Fragrance Review: Acqua Di Parma's Oud Intense Cologne Concentrate

Any perfumisto worth his or her salt can attest to the proliferation of Oud perfumes flooding the market in recent years. A pungent oil extracted from the fungus-riddled heartwood of the Aquilaria tree, oud has a distinct scent profile which is generally regarded as two parts pigpen and one part woody/balsamic nirvana! It has been used for millennia in Middle Eastern perfumery, and was first introduced to the Western world with YSL's M7 in 2002. The trick (and challenge) in creating an exceptional oud perfume is to harness its polarizing barnyard characteristics and to masterfully blend it with other quality ingredients. In 2012, Italian accessory and perfume maestro's Acqua di Parma did just that with their unisex launch Oud Intense Cologne Concentrate.

An elegant and sophisticated creation, this perfume opens with a sparkle of citrus which ignites an orange fire in the scent's flight. Moments later, the oud note already makes its presence known... rising and spreading laterally through the composition. It is supported by aromatic coriander and fragrant amyris wood – a tree native to the Americas. It feels rich, commanding and expensive. Of course with Acqua di Parma perhaps best known for their exceptional leather accessories, warm leather notes and musks have been woven into the foundation of the perfume. The sum of all ingredients feel woody, musky, ambery and as if imbued with incense.

Complex and luxurious, Oud Intense Cologne Concentrate is at the pinnacle of Acqua di Parma's perfume holdings. It speaks of lavishness and opulence, and creates a distinguished mantle around all those who wear it. Experience it for yourself.