Oud Wood Parfum Tom Ford 2024

Oud Wood and I - it's a kind of love story: My reason for landing here on Parfumo, my ticket into the world of niche fragrances, my first real big love, so to speak.

Back then as today, the topic of longevity has been a major point of discussion, with one constant standing out to me: When I consciously tested the fragrance for the first time in 2018 and then bought a 100ml bottle with "longevity issues" (some batch from 2017), I first encountered all the discussions regarding batches, reformulations, weaknesses.
I still have the bottle from 2018 and also another one (250 ml) from 2020 - both hold their 8 hours wonderfully, project moderately, and are for me the two go-to fragrances for the office.
In the Souk, the batches from 2018 are sometimes traded at horrendous prices, and I am convinced that a major point is more about the maturation than the reformulations.

So - now a leap into the year 2024.
When I heard about the latest release, I was over the moon: An Oud Wood as a perfume, supposedly stronger, longer-lasting, there were whispers about a quality reminiscent of the Oud Wood fragrances from the very first hour in 2007.

At Harrod’s in London, I was able to test the fragrance - and bought it. For a staggering 330 pounds.
Admittedly: I had to rein in my facial expression enormously and keep my demeanor extremely under control when the lady told me the price. I didn’t want to back out anymore - and somehow: I am worth it… or am I?

About the fragrance itself: Straightforward, clean, intense, and strong.
For me, it is clearly the fragrance I will wear on a date.

It has far fewer edges and corners than the original (EDP), goes less deep, but feels denser, creamier, and thicker.
Oud Wood perfume follows the classic program, feels smooth due to the cardamom, which provides a cooling distance, but draws the counterpart in with the warm woods and spices.
The sharp Sichuan pepper (don’t worry, I honestly don’t smell any difference to “normal” pepper) and the warming amber harmoniously balance each other out.
With the spices, I have the impression that some gingerbread spices are included, in a very gentle, homeopathic dose: The fragrance thus feels sweeter than its predecessor. Clearly nothing I would wear to the office [he says, well aware that he regularly "delights" his colleagues with Alexandria II, Tobacco Vanille, and other bombs in the office].

Now to the question of all questions: How does it hold up?
For me, definitely stronger and better than the EDP. This is likely also due to the fact that the sweetness of the spices and the denser woods bring a certain “thickness” and “fullness” that are not present in the predecessor.
The sillage is moderate; it certainly doesn’t fill rooms, but is still noticeably more perceptible in the first hours when passing by than its predecessor.
For me, the magic happens on the skin when the fragrance is still strong enough to fascinate its counterpart while simultaneously pulling back a bit, becoming a little quieter, which makes the counterpart have to come a bit closer to smell more of it.

Is the fragrance worth the price?
I think, as individual as tastes are, so too is the perception of price-performance for different fragrances.
One could just as easily ask whether it is worth it for a person to fly business or first class, whether it absolutely has to be a 5-star hotel, whether the Porsche in the garage is really necessary...
The fragrance is, like the business or first-class flight, the 5-star hotel, and the Porsche, a luxury good that has long surpassed the premium segment.
It is a composition with a price tag. This price is something one is either willing to pay for luxury - or not.
Personally, I am happy and glad to own a 50ml bottle and will wear this fragrance with honor for our weekly date night or on other very special occasions.

In the end, I believe the fragrance will find its target audience.
Whether that is worth it to someone is left to the individual.