The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Cambodi II arrived in February of that year from the perfumer Abdulla Almarzooq, a release that put agarwood at the center of the conversation and then refused to move it to the margins. Almarzooq built the structure around oud from first spritz to last trace of drydown, front-loaded and base-loaded with agarwood so the resin never leaves the stage. The animalic accord sits in the heart, less as accent than as pressure. It's a composition that trusts the wearer to want something that bites back. The work is unapologetic in its material choices. Agarwood leads at the top and refuses to recede, treated here as the headline ingredient rather than a backdrop for floral softening or gourmand framing.
The amber is present but dry, smoky in register rather than gourmand. The vetiver in the middle adds an earthy green that grounds the composition before ebony wood and roots take over the base, bringing a dense, almost mineral weight that reads more like forest floor than like polished wood. What separates it is the commitment. The smoke at the top isn't atmosphere. It's structural. It reappears throughout the wear, stitching the animalic heart to the woody base so the composition stays legible as one statement rather than three separate ideas.
The evolution
The first ten minutes are smoke and oud in close quarters, no warmup, no citrus to soften the entrance. The amber shows up almost immediately, not as sweetness, more as a resinous heat that thickens the air around the wrist. This is the loudest phase, and it stays loud for a good while, the smoke and oud occupying the same space without separating, each feeding the other. Around the thirty-minute mark, the animalic notes surface. They don't bloom so much as push through, barnyard-adjacent, unmistakably animal, the kind of accord that makes some people lean closer and others check their sleeve. The vetiver cuts underneath, adding a green bitterness that prevents the animalic from tipping into pure funk. For the next two to three hours, this is the territory: oud at the edges, smoke holding the center, that feral note doing exactly what it wants.
Cultural impact
Wearers describe Cambodi II as polarizing in the literal meaning of the word, the kind of fragrance that generates strong reactions in both directions within the same room. The animalic accord sits at the center of the composition without mitigation, and that directness shapes how the fragrance is received. Some people lean in, drawn to the rawness. Others step back, finding the feral notes too forward for comfort. Both reactions are common, and both come from the same source: a composition that doesn't smooth its edges or dress its rougher materials in sweetness. Part of what generates those reactions is the smoke.
The House
Touch Of OudTouch Of Oud curates a line of oud‑centric fragrances that balance the depth of traditional Middle Eastern wood with a restrained, contemporary sensibility. Each scent unfolds with a clear structure, allowing the rare heart of oud to speak without overwhelming the wearer. The brand positions itself as a bridge between heritage craftsmanship and modern niche perfumery, offering compositions that linger long on skin while remaining approachable for daily wear.
The Creator
Abdulla AlmarzooqAbdulla’s technique centers on a disciplined layering of base notes. He begins with a pure oud extract, then adds a measured dose of sandalwood to soften the edge.
