Oud For Happiness

Scent Profile

Top notes: Bergamot, Ginger

Heart notes: Agarwood (Oud), Cedar, Licorice

Base notes: Herbal Notes, Musk, Vanilla

Why We Carry This

Initio built their reputation on oud compositions that complicate the material rather than showcase it. Oud For Happiness is the licorice move, and that single decision elevates it above most of what the category offers.

Character

Accords: Fresh Spicy, Citrus, Soft Spicy, Vanilla, Green, Powdery, Oud, Musky, Sweet, Woody

Launched: 2021

Bergamot and ginger open crisply, suggesting something fresher than what follows, then licorice and oud arrive in the heart and reframe the entire composition. The licorice-oud combination is unusual enough to read as genuinely distinctive: it adds an anise-inflected darkness to the agarwood rather than just letting the wood dominate. Vanilla and herbal notes in the base are soft anchors, preventing the oud from turning austere while keeping the sweetness measured enough to read as confidence rather than comfort.