Tom Ford’s newly released fragrance, “Oud Wood,” costs a whopping $535 — and it’s chock-full of mold.
Blame oud — an oil derived from the wood of certain evergreen trees when they’re infected by mold — which lends the scent its robust, woodsy, perfectly fall-appropriate whiff.
As fragrance freaks know, this earthy smell is found in luxe men’s colognes like Byredo’s “Oud Immortel” and Givenchy’s “L’Atelier Oud Flamboyant,” which cost upward of $150 to $200 per bottle — but Tom Ford’s version is particularly pricey. That’s mostly due to the fact that the bottle is larger than the others, at 8.4 ounces (250 ml), but the concentration of actual oud is also much higher than in its counterparts. (Most scents are more watered down.)
Ford’s parfum, however, is extremely potent, and should last the wear and tear of a full day at the office — or a long night (and early morning) out.
According to the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, just 7 percent of these evergreens, mostly found in Southeast Asia, produce the oud found in our fragrances. A pound of the lovely fungi byproduct can cost up to $5,000 in certain regions — which also helps explain the hefty price tag for this designer spritz.