Oud Minérale

"Northern Hemisphere shore" fragrances are some of my favourites personally & this is now the replacement for TF Oud Minerale, bc these are definitely meant to be, Northern Hemisphere "shore" perfumes - neither are particularly, about oud - despite the Title of TF OM - tbh I think they use that in the Title at TF to try to market some of their perfumes at the price of some of their others, but.. hm.. This however has hit the Discounters - & is of excellent quality. "Happybone" - has pretty much said about TF Oud Minerale - what I & my Fiance would say about Wet Stone, Amouroud - & to me Wet Stone is the more than equal replacement for the original TF OM - (obvs you've tried the reformulated version at TF, oh dear!) - & to myself & my fiance; this - is far better than the much vaunted TF offering (which in First Edition was quite good, I will say, however, Not. Now. ) TF OM is now a watered down, lesser quality shadow of itself; they can keep it - ofc, the oud in wet stone is more subtle💫 - & to me much more in keeping💫with the perfume, although it is definitely there - neither💫of them are particularly about oud💫per se, & weren't meant to be despite the Title of the former - but both are as said - more of a Northern Hemisphere shore aura - however, the oud is not missing in WS, not at all - just more subtle💫& far more💫skillfully blended💫(I will say though - if you cannot smell oud in the WS - then💫your nose was sadly damaged🙈🙈 - by all the less subtle oud heavy perfumes that have hit you in the nose like brick repeatedly, (& maybe be subsequently numb) but am not fond of that "style" of perfumes, at all - the oud in WS is pretty good; & is thankfully slightly more subtle than TF; bc I thought it was a little too much in the First Edition version; but does still smell of high quality in WS (although bottles of the Amouroud are avaliable at just under £92 - at TK Maxx UK website, hurrah(!) - & are far more "worth it" than the Reformulated TF - probably more so that ANY current/reformulated⚠️ TF tbh, from what I hv smelled at their counter recently.⚠️) Plus - the gentle sage💫& other shore like accords in this are rather lovely💫on a man too - my fiance wore this, the other day & I thought it smelled particularly polished💫 & somewhat stylish on him - but then he usually is, full stop & has rather excellent taste in perfumes & clothing - this had lingered💫on his shirt, & must have "rubbed off" onto the sleeve of his suit jacket; so I could smell it when I opened one of the wardrobes yesterday, & paused to admire it fully💫 A winner, I think.. (although the less ppl that wear it the better for him/me(!) ofc - stick with the formerly half decent brand if you must, more for us, & exclusivity is never a bad thing.) My fiance used to wear the original TF Oud Minerale occasionally💫) but frankly, I tested the reformulated version💫 a cpl of weeks ago; & it's a huge no from both of us, & x 100ml of Amouroud's WS will be taking it's place, courtesy of the famous discounter (he bought one - but I went back again, hoping for bargain cashmere sweaters - & hv quietly/sneakily put another in his Christmas stocking - which he will recieve when we open our presents (in Christmas Eve as per our Fine Tradition) since he's been v good this year. Fresh, beautiful, & present, this is - & lasts well; although it has a💫wonderful subtlety💫& depth, about it, which tends to be lacking in the TF offering - no matter how much they dilute it, the blending💫& notes here are excellent💫 (Note - Nothing about WS is "Designer-esque" or "Not Niche"💫 - & anybody clinging to the TF name in all it's diluted, mass marketed - & espc marketed towards East Asia, not that watering everything down is any good to East Asian ppl either, nobody likes poor quality mediocrity) - & thinking this or another such House cannot equal or better💫any of it, should give this a week's test - certainly a few others are playing the game far better than the jokers who own TF these days.

No similarity to Oud Wood whatsoever, for those who are expecting a follow-up (or a flanker) to that fragrance. Oud Minérale has a very oceanic feel to it (not to be confused with "aquatic"). It's a sort of salty, spicy, peppery, seaweed-y, and almost metallic scent. In a way, it slightly reminds me of James Heeley's Sel Marin - if you know that one, Oud Minérale will feel strangely familiar. I don't get much oud in this one - oud plays a very distant role somewhere in the background, and it's more of a polished, clean, transparent oud, not the strong aromatic kind (or the velvety clean and smooth like in Oud Wood). The oceanic vibe is definitely there, front and center. Up-close, if you sniff Oud Minérale on your arm, it has more of that mineral feel to it, as if you were sniffing crushed up quartz and other mineral-rich rocks, on a scorching hot day, baking in the sun all day. That juxtaposition of oceanic, salty/spicy feel, vs crushed hot mineral rocks, is what this fragrance is all about. Not so much about oud. If you like the scent of cold salty ocean-side pier repeatedly sprayed with sea water - I think you'll like it. Completely devoid of sweetness. It's arid, like salty-dry air near the ocean on low-humidity day, and rather chilling and cold. Very loud and strong, and lasts well over 12 hours on skin - beastly performer! Even when you think the top has settled down and it's not as loud, it comes back to you over and over again, for many hours, and people around you will definitely notice this one many hours after application. I've been told, after 4-5 hours of spraying it on, that it's very strong (I could definitely smell it myself, but it didn't "feel" that strong to me, after being subjected to it for a few hours already). But thankfully it's not cloying. After wearing Oud Minérale, I'm pondering what the next release, Oud Ocean, will be like. Even more "oceanic"?? Hard to imagine, after this. Oud Minérale is on one hand not what I expected (that strong "Sel Marin" déjà vu), but on the other hand - it is pretty true to its name - the mineral portion definitely comes through strongly, especially if you sniff the sprayed area up-close, just don't expect a whole lot of oud.

Finally managed to score an original 250ml of this juice . So far I only had experience with the signature line version , which I quite liked. Update soooooon .... I got a few bottles from TF but Could potentially this be my new second favorite Tom Ford ? Current TF top list : No1 Tuscan leather ( got the OG 250ml when it came out ) magic juice to my nose No2 Noir Anthracite , again , magic juice. Update: It just arrived! 🤓👌🏻 First impressions: Since all my atomizers are in use, I had to go savage and dab it on straight from the 250ml bottle cap 😬🤷🏼. The scent is subtle but definitely not weak—fresh, but without any sweetness. It’s working its magic... I’m already at the beach in my mind. Update 2: The TF atomizer finally arrived, and life is good! 😂 I've been wearing this fragrance non-stop since the day I got it—even to bed. 🤷🏼♂️ I also picked up 10ml of the new Signature version, and they are definitely different, especially in the opening. I'm not sure if it's due to the aging process or a reformulation, but the original smells more refined and, well, perfect from the start. The new release has a much harder, almost "greasy" opening that feels like something is missing. It's harsher and rougher initially, but after about 45-60 minutes, they become very close. This might change as the fragrance matures, but I'll stick with the original Private Blend version. With 250ml, I doubt I'll ever need a backup bottle. I won’t dive too deep into a full review since there are plenty out there, but to me, this scent is perfect—a true work of art. It’s easily in my top 3 Tom Ford fragrances. Salty and dry, it’s not overpowering but still long-lasting. Classy, elegant, and far from a people-pleaser. It’s probably Aquaman’s favorite juice. Living in the U.K., it’s the perfect rainy day fragrance, and needless to say, I’ll be wearing this all year round. 🤓 Update3: Compliment day: The girl behind me in the post office queue asked about my fragrance, and then another one at the gym did too. I’m starting to think this frag might have a secret ingredient—just a dash of "freshly squeezed effort."

The first time I tried it in store, INSTANTLY I had an image in my head: you're giving a ride to a hot priest (yes I know I've got some issues☺️) in your brand new Cadillac with a beige leather interior... For two days I kept driving back and forth, obsessing over whether I should cop it or not (not even knowing it was possibly being discontinued). I felt like the scent was so odd, and so masculine, how dare I fall for this?! Well, I bought a 30ml bottle, which will hopefully last me forever. OM is so beast, I hardly need one third of a spray on one wrist to last me all day. The imagery hasn't changed much, although I eventually pinpointed precisely what core memory this fragrance evoques to me. Turns out, it is exactly how I remember the interior of the parsonage (presbytère in french) in Sainte-Ursule QC where I did all my catholic sacrament preparation courses in the 90s. This perfume smells like sanctity, like noble sentiments, like one's precious and secret covenants with G-d (whichever you prefer). It has the appeal of something greater than mere life on earth. Truly a masterpiece, but definitely not for the amateur nose. What a mysterious creation, that keeps you on your toes! This is not for the people pleasers! The man who wears this, if he's not a perfumisto, chose this edp because of its unique aura. He prides himself in being different. I think this could be a very nice gift for a clean metalhead, the one who's a dentist or a chiropractor maybe, who sometimes headbangs on the weekends, not the kind who rents a basement, orders in every night and plays WOW while blasting Children of Bodom when he's off from his shift at the videogame store. Because this is a classy, loud but demure, respectable, curated olfactory 'look'! 10/10

Dark Adventure - or possibly even Grim or Fey. Just trying a decant now - so far I give it a high rating. I have not ranked the longevity as I've only been wearing about an hour, but it's still there. The primary scent I get is driftwood, with a salty marine smell in the background, but there's also an undertone note that I can't place that is a that cuts the salt a notch to great success. Absolutely not a "Tropical Beach" - more of a Fall/Winter Seaside vibe, exactly what I've been looking for and what G&B Pacific Beach Moss isn't. The latter being on my mind since I tried it earlier this morning. Oud Minerale is rather sophisticated and "Deep", rather than a "Freshie" Aquatic. EDIT: Longevity was more than 8 hours. Here is the essence: "Standing on a seaweed-strewn shore of the North Atlantic next to a large branch that dried up on shore after floating in the Ocean. Not too far away is a dock, with a working boat - not a yacht, but a lifeboat or tugboat - being refueled with diesel." Sadly, my wife and female assistant can't stand it. They claimed it filled the room, and in fairness I felt the projection quite strong as well. I thought it was fantastic and brought back memories of working on the pier in the Autumn as a teenager in New England. Time/Date: This is a great fragrance for an outdoor event or date, but I would be cautious of wearing it in the Office or confined space. I'd say Fall/Winter, but equally night or day. To me it suggests a dangerous adventure or even a sense of deep resolve. Conclusion: If you want the Scent of the North Atlantic Oceanside and not Hawaii, Caribbean, South Seas, or Med Vacation, this is pretty darn close. It's like Marmite - you love it or hate it.