Oud Minérale (2023) by Tom Ford

Smells like a docked boat: aged woods, clean metal, and a salty hint of seaweed. It’s dark yet fresh, not sweet. It conveys quiet sophistication and security; perfect for semi-formal or formal events if you want to stand out without shouting. Not for everyone, but it leaves an intriguing trail.

I’ve always avoided Tom Ford for straying from the commercial mould, but this left me speechless. Applied under the arm, the trail was impactful. Don’t buy blindly; it demands character and invites you to assert yourself. A marvel that commands respect.

It’s my favourite Tom Ford. On my skin, it highlights that musk base alongside the aquatic wood. It’s pure niche, with good longevity and trail. It looks distinguished and serious, not for everyone, and don’t buy blindly. Unisex, though with more masculine character.

I’m a Tom Ford fan, but this Oud Minérale is the most unpleasant. It smells of oxidised iron, as if you’d wiped your trousers and smelled them. As it dries, it smells of sickly old age, not complexity. I’d reject such a gift. Tom Ford has better things; this isn’t one of them.

I went out of curiosity and didn’t buy it, but over time I matured and returned to try it until I bought the large bottle. It smells of an old port, corrosion, and an expensive perfume worn by a conceited person. It’s not a summer blue or anything green; it plays in its own league. It’s niche, experimental, and versatile. It’s super masculine, asking for sun and temperatures above 15 degrees. I use it seven times and it lasts six to seven hours. It’s controversial: there are compliments and negative comments. You need personal security to wear it. It’s an undisputed masterpiece if you know what you’re buying.

If you enjoy smelling of wet, oxidised metal like a fishing boat, this is a great choice.

After trying it alongside other Tom Fords, there was something captivating about it. I finally decided to buy it and it was a brilliant success. It’s a very particular, different scent, with those aquatic and wet wood notes. It’s the kind of fragrance you need to test on skin to see its evolution. A wonder that I’d love to wear in spring with a linen shirt and an Aperol Spritz at sunset.

Nothing to add that hasn’t already been said. A peculiar scent that may seem ‘ugly’ or ‘weird’ at first, but after a few minutes begins to reveal the quality and elegance it possesses. A very different scent from the conventional, but one that I absolutely adore. Good projection and longevity.

My favourite Tom Ford alongside Costa Azzurra: you either love or hate this aroma. Its dry-down is the best. Try it now, because salty notes don’t suit everyone, but it has earned me good compliments that I smell good and different, and from girls, not men xD. Something I like: there are some who seem to enjoy receiving compliments from men hehe. Another thing: those who say it resembles Encre Noir Sport, I truly don’t know where they get their noses, nothing alike. Maybe an Encre perfume but nothing like it. Anyway, a gem for collectors.

Excellent, stunning and long-lasting; it projects like a dream. Although I’ve never been a fan of aquatic fragrances, this one changed my mind. I almost made it my signature scent; I absolutely love it. No vaginal odour or negative stories here—it smells of class, of a very well-dressed and prestigious individual.

Similar dry-down, but less citrusy, than Encre Noir Sport. Generally quite similar.

This fragrance is somewhat unusual in the designer world, something Tom Ford achieves with almost all his releases. It has joined my small group of favourites. It has a strong, heavy scent; if you are looking for longevity and projection, you will be pleasantly surprised. The scent is not common and may not appeal to everyone; it is highly polarising, generating both terrible opinions and great praise. It opens with aquatic and salty notes, accompanied by very prominent sea algae and small traces of woods and oud. This initial marine sensation is usually not liked. Over time, the algae loses prominence, giving way to a woody character where the oud dominates, adding sophistication and making it more wearable, while maintaining the aquatic and salty base. It evokes stories, reminding me of a mineral cave on the shore between sea and desert, surrounded by algae dragged by the waves, with saline minerals, sand, and an old ship oxidised by salt. I recommend it to those who like aged marine scents and to collectors seeking to convey stories.

But now, only love can bring me down. In some way, love must bring me down. I became a fan of the tambourine player. Not me, not me. -The Chameleons. Tom Ford Oud Minérale 2023 has returned to stay. The first time I encountered it in 2017, it blew my mind; its unconventional combination fell in love with me from the very first moment: sea algae, styrax and pepper create a highly addictive scene. Later, it was withdrawn from the market and attempted to be relaunched under the Resort collection, which was a disaster, conveying an unpleasant plastic and artificial sensation. Fortunately, its 2023 renewal arrived with the bottle included, respecting its original formula a little more. We appreciate the opening with its characteristic salinity mixed with oily touches, giving way to very particular pepper and woody notes (a very westernised oud), before finally settling on the skin with that dry salty sensation in the sun. TF OM is not for everyone; I am not saying this pejoratively; it is for very particular and defined tastes. If you have the luck, like me, that it fits your personality, congratulations, you have found your signature! It has suffered a bit in longevity with each reformulation, but it still stands tall, fighting for 5+ hours. Without a doubt, it is worth knowing, whether you like it or not. In my case, I am very grateful that it returned to the market at a much more comfortable price than its original Private Line version (which I gladly paid when I found a bottle in the hands of someone who didn’t like it). Within my collection, it is the only one I am afraid they will discontinue again; my absurd reason for buying and accumulating bottles. And if it happens in the end, I will live happily knowing I experienced heaven for a couple of hours.

I detect lots of minerals with realistic aquatic notes. It’s strange but not unpleasant; in fact, it’s addictive to sniff. It’s a disorienting scent. Wearing it on my hand, the trail that reaches my nose is incredibly rich. The oud smells woody, like old wooden boats invaded by seawater. Edit: I keep returning to the perfumery to smell and study it because it’s so addictive. I’ll definitely be buying it soon when summer starts to wear it all season. It smells quite strong in the air, very mineral and metallic—I love it.

Stones, salt, and pepper. I want to smell like this all the time… what a shame to be poor xD. The imagery is of visiting a pebble beach and taking a good handful in a cloth bag. Back home, once dry, they retain that saltiness and that lingering marine sensation that has permeated the fabric. It’s fantastic. Its longevity is very good, and I notice it quite a bit; it feels quite unisex.