There is something about the onset of fall which makes me turn to weightier perfumes. The cooler temperatures and ever-shorter days have something to do with it. With the end of September here; the fragrances of the summer are being rotated back until their time rolls around again. The process is always bittersweet as there are many perfume styles which only thrive in the heat. I miss my airy transparent orange blossom colognes. Which made it a nice coincidence when I received my samples of the new Eric Buterbaugh Florals Floral Oud Collection one of them was tailor-made to solve my issue.
Eric Buterbaugh
The Floral Oud Collection is a set of three perfumes creatively directed by Eric Buterbaugh around combining a flower named on the box with oud. Floral Oud-Rose, composed by Honorine Blanc, is a rich combination of two roses and Laotian oud. This is a deeply luxurious version of a common combination. A much less common combination is displayed in Floral Oud- Lily of the Valley. Perfumer Ilias Erminidis finds a fascinating overlap between the green of muguet and blackcurrant buds with the Laotian oud and ambrette seed musky oud accord. The one which transfixed me from the first moments was Floral Oud- Orange Flower.
Dora Baghriche
Floral Oud-Orange Flower is composed by perfumer Dora Baghriche. Orange blossom is a not uncommon partner to oud. What Mr. Buterbaugh was going for with all three Floral Ouds was a more opulent version of these duets. In Floral Oud-Orange Flower it succeeds. If there is something Mr. Buterbaugh’s background as florist brings to some of the best in the entire brand is when you feel like the fragrance is being constructed in the same way his floral centerpieces are. Floral Oud-Orange Flower is a bouquet enclosed in an oud vase.
Mme Baghriche pulls out three specific flowers from her perfumer’s organ; champaca, frangipani, and the central orange blossom. As she begins to form the olfactory arrangement these florals present a potent accord. Patchouli, vetiver, labdanum, and oakmoss form an oud accord which gives a precisely tuned amount of lift to the florals. As this comes together vanilla drifts across it like a lagniappe.
Floral Oud-Orange Flower has 12-14 hour longevity and above average sillage.
There has been a culinary trend for making luxurious versions of common comfort food. While wearing Floral Oud-Orange Flower I was reminded of a crazy version of a grilled cheese made of aged cheddar, fresh-baked brioche, and truffle oil infused butter. There are simpler versions but once you’ve tried the gourmet version the more pedestrian styles seem lesser than. Floral Oud- Orange Flower is one of the best versions of this combination; done in an overtly gorgeous style.
Disclosure: This review was based ona press sample from Eric Buterbaugh Florals.
–Mark Behnke
The one I'd like to try is Floral Oud- Lily of the Valley! I adore LOTV/muguet and I really appreciate some of the more interesting combinations with that note, such as Stella McCartney's L.I.L.Y. (https://scentsandsensibilities.co/tag/l-i-l-y/). I have really enjoyed EB Florals' Sultry Rose, so I'm very optimistic about these new releases.
All three are good; among the best in the EB Florals line, Lily of the Valley finds a different ovelap using the green of blackcurrant bud and the muguet working in contrast with the oud. I’ll be interested to see what you think once you’ve tried it.