Tom Ford Oud Minerale EDP

Description

Oud Minérale is the rarest thing in the oud category, an oud that smells of open water rather than a warm room. Tom Ford's brief was to strand agarwood on a beach: sea salt, seaweed and a cold aquatic opening give way to a smoky, resinous wood drydown, with ambergris and silver fir balsam holding the two halves together. Critics have described it as ashen grey driftwood washed up on an empty shore, and the comparison lands. The marine notes here are mineral and briny rather than sweet or suntan-lotion tropical. If most oud fragrances feel like incense in a heavy interior, this one feels like weather.

How It Differs From Oud Wood

• Oud Wood is the warm, smooth, spice-and-sandalwood oud, the house's approachable reference point, and one of the most-worn ouds in modern perfumery.
• Oud Minérale is the cold, saline, aquatic counterpart, the same wood placed in salt air instead of a cedar-lined room.
• Pick Oud Minérale if you want oud you can wear in summer heat, or if traditional ouds feel too heavy and sweet on you.

Scent Character

• Woody: 51%
• Marine: 49%

Translation: an almost perfectly even split between wood and salt water, which is exactly the point of the composition. Neither half wins; the agarwood and the sea accord hold each other in balance from the opening to the drydown.

Fragrance Pyramid

Top: Sea Salt, Aquatic Notes, Seaweed, Pink Pepper

Heart: Marine Accord, Silver Fir Balsam

Base: Agarwood (Oud), Styrax, Ambergris, Musk

Note: this fragrance has two release eras. The original 2017 Private Blend launch and a 2023 reissue under the Signature Collection. The composition and character are consistent across both; the packaging and collection naming are what changed.

Performance

• Longevity: good for a fragrance this airy, generally around 6–8 hours. The salt-and-seaweed opening burns off within the first hour; the agarwood and styrax base is what carries the rest.
• Sillage: moderate, with decent presence early on before it draws in close to the skin.
• Projection: roughly 2 feet in the opening, then arm's length.

Worth setting expectations: this is a deliberately transparent, austere composition. It will not project like a dense amber oud, and it is not trying to.

Best Occasions & Season

• Occasions: Everyday wear and leisure. It is unusually easy to wear for an oud, and works in daylight and in warm rooms where heavier ouds become overwhelming.
• Season: Spring and summer, and the clear standout choice for hot, humid weather.
• Gender: Unisex, with no meaningful lean in either direction.
• Skip for: Cold-weather formal evenings, where a warmer and denser oud will simply carry further.

Concentration & Provenance

Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Perfumer: Not disclosed by the house
House: Tom Ford, originally Private Blend, later carried in the Signature Collection
Year: 2017 original release; reissued 2023

Try Before You Commit

A saline, aquatic oud is a genuinely unusual proposition, people tend to either love it immediately or find it too austere. That makes it an ideal candidate for a decant rather than a blind full-bottle purchase: 1mL from $4.99, 5mL from $20.99, or 10mL from $39.99.

100% Authentic

Every decant is hand-poured from a sealed retail bottle verified for authenticity. More than 200,000 orders shipped, rated 4.9★ on Trustpilot, free US shipping on orders over $100, and hassle-free returns.

FAQ

Does it contain real oud?
Yes. Agarwood sits in the base and is the dominant note of the drydown, unusually, it is paired with a salt-and-seaweed marine accord rather than the customary spices and resins.

Is it for men or women?
Unisex, and genuinely so. The saline-woody profile has no strong gendered signal in either direction.

How long does it last?
Around 6–8 hours for most wearers, solid for a composition this transparent, though it will not project like a heavy amber oud.

Which version is this: 2017 or 2023?
Oud Minérale launched in 2017 under Private Blend and was reissued in 2023 under the Signature Collection. The scent itself is consistent across both eras; the collection branding is what changed.

How does it compare to Tom Ford Oud Wood?
Oud Wood is warm, smooth and spiced. Oud Minérale is cold, salty and mineral. Same house, same raw material, opposite atmospheres.