Amouage
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Cumin and pink pepper assault the senses with immediate prickling heat, bright and almost peppery-savoury, whilst cinnamon creeps in like warmth spreading across cold skin. Within moments, you're enveloped in something that smells less like traditional fragrance and more like stepping into a spice merchant's back room.
The florals emerge cautiously around the 45-minute mark—geranium offering green structure, whilst jasmine tea brings a subtle astringency that prevents any slip into sweetness. Amber begins its slow ascent, softening the spice whilst frankincense rises like temple smoke, creating a meditative phase where the scent becomes increasingly contemplative and less immediately striking.
By the fourth hour, the woody base asserts complete dominance—sandalwood and oud providing creamy, almost leather-like depth, gaiac wood adding a slightly smoky, tobacco-ish character. Vanilla and musk emerge from underneath to provide subtle skin-scent sensuality, whilst the fragrance settles into an amber-woody-resinous hum that feels more like a personal atmosphere than a projection.
Epic 56 is a fragrance that announces itself with the assertiveness of someone who has earned the right to take up space. Cécile Zarokian has constructed something genuinely architectural here—a spiced oriental that refuses the softness many expect from its floral heart. The opening salvo of cumin and pink pepper establishes an almost savoury character, peppery heat cutting through what could have been prettiness, whilst cinnamon adds a warmth that feels almost edible rather than merely aromatic.
What distinguishes Epic 56 is the restraint shown towards its floral elements. The geranium, jasmine tea, and rosa centifolia occupy the middle distance rather than dominating—the jasmine tea note particularly intriguing, lending an almost bitter, steeped quality that prevents cloying sentiment. This is no romance novel of a scent; it's more philosophical memoir. The florals exist in dialogue with the amber and resinous frankincense that rise beneath them, creating a conversation between green-tinged petals and warm, temple-like incense.
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3.9/5 (260)