Ciel Man Amouage 2003

When testing the men's fragrances from Amouage chronologically and comparing the quality, you can tell when Christopher Chong joined the house and made significant changes.

For me, Dia Man, Silver Man, and Ciel Man share a quite similar DNA; they all have a floral-clean accord that might remind one of something like a hint of baby wipes. Except for Gold, which represents a kind of Chanel No.5 for men for me, the pre-Christopher Chong Amouages are actually quite easy to wear, even though these fragrances seem to have been made for older gentlemen.
Ciel Man opens for me with a hint of lavender, while a very nice peach note emerges, which, together with a slight sweetness (heliotropin?), still conveys the impression of white flowers; one is reminded of Reflection Man (if one has smelled that first). This for me undefinable white flower accord also has something almost beeswax-like about it, and I think it is this accord that gives the fragrance an animalistic quality.
The transition from Ciel from this fruity-floral focus to a woody-spicy one is interesting; the further the fragrance develops, the more spices like nutmeg, cardamom, and a bit of cinnamon come forth, and if you smell very closely, you can also discover a crisp green note (probably vetiver/vetiveryl acetate in a very low dose).

Since Reflection Man from Amouage is often compared to Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier, I would like to make the following comparison for orientation:
If Reflection Man corresponds to an adult version of Le Male, then Ciel Man corresponds to an adult version of Fleur Du Male.

Personally, I bought Ciel Man blind and still need to warm up to it, but from the experience I have had with Ciel so far, I can say that Ciel is definitely a solid fragrance. And oh, that peach note, it is beautiful.
Among the pre-Christopher Chong Amouages, Ciel Man is my favorite so far, as it subtly reveals contrasts.