This Intense Perfume Note Is Sure to Turn Heads—If You're Into That

If bold, sensual fragrances are your bread and butter, it's high time you reached for a fragrance containing oud. In the Middle East, oud is also known as "black gold," and for good reason—it's an absolutely magnetic scent.

Oud is made from agarwood, which is the dark and resinous heartwood of aquaria trees when they're infected with a certain type of mold. Intrigued yet? So are many perfumers, as the ingredient has cropped up in fragrance houses such as Dior, Tom Ford, Kilian, and more.

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(Image credit: @dawn.tan)

What Kind of Scent Is Oud?

Oud is an incredibly luxurious scent that fits into the woody fragrance family. It's sweet and woodsy, but it also has spicy and leathery notes. It has tons of complexity, making it perfect for fragrances. An oud fragrance is right for you if you typically like woodsy, warm scents. Below, find our favorite oud-forward fragrances.

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(Image credit: @cassandra.cadwell)

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(Image credit: @dawn.tan)

Other Woody Perfumes We Love

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Associate Beauty Editor

Katie Berohn is the associate beauty editor at Who What Wear. Previously, she worked as the beauty assistant for Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, and Prevention magazines, all part of the Hearst Lifestyle Group. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in journalism and minor in technology, arts, and media, and earned her master's degree at NYU's graduate program for magazine journalism. In addition, Katie has held editorial internships at Denver Life magazine, Yoga Journal, and Cosmopolitan; a digital editorial internship at New York magazine's The Cut; a social good fellowship at Mashable; and a freelance role at HelloGiggles. When she's not obsessing over the latest skincare launch or continuing her journey to smell every perfume on the planet, Katie can be found taking a hot yoga class, trying everything on the menu at New York's newest restaurant, or hanging out at a trendy wine bar with her friends.