Oud Wood Intense Tom Ford 2017

First of all: This is absolutely not a dig at the "real" Fucking Fabulous. I love it.

Oud Wood Intense was initially one of those fragrances that never played a role for me. It was simply too expensive and not special enough. Well, I was wrong; it has since become my signature scent.

Before my time on Parfumo, I assumed it simply smelled like Oud Wood, just with better performance.
After I filled my perfume cabinet properly in 2020, I thought I should finally test the Intense version.
So I ordered a sample and let myself be enchanted.

For the test: It was a warm summer day (around 28° Celsius) and I was with my girlfriend in the local perfumery, strolling through the old town of my hometown. After showing her all the Tom Ford fragrances and her falling in love with Orchid Soleil, we went for ice cream.
Oud Wood Intense was closely following me, and I was constantly aware of it.
Even the people in the perfumery asked me what I was wearing.
Oud Wood Intense has a maximum of 5% Oud Wood DNA. The rest is incredibly hard to put into words. Unique. Balsamic. Heavy. Simply special.

About the scent: One does not necessarily think of Tom Fords from the Oud line as truly authentic Oud fragrances, which is absolutely justified. However, Oud Wood Intense definitely heads in an oriental and almost authentic Oud direction. It is much darker and, well, almost a bit dirty. The leathery base note, which is constantly noticeable, is not as tamed as that of Tuscan Leather. I would describe it as rough and edgy. All in all, it blends wonderfully with the bittersweet cypress. The scent is extremely complex and unique. For me, it actually fits better in the warm season, as it brings a slight coolness with it.

Regarding sillage and longevity: Intense is genuinely serious here. The scent lasts easily all day on the skin and on clothes for weeks. With its high projection, 3-4 sprays are sufficient. I also wear it in the office and am super satisfied with it. (My colleagues are too, by the way :D)

Overall, Oud Wood Intense is a slightly dirty and multifaceted fragrance. If Tom Ford doesn't come to mind, one could rename it to "Fucking Fabulous" and perhaps rename that to, well... maybe "Almond Leather"? It definitely deserves its own name.

Thank you all for reading! Definitely test it if you’re into this kind of thing and don’t let the label "Oud Wood" throw you off.