Oud Library is an independent fragrance brand from London. We believe luxury perfume should be worn, not saved for best, so we make serious fragrance you can wear every single day.
The short version
- Our alcohol-free oils stay close to the skin; our Extrait sprays reach further at first.
- Start with a discovery set: four 3 ml oil roll-ons, or five 5 ml Extrait sprays.
- Extrait de Parfum only ships to UK addresses, because it contains alcohol.
Who we are
We believe every great perfume comes down to its materials. Our perfumers work with fine oils and rare materials, and choose every note by nose.
A perfume is balanced for one strength, and our Extrait de Parfum is 40%. We compose each one at full concentration from the first trial, so every note keeps its place.
Every scent is made to the same five standards:
- Perfume oils made to perform: each blend is composed to last, settling into a rich dry-down.
- Every formula is vegan, with no animal ingredients.
- Never tested on animals.
- Ethically sourced ingredients, chosen with care for people and planet.
- No preservatives or artificial colours. The colour comes from a natural source.
Most of our 25,000+ bottles were sold in person at our London stands, where people try before they buy. It's a tough test for a scent, and it's why we only keep the ones people come back for. The full story is on our quality page.
Where to find us
Our two stands are at Westfield London in White City (first floor) and Westfield Stratford City (ground floor). Hours and exact spots are on our FAQ page.
Online, we deliver across the UK and to the countries in our shipping policy. Extrait de Parfum is UK only.
Two formats: perfume oil and Extrait de Parfum
Most of our scents come in both, so pick the scent first, then the format.
Perfume oils
Our perfume oils, called Absolute Oil on the bottle, contain no alcohol. Their ingredients start with "Parfum (Fragrance)", with no water or carrier oil listed.
Put one or two small drops, or a light pass of the roll-on, on your wrists or behind your ears. Rub it in slowly and gently if you like. More in how to apply perfume oil.
For clothes, rub it into your skin first to thin it, then touch your wrist lightly to a collar or scarf. Test silk and pale fabrics somewhere hidden first.
Extrait de Parfum
Our Extrait de Parfum is a spray. Its ingredients start "Alcohol Denat., Parfum (Fragrance)": alcohol, then fragrance. Our product pages give its fragrance concentration as 40%.
Extrait (or parfum) is generally the most concentrated of the usual labels, above eau de parfum and eau de toilette. But the percentages behind these labels vary from perfume to perfume, so a stated figure tells you more than the name.
Why they wear differently
The spray's alcohol, ethanol, boils at about 78°C, well below water, and evaporates quickly at room temperature. As it evaporates, it helps carry fragrance molecules into the air, so a spray reaches further at first.
An oil has no alcohol to lift it. Each fragrance molecule leaves the skin only as fast as it evaporates on its own. The scent stays closer and comes off more gradually.
Why a scent changes as you wear it
A perfume's molecules evaporate at different speeds. Small, light ones turn to vapour most easily, so they go first: the top notes, often citrus.
Larger, heavier ones evaporate slowly and stay behind as the base notes, such as musk and amber. That's why our product pages list top, heart and base notes.
Sizes, and what each one is for
Perfume oils come in three sizes:
- 3 ml roll-on: to try a scent over a few ordinary days.
- 6 ml roll-on: for a scent you already like, still pocket-sized.
- Full-size bottle: for a scent you'll wear often.
Extrait de Parfum comes in 22.5 ml and 50 ml sprays. An oil roll-on tells you about the oil, not the spray.
The scent families in our range
Many scents sit in more than one family: Royal Bliss is under oud, vanilla, floral and sweet and fruity. A few from each:
- Oud (scents with oud in their notes): Imperial Wood Oud, Pure Reverie and Dark Passion.
- Woody: Luna Bliss, Stellar Dreams and Khaliji.
- Vanilla: Vanilla Lux, Vanillin, Marshmallow and Coco Lux.
- Floral: Al Noor, Fleur Royale and Luminous Luv.
- Fresh: Bleu Tide, Berry Blossom and Eternal Eclipse.
- Sweet and fruity: One Hubby, Amour Haven and Pink Soir.
- Spice: Arabian Cashmere, Al Layl and Stellar Dreams.
A note list is a clue, not a promise. Two scents can both list vanilla, yet one smells creamy and the other dry and woody.
More in our guides to woody fragrances and jasmine in perfume.
How to start
- A discovery set. The Oud, Best Sellers and Vanilla sets hold four 3 ml oil roll-ons each, and the Extrait set five 5 ml sprays.
- Our Westfield stands, to try the range on your skin.
- Our Find your scent page, sorted by family.
Give each scent a fair trial
Try one or two at a time. Paper strips help rule scents out, but decide on skin: lab work shows its texture and moisture change how fragrance molecules evaporate.
Wear it through a normal day, then note your first impression, what stayed, and whether you'd wear it again. Our perfume oil guide explains how an oil develops. For oud, see how to try oud before buying.
Stopped noticing it? It's probably still there. Your nose tunes out a smell it meets constantly, but others can still pick it up.
With sensitive skin or allergies, patch test first. Ingredients are under Specifications on each product page. For a scent's full allergen list, email us.
Getting help
Our FAQ page covers delivery, returns, ingredients and wearing. Otherwise:
- Email our email address. We usually reply the same day.
- WhatsApp us from the FAQ page.
- Call 020 3488 4457.
Full-size oils, Extraits and discovery sets arrive sealed and, once opened, can't be returned for a change of mind. The 3 ml and 6 ml roll-ons aren't sealed. See our refund policy.
From our shelves
The small ways in, plus the full collections.
- Oud Discovery Set: Imperial Wood Oud, Royal Bliss, Pure Reverie and Dark Passion as 3 ml oil roll-ons.
- Best Sellers Discovery Set: One Hubby, Amour Haven, Pure Reverie and Vanilla Lux as 3 ml oil roll-ons.
- Vanilla Discovery Set: Arabian Cashmere, Vanillin, Vanilla Lux and Marshmallow as 3 ml oil roll-ons.
- Extrait de Parfum Discovery Set: Amber Mirage, Amour Haven, Arabian Cashmere, Golden Eclipse and Vanilla Lux as 5 ml sprays.
- The full collections: perfume oils and Extrait de Parfum.
Sources
- The Perfume Society, "The scented ritual of perfume oils and attars". perfumesociety.org
- European Solvents Industry Group (ESIG, a sector group of Cefic), "Solvents for perfumes" fact sheet, 2025. esig.org
- Hadjiefstathiou E. et al. (2025) "Exploring the impact of fragrance molecular and skin properties on the evaporation profile of fragrances". International Journal of Cosmetic Science 47(6): 981 to 995. doi.org/10.1111/ics.13085
- The Perfume Society, "Strength to strength: cologne to parfum, what to wear when". perfumesociety.org
- Frolova V. (2023) "What do perfume concentrations mean?". Bois de Jasmin. boisdejasmin.com
- The Perfume Society, "Fragrant facts and myths: everything your nose needs to know". perfumesociety.org
- National Library of Medicine, PubChem, "Ethanol" (CID 702), boiling point and vapour pressure. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/702
- Hong Kong Baptist University, Department of Chemistry, "Chemistry in daily life: perfume". chem.hkbu.edu.hk
- Rodrigues A. E., Nogueira I., Faria R. P. V. (2021) "Perfume and flavor engineering: a chemical engineering perspective". Molecules 26(11): 3095. doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113095
- The Perfume Society, "FAQs". perfumesociety.org
- Dalton P. (2000) "Psychophysical and behavioral characteristics of olfactory adaptation". Chemical Senses 25(4): 487 to 492. doi.org/10.1093/chemse/25.4.487
