Pretty Oud (Firmenich)

11 reviews for Pretty Oud (Firmenich)

1. 

   5 out of 5

   james – June 9, 2019

   A lovely oud accord. Heavy on the castoreum side making it fairly leathery and deep. I use this one neat but can be perceived easily at .5% of formula. Give it a go.

2. 

   5 out of 5

   chrisgravatt – October 20, 2020

   I’m thinking about making a fragrance using only this note, its that good. Oud, sweet, leathery, touch of smoke. It’s absolutely divine.

3. 

   5 out of 5

   elliot – September 12, 2022

   Smooth yet smokey with a fractional hint of barnyard. My favourite Oud to work with

4. 

   5 out of 5

   Alex – January 18, 2023

   Extremely well balanced oud base. Very flexible to use compared to the Leather Oud. Animalic, slightly smoky but very smooth overall. A must have !

5. 

   5 out of 5

   m_buts – March 23, 2023

   Such a nice base. Easy to work with. Love it

6. 

   Eser ATABAY – March 25, 2023

   Some leather, some clay, some oud and a bit of an animal oud scent. It has a very strong. I haven’t worked as a blend yet but it’s very strong on its own.

7. 

   5 out of 5

   Fábio Condé – March 31, 2023

   Very consistent and animalic in the right measure

8. 

   5 out of 5

   SoulVerve – May 25, 2023

   Great Oud base that I’d want to use in a composition. The other oud bases I’ve used don’t match this one. I like the animalic, barnyard type oud. Easy material to work with, and lots of possibilities and uses for Pretty Oud.

9. 

   5 out of 5

   Nevah-Wolloh – October 17, 2023

   I’m not typically one for synthetic replacements – particularly for those certain inimitable naturals, like oud, musks, narcotic floral absolutes, etc… But this one, I have to make an exception for.

   While I wouldn’t use it as a direct oud replacement, I think you certainly could, without any issue. It has that warm, ambery-incense glow you’d find in a clean, young Vietnamese oil, bolstered by a little whiff of that sort of Ambrocenide-like glow – except this isn’t at all scratchy and piercingly synthetic like Ambrocenide. It really does have that clean warm oudy feel to it, but smoothed out a bit, with an underlying furry growl, and a good dose of sweetness.

   I’ve known of this product for ages, but never had interest in trying it. I’m glad I did, because I can see this becoming an absolute staple for minute dosing to add depth and warmth, or to bolster real agarwood notes. I’ve only just begun to play around with it, but it seems you can push it pretty far (probably at least 4% without it becoming discordant or screechy), or keep it low as a subconscious complexifier (I’m making that a word now).

   Even neat on the skin, it definitely immediately strikes one as “oudy”. I like this one a lot. High potential workhorse synthetic agar material. Exceptionally balanced, capable of being a highlight feature.

10. 

    5 out of 5

    Nana – October 28, 2023

    Very well blended oud note. I have mixed with ambrocenide, Sandalwood, ethyl maltol and off course many molecules to create a balanced perfume. It is super. I hope to continue produce it.

11. 

    2 out of 5

    Omar – May 29, 2025

    An approachable, beginner-friendly material that’s clearly designed to be soft, airy, and easy to work with—but for me, it misses the mark as an “oud.” It reminds me of the old musk-heavy roll-ons I used to enjoy (1% oud in 99% musk), but this feels even lighter and less defined.

    This isn’t rich, complex, or dark like real oud. It’s very musky, noticeably sweet, and leans toward a Western, feminine interpretation—something I admittedly should’ve expected from the name. On its own, I find it unwearable; it smells exactly like the soaps I grew up with. Pleasant, yes—but perfume-wise, it feels very cheap.

    That said, I can see its utility. It’s affordable, even compared to other synthetic ouds, and could be useful in formulas where you want the impression of oud without overwhelming other notes—like florals or soft musky blends. It might even serve well as a warm musk accent rather than an oud at all.

    Not for me, especially as someone who truly loves deep, animalic, smoky oud—but I know that this material was never meant to go in that direction.