Oud Noir Intense

FDB’s interpretation of Tom Ford’s Oud Wood presents a distinct olfactory experience. Upon initial application, the fragrance prominently features the woody essence of oud, albeit with a subtle undertone of skankiness. This characteristic sets it apart from other OW inspired fragrances, such as Oud Wood, Carved Oud, Kredo and Oud Noir. While I personally appreciate the Oud Wood DNA, this particular scent stands out for its distinct cardamom note, which comes off drier compared to other fragrances in the family. This allows the oud to be more pronounced, rather than being merely a woody profile. The fragrance concludes with a subtle musky undertone. In terms of suitability, this fragrance is well-suited for formal and special occasions. While it can be considered unisex, the bolder approach to oud may pose a slight challenge for some individuals to pull off. Additionally, the high price point may deter some potential buyers. In terms of projection, the fragrance exhibits moderate projection, which seems to be par for the course for this category of fragrances. Individuals within your scent bubble will pick up on the scent, but no further than that. This is a reserved fragrance and not a room filler, as the *intense* in the name may suggest. Despite several negative comments regarding poor performance, in my personal experience, this fragrance lasts beyond 10 hours on my skin. However, it does transform into a skin scent at that point. Though I don't know how to track FDB batches to see when my bottle was produced, it bears the batch number 32878/X283A. Fortunately, I have favorable skin chemistry, and most fragrances adhere well to my skin. Nevertheless, given the overwhelming number of complaints about poor performance, I recommend testing this fragrance on your skin before committing to a full bottle. In conclusion, I would still recommend this fragrance, but I question its value for the asking price. Unless you prioritize the authentic oud experience within the Oud Wood DNA, I suggest exploring other options. Personally, while I enjoy this fragrance enough to own a bottle, I would still recommend Thameen’s Carved Oud, which I consider the Crème de la crème of this fragrance DNA.

It’s interesting to read on this page people’s views regarding similarities between Oud Noir Intense and Oud Wood - some think they are similar, others think not. I think some people confuse ‘this reminds me of’ with ‘is the same as’ because although different, there are definite similarities in this fragrance with Oud Wood and Carved Oud. If I smelt this, without reading reviews, I would immediately think this reminds me of Oud Wood but they aren’t exactly the same. I own this, Oud Wood and Carved Oud and this, imho, is the far superior fragrance, certainly in terms of scent - you can literally smell the quality. It’s much more natural, the agar Wood is authentic and the florals add a lovely balance, depth and complexity, whilst still remaining airy. I don’t get any skank in the opening notes as some mention but I do find it more medicinal to start, before the floral aspects soften and sweeten the fragrance and the musk comes into play. In fact I think this fragrance is absolutely stunning with presentation to match. A fantastic mix of spicy woody notes, sweet florals and comforting musk which makes it much softer and more nuanced than fragrances in the same genre, such as Oud Wood. My only gripe is performance. I don’t get beast mode as some mention and although longevity is okay, its projection is close to the skin. It’s subtle, which can be okay but I would like a bit more umph from it, however, that might just be my nose. In terms of performance, my 7 year bottle of Oud Wood is the best performer although it’s also the most synthetic out of the three. Were this not superior to Oud Wood or Carved Oud then I wouldn’t have bought it but the scent is so good that I would happily swap both my Oud Wood and Carved Oud for a bottle of this and I love both those fragrances. It is expensive though, so if cost is an issue then Carved Oud would be my second recommendation. Carved Oud sits between Oud Wood and Oud Noir Intense; it's more natural than OW but lacks the subtleties and florals of ONI. Overall though, I really do think Oud Noir Intense is in another league, compared to the alternatives.

I own Oud Bleu Intense, Oud Orange Intense and Milano and was looking for a high end elegant citrus fragrance to add to my collection. I was on a fence for a long while with Roja Oligarch and Oud Vert Intense, but there were aspects of each that I did not care for. The Roja was a TDH upgrade, but reminded me of salespeople in expensive watch stores (a common Roja vibe for me) and the OVI had the most amazing opening and mid that reminded me of Thai green curries and cactus flowers, but the dry down came to quickly and smelled like freshly cut grass and pesto sauce. I could never pull the trigger on either and eventually bought the FDB Prive Sample pack. I was not surprised that I did not care for Parisian and Heritage (targeted at rich, risk-averse people) or the overly middle eastern Amouage-esque Amber Intense or Sahraa Oud, but my jaw hit the floor when I tried Oud Noir Intense- it was exactly what I wanted but never knew I needed! I have an aversion to Rose Ouds but deep inside knew I needed to explore this genre on some level. ONI opens with a dark opaque sense of something like liquorice, which is likely the oud combining with the other elements. This sharp note fades into a shockingly elegant floral soapy scent that reminded me of a cool mix between Heritage and Kilian Musk Oud, and this continues to evolve until you reach the base of sandalwood and vanilla. On my wrist side by side with Santal Complet it outperforms it by a few hours but also has a more beautiful sandalwood dry down, while showing no sandalwood at all in the first few phases of evolution. The floral-soapy mid is my favourite part. I can see using this in any season as it is not too thick and warm, but also not too thin and bright - a perfect all rounder for date nights and really any occasion - I wore it to the grocery store yesterday in a T with shorts and felt great! All in all this is a masterpiece of no small proportions and I will happily pull the trigger on this and make it my first rose oud

This fragrance was my first experience with an oud note that had some funk (Also, my first Fragrance Du Bois). It's not hard to know whether you like something or not but this teetered on love and hate. It was a strange paradox. My brain couldn't decide whether this smelled terrible or beautiful. The scent from the atomizer was extraordinary but I remember regretting my purchase when I sprayed this on. For the first 10-20 minutes, it seemed to emit a sweaty odor. Not quite what anyone expects to achieve with perfume. It did develop into something more palatable, but I couldn't fully appreciate it at the time as my disappointment over the opening lingered (and the price tag). I stored it away, only seeing the light when I wanted to smell the atomizer but never spraying... Few months had passed when I decided to give Oud Noir Intense a second chance. And wow, what a different experience that was. Strangely, I enjoyed it thoroughly. It's as if the time spent away from the scent gave my olfactory time to acquire a taste for the fullness of this perfume. It had won me over. Oud Noir Intense is an elevated scent in terms of opulence and class. Personally, sexy is not a word that has ever naturally come to mind with fragrances, but this was an exception.

Oud Noir Intense is the epitome of a clean and professional smelling oud, perfectly executed. Upon initial spray you’re blasted with a clean cut, refined oud combined with a warming note of cardamom and sharp bergamot. The opening has a somewhat animalic facet which some have described as smelling like cheese - I get where this comparison comes from, but thankfully it’s only fleeting. In the heart, the oud is brightened with a smooth and sparkly combination of jasmine and rose, before settling in to a musky base of saffron, patchouli and sandalwood. However, the oud is the real star here and smells absolutely incredible. This does have similarities to Tom Ford’s Oud Wood, in that it takes oud in a very clean and sophisticated direction - something I can imagine an important business person wearing. I find the name a bit misleading however as to me the scent isn’t very Noir, or intense - it’s actually fairly bright and easy to wear for an oud and the longevity isn’t great either. This is one of my favourite ouds in my collection and a true masterpiece, but only worth it if you can find it for less than retail price.

Fragrance Du Bois only sells their perfume strictly after a consultation. I was recommended to this, I thought it was a Men's perfume, considering its woody, musky and spicy notes. However, on my body, it gives off a soft powdery floral note on top of the woody, musky and spicy first impression. Used on my sister, who loves the perfume more than me, it gave off a less pleasant spectrum, and almost like fresh cut grass. Their perfume is extremely long lasting due to the low alcohol content, very gentle sillage and not overpowering. I have been getting a lot of compliments even from strangers, wanting to know what I am using. For anyone intending to buy their perfumes, please go to their boutiques for a consultation. Definitely good money well spent.

For my asian skin, just one spray, it turns into beautiful rose and white floral with subtle oud (but amazing) in the background. One spray makes me happy the entire afternoon. It is very potent and the scent changes to different shapes and colors after 30 mins. It smells like spring flower but they are surrounded by oud. It is not hays and dry oud and wood. It is nothing like oud wood. If someone says it smells like oud wood, dont believe them. Try it on and wait it becomes something special on your skin. I got a lot of compliments at the office. it is not offensive and in your face. It smells like you have went to get a phd and then love animals by quitting a cooperate job.

I bought a sample and I am head over heels for this perfume, a lot of people say its similar to Tom ford oud wood, and its true to a certain extent, but it is way more complex and elegant than Oud wood by TF, the quality and the blend is out of this world in this one and I want a bottle of 100 ml so bad. Unfortunately for such an elegant fragrance the price tag is high but in all honesty its worth it in my humble opinion. What you get is one of the most sophisticated smells ever, the blend is phenomenal and it lasts on your clothes and skin for the entire day like 24 hours. This perfume is one of the best I have smelled. I would gladly buy it if I could. 💔

Slight TF oud wood vibes. Nice punch of natural oud to start but fades quite fast. I kind of wish that pungent vibe with the citruses up top lasted a bit longer. Drying down is where I definitely felt an oud wood vibe but much stronger and more natural. Much better performance than oud wood but overall this is completely different and not redundant whatsoever if you own both. If you like oud wood and you enjoy real oud you will love this. I blind buy everything and I am totally happy with this purchase :) for you blind buyers out there I hope that helped a little.

This is similar to TF Oud Wood in the drydown. TFOW is pleasant from the get go while this takes a while before it reaches the smoothness and pleasantness of the former. Longevity wise, this beats TFOW by a good 4 hours - 6 vs 10. Projection is not great but you will get whiffs of it throughout the day from 3 to 4 sprays which to me is perfect for an office setting. For a formal event or a night out, I would say 6 sprays to get better sillage. Scent-wise, TFOW is still better overall but they are pretty close.

Now that the weather is turning I was able to wear my sample of Oud Noir Intense. I’m a big fan of TF Oud Wood. I wore it exclusively for several years, from 2007-2011, three seasons: Fall to Winter to Spring. This does smell similar to Oud Wood, but to my nose it also smells more natural and less obtrusive, no nasal fatigue, Fragrance Du Bois’s version is really gorgeous, with very good performance. I’ll need to wear several more times to determine if it’s a buy, but It’s a serious contender.

Most expensive but rewarding blind buy I’ve done. To me, this smells like a beefier Comme des Garçons Wonderwood. The resemblance is so obvious, I’m surprised that it isn’t mentioned anywhere. This is a very pretty oud, sans the funk. Absolutely no remarks scent-wise. With a fragrance like this I did expect more projection. With four sprays, this won’t reach your company in an outdoor café setting. Can’t wait to layer this with Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 and Wonderwood.

I love my decant of this so I after two years I finally decided to get a bottle. I got an 2021 batch and the performance is really abysmal. After an hour you can hardly smell anything. My decant performed much better, it's a shame. I hope it just needs to macerate or that the weather atm is just too humid (I noticed that other fragrances also performed much worse in these weather conditions).

It is a more complex version of TFOW. The fragrance was composed with higher quality ingredients giving it a sophisticated lift in smell, and roundness in texture. However, my only complain is that it performs terribly on my skin. ~3hrs of noticeable projection (arm length), then it settles down as a skin scent for another 5 hrs before it is gone.

It shares similarities with Tom Ford's Oud Wood but it is much more stable and refined in my opinion. Longevity was ok for me, around 8 hours, projection is ok for the first few hours. I would choose it over others in this price range from FDB, but Sahraa Oud is the standout fragrance, the others are well-done but lack originality.

Divine scent. The opening is out of this world with natural and smooth amber, spices and vanilla. As many reviewers said, we wish it could last longer. The drawdown is giving me a beautiful soapy cardamom with high quality oud. The oud in this fragrance is westernized. I wish it could project just a bit more.

Opens with a lot of Patchouli, fruits and musk. The dry down is magnificent though. A smooth oud, soft white musk, with some cardamom and fruits to round off the animalic nature of Oud. Try it on skin, and sit on it. It gets better with time.

Between Oud Wood and Oud Noire Intense its day and night!!! Maybe both give same vibe,,,but like smell no way similat!!! All i can say about ONI,,, its a beautifull fragrance, its imposibile to not love!!!

If you comparing with oudwood by TF or carved oud by Thameen. Definitely this get 10 of 10 as a quality & performance

This got a strong "like" based on the scent, but then I saw the price and a laughed out loud and said "Hell No!" Far from unique, this is a well trodden scent profile that I happen to love even if it is not actual oud. I like it so much that I own TF Oud Wood, Thameen Carved Oud and some other similar ones. This composition seems milkier to me which adds a little something different (I do not get the sour milk undertones others mention), so I really do enjoy it. That said- there is just not a big enough departure from what has been done before (and I already own) to warrant the astronomical price. At the lowest current discounter price it is between 2 & 3 times per ml what I paid for Oud Wood or Carved Oud, and those two were already were pushing hard on what I am willing to spend on a mass produced perfume. This does claim to have 100% pure organic vintage Oud, but gives no promise of how much. Assuming the claim is true it must be only a microdose, as it does not seem to add much to the composition other than an excuse for exorbitant pricing. I will enjoy the rest of the official sample I have and never revisit this one unless the price takes a serious nose dive.