A Sensual Companion

I had always been a Chanel man. (I’m talking scent here, though I do greatly admire the story of Coco — most chapters of it — love her design manifesto and, if I were a woman of a certain age, would wear nothing but this.) I wore Égoïste almost exclusively, though I was known to make detours into Antaeus territory. I still have much affection for both of those scents, but about a month ago a man came into my life, and his name is Tom Ford.

Tobacco Oud is what he came carrying, and it was instant attraction. It’s eau de parfum, and the notes of amber and undertone of oud are what drew me in. I applied a touch to my wrists and to a few other pulse points … and it wasn’t too long before the tobacco gently took over. That tobacco — redolent of the Gitanes I once smoked — turned the attraction into an intense, sensual relationship, one that I can see lasting a long time. My companion is never overbearing, it’s always willing, and it makes me feel good. Perfect arrangement, no?

Ford has said that oud is “one of the most endlessly fascinating ingredients in a perfumer’s palette,” and I agree with him. While I have found that some parfums take the scent derived from the rare resin too far, Tobacco Oud gets it just right. It’s deep, but not astringent. Complex, yet accessible. Serious, but fun. Since I began sharing my life with it, I’ve had to reply to more than a few “What cologne is that?” queries.

It can at times be annoying, but I’m usually more than happy to share the name of my paramour. I’m not the jealous type.