Precious Oud

Now this is the creamy kind of tuberose. And a rather carnal one. It even develops to the sweeter side, but this is as far away from the well-known bubble gum impression as possible. Even though it's rather foody, it is most certainly not dessert like. It is closer to a main dish reference with its thick, sauce-like structure. I can see clearly how this is compared to TFBO: Precious Oud also has that truffle funk, that weird, semi-edible, unmistakable scent. Do not be alarmed, though: this is exquisitely well designed fragrance with incredible potency and infinite presence, indicating expensive taste. It is indeed impressive, but I could even call it opressive. I love it dearly, appreciate it immensely, but wear it seldomly. One should go very light on the sprayer, if they don't want to get themselves nauseated. Even with only two half-pressure sprays and one final walk-through, I was safely surrounded by it all evening long, residing in the open space. I strongly suggest you never use more than that, otherwise it could get toxic and completely out of control. I just adore the whole VC&A monothematic Extra collection! However, Precious Oud is very little about agarwood really. It is only a supportive player here, giving the whole composition the "nuit", exotic vibe. But it plays its role masterfully. To sum up for those who are curious about the popular (and accurate) comparison: if you love TF Black Orchid, you will certainly enjoy P. Oud. If you happen to dislike BO, you still have a chance to at least appreciate this execution of the idea.

"Precious Oud" by Van Cleef and Arpels / 08/07/2015 I belong to the type of people who fall in love hard and not often. This is a truly magnificent scent that I fell in love with. It is so well blended and balanced that it is impossible to distinguish the notes. Additionally, it is so unique (in a beautifully quirky way) that I cannot describe it accurately. It is not flowery; it is not powdery; it is not oriental; it is not soapy; it is not citrusy; it is not aquatic... What or earth is it? I have no idea! But, it is perfect!! This is the beauty of this scent. I cannot categorize it, I cannot de-code it, I cannot translate it. There is so much cerebral intelligence and harmonious quality in this blend. It is beautiful, unclassifiable and not at all predictable. Smelling it is an intense, long-lasting experience for those with an adult nose (so, to all those who like nicey-nicey sickly sweet gourmands, I suggest to stay away from this masterpiece.) Silage and longevity are massive; the scent dominates the room. I would not suggest for anyone interested to proceed in a blind buy. I also would not suggest to anyone to offer it as a gift. The reason is that this fragrance is so unique and peculiar that it becomes a very personal choice. I enjoy it very much. I do recommend it, I find it mind-blowing! Enjoy the perfume quest. Regards Josephine

I used to own Black Orchid, and while I am a Tom Ford devotee, I had to get rid of it. I think it's practically a modern masterpiece, but something about it didn't jive quite right with me. The patch was too heavy. The tuber note made the scent interesting, but there was too much of it. THIS is Black Orchid redone in perfect balance, harmony, and perfection! Precious Oud is so classy that it makes Black Orchid seem trashy in comparison. I never thought that of Black Orchid as trashy until I smelled this, as there was nothing to compare. Although this smells classy, I can't get the image of a high class call girl out of my head, the kind of woman you would never know is really an escort because she makes five times the money you make. Black Orchid seems like a common prostitute now. There is something light and clean (and addictive) floating above all of the richer notes, and I can't figure out what it is. I also note abstract candied white florals and a smooth river of amber chocolateyness. I was looking to purchase Orchidee Vanille, and while that was really pretty, this is immediately full bottle worthy. It's stunning--and very, very sexy. I seriously think that any woman wearing this will instantly become more beautiful to those within range of her scent.

Precious Oud is another high-quality Van Cleef & Arpels scent, but it doesn't feature any discernable oud. A creamy, sweet, woody floral, it is bold but not obtrusive. I get the resemblance to TF Black Orchid, but this is a more muted, refined, elegant version that doesn't feature the infamous truffle note. It has its own identity however, and is made with high-quality ingredients. PO opens with creamy white florals; sweet, clean and not too bold. There is a little pink pepper up top. The smoky incense follows, adding a nice counterpoint to the florals. It is slightly balsamic and sweet here. The woody-amber accord develops as PO progresses, with the incense note moving into a central role. The florals give an underlying sweet creaminess, but it is all about the woody notes and churchy incense here. A little patchouli adds some earthiness. It fades to a sweet, musky skin scent with balsamic incense remaining, becoming very dry as it fades. Sillage is moderate and longevity is long-lasting. It is made for cold weather. An elegant, unisex woody-amber scent punctuated with smooth florals, PO is another beautiful composition from an underrated perfume house. Excellent from top to bottom with some unexpected elements, I really loved this. Precious Incense. 4.5/5.

This is exactly what I hoped it would be. I found this perfume by looking for similar fragrances to Tom Ford’s Black Orchid. I really enjoyed aspects of Black Orchid, but found the composition as a whole to be too gaudy, brash, tacky and suffocating. I wanted a similar scent that was just more polished and sophisticated, and luckily this fragrance community is on the ball! Based on all the reviews, I ordered a sample from Luckyscent and am absolutely smitten! Precious Oud is all I loved about Black Orchid without what I hated, so it’s definitely not a copy, but a tropical floriental in the same family, just this girl went to college and knows how to use her inside voice. It’s refined decadence, if that makes sense. The quality of this fragrance is apparent too, there’s no throat scratching fumes in Precious Oud, it’s creamy smooth. I’ve just ordered a full bottle of this gorgeous little gem and will be enjoying it all summer (because another perk is that it’s light enough to wear year round)! Thanks for your great reviews! Edit: after a few full wears, I notice incense and a very clean oud. It’s there, but it’s a supporting voice in this composition. Very beautiful.

This is very similar to Black Orchid but the volume been turned considerably down and the dirty part has been greatly reduced. Still the closest I have smelled, much more similar to BO than Velvet Orchid. Just like any other scent in the Collection Extraordinaire it has soft to moderate projection and lasts around six hours. I like it a lot personally and would recommend to those who appreciate Black Orchid but find it hard to wear and don't want to deal with two days commitment to its scent. Edit: A few days ago I tried Black Orchid again, just to see if I feel the same about it. For me it is very impressive but ''too much of a good thing'' at first and the drydown turned into dirt (read: potent patchouli and vetiver) It sure is a scent made to grab attention, I also got a compliment from a stranger while buying bus tickets shortly after sampling. But that's about it. It just sits there screaming, like a modern evolution of Angel's complex chocolatey earthiness. Precious Oud is very much of a similar scent just more well mannered and soulful, melts on the skin and compliments it in quiet way I find much more refined.

After sampling (and purchasing) several fragrances from Van Cleef & Arpels, I’ve become totally enamored. From Bois Doré (my favorite), Rose Rouge, Orchidee Vanille and now, Precious Oud; their exceptional level of craftsmanship, seamless blending and use of quality ingredients sets them FAR apart from other houses, imo. Rather than finding myself hit with a synthetic bomb that lasts longer than life itself, I was most pleasantly surprised by the elegance and subdued gracefulness of Precious Oud. Which I almost didn’t sample due to my aversion to Oud in other fragrances, which unfortunately tends to pull rather like petrol or burned tires on my skin. This one is quite the exception. A perfect harmony of notes that, while giving complexity and depth, allow for a certain lightness which I love! Combined with a touch of sweetness, a restrained smokiness and spicy tuberose, this is very much giving L’Interdint Rouge meets Black Orchid but drops the truffle / earthy vibes. This is most definitely a perfect place to start for someone interested in Oud; another masterpiece by VC&A!

The resemblance to Black Orchid is very minimal here, Precious Oud like all VC&A fragrances seem to showcase the quality of the ingredients used to create the fragrance, the white flowers beautifully cover that animalic ambergris+oud combo to a perfect balance, longevity is decent and it doesn't scream too loudly which is something I find associated with classy fragrances and this is no exception. Again Fragrantica got something wrong here, this is not female specific targeted fragrance, this is unisex, it smells unisex, and it is even referred to in the VC&A website as unisex, so I don't know where Fragrantica got their information from. Just don't go buying this expecting that it will be an alternative to Black Orchid, that one is thick, heavy, sweet and resinous, and can be smelled from a mile away, things which are not present here.

F@@ing good and i absolutely love it, yes like many say this smells like tm black orchid but it doesn't at the same time, why you ask? i feel a scent of tuberose in it. this here my guys is savoury and almost dreamy and creamy, leathery smooth like all cleefs perfumes imo, it is beautiful. and I really do want to buy it but i think if i already get the black orchid one i wont be missing out. maybe i will come back to it later in life when i get tired of b o coming back to it some minutes later i have to change my mind this would compliment my skin better than black orchid because it has that crowd pleasing lovely sweetness to it that black orchid doesnt have i think that alone is a great reason to buy this, this is the sweeter version of tom ford b orchid. i would actually think of buying it

What determines the rating of a fragrance is how far distanced our expectations are from the perfumer's standpoint. Whether this fragrance delivered the essence of raw oud or synthetic oud, many would have shared a certain disappointment. Precious Oud is simply Van Cleef & Arpel's interpretation of agarwood and far from cheap. It evolves and enhances gradually on skin. Applying this perfume to paper does it no justice. Sure it may share common ground with Black Orchid, but it is not Black Orchid. Tom Ford's fragrances stand on their own, requiring no comparison to be noticed. Semi-sweet, balmy and woody indeed. Although the oud is present, it is disciplined by the creamy tuberose, peppers and incense. This is a great fragrance and I am a proud owner of both Precious Oud and Black Orchid.

I love this fragrance! Soft, sweet, and warm. very comforting, cozy, and sensual. Very similar to a black orchid, but for me, it is better. I like a black orchid on men where it's very warm and rich, but when I wear it I get some tea notes, it smells only like tea on me I don't get anything else. Not that i don't like tea notes I'm just confused because there are no tea notes in it, and I was expecting something warm and more tasty from BO. But, back to PO, this is everything I wanted and expected from BO, everything BO doesn't project on my skin I get from PO. it's very classy, elegant, and smells really PRECIOUS. I have a question: does anybody know what that numbers under the under n° represent?

Tried today, beautiful scent! It may be similar to TF Black Orchid but it's not the same thing. While Black Orchid is quite of a brick, Precious Oud is more of a nuanced oriental, somptuous, warm, lingering, but not harsh nor thick. It keeps a lighthand and it smells almost gourmand. Wood is there and so is a feeling of dried fruit in an Eastern suk. Also the tuberose is dominant and luscious yet well managed. I appreciate the top quality of this line. Notes smell real and they are full of nuances as it happens with natural raw material. The longevity is very good but the sillage is tamed and quite close to the skin. It's a winner, pricey but not more pricey than most mainstream.

This fragrance smells like spicy jasmine with a hint of oud and incense. The dry down is mix between amber and sandalwood. The longevity might be lacking as this scent already smells faint after 2 hours of wear on me. The sillage is also very low compared to Bois D'Iris. I would also say Bois D'Iris is a heavier scent. Precious Oud is more of a subtle "skin" scent, but still a very nice one indeed :). Edit - it's very long-lasting on clothing! UPDATE: Having owned Black Orchid by TF, I now see the resemblance in these two. On me, Precious Oud is more wearable and not "in your face". Because of this, I say it takes after BO's sister, Velvet Orchid.

I can imagine this being a perfect scent for cold, winter months. Very comforting - while Black Orchid can get a little wild, loud sweet and screechy, Precious Oud is smooth, less loud, semi-sweet and woody, makes a little bit more sense to me. It's like a cozy hug. A very, very long lasting hug! I can't believe there is no rose in it... It can also be a very sexy nighttime scent (grown-up sexy) in the fall/winter mostly because of jasmine, sandalwood and incense, the amount of spice is just right. When I close my eyes I imagine candlelight, expensive dinner for two and spicy wine. Very well done, great sillage and longevity.

I absolutely adore this perfume. I usually wear Tom Ford Black Orchid, Elizabeth and James Nirvana, Reminiscence Oud and mix a little of Reminiscence Patchouli Elixir, Nagchouli, and in the summer I’ll sometimes wear my old school favorite Marine scent, Calvin Klein Escape. I believe for the cost of Van Cleef and Arpels, Precious Oud, this perfume is FABULOUS! I get as many compliments on Precious Oud as I do my Black Orchid. To me, both have the same lasting power and sillage. I love both equally and they are a little different. I do love the Oud power in both and the dry down is just as fabulous as the initial scent.

So beautiful! It’s a more feminine, prettified Black Orchid, abit sweeter and cleaner, less heavy. And unlike Black Orchid which is better saved for cold weather, this one is great for those breezy spring-summer evenings too. It’s fantastic. Excellent sillage and longevity, not a polarizing beast, but definitely noticeable. I love Black Orchid, but this one is easier to wear. Great for all year round, but it feels very much for the evenings, the vibe here is sensual, feminine, sophisticated and mysterious, with a touch of something Middle Eastern (the oud is there, but subtle and not the dirty kind).

The scent profile changed entirely for me. At first I wanted to give it away. After opening and spraying about a half dozen times I put it away for a couple years before trying it again -- it is surreal what a difference from then. It became a mellow and creamy, slightly sweet scent that is subtle. It carries a pleasant note of summer with hints of pina colada and warm summer days that bring an intimate salty skin vibe. It is so complex but feels simple and natural. I call it puppy paws for people. It is an amazing blend.

personally I dont find that it smells like black orchid of Ford, since black orchid is way much sweeter, anyway in general I dislike tom ford's perfumes. to me this is the perfect oud representation, better than armani privé, better than kurkdjian's oud, better than oud wood, even better than al oudh (artisan parfumeur). it is very creamy and very round,soft, woody, sweet floral. comforting, while having a hint of oud which is pleasant, not medicinal. my favorite oud

This is the kind of fragrance that will grow on you slowly, very slowly. You have got to give it time, you can't just test and form an opinion on it right away, I bought a decant and kept testing it for some time, but I finally came to terms with it. This is the one that got me into the floral fragrances, you have to give absolutely zero f*cks, and rock it like the cool person that you think you are for it to work if you're a man, because this is pretty floral.

This was love at second sight... I was wearing this perfume on one hand and Ambre Imperial of the Collection Extraordinaire on the other one. I had already fallen in love with the opening of AI when 15 minutes later i sniffed the Precious Oud, just in case. And then it blew my mind. A perfume that is layered and complex, starts by being almost unbearable and becomes ever more refined and sophisticated, and yet very present, as time goes by.