FRAGRANCE | Tom Ford Oud Wood EDP: A beautiful scent marred by poor performance

The name says it all, and that's practically what you get in Tom Ford's Oud Wood. The oud is already evident from the beginning although it's not the strong and pungent kind. It's tempered, "Westernized," if you may, and has a slightly sweet and sour flavor to it that I like. It's very much like the oud in Tobacco Oud,  another Tom Ford Private Label release. The opening also carries a faint trace of spices but it doesn't last long.

The fragrance is also woody, with the oud and other sweetening agents lending it some moistness, effectively sanding off any rough edges. It isn't dark and brooding, and instead exudes a certain lightness. Yet somehow the scent remains quite serious and elegant. By mainstream standards it's arguably masculine but is not overly butch so much so that it can cater to women of a certain taste.

Oud Wood is beautiful in its linearity but unfortunately there's much left to be desired in regard to its performance. Projection is modest at best and after around two hours it settles into a skin scent with hardly any delay. And when you factor in the price, it becomes an issue all the more because I don't think many people would willingly fork out nearly thirteen grand (in Php) for a mere skin scent. Otherwise it's a pretty safe, pleasant, and versatile fragrance.