Oud is an unpleasant smell

[Marylou2]

I used to enjoy shopping for perfume and makeup but have noticed recently that the overpowering smell of oud from so many perfumes is destroying my experience particularly in beauty halls of department stores, Selfridges etc. It's just not a smell I enjoy, though obviously many others must do. Reminds me of the 90s when the stench of Giorgio Beverly Hills was everywhere. Am I alone in noticing this?

No! I really dislike oud. It's a bit grim imo.

I loathe it, and a lot of people that wear oud based scents seem to absolutely drench themselves in it. My pet peeve is when there is a standalone stall selling oud scents right next to a food stall, the cakes/sweets whatever must be completely infused with the smell 🤮

I disagree.

I like it, but I don't like rose, which seems to come with it a lot.

I love it.

This!! In a large shopping centre near me there is a stand that I hold my breath to pass. I don't know if all their perfumes are oud based or if the smell is just so pervasive.

I really dislike it, in candles just about bearable but not in perfume.

I bought some oud cones. Blimey they’re strong. I guessed my family didn’t enjoy the fragrance as I found the lit one on the patio 🤨

I don’t like it at all. It’s overpowering.

I absolutely love it, at least I love using the essential oil, don't know about commercial oud perfumes.
It is incredibly long lasting and a little goes a long way!

I like that sort of scent, like the Middle Eastern souk smells too.

I don't like the fruity scents or the floral ones.

I love the smell of oud. It's taken me 40 years to discover what this smell I first discovered in London in the 80s was 😅

Hate the stuff.

🤔

It’s the Dutch for old. It’s fair enough to disliked the smell of old !

Love it. I burn it and wear the perfume.

It's a very distinct smell. Definitely a Marmite flavour

How does everyone know what this is? I assume I know what this is just not the name.

Are oud things in the shops so I can give them a sniff?

I love oud. It’s warm and rich, perfect for this time of year. I buy little bottles from hippy shops.

What is oud? I have never heard of it - how will I know if I have smelt it?

Hugely overpowering. Makes me feel sick walking past someone wearing it. Could never contemplate wearing it myself -smells like the 80s 😂

I agree, it’s horrible, and makes me cough and my eyes water. I think strong “fragrances” in public areas should be banned.

It's horrible and is becoming increasingly ubiquitous in high end perfumes due to the spending power of the Middle Eastern consumer.

I love oud. I have several real oud scents and some absolutes, purchased in the Middle East before it became a 'thing' here.

Oud is incredibly, eye-wateringly expensive. There are many types and grades, but even the lowest grade is incredibly expensive.

99.99% of the oud scents in the UK have no oud in them at all. None. Many don't even have any artificial oud scent in them either, just the name used as a buzz word and maybe a heavy munge of artificial vetiver and patchouli added in but often not even that. And yeah, many of them smell bloody disgusting. Real oud is indeed a marmite scent and many do not like it, but it is never that horrible, cloying, miserable smell that cheap artificial oud has.

That said, there are a few genuine oud scents sold in Selfridges, and there is a proper oud perfume shop over the road from them as well. The real oud scents are many, many £100s and most customers don't even get shown them.

God I thought it was just me!

I can’t stand it. So vile and overpowering

never smelled it but i am guessing would be something like the hippy kind of scents joss sticks etc?
i guess now we have people who come from different places living in UK they like to have what they had in their home countries?