If you find joy in luxury perfume, then I’ve found the perfect fragrance for you: Initio Oud For Happiness. New for September 2021, Oud For Happiness is a pleasure-inducing, oud-powered unisex perfume that fans of uplifting scents laced with soft spices will simply adore.
Initio’s niche Eau de Parfum centres around the prized ancestral material of oud, which boasts a psychoactive and spiritual dimension. The fragrance ignites a spark of positivity in you, while still exploring all of those luxurious, opulent and addictive notes you’d expect from an Initio fragrance.
And you’re in luck: I’ll be answering all of your top questions on the scent right here. Read on to for my full Oud For Happiness review…
This Fragrance Smells Like…
Oud For Happiness is a kaleidoscope of scent on your skin. It balances fresh fruit, warm spices and seductive orientals, which work in absolute harmony to create a uniquely pleasurable Eau de Parfum. It’s uplifting and bright – yet still cosily spiced. It’s mood-boosting, but still undeniably classy.
The sunny, joyful tone comes from tart bergamot, which is energised by a generous dash of hot and spicy ginger (an exhilarating aphrodisiac). Sweet, woody cedar – a thujopsene-wood that boasts impressive tonifying properties – mingles alongside soft and anisic liquorice as a green blast of herbs is sprinkled throughout.
But of course, it’s only right that Indian oud takes centre stage, its benefits amplified through a puff of emerging, freshly-cut narcotic grass. According to Australian researchers, the warm, woody and slightly smoked mood created by oud promotes a sense of calm; it does this by activating the regions of the brain connected to well-being! As the fragrance snuggles into your skin and warms through slightly, the aroma is wrapped up in lashings of cosy, creamy vanilla and softly sensual musk; when these notes marry together, it’s the epitome of seduction.
What’s The Story Behind This Scent?
This Initio perfume celebrates all-things-oud. Rich in terpenoids, which wield natural sedative and anti-anxiety powers, the effects of oud on your mood are proven: they rebalance your energy levels, while relaxing both the body and mind. Oud For Happiness also encourages you to unlock your self-confidence as it directly appeals to your senses. All in all, this niche fragrance quite literally takes your happiness to the next level.
But that’s not the only reason why oud should be celebrated. Nicknamed “wood of the gods” and “black gold”, oud is naturally created when the agar tree becomes infected; the tree produces a dark, dense and fragrant resin as a safety mechanism. This resin seeps into the very heart of the wood, the end result being the unique scent of oud. And it’s not only an honoured ingredient in medicinal and cultural respects – it’s used for healing purposes and to encourage meditation – but it’s also one of the most prized possessions in the world of perfumery; the global market for the agar tree is reportedly worth £5 billion.
Initio bottle the energy of oud, and pair it with the dynamic forces of sacred geometry. The fragrance nods to powerful symbols and ideology, as reflected in the bottle’s design. It ties into the concept of the Tree of Life, which symbolises the connection between the fertility of earth and heaven, the connection between mankind and God.
You Will Love This If…
If you fell in love with Initio Oud for Greatness, then you’ll love Oud For Happiness Eau de Parfum; it’s built around the same expensive woody accord, so it ties into The Black Gold Project collection perfectly. And of course, if you love the way that Initio fragrances toy with your emotions and lift your mood, then you’ll love this joy-inducing and stress-relieving scent; it allows you to inhale your way to happiness.
This Perfume Smells Similar To:
Of course, Initio Oud For Happiness shares similarities to its The Black Gold Project predecessor, Oud for Greatness. They share a similar spiced, woody tone, but Happiness has a brighter and almost zestier, tart feel to it, thanks to a fresh squeeze of citrus bergamot.
If you’re unfamiliar with Oud for Greatness, then I’d say Oud For Happiness Eau de Parfum reminds me of just-ripe citrus fruits piled high at a bustling market in the East, the warming scent of spice, heady perfumes and exotic food stalls consuming the air around you.
Is Oud For Happiness Unisex?
Yes! It’s designed for all genders, and I definitely think everyone can fall for its bright but subtly spicy tones. Although it has universal appeal, I think it feels slightly closer to a traditionally ‘masculine’ fragrance due to its hot, woody feel, but anyone who loves rich, opulent fragrances is sure to love Oud for Happiness.
What’s The Longevity Like?
This fragrance boasts impressive longevity. Personally, it lasted around six hours for me, although you could still make out the delicate sensual, warm and vanillary musk base for slightly longer.
What’s Special About The Bottle?
As I’d expect from a Initio fragrance, Oud’s bottle is pure bliss. It’s just like an elaborately decorated, ancient coffret bursting with long-lost artefacts and precious gemstones – and here, the perfume is the hidden jewel within. It’s beautifully ornate and showcases the finest detail. The matte black bottle is lit up by glistening golds and exuberant emeralds in a hypnotic pattern that centres around a symbolic-looking eye that locks eyes with you and draws you in. Exuding absolute opulence, Oud For Happiness looks like a treasure that’s been recovered from ancient Egyptian tombs of long-forgotten kings.
And of course, I have to mention the unboxing experience. After the initial cardboard sleeve is revealed, a charcoal black box with gold detailing is revealed as a flamboyant surprise. This case is removed to reveal the stunning flacon, sat on a seductive bed of crushed velvet.
Values?
The fragrance centres around all natural ingredients.
