As a way of classifying perfumes, fragrance families are useful, and most of them have enough of an "official" status that we understand what they imply. Fragrance families don't tell the whole story, but they help us understand a bit better what a perfume might smell like, or more to the point around here probably, they help us to understand if we can be bothered to try something at all. If I tell you a perfume with berries, jasmine and patchouli is a fruity floral, which of course it could be, you might imagine a certain kind of smell, quite different than if I told you it was an oriental, or a chypre, or a green floral, or an aldehydic floral. What you imagine, of course, could be quite wrong, but it never hurts to know how Michael Edwards classified something after he smelled it.1
Many perfumistas, of course, have their own categories or subcategories, like creamsicle or skank or booze, or we might classify by specific notes we're interested in, from mimosa to ylang ylang. Wood pudding™ is one of my own favorite personal / unofficial categories, especially in deep winter. A decent wood pudding fragrance is spicy and creamy, and comforting, but the relatively heavy woods temper the sweetness enough to keep the fragrance from falling into a more general gourmand or foody category. Here are 5 of my favorites, and do add your own in the comments!
Givenchy Organza Indecence very nearly defines the category, and if I remember correctly, it's the fragrance that made me think of the idea of wood pudding in the first place. It is basically a cinnamon-spice, vanilla and ambery wood fragrance, with some fruits and some patchouli. Michael Edwards classifies it as a woody oriental, and places it in the subcategory "rich", which almost gets us there but omits the crucial point: it's beautifully creamy. The creaminess is precisely what sets it apart from some other favorite fragrances in the rich woody oriental list, like Czech & Speake Dark Rose and Honoré des Prés Chaman's Party and Reminiscence Elixir Patchouli.
21 Costume National is also a woody oriental, but in the "crisp" subcategory. It shares that classification with everything from Tom Ford Black Orchid to Hermès Eau des Merveilles to Serge Lutens Douce Amere. It is lighter and drier than Organza Indecence, but it's still creamy, and comforting, and just a little offbeat. When this came out in 2008, I really thought it would be a huge hit with perfumistas — and so, apparently, did Luckyscent; their description says "destined to become a new cult favorite" — but I almost never see it mentioned in the scent of the day polls. Wrong again!
Yet another woody oriental, but over in the "classic" subcategory, we find Serge Lutens Santal de Mysore. As a sandalwood fragrance, I like Santal Blanc2 better, but as a wood pudding, Santal de Mysore has to be the winner: it's rich, it's creamy (coconut custard, says Kevin), it's spicy (watch out for that cumin), and it's loaded with sandalwood.
Parfumerie Generale Felanilla is not a woody oriental, but it is an oriental, in the "classical" subcategory, right along with Prada L'Eau Ambrée and Felanilla's more obvious relation, Guerlain Shalimar. Now, Shalimar is not a wood pudding in my book, but Felanilla, while a bit less creamy than Organza Indecence and a bit less vanillic than Shalimar (if it helps, it's often compared to Coty Emeraude and/or Guerlain Guet-Apens), is definitely a wood pudding, and it will please saffron fans as well.
Moving out of the oriental category and into soft floral, there's always Ego Facto Poopoo Pidoo, a rice-steam relative of Kenzo Amour which straddles the line between a wood pudding and a straight-up foody gourmand. Some of you probably think Organza Indecence is too sweet, but if you're in the camp that thinks it's too dry, Poopoo Pidoo is the one you want.
(And as an aside, if you find all of these fragrances too wood pudding, you might consider one of my "diet" wood pudding suggestions: Dries Van Noten par Frédéric Malle or Sonoma Scent Studio Bois Épicés.)
1. All of the official fragrance family classifications used here are from Edwards' Fragrances of the World.
2. Santal Blanc, by the way, is not an oriental at all. Michael Edwards classifies it as a woods fragrance.
Note: top image is Peterman Round Bowls [cropped] by Didriks at flickr; some rights reserved.
Organza Indecence was my first thought before seeing the list. Too sweet for me but I get the love. Unlike….
Un Bois Vanille. That vanilla is so artificial the thing smells like a cheap candle. Woody Pudding subcategory Yankee.
I’m laughing about Black Orchid being crisp. Can something plush be called crisp?
From Bois de Jasmin’s review of Black Orchid: “Much like Black Orchid, Ralph Hot contrasts its rich woody and vanilla notes with the crisp freshness that is threaded delicately through the arrangement.” So she & Michael Edwards, both of whom know more than me, recognize a component that I miss.
I am laughing about subcategory Yankee!
It has a fresh element but that’s not what I’d call crisp! I do love BO but….
My mom loves Yankee, thus my aversion to most candles.
Oh, yes, OI was my first thought, but oh, no, not too sweet on me, it’s perfect! It’s my favorite winter scent – sometimes ‘wood pudding’ comfort, sometimes sexy and sensual scent. For me it has a remarkable ability to satisfy both!
Glad it has another fan 🙂
Yes — category Yankee! Love that! I can’t come within miles of that place at the mall or in a store; when I was living in Germany one of the department stores had a Yankee Candle section in the housewares that I learned to cut a wide swath around. Ugh, the combined chemical smell just makes me ill.
I do love wood pudding scents. I would add a couple; Caron’s Nuit Noel and Aimez Moi, Yves Rocher’s long, sadly discontinued Neonatura Cocoon, and EL Sensuous Noir.
Thanks!
I’m a huge fan of the Neonatura Cocoon, but on me it’s a very dry, patchouli/cocoa/vanilla scent, very un-puddinglike. As a gardener, I love this one in late winter/very early spring, when I sense the earth just beginning to awaken deep within from its winter slumber.
Wouldn’t Kenzo Amour itself be in this category?
Got out Organza Indecence and it reminded me of Fendi Theorema at first, although the anise toned down pretty quickly.
To me, Kenzo Amour isn’t really woody enough to be a wood pudding. But everyone can have their own definition 🙂
True, I probably only think of it as woody because I know it has Burmese thanaka wood, even though that’s not actually a woody note.
Well, it probably has woods beyond that too. Nearly everything has woods. But to me it is about the smell — creamy woods have to dominate at some point in the development or it isn’t a wood pudding. But also, as I said, there are no rules — everyone can make up their own definition!
I’m always fascinated by how differently we experience fragrances! I have both OI and Theorema and neither reminds me of the other. I get no anise, only a bit of cinnamon in the OI.
I’d never noticed it before, Laila, and it was very brief.
Hm, I’m not sure if I’m doing this right, but I immediately thought of Sensuous Noir and 1996. If so, then I love this genre! Looks like I’m going to have to try everything on your list that I haven’t gotten to already.
There’s no right or wrong, I don’t think, because I made it up and we don’t need no stinking rules! (I hope everyone knows the trademark sign was a joke.)
Thanks for this, Robin. I’ll have to try some of your other ‘wood pudding’ recommendations, as this is also a favorite winter ‘classification’ for me.
Ha! Maybe Jo Malone would take it but wood pudding does not seem to be her style.
Ooohh! If Sensuous Noir is considered a “wood pudding”, I am a fan.
Huh. Emeraude is a relative of Shalimar? I thought I had a very distinct childhood memory of it being a sharp green chypre. I guess I need to smell some rather than relying on a 30 year-old memory.
About a year ago I tried Organza Indecence and it was way too much for me – heavy, sweet, cloying. Around the same time I tried Poopoo Pidoo and it was too sweet-sweet. I pulled Poopoo Pidoo out again just recently and got musky woods rather than sweet. My sugar tolerance seems to really have adjusted over the past year (says this recent Angel convert 🙂 )
I would say Shalimar is a relative of Emeraude (and both are relatives of Jicky). Mals has a nice comparison of the two here, near the end (plus, she has links to other reviews of Emeraude farther down):
http://themuseinwoodenshoes.com/perfume-review-vintage-coty-emeraude/
I wasn’t trying to suggest anything about the progeniture, just always under the impression that they were in completely different fragrance families. Thanks for the link, and thanks, Mals. I’m looking into some vintage…
Oh, gotcha, sorry!
Glad you clarified on the trademark sign. My eyes popped when I saw that and I thought, wooow, she is serious about her fragrance, actually getting categories trademarked. Ha!
I love the word “pudding”, period. You can tag that on any fragrance and I’ll be wanting to try it.
Organza and Poopoo Pidoo have been added to my list to try.
I *should* trademark it just because that would be funny!
In in that vein, Box of Eels also deserves a trademark!
Yes, it does! (although I didn’t make it up)
Would Bvlgari Jasmin Noir count, as a “wood pudding”? On my skin it sways to an almond milk, licorice, burnt sandalwood scent.
If it’s creamy enough, I don’t see why not.
Love this post, Robin, and now my mouth is watering for some pudding! 🙂
I can’t think of any to add, although maybe my vintage Samsara extrait would work. It’s very heavy on the sandalwood (it’s actually oily!) and of course with the Guerlainade to sweeten it.
I could not find a “free” picture of pudding in a wooden bowl, and perhaps it is just as well! I’ve been thinking about rice pudding all day (I’m a recent convert).
Huh. I seem to miss the woods entirely in some things listed as “woody”-Organza Indecence or EL Sensuous, for example. *scratches head*
Maybe too opulent and slightly outdoorsy to be called “wood pudding” but Guerlain Songe d’une Bois d’Ete has a delicious creamy saffron element that blends nicely with the, sweaty cedar.
And I don’t think I’ve tried that Guerlain!
I would file Lubin’s Korrigan here, but it’s a whiskey laced woody desert for someone dressed in leather 🙂
And the world needs one of those too, I’m sure.
Best kind of desert
Now I’m cravey some bread pudding with whiskey hot sauce.
Craving, omg
Currently in the drydown of Poivre 23, and that’s a pepper-wood pudding. I’ve been meaning to try Costume 21, but never see it anywhere, and already love Dries. I will think up some more, since I’m catching up late.
I have not seen an actual Costume National fragrance in the wild ever, I don’t think. It’s a shame, they’re generally pretty good.
I think Barney’s still sells Costume National scents. Costume National 21 is pretty wonderful and it’s one I’ve got a bottle of
I have not been in a Barneys for over 10 years, but if they had them then I probably did see them!
Oh, and take that back — but over 5 years for sure.
I love this category because it is not perfumey floral. Here’s my list of what I think is wood pudding: Puredistance White, SHL 777 Taklamakan, Slumberhouse Ore (also, Pear & Olive), Tommi Sooni Eau de Tommi Sooni II.
Pear & Olive and Sensuous Noir are two of my faves! So, I am officially a fan of “wood pudding”.
Nice list, thanks!
Love Wood Pudding as a category – it should be trade marked (and especially with the sub category Yankee! I found Organza Indecence far too sweet, liked CN 21 but not enough to buy (and it was relatively openly in the wild here in the UK), but fell for and bought Felanilla. Banana wood isn’t it but what tips it for me is the saffron. I’m gearing up to buy a bottle of TM Oriental Express – I think that might work in this category.
Oriental Express is a great scent, I would not mind having a bottle!
Robin, I have a bottle now as a friend was able to buy it on my behalf in duty free – joy! If you’d like a decant, mates rates, PM me.
Yay for the Felanilla shout out! It’s one of my favourites in winter, and was a complete surprise to me when I bought it — I went into The Perfume Shoppe here in Vancouver and she pulled it out for me to try. It wasn’t what I usually go for, but I loved it and bought it three minutes later, and have never regretted it. When you brought up wood pudding, I immediately thought of Felanilla, then thought, “nah, not woody enough” — I don’t get a ton of wood from it myself, more just creamy banana with a hint of saffron — but I’m glad I was wrong!
L’artisan Parfumeur is wood pudding to me!
I meant to add, Noir Exquis!
Ah, and to me that one is a pure gourmand! But either way it’s delicious and comforting.
Does DSH Cimabue work in this catagorie? It smelled just like chai rice pudding.
Love Cimbue! It is not wood pudding to me, but again, there are no rules — lots of the scents people mentioned in comments are not wood pudding to me, and that’s ok!