Loewe’s Crafted Temptations: Bittersweet Oud, Iris Root, Roasted Vanilla

If 2025 had a drinking game for new oud launches, we’d all be under the table by spring. Then Loewe drops The Crafted Collection and I sit up straighter. Three titles, zero fluff, all promise: Bittersweet Oud, Iris Root, Roasted Vanilla. It reads like a chef’s menu for noses, and I’m here for it.

Let’s start with Bittersweet Oud. The name telegraphs contrast, not club-night density. Think polished wood over barnyard, resin threaded with a candied edge. I expect tension between smoke and sheen, the kind of oud that wears like a dark lacquer rather than fur. If you usually flee animalic ouds, this could be the diplomatic passport you needed. If you live for skank, you may find it too civilized, which frankly is the point in a collection that says crafted right on the tin.

Iris Root is the one that makes my pulse quicken. Iris can be powdery grandmother or silken skin, depending on how the root is treated. From the name, I’m betting on orris texture front and center, the cool, buttery glide that feels like slipping into a perfectly cut jacket. Expect a soft-focus aura with a rooty, almost carrot-like warmth that keeps it human. This is the sleeper hit for office-to-after hours people who want elegance without decibels.

Then Roasted Vanilla. Bless the vanilla revival, but spare me cupcake sugar. The word roasted suggests heat, smoke, and a caramelized edge, more brûlée crust than frosting. I’m picturing a gourmand with backbone, the kind that leaves a toasted shimmer in its wake rather than a trail of syrup. If you liked vanilla before it was algorithm bait, this sounds like the grown-up pour.

Wearability guesswork. Bittersweet Oud for evening and black denim, Iris Root for crisp shirts and quiet power, Roasted Vanilla for off-duty knitwear and stolen kisses. Sillage feels calibrated rather than shouty, and longevity will likely lean generous, especially on the vanilla side.

Am I intrigued? Enough to hunt down blotters before the weekend. If the juice matches the names, The Crafted Collection could be Loewe’s neatest triangle yet, a dark, cool, warm trio that covers more moods than most wardrobes.