Agar

Agar is Alexandria UK's homage to Tom Ford's Oud Wood, the fragrance widely credited with introducing mainstream perfume shoppers to oud. The opening pairs cardamom with pink and Sichuan pepper for a warm, spiced introduction close in spirit to the original's exotic spice accord. The heart is built around oud, sandalwood, and rosewood, following the same smooth, polished oud template Tom Ford popularized, though the oud note here leans more generic and one-dimensional than the original's carefully balanced blend. Vetiver, amber, tonka bean, and vanilla round out a base that's warm and comforting but sweetens up more quickly than Oud Wood's slow, resinous dry-down. The overall effect nails the recognisable shape of a modern niche-inspired oud at a fraction of the price, making it a reasonable way to test whether the oud-sandalwood genre suits you, though the longevity and complexity fall noticeably short of the original over a full wear.