Her team's analysis of the residue samples contained beeswax, plant oils, animal fats, bitumen, and resins from coniferous trees such as pines and larches, as well as vanilla-scented coumarin (found in cinnamon and pea plants) and benzoic acid (common in fragrant resins and gums derived from trees and shrubs). The resulting fragrance combined a "strong pine-like woody scent of the confers," per Huber, mixed in with "a sweeter undertone of the beeswax" and "the strong smoky scent of the bitumen."
Oud is old news in the fragrance world, and that's not a dig. What was once a fringe accord in the West (though beloved in the Middle East for centuries) is now fully cemented as a global staple, with just about every perfumer offering their own spin on the distinct, woody, resinous note. Pair oud with citrus, and it feels bright and modern; mix it with florals, and it turns heady and velvety;