The Odyssey Collection

Purpose Amouage 2023

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7.8 / 10 307 Ratings

A popular perfume by Amouage for women and men, released in 2023. The scent is spicy-woody. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is being marketed by Sabco Group / Oman Perfumery.

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Main accords

Spicy

Woody

Smoky

Resinous

Green

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Frankincense

Bergamot

Pimento

Pink pepper

Heart Notes

Vetiver

Papyrus

Rose

Sandalwood

Base Notes

Akigalawood®

Mystikal®

Saffron

Suede

Perfumer

Quentin Bisch

Ratings

Scent

7.8307 Ratings

Longevity

8.7265 Ratings

Sillage

8.3265 Ratings

Bottle

8.6251 Ratings

Value for money

6.4204 Ratings

Submitted by NicheOnly, last update on 07/30/2025.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the "The Odyssey Collection" collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Purpose 50

Decision

Sancti

Reliqvia

Experimentum Crucis

Bois Impérial Eau de Parfum

Reviews

19 in-depth fragrance descriptions

09/17/2023

5
Pricing 8
Bottle 8
Sillage 10
Longevity 8
Scent

Porfiria
32 Reviews

Porfiria

Very helpful Review 6

Beautiful silence of nowhere

Purpose is a perfume that needs time but which gives deep emotions, the notes all emerge. There is nothing confusing, there is nothing that dominates. They all perfectly follow the cycle designed by the creator's nose. And this is a rarity.
It opens with an impactful bergamot, made sparkling by the almost fresh black pepper.
Then comes the incense, an austere, almost meditative incense, the image it evokes is a dark monastery and the coldness of the ancient stone that you almost touch. Little by little it begins to soften, thanks to the vetiver and tobacco and then the magic: in the drydown it becomes a masterpiece of soft incense, perhaps also thanks to the suede. A caress on the skin. If I had to define it I would say that Purpose is an enveloping, clear, firm caress.

01/13/2024

6
Pricing 8
Sillage 9
Longevity 8.5
Scent

Omnipotato
276 Reviews

Omnipotato

Helpful Review 5

A lone frankincense tree in the desert

Purpose is dry. Desiccated. It is earthy, but not like rich loamy soil, rather like the dusty, desolate rocks and sand of a desert.

But there is life! Somehow, even in this inhospitable environment, the frankincense tree springs forth. This is what Quentin Bisch was inspired by, according to an interview he did with Amouage: a lone frankincense tree in the Omani desert.

Purpose starts with a peppery opening that blends well with the frankincense that is detected soon afterwards. One would expect a bit of smokiness and sweetness in the base to complete the "church incense" accord, but this is not incense being burned in a censer. This is frankincense in its natural environment.

I see the papyrus, vetiver, and synthetic notes (listed as Akigalawood and Mystikal) as one "dry" accord. Mr. Bisch paints the picture of the desert with these notes; some woody naturals playing with specialty notes that give a unique effect. The Akigalawood note is similar to the same note in Ganymede Eau de Parfum, which has become almost a signature for the perfumer, also appearing in other creations of his such as "Bois Impérial | Essential Parfums" and Kenzo Homme (2022) Eau de Parfum. Here, however, it is very much a supporting note and only a small part of the overall composition.

My only complaint is the drydown, which could have been a bit more interesting. The suede base note is kind of a letdown after the masterful composition above it.

Ultimately, this is quite a unique dry fragrance that takes the desert literally rather than more "romantic" interpretations like № 02 - L'Air du Désert Marocain Eau de Toilette Intense. And of course the main star, that precious liquid that flows from the trees that beat the odds and survive the bleak, sun-baked earth of the Omani desert.

12/21/2024

7
Pricing 9
Sillage 9
Longevity 9
Scent

Smirky
450 Reviews

Smirky

5

Spicy resinous wood

Wow, very impressed with Purpose. Starts out as spicy and woody and sorta transitions into a resinous woody fragrance. Very unique smell. The overall impression is sharp, not smooth. No stink from the oud. It's good from the get go. Very masculine and versatile, although it leans more formal/special occasion I'd say.

Performance is very good as expected from Amouage. Got a good 11 hours out of it with pretty strong projection for about 3 hours. It would be a buy for me, but now with Purpose 50 being rolled out next year, I'm going to wait until I can sample that and compare the two.

Update (3/30/2025): Tested Purpose 50 and was very disappointed. (See my review at the Purpose 50 page.) Purpose is now on my shopping list. Another great Amouage.

05/17/2023

6
Pricing 7
Bottle 7
Sillage 7
Longevity 7
Scent

Landshark321
708 Reviews

Landshark321

Helpful Review 3

Curiously spicy and evocative mix

Amouage Purpose is one of the Oman house’s recent releases in 2023, which I’d smelled in passing previously but smelled a bit more this past Saturday at Perfumology, along with some other recent release. It’s a curiously bright, spicy, resinous, a bit earthy, understated blend. It’s multifaceted in terms of the note breakdown, with some standouts for me being pink pepper, frankincense, saffron, akigala wood It gives me a bit of environmental déjà vu, like being in an art class with lots of interesting raw materials. I find it fairly easily likable while being nuanced and a bit idiosyncratic, qualities that usually do not go hand-in-hand, so I’d certainly recommend that others check it out if that haven’t yet, along with the other recent releases—Search, Meander, and Enclave—all pleasant in their own ways.

Purpose is priced at $360 for 100ml and is sold through various retail means including great boutiques like Perfumology, so it’s on the pricier side, but is one of the more interesting releases from Amouage that I’ve tried in the past few years, at least for me.

7 out of 10

01/25/2023

8
Pricing 8
Bottle 9
Sillage 9
Longevity 6.5
Scent

Williescents
5 Reviews

Williescents

Helpful Review 3

The Essence of Sacred Place

This is a vivid reminiscent of the sacred place; incense is burning, old wooden chairs with leather covering and dimp lighting. It’s Frankincense focused with the herbal, and dry earthy nuances. It is that damp coldness, slightly metallic vibes with the warmth of burning incense like the sensation from overdose of Akigalawood. Purpose is like a more posh, well mannered and better looking brother of celestial vibes serving Ganymede. Luckily, Purpose doesn’t go weird on my skin, G does.

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