Score intensity Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Sillage96
Longevity94
Versatility34
Complexity92
Cultural impact80
Approachability22
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Score profile Each bar is a 0-100 atlas score for this topic, not a timeline.
Sillage 96
Longevity 94
Versatility 34
Complexity 92
Cultural impact 80
Approachability 22
Trail and hold Notes Notes: Saffron / Rose / Cardamom / Aldehyde Notes / Saffron / Rose / Cardamom / Aldehyde Heart: Agarwood oil / Frankincense / Rose ottó / Labdanum Heart / Agarwood oil / Frankincense / Rose ottó / Base: Oud chips / Myrrh / Sandal / Ambergris Base / Oud chips / Myrrh / Sandal / Ambergris Timeline Milestones in order. This is history, not a weekly activity grid.
Antiquity Agarwood east Kōdō Japan Gulf bakhoor Centuries Kannauj / Assam Agar attars 2002 M7 2000s Montale / Mancera 2007+ Tom Ford Oud Wood 2010s Every house an oud 2010s Plantation agar IFRA years Smoke recuts Antiquity Agarwood east Kōdō Japan Gulf bakhoor Centuries Kannauj / Assam Agar attars 2002 M7 2000s Montale / Mancera 2007+ Tom Ford Oud Wood 2010s Every house an oud 2010s Plantation agar IFRA years Smoke recuts Explore Floral Floral White floral White floral Rose Rose Jasmine Jasmine Iris & powdery Iris & powdery Fruity Fruity Citrus Citrus Aromatic Aromatic Aquatic Aquatic Green Green Tea Tea Woody Woody Sandalwood Sandalwood Vetiver Vetiver Chypre Chypre Oriental amber Oriental amber Compare
15 min read
If you only read one thing
Agarwood smoke and resin — luxury, ritual and a supply chain that now has to answer for wild trees.
Key takeaways
Oud is smoke with a conscience — agarwood luxury that now has to explain the wild tree. Agarwood smoke and resin — luxury, ritual and a supply chain that now has to answer for wild trees. Oud & incense sits in the Earth group of this atlas. Wood and moss — dry timber, sandal, oud smoke, vetiver root and chypre.
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Local systems
IFRA / allergens Annex and allergen labelling language on bottles.
Counter grades EDT/EDP/extrait as shop-floor words, not chemistry.
Duty-free / gift Travel retail and gift seasons for this language market.
Local examples Gift-season wear notes for English counters. Duty-free EDT/EDP wording beside the pyramid.
Local FAQ Is EDT stronger than EDP? Usually not — EDP is typically higher oil; check the bottle.
Do I need allergen lists? Retail labels follow IFRA/region rules; this atlas is educational.
Local terms
Pyramid Top / heart / base teaching layers.
Concentration EDT/EDP/extrait shop grades.
Accord A taught blend, not a legal formula.
Local systems
IFRA / allergens Annex and allergen labelling language on bottles.
Counter grades EDT/EDP/extrait as shop-floor words, not chemistry.
Duty-free / gift Travel retail and gift seasons for this language market.
Local examples Gift-season wear notes for English counters. Duty-free EDT/EDP wording beside the pyramid.
Local FAQ Is EDT stronger than EDP? Usually not — EDP is typically higher oil; check the bottle.
Do I need allergen lists? Retail labels follow IFRA/region rules; this atlas is educational.
Local terms
Sillage
Longevity
Accord
IFRA
Sources IFRA standards (industry) Osmothèque / historic formulae teaching House launch years (dated) Wikimedia Commons (CC/PD)
Local institutions
IFRA standards Industry practice limits for many materials — still check your market’s rules.
Retail / duty-free calendars Launch seasons and gift peaks differ by region.
On-pack allergen labeling Legal disclosures live on the product you purchase.
Myths vs facts Fragrance is strictly gendered → Marketing genders bottles; structures cross those lines constantly. Higher price guarantees longer wear → Concentration, materials, and skin/climate matter more than MSRP. Atlas notes equal full INCI → Notes are olfactory teaching language, not a complete ingredient disclosure.
Deeper FAQ Is this medical or allergy advice? No. Follow clinicians and on-pack allergen labeling.
Do scores rank “best” perfumes? No. They are editorial browsing meters across families and craft dimensions.
Why include culture and market? Wear norms and retail calendars shape what people actually buy and gift.
Can I trust pyramid diagrams alone? Pyramids are teaching sketches; skin chemistry and dosage change the real wear.
Checklist
1 Name occasion and climate before picking a family.
2 Read wear + market, not only icons.
3 Check on-pack allergens for the SKU you buy.
4 Test on skin; paper strips lie about dry-down.
Important caveat Not dermatology or allergy diagnosis. Patch-test guidance belongs with clinicians and product labels.
Editor depth Editorial meters compare browsing dimensions (history, craft presence, market noise) — not lab GC-MS rankings. On VS pages, weigh opening brightness against dry-down and wear context, not only top-note drama.
Deeper sources IFRA standards library (industry practice) On-pack labeling rules in your market Commons-licensed bottle / material imagery credits
Important caveat Not dermatology or allergy diagnosis. Patch-test guidance belongs with clinicians and product labels.
Who this is for Agarwood smoke and resin — luxury, ritual and a supply chain that now has to answer for wild trees.
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Key scores Sillage 96 Longevity 94 Versatility 34 Complexity 92 Cultural impact 80 Approachability 22
Floral White floral Rose Jasmine
Pin a wear occasion Pick an occasion already in this family’s wear chapter. Last pick stays beside this pick — two uses, no new family.
Teaching notes on skin and season. Not a medical, legal or workplace-scent rule.
Occasion already in wear Hospitality Ceremony Evening extraits Not open-plan
Stored on this device. Change the pick to compare last against this.
Restore last occasion Keep this occasion Forget occasion
Name materials Prefer Grasse, Taif, Kannauj, IFRA and dated house launches over “a famous perfume”.
Perfume terms
Sillage Trail in air after the wearer passes — relative here.
Longevity How long a composition reads on skin/fabric — context dependent.
Accord A built chord of notes that reads as one idea.
IFRA Industry safety standards for fragrance materials — not medical advice.
How to read a family Open the wheel — See where a family sits among neighbors.Read the pyramid — Top / heart / base are teaching chords, not a formula dump.Check wear — Seasons and occasions are editorial, not rules.Compare next — Related families and VS pages keep traffic looping.
Practical tools
Compare families
Next tool After notes/wear, open the Scent wheel or Compare.
Use this page Open the wheel — See where a family sits among neighbors. Read the pyramid — Top / heart / base are teaching chords, not a formula dump. Check wear — Seasons and occasions are editorial, not rules.
Hafizmuar at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Oud is smoke with a conscience — agarwood luxury that now has to explain the wild tree.
Agarwood smoke and resin — luxury, ritual and a supply chain that now has to answer for wild trees.
Oud & incense sits in the Earth group of this atlas. Wood and moss — dry timber, sandal, oud smoke, vetiver root and chypre.
Smoke with a conscience
Agarwood and bakhoor are luxury and ritual. Wild Aquilaria is a conservation problem; cultivated chips and reconstructions are the ethical default.
Designer “oud” is often a studio wood. Niche should say which tree, which farm, which smoke. Between Grasse feedstock, IFRA limits and the split of niche counters versus designer malls, this family is read as a global grammar rather than a single bottle.
Evening ritual, cool air. This atlas is not a medical or religious manual — and not a licence to buy untraced wild wood.
Family Resinous smoke
Key notes Agarwood, bakhoor
Season Cool nights
Landmark Agar / 沉香
Wear Evening ritual
Watch Wild-tree ethics
The scent pyramid
Top
Saffron · Rose · Cardamom · Aldehyde
Heart
Agarwood oil · Frankincense · Rose ottó · Labdanum
Base
Oud chips · Myrrh · Sandal · Ambergris
Pin a wear occasion Pick an occasion already in this family’s wear chapter. Last pick stays beside this pick — two uses, no new family.
Teaching notes on skin and season. Not a medical, legal or workplace-scent rule.
Occasion already in wear Hospitality Ceremony Evening extraits Not open-plan
Stored on this device. Change the pick to compare last against this.
Restore last occasion Keep this occasion Forget occasion
Seven chapters on this family
Frequently asked questions What is Oud & incense? Agarwood smoke and resin — luxury and ritual whose wild trees now need an answer. Cultivated chips and reconstructions are the ethical default.
EDP vs EDT — what changes? Concentration is oil in alcohol, not a quality score. EDT (about 5–15%) shows more top; EDP (about 15–20%) shows more heart and base. Houses vary; this is not a lab assay.
How should I wear Oud & incense? One or two sprays on skin or cloth — sternum or hair, not a cloud in a lift. Let it turn an hour before you add more.
Which season fits? Cool nights, evening ritual. Heat can turn smoke into tar.
Does skin chemistry change it? Yes. Warm, moist skin amplifies sweet and spice; dry or cool skin can turn the same juice woody, soapy or short. Test on your skin, not only a blotter.
What about IFRA and oakmoss? IFRA does not replace ethics. Wild agarwood is a conservation issue; cultivated chips and reconstructions are the default. This is not a licence to buy untraced wood.
Any ethics or materials I should know? Ask where the wood came from. Wild Aquilaria is a conservation problem; farmed chips, CO2 extracts and reconstructions are the ethical default. Bakhoor smoke is a ritual, not a medical treatment.
Is this medical or allergy advice? No. This atlas is cultural and editorial. Fragrance can irritate; oakmoss, eugenol, citrus oils and musks are common triggers. See a clinician for reactions. Nothing here is a diagnosis, treatment or safety sheet.