Amouage
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Apple brandy's boozy prickle hits immediately, sharp and slightly astringent, whilst saffron adds a spiced-dust warmth that feels almost architectural. Bergamot zips around the edges, bright but never cheerful—this opening is alert, intelligent, deliberately unsweetened.
The florals and resins settle into focus, with Rosa Centifolia emerging as a sophisticated rose that smells genuinely old-fashioned, rendered dry and mysterious by the myrrh and cinnamon surrounding her. Benzoin softens the composition just enough to prevent harshness, whilst the spice accord deepens, creating a warm, almost incense-like cocoon that feels both luxurious and austere.
Leather and labdanum dominate entirely, with frankincense providing a smoky, almost ceremonial undertone that lingers for hours. What remains is surprisingly animalic and grounded—less fragrance, more a subtle second skin that smells like aged leather, honeyed resin, and distant church incense.
Amouage's Overture Woman announces itself with the bracing snap of apple brandy—not the polished sweetness of a gourmand, but rather the sharp, almost medicinal bite of fermented fruit spirit. This immediately establishes the fragrance's refusal to court easy comfort. Saffron threads through the opening with dusty, slightly metallic warmth, whilst bergamot provides citrus brightness that feels crisp rather than cheerful, lending an almost austere quality to the composition's earliest moments.
The heart reveals Annick Ménardo's masterful hand. Rosa Centifolia emerges as a delicate counterpoint to the spice-forward architecture, but she refuses to soften the composition into floral prettiness. Instead, cinnamon and myrrh create a resolutely dry, almost incense-like bed upon which the rose rests—it's a rose viewed through smoke and ancient amber. Benzoin adds creamy sweetness that doesn't feel saccharine, whilst geranium's peppery green undertones prevent the composition from becoming thick or cloying.
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3.9/5 (142)