Swiss Arabian Shaghaf Oud Marine: An Oud for August

Oud belongs to the desert. It is smoke, resin, heat and closed rooms. The sea, by contrast, is salt, wind and open sky. Putting them in one bottle sounds like a mistake, and that is exactly why Swiss Arabian Shaghaf Oud Marine deserves your attention.

The house gave the job to Jordi Fernández, one of the most senior perfumers at Givaudan. What he made is an oud you can wear in August.

The short version of Swiss Arabian Shaghaf Oud Marine

• What it is: a fresh, salty take on oud, in a 75ml eau de parfum for men and women.
• What you smell: sea air and black pepper, a green rose, then smoky woods and a light oud.
• Who made it: Jordi Fernández of Givaudan.
• Who should pass: anyone who wants their oud thick, sweet and loud.

Swiss Arabian SHAGHAF OUD MARINE Fragrance Notes:

• Top Notes: Sea Notes, Black Pepper, Bergamot.
• Middle Notes: Rosyfolia, Mahonial, Petalia, Geranium.
• Base Notes: Oud, Akigalawood, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Amber.

Why the Shaghaf family needed this

Shaghaf means passion in Arabic, and the Shaghaf Oud perfumes live up to the word. The original is a rich mix of saffron, rose and vanilla. Its siblings add honey, leather and spice. They are gorgeous in December but exhausting in July.

Swiss Arabian Shaghaf Oud Marine answers that problem. It keeps the oud signature but removes the weight, so the family finally has a member for hot weather.

Salt, pepper and a green rose

Spray it and you get the shoreline, not the swimming pool. The marine note here is mineral and salty, closer to wet rock and sea spray than to shower gel. Italian bergamot adds a clean bitterness, while black pepper gives a dry little spark.

Geranium follows, and it is a clever choice. In other words, it smells like a rose with the sugar taken out: green, slightly minty, a bit sharp. A few airy, dewy floral notes sit around it and keep everything light. So the middle never turns sweet or soapy.

The oud waits underneath. It is an oud accord, which means a perfumer's portrait of oud and not the raw oil. Instead of dark and medicinal, it is smooth and woody, with a smoky, earthy root note and a warm amber glow. In fact, you notice it more the longer you wear the perfume.

The perfumer who loves patchouli

Jordi Fernández is Vice-President of Perfumery and a Master Perfumer at Givaudan, the Swiss fragrance house. He also names patchouli as his favourite material.

That love shows in the base of Swiss Arabian Shaghaf Oud Marine. One of its woody notes comes from patchouli itself. Givaudan makes it from the oil, and it smells peppery, dry and clean. Because it echoes the black pepper at the top, the perfume feels like one unbroken line.

We have met his work before. He also composed Le Bonheur Black Cavalier Emerald, where the same peppery patchouli idea appears in a very different mood.

Blue does not always mean fresh

First, a warning for anyone browsing the range. Shaghaf Oud Azraq also sounds fresh, because azraq is Arabic for blue. However, Azraq is a dense honey-and-oud perfume with cinnamon and leather.

If you want the fresh one, look for the word Marine. Swiss Arabian Shaghaf Oud Marine comes in a deep teal bottle and holds 75ml.

Wearing Swiss Arabian Shaghaf Oud Marine

This is oud for people who sweat. For example, it makes sense in a Roman summer, on a boat, or in an office with weak air conditioning. The salt and pepper keep it crisp when sweeter ouds would turn sticky.

Newcomers will like it too. If you have always found oud too medicinal or too heavy, start here, because the fresh top makes the oud easy to approach.

Devoted oud lovers, however, may feel differently. If your ideal is thick, animalic and room-filling, this will seem polite. Yet that politeness is the whole design.