London by Tom Ford

London is a Western perfume with the DNA of an Arab house; I loved its execution, very similar to how Amouage interprets its scents. Opulent and complex, yet classic, refined, and sophisticated—a great work by Mr. Ford. Top notes: a spice hit, cumin, and pepper over oud with coffee and saffron. It’s dry, complex, overwhelming, even made me sneeze; there’s more, other spices I can’t quite pinpoint. Then the spices fade, a smoky incense emerges (burning smoke, nothing ecclesiastical) and coffee softens. Gradually, dry and warm wood enters with a weak floral vibe, rounding off the smoky coffee. This wood loses intensity quickly, along with coffee and incense, and the oud appears with force: dirty, earthy, warm and sweet but dry, not rough, sustained by labdanum that gives it sweetness without becoming cloying. Incredible aroma; the oud is similar to Arab attars, very risky for the West but unquestionably high quality. For cold or fresh climates and especially night: hard to wear daily, but perfect for special occasions, elegant and refined. Longevity and sillage: swampy terrain, didn’t last even 6 hours; prominent sillage for the first hour then moderate, nothing remarkable, especially not at that excessive price. If not for the aroma, I would have shot it down, but if you can afford it, it compensates for its poor performance.

Truly fantastic aroma, with exquisite saffran that, together with cumin, opens with a dry gasoline blast that leaves you stiff. Jasmine and geranium are felt slightly, then the woods gradually soften the blend and leave a wonderful note I suppose is amyris, I’ve never smelled it before. Immense quality, pity its longevity: on my skin it’s short, which makes me consider buying it again given its price.

Elegance, warm and woody sophistication. Tom Ford fragrances with OUD are worth it for their complex and delicate treatment; among them are Oud Fleur, Oud Wood… They are a window into Arab scents in an extremely refined way, with immense class.