This summer, I visited Malaysia and Singapore. I’d planned ahead a little bit, as I was determined to sample (and buy!) some real oud much closer to the source. If you’ve already read my “beginner’s guide to oud” post, then you’ll know that oud actually comes from South Asia and South East Asia, not the Middle East.
Whilst I do own some oud oils by Ajmal that were produced in various different regions, I’m on a mission to try the real oud oils of all the major source countries, at or near the source, instead of through intermediaries like Ajmal. So, whilst I was in Singapore, I visited a store called Oudh Arabia, just off Haji Lane, that sell various fragrances and oils – including real oud, from various regions, which they keep locked in a cabinet.
I purchased two oils from them – one being Trat Oud, from the Trat region of Thailand which borders Cambodia, and an oud oil from Laos.
Oudh Madina Laos Oud Oil
I do own a few fragrances that contain notes of Laotian Oud, including Diptique’s Oud Pulao and Dar Alteeb’s Zafaf. Although, I strongly suspect Diptique’s is an Oud Accord. Nevertheless, I love them both, and was curious to understand what the raw Laotian Oud actually smells like, so I was over the moon to be able to get my hands on the real deal in Singapore.
Laos is a land-locked country in South East Asia, squeezed in between Myanmar, China, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam – they’ve got a lot of neighbours! They’ve also got a lot of trees, around 70% of the land is covered in trees or forests, and within these forests grows the Aquileria tree.
That being said, the purchases I made at Oudh Madina are highly likely to be farmed oud, and the staff did indeed confirm that they’ve been matured for 5 years.
I settled on buying one tola (12ml) of both Trat and Laos oud.
What does Laos Oud oil smell like?
As I’ve noted in other posts, with farmed oud, you tend to get that animalic or barnyard blast up front, but with this, it’s actually very faint. The initial burst I get is actually a warm, humid, earthy note that makes me feel as though I’ve been transported to a rainforest in the middle of the day. It’s a little smokey too, incredibly woody, resinous with soft floral notes. As it develops, it has a gentle sweetness to it, and it becomes slightly more powdery, without losing that strong earthiness.
It’s so complex, I feel like I pick up new notes every time I wear it.
Longevity and sillage
I apply this dark oud oil to my pulse points, and to my clothes by adding a drop to my wrist, rubbing them together and rubbing off on my clothes – this prevents staining. It transfers very easily, and it sticks. I applied it to my neck one time, and later on the same day, found myself scratching at my neck (unrelated), only for the oud to transfer to my fingers. I washed my hands later on, and I still got whiffs of the oil. Hopefully that gives an ideas as to its strength and longevity.
I was also a little surprised by the longevity of it, I find that throughout the day the smell gradually fades away, making you think that it’s gone – but then when you touch the area it was applied to, or if that area of the skin warms up (such as, by hiding under an electric blanket) it suddenly reawakens, almost as strong as it was when you first applied it.
As for sillage, we have to be realistic – this is an alcohol free oil (alcohol helps with evaporation, which allows a fragrance to travel), so it sits close to the skin and clothes. When it’s breezy, I’ll catch whiffs of this throughout the day.
Climate also has a bearing on this. For example, my husband wore this on his pulse points and clothes whilst we were out and about in Singapore. Given the heat, I noticed that the Laos Oud oil left a bit of a trail behind him.
How much does Oudh Madina’s Laos oud oil cost and where I can I buy it?
12ml of Laos Oud oil cost just under £350, so it’s not cheap. You can opt for a smaller vial which would be 3ml, and that costs around £90. For the price point, I am certain this is farmed oud.
You can purchase it directly from their physical store in Singapore near Haji Lane.
Alternatively, you can make a purchase through their website HERE which ships worldwide.
