The house and its idea
Andrea Casotti, an engineer and perfumer, says he created the house to talk about raw materials, places and the moments of life.
The families in our selection
The desert: light, wind, night
Three fragrances are dedicated to the desert. Breath of the Infinite is inspired by sunrise and the flowers of an oasis, and its name pays tribute to a breathing technique. Blessing Silence is inspired by the hour when the earth, after the heat built up during the day, cools down, and has woody, balsamic notes reminiscent of the scented robes of those who cross the desert. Finally there is Wind Heat, a vivid bouquet built on the contrast between still air and wind, with cracked rocks as witnesses. The house describes it as an olfactory and chromatic marriage of sun and wind.
The gourmands
Among the gourmands is Keep Glazed, born from a collaboration with pastry chef Ksenia Penkina and interpreted by Andrea Casotti and Cristian Calabrò. What About Pop opens with salted popcorn coated in caramel, alongside a flower called Lunar Flower. Bonbon Pop takes you back to the carefree days of childhood and to candy, with white peach, coconut, raw cane sugar, woods and amber. Dates Delight combines date, peony and caramel.
The eccentric ingredients
Then there are fragrances built around an accord you wouldn't expect in a perfume. Wabisabi uses wasabi, a kitchen ingredient, together with white flowers, citrus and spices. Guilty Crush reproduces the scent of lipstick, a touch of color on the lips that the house associates with allure and confidence. Gambling blends whisky and coffee with spices and noble woods; the house calls it adrenaline-charged and daring.
Emotions and portraits
The Time is dedicated to the present, the "here and now," and is conceived as an invitation to introspection, with bergamot, chamomile and wormwood in the opening and then Blue Tea, iris and verbena. Empathy is dedicated to the instant when two people recognize each other, between a held breath and crossing glances, and opens with sweet notes of pear blossom. Finally, Sapphire Blu is inspired by the sapphire engagement ring that belonged to Lady Diana and was later given to Kate Middleton.
How to choose a The House of Oud perfume
If you love perfumes inspired by a landscape, you can choose Blessing Silence, Breath of the Infinite or Wind Heat. For a gourmand there is Bonbon Pop, which is fruity and sugary, or What About Pop, which combines salty and sweet. For an unusual accord there are Gambling, Wabisabi and Guilty Crush; for an introspective composition, The Time.
If you like The House of Oud
To compare the house with others that use this wood, see the page of oud perfumes; if you're mainly interested in sweet compositions, look at the gourmand perfumes.
Frequently asked questions
What does Dates Delight by The House of Oud smell like?
Dates Delight is an eau de parfum dedicated to the date, a fruit that symbolizes sweetness, which the house presents as a portrait of falling in love. It combines date with peony and caramel and, according to the house, brings together the velvet caress of love and the sensual touch of passion.
Who creates The House of Oud fragrances?
The key name is Andrea Casotti, the Italian engineer and perfumer who created the house. For Keep Glazed, for example, the house credits Casotti as the interpreter of the composition and Cristian Calabrò for the synthesis, starting from an idea developed together with Canadian pastry chef Ksenia Penkina.
Do all The House of Oud perfumes contain oud?
No, not all The House of Oud perfumes are built around oud. The name recalls the agarwood of Arabian perfumery, but many fragrances in our selection are of a completely different kind, such as the gourmand Bonbon Pop or Wabisabi, which has a wasabi accord.
What does Breath of the Infinite smell like?
Breath of the Infinite is an eau de parfum inspired by sunrise in the desert, when the light brings the colors back and the air carries the scent of the flowers of an oasis. It is one of the fragrances dedicated to the desert, together with Blessing Silence and Wind Heat.
What does Wabisabi by The House of Oud smell like?
Wabisabi is an eau de parfum built on a wasabi accord, the spicy root turned into an olfactory note. The wasabi is combined with white flowers, citrus and spices: the green paste from the kitchen leaves the plate to become an accord you can wear.
What does Guilty Crush smell like?
Guilty Crush smells like lipstick. The house describes it as a fragrance that captures the unmistakable scent of lipstick, a gesture of color that becomes allure and confidence. It is an eau de parfum dedicated to transgression, with an eccentric ingredient, lipstick, at its center.
What inspired Sapphire Blu by The House of Oud?
Sapphire Blu is inspired by the engagement of William and Kate Middleton and by the sapphire ring that belonged to Lady Diana, which the prince chose as a pledge for his future bride. The house presents it as the olfactory tale of a love story that reached its crowning moment.
What does The Time by The House of Oud smell like?
The Time is an eau de parfum that the house presents as an invitation to introspection, dedicated to the present moment, the "here and now" in which we live. It opens with bergamot, chamomile and wormwood and then continues with Blue Tea, iris and verbena.
