Tom Ford Oud Minerale | Perfume Posse

We’re entering heatwave number 4 of this summer. It’s school holidays and I imagine weird things will happen over the next week. This is not a country where people handle heat well.

I had the wires on my braces replaced and tightened last week – so apparently they affect my teeth differently vs the first go-round a couple of months ago. So, ‘only’ 16 months to go. The check and replace happens every two months.

I didn’t wear perfume so I would have naked skin for testing. After perusing the various tinted lipbalms at spaceNK (Glossier, Lisa Eldridge, Ilia) I had a look at the perfume section hidden behind a pillar at the back. Last time, I got distracted by Ellis Brooklyn. This time, I showed focus and intent.

I managed to try a Tom Ford. There are a few of them. I am still looking for ‘my’ oud so I ended up with Oud Minerale.

Per Fragrantica, this is a woody aquatic (I can see some of you covering your eyes and turning away). Launched in 2023, I have a sense the brief for this wasn’t hugely clear. Like someone said, ‘oh, we need something to release this year and we haven’t done X so we might as well have a go’.

Notes for this include marine accord, oud accord, ambergris accord, pink pepper, styrax and silver fir balsam. It’s included in the Signature line.

I have yet to meet a TF that sings on my skin and it was unlikely that something marine would be the one. But, the word oud caught me so spray I did.

(Note on pic: apparently, this is poachers stripping the bark
to speed the development for harvesting)

This isn’t half bad … for the first hour.

It’s mineral oud. Not hugely strong. Interesting to smell as it opens. The oud is dialed down, in that it has that Band-Aid thing going but it’s not hugely strong. And there’s nothing skanky about it.

There’s a mineral/earthy aspect that balances the oud nicely though.

I don’t get anything marine, thank goodness, but after this well done opening it simply doesn’t go anywhere. It’s just sort of there smelling gently of oud and earthiness. The kind of smell a person wants who doesn’t really want to be wearing perfume but feels it completes his/her ‘look’.

If it developed I would be more interested in trying it again but the same-i-ness just made me sigh and move on to other activities.

Interestingly, it’s not half as nice on paper, where I did get a marine note and also a weird sweet-salty thing that wasn’t very pleasant.

Longevity is ok – maybe five hours.

So, onward with TF and ouds.

I told myself at least it didn’t smell like the two cherry TF things I tried a while back. Those were horrific on me.

Anyway, I need to be in town next week so who knows what I’ll get up to perfume-wise then.

Anyone tried this or similar TFs? Actually, if I were going to sample other TFs, suggestions please.

Pics: Wiki, Wiki Parfums, mine

PS Here’s the sunflower field at the farm shop. It’s next to the corn field. The corn is fantastic this year – and quite abundant

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