Tom Ford - Oud Wood

Years ago I visited Bhutan. Amidst the misty foothills of the Himalayas, there stood the dzongs surrounded by prayer flags. Although not a Buddhists, I couldn’t help feel the spiritual nature of what I was witnessing, the soft chanting that was coming from inside the temples and the throng of people turning the prayer wheel as they walked pass by.  But most of all, I couldn’t help but allow myself be surrounded by the smell of the burning incense – the oudwood and the sandalwood.

And much, much later,  walking into the perfumerie of a famous department store, I caught a wiff of that gentle oud and sandalwood.  

Yes,  it was Tom Ford’s Oud Wood. None else.

The Top Notes consists of Rosewood and cardamom, and the middle notes consists of delicious Oud, Sandalwood and Vetiver. The Base Note is of Tonka Bean, Vanilla and Amber.

The Oud is subtle. It is not a strong and overpowering oud. It is almost minimalistic – drifting across the mist-covered valleys and over rushing white water streams. It is almost an Oud for people who are not fond of Oud but still want to try it. An almost citrusy-oud. The cardamom is also very faint. But it is there. 

The longevity is good. It definitely lasted on my other half a long time. I just loved it.

It is masculine all right. But a subtle one. 

If you have never tried Oud-based perfume, then this is definitely one to try. 

Penhaligons - Iris Prima

"Iris Prima is a work of olfactory choreography, with Iris Absolute in the role of Prima Ballerina. Effortlessly elegant and faintly melancholic, Iris Prima offers a fascinating glimpse into the secluded yet magical world of the ballet.

In a unique partnership with English National Ballet, Penhaligon’s set about capturing the very essence of ballet, turning to master perfumer Alberto Morillas as choreographer. Alberto has captured every aspect of this remarkable artistic world in the iconic Penhaligon’s bottle."

So says Penhaligon.

Would I associate this perfume with a prima ballerina, if I did not have a look at their website? Not necessarily. 

I received this perfume in a sample gift pack, and it was the first one I tried, drawn to it by its name. It was launched in 2013 and the Nose behind this fragrance is Alberto Morillas.  The Top notes are bergamot, green Amber and pink pepper; middle notes are iris and jasmine; base notes are leather, vanilla, sandalwood, vetiver and benzoin.

It opens with a blast of the bergamot and pepper, - fresh and classy which soon settles into the Iris, quite powdery and floral. I cannot detect any jasmine at all but I have no complaints as although I love the jasmine flower I am yet to find a perfume that truly represents the fragrance of the actual flower. The iris is beautiful. It has a vintage feel to it. Perhaps in that vein it's an "old" fragrance, not a modern one. It reminds me of not so much a prima ballerina but more so of the elegantly dressed ladies out for an evening at the ballet, sitting in their box with their silk gloved hands around dainty diamanté clutches. Yes, it's a perfume one can wear to see the Royal Ballet. On that, I will agree with Penhaligon. 

The sillage is not great with me. It sits very close to my skin. The longevity is not  great for me either although the vanilla, sandalwood, vetiver combination has a lovely classy feel. There is something missing for me. Rather than a perfume that reminds me of Dame Margot Fonteyn or Svetlana Zakharova in their best roles, it is a perfume in waiting - a First Soloist waiting to bloom into a principal. 

A Lilac Fairy than Sleeping Beauty.

Would I buy it? For me, I am not sure.