Imitation Woman Amouage 2018

The English word 'imitation' is ambiguous and, moreover, imprecise. It is not to be equated with 'imitation' in the sense of 'fake'; it can also mean 'copy' or 'inspiration'.
So Amouage is being discreet and mysterious with this name. And they have primarily thought about whether the word itself has a nice sound (which was not the case with 'Bräkkn', 'Müffs', or 'Fikmänt').
The concept of the fragrance once again walks completely independent paths; somehow, Amouage seems to have no desire for a corporate philosophy as a company: neither do the perfumes have to be oriental or reveal their geographical origin, nor do they have a consistent signature or motto. While "Lilac Love" and "Love Tuberose" convey the impression of pleasantness as a standard, since "Beach Hut," "Bracken," and the unspeakable "Myths," one knows that creative perfumers can simply let loose. There is no other explanation for it!
When you line up the last six released Amouage perfumes, it almost borders on reckless abandon what Amouage allows itself.
As a mundane business economist, I find this strategically very bold and positive. But it is also in the nature of most people to not find so much change appealing and to grumble that the "new" Amouages are not "real" Amouages at all.
For people like me, this is a stroke of luck - none of the "old" ones would have ever made it to my collection.
Precisely for this reason, I ordered a decant of IMITATION: the dismal rating of 6.7 seemed to hold the greatest potential for surprise.
I already have a 'safe compliment catcher scent' for people who don't want to step on anyone's toes: LILAC LOVE. It's so mass-compatible that I always feel a bit ashamed to wear it.
IMITATION is certainly not mass-compatible! Imitation has nothing to do with 'fake' - I have never smelled anything like it. It does not shock like "Myths" or the burnt-out Indian beach hut, and it is not as austere as "Bracken," yet it polarizes more than it should please.
With "Blossom Love," Amouage already showed that they are not afraid of cheap chewing gum notes. What is cheesy there is a sour-fruity chewy candy note in IMITATION. A very ambivalent note: on one hand, you can actually recognize a natural black currant that is still half green (berry, NOT flower!), on the other hand, it has a hint of Klostein: artificial, squeaky, inedible. The licorice has partially fallen out of the Katjes bag.
The scent starts with the volume of a starting airplane: the 3 K - chewy candy, Klostein, and Katjes dominate the heart notes; none of the listed top notes are perceivable. Perhaps rose, ylang, jasmine, and orange blossoms are included - who knows? Aldehydes give it a proletarian twist.
In our youth, there has been a widespread party custom: you soak several bags of sour apple rings in vodka, and that gets eaten. If it is not all eaten, after 24 hours, a uniform, toxic green, sweet-sour jelly forms. There are people who are crazy about it, and I have always been convinced: anyone who likes that is not quite right in the head.
Now the heart note in the sillage is an exact copy of this jelly, which I find really cool, and now the question is: WHAT am I if I want to smell like this??
I also do not find the listed base notes; the jelly note becomes darker-fruity, more mature, and sweet in a nobler way (= not proletarian) over time, the Klostein disappears, and you can no longer catch and kill fruit flies with the scent.
The vanished top notes can now be guessed and save their reputation with stubborn longevity.
Phew. Let’s start again! I find it INCREDIBLY GREAT! But I also belong to the people who have no problem annoying others. This may distort my judgment. Imitation is sheer olfactory harassment and the opposite of sexy. (I thought so, but EVERY man I asked in my circle hates the stuff)
Still, I imagine it would be great to wear this winter scent in a fully packed bus with closed windows. That would be the perfect revenge for all the stinky things I had to endure. (the high summer version already exists with Coeur du Desert).
Or to wear it in the office for a week...
Or to force my husband to endure a romantic evening with me and this scent!
I’m sure I can think of more nasty things; I really like IMITATION and its penetrance suits me. Imitation is young, cheeky, fussy, and impertinent. To wear it, you need strong nerves, courage, and a very elegant appearance (which masks the loudmouth effect).
And it is ONLY for women. Absolute no-go zone for men! Or to put it in the sensitive words of my husband: “Don’t spray that devil stuff on me! I’ll surely lose my balls!”
Nothing beats a romantic closing word!

PS: When I have the bottle, I will place it on one of my favorite books ("The Laws of Imitation" by Gabriel Tarde) and take a nice photo of the two.