Our take
What does Colonia Oud smell like?
Acqua di Parma added Colonia Intensa Oud to its range in 2012 as a spin on Colonia Intensa. It was soon renamed Colonia Oud. The format is still a concentrated eau de cologne. You recognise the house from the first spray: Calabrian bergamot and Italian orange, bright with a bitter edge. Then the oud comes in, without the animal or medicinal side it shows elsewhere. Coriander makes it dry and peppery. Amyris wood, a cousin of sandalwood, softens the blend. The base is built on Atlas cedar and Indonesian patchouli, fairly dark, with musk and sandalwood keeping it comfortable. It sits close to Tom Ford’s Oud Wood, another polished oud for people wary of the raw material. Colonia Oud keeps a brighter citrus start and a very Italian sense of tailoring.
When to wear it
Wear it in autumn at work or at dinner, ideally with a wool jacket. Three sprays are enough because the cedar clings to fabric for hours.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber, Woody family. Colonia Oud is one of 6 creations by Acqua di Parma in our encyclopedia.
