The Origin

Oudessence was born out of frustration. The luxury perfume market had developed a comfortable lie: that "oud" fragrance could be delivered affordably and at scale. The result was a generation of synthetic agarwood accords that smelled like their name but bore no relationship to the actual material.

Our founder, Dr. Amara Völker, spent four years traveling between Assam, Borneo, Cambodia, and Oman before founding Oudessence in 2017. Every relationship we have with a supplier was built in person, over years, with people who share our belief that the raw material must be irreplaceable.

Our Process

We distill in-house at our Cologne atelier using copper alembics that date back to 1892. The hydrodistillation process takes 24–48 hours per batch. We accept yields as low as 0.02% — the standard of someone who cares about what ends up in the bottle.

Sustainability

We source exclusively from CITES-certified sustainable agarwood farms. Every tree felled is replaced by four. We're members of the Sustainable Oud Association and publish full supply chain transparency reports annually.

Dispatch Times

Orders placed before 14:00 CET on business days are dispatched the same day. Orders placed after 14:00 or on weekends and public holidays are dispatched the next business day.

Shipping Methods & Costs

• DHL Express (1–2 business days) — Free on orders over €120
• DHL Standard (3–5 business days) — €4.99
• International Priority — from €12.99

Customs & Import Duties

For deliveries within the EU, no customs charges apply. For deliveries outside the EU (e.g., UK, USA, Switzerland), the recipient is responsible for any applicable customs duties and import taxes as required by local regulations.

Tracking

You will receive a DHL tracking number via email once your order has been dispatched. You can track your order on this website or directly on dhl.com.

Right of Withdrawal (EU/Germany)

In accordance with §312g BGB, you have the right to withdraw from your purchase within 30 days without providing any reason. The withdrawal period begins on the day you receive the goods.

To exercise your right of withdrawal, inform us by email at returns@oudessence.de. You must then return the goods within 14 days of notification.

Conditions for Returns

• Items must be in original, unopened condition with all packaging intact
• Opened fragrances can only be returned if faulty or misdescribed
• Gift sets must be returned complete

Refund Process

Once we receive the returned item and verify its condition, we will process your refund within 14 days via the original payment method. For Stripe payments, the refund typically appears within 5–10 business days.

Faulty Items

If you receive a damaged or faulty item, contact us within 48 hours of receipt with photographic evidence. We will arrange a replacement or full refund at no cost to you.

Controller

Oudessence GmbH, Schildergasse 12, 50667 Cologne, Germany. Email: datenschutz@oudessence.de

Data We Collect

• Account data: name, email address, delivery address, phone number
• Transaction data: order history, payment method type (not card numbers — handled by Stripe)
• Usage data: pages visited, search queries, cart activity (anonymised)
• Communication data: emails you send us and our responses

Legal Basis (GDPR Art. 6)

We process data under Art. 6(1)(b) (contract performance), Art. 6(1)(c) (legal obligation — VAT records), and Art. 6(1)(a) (consent — marketing emails).

Your Rights

• Art. 15 — Right of access to your personal data
• Art. 16 — Right to rectification
• Art. 17 — Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Art. 18 — Right to restriction of processing
• Art. 20 — Right to data portability
• Art. 21 — Right to object

To exercise any of these rights, email datenschutz@oudessence.de. We will respond within 30 days.

Cookies

We use strictly necessary cookies for session management, and optional analytics cookies (only with your consent). You can withdraw cookie consent at any time via the cookie settings link in the footer.

Angaben gemäß § 5 TMG

Oudessence GmbH
Schildergasse 12
50667 Köln
Deutschland

Handelsregister

Amtsgericht Köln · HRB 123456

Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer

DE 123 456 789

Geschäftsführer

Dr. Amara Völker

Kontakt

Telefon: +49 221 1234567
E-Mail: hello@oudessence.de

Verantwortlich für den Inhalt nach § 55 Abs. 2 RStV

Dr. Amara Völker
Schildergasse 12, 50667 Köln

Haftungsausschluss

Trotz sorgfältiger inhaltlicher Kontrolle übernehmen wir keine Haftung für die Inhalte externer Links. Für den Inhalt der verlinkten Seiten sind ausschließlich deren Betreiber verantwortlich.

1. General

These Terms & Conditions govern all contracts concluded between Oudessence GmbH (hereafter "Oudessence") and customers purchasing through oudessence.de. By placing an order, you accept these terms.

2. Prices & VAT

All prices are displayed in Euro and include German VAT at the applicable rate (19% standard rate). Shipping costs are displayed separately at checkout.

3. Payment

We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, and SEPA direct debit. Payment is processed securely via Stripe. Card details are never stored on our servers.

4. Contract Formation

A binding contract is formed when we send you an order confirmation email. We reserve the right to reject orders in cases of pricing errors or stock discrepancies.

5. Governing Law

These terms are governed by German law. The place of jurisdiction for merchants is Cologne, Germany. Consumer rights under EU law are unaffected.