Oud de Nil

As such, Penhaligon's has created a collection paying tribute to its early heyday. It is called Trade Routes and immerses us in the heart of the London Docks at the end of the 19th century. Among the many fragrances making up this assortment, one of them is called Oud De Nil.

Penhaligon's Trade Routes collection

It was at the end of 2014 that the house of Penhaligon's decided to offer its customers a genuine journey through time. To do so, it created the Trade Routes collection, an assemblage of fragrances heavily inspired by the historic trade routes of London. Thus, Oud De Nil is the sixth fragrance in the collection. Each of the juices making up this collection releases the breath of a signature ingredient that once passed through the British capital at the end of the 19th century. In this sense, smelling these fragrances would almost amount to taking a journey through time and space, transporting us to the English Docks laden with numerous luxurious goods. It is, in a way, an English version of the Silk Road. With just a little imagination, one could almost picture the great sailing ships of the era, sailing around the world and stopping in London for a brief stopover rich in negotiations before setting off again. This time, Penhaligon's attention seems to have turned instead to a ship coming from Egypt and carrying oud wood. Thus, the fragrance Oud De Nil appears as a skillful blend of tradition and modernity, of East and West.

Oud De Nil, welcome to Egyptian soil!

Oud De Nil is a fragrance with the scent of a bygone era and an imagined journey to the heart of the land of the pharaohs. With a single breath, it evokes the image of mystical temples. Its white gown is as vaporous as the sails of a boat on the Nile, filled with the desert wind. Oud De Nil opens with a freshness based on bergamot. This fruit, born of the crossing between lemon and bitter orange, releases its invigorating freshness here. It is followed by a typically Mediterranean ingredient: orange blossom. Its sun-kissed radiance is then joined by the opulent richness of jasmine as well as the feminine elegance of rose. Likewise, this floral composition is also enhanced with geranium, a plant that is nonetheless spicier and slightly peppery. Moreover, this impertinent facet clearly carries through into the sillage of Oud De Nil. It releases a scent of clove paired with incense. Woods complete this picture, giving it more structure. Guaiac wood is notably present, along with amber woods. What's more, it is also at this moment that oud enters the scene, revealing all its splendor, nobility and rarity.