might expect, but rather a watery, rubbery oud that is rather tame, synthetic and pleasant smelling. The oud remains into the heart, now pairing with the *real* star of the scent, saffron, which pairs up with the oud for the duration and even dominates to a small degree it as time goes on. The minimalist concoction uses patchouli as a supporting note to sweeten the composition just a hair with it too being a more "cleansed" patchouli and not the dirty variety frequently used. Projection and longevity are both excellent.

Oud is a good scent, but I must admit to being a bit disappointed considering its pedigree. Kurkdjian is way late to the oud party and as such considering his vast talent I expected something extraordinary here... and did not get it. Instead, Oud ends up being a pleasant smelling polished Western oud concoction that really is more about the saffron than the oud on skin to my nose. It is linear in nature and while I find it hard to fault the composition it lacks passion and is just another sterile entry on the long since departed oud gravy train. Maybe that is a bit harsh criticism for a scent that I am awarding a very good 3.5 stars out of 5, but I expected so much more from such a late entrant to the field from a super-talented nose like Kurkdjian. This one is worth a sniff, but at $300 for a 70ml bottle there are much better choices to be had for less money elsewhere.
0 Comments
8
Pricing
8
Bottle
7.5
Sillage
10
Longevity
10
Scent
Veserdar

19 Reviews
Veserdar
Veserdar
Helpful Review 1  
What Oud?
Masterpiece.My wife hates oud and heavy perfumes.
For MFK oud , even she loves this soo much.This is absolutely fine art.Silage is average, longetivity is high.Unique and new generation perfume.I used to wear lumiere noir from MFK.Unlike many reviewers , it was an above average perfume for me.But this one is some kind of a magic.RESPECT!!
0 Comments
Jubliant

70 Reviews
Jubliant
Jubliant
1  
Baby Baby
Babies humans and animals give off pheromones which trigger a protective response in humans. I feel like this, is that pheromone in a bottle. I do love to smell babies, but it is awkward to hold peoples babies and smell them, I am glad for $300 I can smell my own "baby".

As other reviewers have commented I can not smell any actual oud in this scent, I do however smell somewhat of a very soft patchouli and peach. The patchouli is very lovely and wearable, perhaps so well blended I can not detect the cedar note or that it comes off as musky. There is certainly a sweetness to that the listed notes do not address.

Perhaps this is the child of two hippies who live in a peach orchard and keep themselves relatively clean for hippies. Mother has just rubbed her baby with some homemade lotion made from the peaches in her orchard and is putting the babe to sleep, in the background you can smell hints her drying some saffron she harvested.

With better sillage this could be a 9 or 10.
8/10
0 Comments
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Statements

10 short views on the fragrance
LiquidassetLiquidasset 7 years ago
8
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
10
Scent
Saffron spiced Elemi with Patchouli Warmed Oud and Cedar
0 Comments
MrLawmanMrLawman 4 years ago
8
Bottle
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
8.5
Scent
The first agarwood fragrance that clearly bridges East and West: oud with citrus, woods and musk. A triumph.
0 Comments
NicheOnlyNicheOnly 11 days ago
7
Bottle
6
Sillage
6
Longevity
4
Scent
The listed notes are puzzling. Spicy rose (Epic Woman) open. Very dry oriental-spicy transition (elemi) & light powdery touches, but 0 oud.
0 Comments
Jbl775Jbl775 8 months ago
9
Bottle
8
Sillage
9
Longevity
9
Scent
Best MFK Oud. Metallic, musky, spicy, sweet...perfection. Just classy all the way.
0 Comments
Topfpflanze3Topfpflanze3 1 year ago
9
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
8
Scent
Very pleasant dry/spicy Oud. Refreshing without a rose, similar in style to the YSL M7. Patchouli gives the masculine punch
0 Comments
RisingChaosRisingChaos 3 years ago
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
7
Scent
Clean, fresh spicy, warm woody scent. There's a light medicinal touch + a good amount of sweet, earthy patchouli. Less camphorous Oud Wood.
0 Comments
Finerthings8Finerthings8 3 years ago
4
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
7
Scent
Sorry mr Kurkdjian,despite my love for lumiere Noire&oud satin mood.i can’t get along with this one.
0 Comments
JoaoMartinsJoaoMartins 6 years ago
10
Bottle
5
Sillage
7
Longevity
8.5
Scent
There's almost no oud in there. But somehow I really like this scent. Sweet and baby powdery...
0 Comments
Paradox69Paradox69 12 months ago
If you search for an oud fragrance élégant and woody, not strong but skin scent..
0 Comments
PetarMolnarPetarMolnar 2 years ago
7
Bottle
8
Sillage
9
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Clean, medicinal oud with a sparkle of saffron and patchouli. Excellent for oud beginners. Very neatly done.
0 Comments
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