Woody Oud

I don't believe anyone who claims they can distinguish this from the original. I have both; I couldn't distinguish them in a blind test, nor could anyone at the office, nor could the woman who has smelled the original on me every day for weeks. Considering the studies on sommeliers' inability to distinguish expensive and cheap wine--some couldn't even distinguish red from white when blindfolded--I think we're seeing a similar manifestation of your expectation dictating your perception. You know Oud Wood is more expensive, therefore it must be different than the bottle which costs 10% of its discounter price. It has a similar 4-5 hour longevity as Oud Wood, but considering the price of Woody Oud, having to reapply around lunch is less of an annoyance than it is with Oud Wood.

I love both TF Oud Wood and Versace Oud Noir, and this fragrance is becoming a new favorite among them. This smells fantastic. It has very strong similarities to Oud Wood. It's classy, warm, woody, and masculine. I honestly don't see the point in owning Oud Wood over this fragrance, given the shocking difference in price. I wear a lot of earthy tones (gray, brown, black, dark green) and this fragrance makes me smell how I look a lot of the time in the cooler weather. Perfect for tying up a nice outfit. Whilst having an air of sophistication, I have worn this with a flannel shirt, some jeans, and leather boots. Yet, the fragrance doesn't feel a single step out of place. Incredible scent for the working AND upper class, although the latter will most likely be going for the TF. For what you pay for (and then some) the fragrance smells absolutely fantastic. It's the only "oud" fragrance I own at this point. And I want for nothing.

Where's the wood? Where's the oud? All I can smell is spices. This is definitely a summer day scent; it could not cut through the winter cold at all. It is pleasing and different but not wow. I will enjoy wearing this to alternate between blue and fruity summer scents.

#565 in my "Tour de Fragrance" For $23 delivered from Walmart I don't know how you could complain about this. In reference to the "Reminds me of" section, I've compared this to both Tom Ford Oud Wood and Versace Pour Homme Oud Noir. I have and like both. Woody Oud is similar to both. Not a clone of either. No florals, no citrus, no vetiver, just oud and sandalwood. Very simple. A nice oud scent without the mustiness you get from some ouds like Reminiscence that come off dry and overcooked, and a solid performer. This adequately fills a placeholder you may have in your collection for oudy scents. Of the three the Versace is my preference for complexity and note combination with the bitter orange and neroli, which I think make the more interesting scent, but women I know like vanillic-ambery scents, so they prefer the Tom Ford Oud Wood. I think Woody Oud is fine for office wear, casual wear in cold weather, worth every penny of what you'll pay. But I would suggest you spend another $20 for a bottle of Ted Lapidus Altamir and layer the two. Then you have Oud, Sandalwood, Neroli, Pineapple Leaf, Bergamot, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Cyclamen, Tonka Bean, Amber, Musk, Patchouli, Teak Wood and Vetiver for $40.

I think some people got bad batches because for me I think you get 95% of TF for a fraction of the price, and honest the disgraceful performance of the Tom ford makes it and easy decision for me because i get better performance from this 15$ clone!