Oud is the world’s most expensive material that can be used in the production of perfumes. Louis Vuitton used it for its latest fragrance, Pur Oud, making it 10% of its total formula.

The Opulence of Oud

Oud itself is derived from agarwood, a type of fungus-ridden wood in an otherwise healthy tree that, when left to sit for numerous, sometimes hundreds, of years, creates a dark resinous substance that may be converted into an oil for perfume. The rarity and difficulty of harvesting agarwood are what makes it one of the most expensive natural raw materials in the world and, consequently, one of the rarest to find in perfumery in non-synthetic form.

Pur Oud is made from Oud which is as rare as it is expensive — **Oud comes from agarwood which is as rare as it is difficult to harvest. Image courtesy of Luxury Launches**

This is why Pur Oud is Louis Vuitton’s most exclusive perfume yet, limited to only 2000 bottles worldwide, and its most expensive at €1,200.

Pur Oud by Louis Vuitton

Oud is known for being an intensely potent fragrance, smelling very much like something that has come from the depths of the earth. Those familiar with it will know that it is a scent both fiery and slightly damp, punchy yet velvety rich.

To have such a fragrance concentrated at 10% of the formula – an amount even Louis Vuitton terms ‘immoderate’ – means that wearing it feels almost like putting on a physical substance rather than a vaporous scent. It is opulent in the extreme, the olfactory equivalent of a weighty diamond necklace.

Pur Oud by Louis Vuitton contains 10% pure oud — **Pur Oud by Louis Vuitton contains 10% oud. Image courtesy of Luxury Launches**

“I wanted to offer enthusiasts the chance to smell true oud, which is rare, without altering the scent with additional notes and instead letting it express itself on its own,” explains Cavallier Belletrud, master perfumer for Louis Vuitton. To this end, the master perfumer added only a touch of two additional musks to the perfume. “Three ingredients, that’s all. Richness doesn’t preclude simplicity, quite the contrary.”

It is important to note that the agar trees used to create oud have been declared a potentially threatened species by CITES, making the harvesting of oud for fragrances potentially environmentally damaging. To ensure they are maintaining the least harmful production practices possible, Vuitton is working with a family-run team of producers in Bangladesh, who have cultivated oud for the past 200 years.

“In perfumery, the most beautiful ingredients are the ones where you can feel the human story,” says Cavallier Belletrud. “They can’t be obtained by mechanical means. That’s where true luxury is: these are living products.”

Source: Wallpaper