Interlude Black Iris Amouage 2020

Let’s be real: wearing the original Interlude Man required a personality skill check. It was a Chaotic Evil "Blue Beast”, oregano-heavy incense cloud that screamed: "I have opinions on niche philosophy and I don't care if you can breathe!"

Interlude Black Iris, on the other hand, is the 2026 vibe personified (even if it was released in 2020). It’s the Nihilist Penguin of the fragrance world. It has seen the chaos of the OG, decided it’s all a bit much, and opted to waddle towards a creamier existential horizon.

Don't get me wrong, the quality here is exceptional. If you snag it at discounter prices, it feels like a heist… especially when compared to the recent "creative wasteland" of the industry. But in the transition from "overwhelmingly distinct" to "refined," we’ve lost some of that emblematic challenge. The incense and myrrh have been polished until they’re almost (almost!) mainstream. It’s as if the Blue Beast went to a corporate retreat and learned about "synergy” "boundaries" and 空気を読む.

By filing down the jagged edges of the oregano and smoke, Pierre Negrin has ironically created something far more dangerous: a versatile daily driver.
The addition of a buttery orris acts like a velvet buffer over the DNA. It’s no longer a scent that demands a motorcycle or a black stallion. It’s a scent you can wear en la oficina without being accused of arson.

Scent profile wise, the opening is a smooth, cool wave of violet leaf and bergamot.
The mid is a rich, creamy core combo of orris and vanilla to tame the smoke.
The finish is an elegant leather dry down.

Talking about performance, IBI is not quite as "nuclear" as the original, but it’s still substantial. We’re talking a solid 12+ hours of longevity with a sustained, gentlemanly sillage.

Crafting a flanker that honors the OG while carving its own path is a feat. The Interlude arc will likely be remembered as Negrin's Opus Magnum. It’s sophisticated, wearable, and just "dark" enough to satisfy your inner nihilistic ambitions.

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How can smoke which could kill people, being so addictive yet so dangerous?

That’s all what this perfume is all about, showing the perfection of pure smokiness!

Now imagine a dark person. Dangerously wild, psychopath gentleman, and yet a friendly person who’s on a business trip. He meets some soft persons and kinda likes them.. and because they are to kind he can’t hurt them.. what happens with all that smoke and darkness then? Well it gets balanced ofcourse!

This one starts very nice with a lots of iris and a hidden vanilla. The OG interlude is directly here as well, but it’s not a punch in the face like whoow to oriental smokey thing.. no this is elegant and very easy to wear compared to the OG. The iris doesn’t stay to Lang but it’s not Needed necessarily. Because of the iris the interlude is been toned down whit a smokey and oud kind of smell and a vanilla tone in it. The iris has been used to balance this scent and give it more depth because in my opinion this is the amouage with the biggest journey and the biggest challenge to understand. It could take you to different places on different occasions, but let me tell you to not use it if it’s warmer then 5 degrees because it gets extremely cloying and sweet flowery. Keep it cool and the smokiness will be balanced with the sweets.

My very first day was in the house of my friend he went on holiday, and I could stay there for few weeks.. I ordered this one because of I needed a new winter scent.. blind buy tough and it is worthy! From the first moment I sprayed I never thought I could remember something like this.. but it felt so comfortable and trusted.. and that is exactly what this perfume does.. it gives you a relaxed winter vibe. Rich but comfort without stressing or pressure.. it gives you a feeling that you can handle everything but don’t need to rush it. It takes you trough tons of vibes but all these vibes feel great. It’s almost a trilogy since it has 3 different parts. The first- mid and end are totally different vibes but yet so close… mmmm this one is for the trained noses who like to dig deep in to the material. Enough chit chat.. try your noses vogues!

Scent 10
Longevity on clothes: letterly a best
Skin: 10 hours
Projection.. not as the OG but believe me dont spray more than 3/4 otherwise you will choke yourself and the whole area.

I was looking for maybe an alternative / upgrade to Dior Homme Intense as I quite like the iris there. Some reviewers suggested that Black Iris could be this upgrade, that it is more wearable than the original Interlude, which I really didn't like. But is not really the case for me. I personally see very little difference between the two.
There is a nice iris note in the opening, but that lasts for about 10min and then it's back to the original burned rosemary ash with hints of leather. It is very dry, leathery, ashy scent, that hits you in the face.
After couple of hours the ashy note is less pronounced and other notes come out, but still not pleasant for my taste.
Definitely try before you buy.

Loved this one since it first touched my skin, when I first tested it back when it came out.

What a stunning fragrance this is!

I’ve always liked the original Interlude. But this one… this one just did it for me.

The way the orris butter and slight dry sweetness round the beautiful but sometimes rough and assertive resins, incense, oud, leather and the infamous oregano; just make this one perfect to my taste.

I truly can’t get my nose off this when I put it on.
Simply mesmerising

I have just finished sampling Interlude 53. I just don't get it. Obviously for people that want the most potent, ridiculously priced and most disagreeable fragrance they can find. Interlude Black Iris still burns the nostrils and stays close to you, not in a good way. I like some of the notes but they are hard to appreciate with the smoky notes burning your nose. I love most of Amouage fragrances but Interlude and Figment are not for me.