Hello everyone!
Here I go... finally speaking up after years of silent observation.
For so long I've enjoyed reading and following the forums, though before now I hadn't the courage to participate because everyone on here seems at such a high level, true connoisseurs, with a talent for expression.
I've since realized that while you are all very passionate about oud, you come from such vast backgrounds, and you're very kind and welcoming to all, no matter one's level of experience nor academic prowess. So thank you all, I'm genuinely happy to be part of this community and excited to begin participating!
Fragrance and aromatics have always been in my life... no surprise there, I was born with a nose... But for me it has been a lifelong journey in which fragrance, essential oils and oud have been at every crucial turning point. At my home in the early 90's it was customary as a host to swipe our guests with Oud prior to the gathering, even before serving the tea...
Then came the dark age, a void in my life that I dare not mention in which oud played no part, and I learned from the school of hard knocks as I experienced Acqua di Gio and other synthetic designer fragrances, *sigh*... the days of ignorance. In 2010 I atoned for those years with a golden bottle from Oriscent which I would give anything to recall the name of... anything, if that meant I could get more of it =) And over the last years of my life I have had the opportunity and privilege to be surrounded by, and literally immersed in, the finest oud there is.
Oud is the king of essential oils, it's medicinal and spiritual in nature. The most mysterious, alluring and powerful fragrance. Artisanal oud is about enriching one's life. It's about conscientious aesthetics, immaculate beauty, and self actualization.
Artisanal oud adds quality of life, my day is all the better when I'm looking, feeling, and smelling good.
Like eating clean and training, like looking one's best, pressing one's clothes or having them tailored, donning Artisanal Oud is the single finest accessory one can wear. A perfume in and of itself, it speaks volumes of one's consciousness and awareness, it's a progressive statement of health consciousness and consideration. The world has gone mad with synthetics and industrial chemicals permeate our lives, though I believe through our choices awareness is shifting and people are finally coming around to chemical free households and beauty products... and oud has been here all along, patiently waiting for us to discover, or re-discover it.
Oud for me is not about use and abuse, it's not about lowly tendencies, following impulses, nor sneaking behind your wife's back to get your next fix.
Artisanal Oud is a healthy, enriching, and even medicinal asset to life. I swipe oud openly and my wife knows that it plays a part of who I am, it's part of my self-actualization, it's a sign that I pay attention to even the little details of life, like how I feel, my health, and the health of those around me including my precious children. I know when I take care of my own needs and feel my best, I can better serve those around me, that's just how it is!
Now don't get me wrong, I very much understand purging, selling off unwanted/unused old collections to replace with those of your current standards that you'll actually appreciate and use, that's much different than digging through your couch to find the last bit of change you own, or pawning your neighbor's car stereo for your next bottle: that's the action of an addict.
Artisanal Oud is not sold on the corner by dealers. Although 'oudh' can be found peddled in the streets by 'overnight artisans' that popped out of nowhere in the last couple of years forming 'guilds' and God knows what... Just like what dealers sell, what you find there is not genuine Artisanal Oud no matter what they call it.
True to the term, an 'ouddict' continues spending hard earned cash, on a misleading substance that claims to be what it's not. Artisanal Oud is not about lowering one's standards and labeling yourself with a demeaning title in order to fit in.
It's about enriching your life, and transcending what you thought you knew about aromatics and natural perfume, taking your experience to the next level in its pure form: straight from the top, not scraping from the bottom.
So rather than an "ouddict," I'll be an "#Oudept," and I encourage everyone to do the same.
Thank you for your time and passion, I'm new here, so please forgive any mistakes I have made, and give me a little love and encouragement by liking, loving, or otherwise commenting on these words =)
Also, I put together the below video to summarize the actual meaning of 'artisanal' oud.
Here I go... finally speaking up after years of silent observation.
For so long I've enjoyed reading and following the forums, though before now I hadn't the courage to participate because everyone on here seems at such a high level, true connoisseurs, with a talent for expression.
I've since realized that while you are all very passionate about oud, you come from such vast backgrounds, and you're very kind and welcoming to all, no matter one's level of experience nor academic prowess. So thank you all, I'm genuinely happy to be part of this community and excited to begin participating!
Fragrance and aromatics have always been in my life... no surprise there, I was born with a nose... But for me it has been a lifelong journey in which fragrance, essential oils and oud have been at every crucial turning point. At my home in the early 90's it was customary as a host to swipe our guests with Oud prior to the gathering, even before serving the tea...
Then came the dark age, a void in my life that I dare not mention in which oud played no part, and I learned from the school of hard knocks as I experienced Acqua di Gio and other synthetic designer fragrances, *sigh*... the days of ignorance. In 2010 I atoned for those years with a golden bottle from Oriscent which I would give anything to recall the name of... anything, if that meant I could get more of it =) And over the last years of my life I have had the opportunity and privilege to be surrounded by, and literally immersed in, the finest oud there is.
Oud is the king of essential oils, it's medicinal and spiritual in nature. The most mysterious, alluring and powerful fragrance. Artisanal oud is about enriching one's life. It's about conscientious aesthetics, immaculate beauty, and self actualization.
Artisanal oud adds quality of life, my day is all the better when I'm looking, feeling, and smelling good.
Like eating clean and training, like looking one's best, pressing one's clothes or having them tailored, donning Artisanal Oud is the single finest accessory one can wear. A perfume in and of itself, it speaks volumes of one's consciousness and awareness, it's a progressive statement of health consciousness and consideration. The world has gone mad with synthetics and industrial chemicals permeate our lives, though I believe through our choices awareness is shifting and people are finally coming around to chemical free households and beauty products... and oud has been here all along, patiently waiting for us to discover, or re-discover it.
Oud for me is not about use and abuse, it's not about lowly tendencies, following impulses, nor sneaking behind your wife's back to get your next fix.
Artisanal Oud is a healthy, enriching, and even medicinal asset to life. I swipe oud openly and my wife knows that it plays a part of who I am, it's part of my self-actualization, it's a sign that I pay attention to even the little details of life, like how I feel, my health, and the health of those around me including my precious children. I know when I take care of my own needs and feel my best, I can better serve those around me, that's just how it is!
Now don't get me wrong, I very much understand purging, selling off unwanted/unused old collections to replace with those of your current standards that you'll actually appreciate and use, that's much different than digging through your couch to find the last bit of change you own, or pawning your neighbor's car stereo for your next bottle: that's the action of an addict.
Artisanal Oud is not sold on the corner by dealers. Although 'oudh' can be found peddled in the streets by 'overnight artisans' that popped out of nowhere in the last couple of years forming 'guilds' and God knows what... Just like what dealers sell, what you find there is not genuine Artisanal Oud no matter what they call it.
True to the term, an 'ouddict' continues spending hard earned cash, on a misleading substance that claims to be what it's not. Artisanal Oud is not about lowering one's standards and labeling yourself with a demeaning title in order to fit in.
It's about enriching your life, and transcending what you thought you knew about aromatics and natural perfume, taking your experience to the next level in its pure form: straight from the top, not scraping from the bottom.
So rather than an "ouddict," I'll be an "#Oudept," and I encourage everyone to do the same.
Thank you for your time and passion, I'm new here, so please forgive any mistakes I have made, and give me a little love and encouragement by liking, loving, or otherwise commenting on these words =)
Also, I put together the below video to summarize the actual meaning of 'artisanal' oud.
Last edited: