Yazhini ManimudiTom Ford recently introduced Oud Voyager as ‘a journey through time where the past, present and future unite ancient oud with a futuristic floral’. While they make good on their promise of florals, the oud is a mirage of an oasis in a desert voyage.
Tom Ford’s last oud perfume was Oud Wood Parfum from last year, a richer iteration of their Eau de Parfum from 2007. The oud was subdued in 2024’s Oud Wood Parfum and the style continues here with oud being very light and airy, fading into the background rather than being the main character. Let’s get into the notes to get a feeling of what this fragrance is like:
Notes
It’s easy to mistake this as a rose fragrance at first with the rosy facets of geranium greeting you at the first spritz. It’s smooth and velvety with the soft presence of red peony that wafts through from the heart. The geranium has a greenness to it along with a spicy touch that complements the pink pepper with its floral rosy nuances and mild spark of pepper. The citruses lend a freshness and excitement to the start. I expected the other spices listed to come through, but I couldn’t catch even the slightest hint of cardamom.
The oud and patchouli come through within a few minutes of spraying it on. The oud is very light and clean and the patchouli stripped of its damp and green character, leaving only its woodiness. If you like how the oud presents itself when you try it at the beauty counter, I’d ask that you wait before you buy a full bottle. The oud feels like a hitch hiker that hopped on for a few moments, charming you and offering a pleasant presence before going its own way.
The geranium really takes over as a reliable companion through the voyage, sidelining most others. It isn’t the sharp geranium that you’d have found in Chanel’s Egoïste Platinum and other classic men’s colognes, rather a gentle velvety floral made possible by the red peony. The leathery undertones of saffron finds its way in the drydown along with that of osmanthus, but it’s very light and pleasant.
It’ll last all evening and is a good way to stand out without doing too much. It’s an oud for someone standing at the periphery of oud, too afraid to try it. But it isn’t enough to be considered a beginner oud for someone committed to jump straight into the world of ouds. With how geranium-forward the fragrance is, it can feel a little old-school – something your grandpa would’ve worn as a dapper young gentleman. But there is no need to fear it smelling dated. The sillage is moderate so you can wear it without fear of offending others around you. If you use it sparingly, you could even wear it during the day. While I did make a comparison to oldschool men’s fragrance, it is perfectly unisex. But that is bound to happen with geranium.
If you’re in the UAE, you can find Tom Ford’s Oud Voyager at Sephora or ship it from Harrods or Selfridges.
Yazhini Manimudi
