Amyris Homme Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2019 Extrait de Parfum

There's a meme going around that compares women's deodorant names to men's. The women's deodorants have descriptive names/scents like cherry, lavender, and cucumber, while the men's are just called "cool silver" or "phoenix," and not descriptive of the actual scent at all. It's a funny observation, and I think indicative of the fact that women want to smell like fruits, flowers, and sweets, while men just want to smell "clean." The reason for this, whether it's cultural, biological, or a result of marketing, is clearly outside the scope of a silly Parfumo review, but I think it's a fact in this day and age: so many men's fragrances just smell "soapy" or "shower-gel"-like without well-defined and distinct notes.

Amyris Homme Extrait de Parfum is one of these. It smells "clean." What specific note makes it smell clean? Is it the citrusy opening? Is it the "blue" shower-gel-like fresh notes? Is it the tonka/coumarin sweetness that has pervaded men's fragrance ever since its original appearance in Fougère Royale (1882) Parfum? Is it the light, airy ozonic notes that run through the entirety of the fragrance? I think all of these work together in harmony to create this feeling of freshness and cleanness. That's why men's fragrance doesn't usually get the simple "cherry" or "lavender" description. It's a bit more complex to create a "fresh" scent. This fragrance, though, does have a specific note in its name, although it's one that not many people have heard of. It is built around the woody note of amyris.

Amyris is an interesting oil. It is not quite as sought after as sandalwood and is sometimes used as a cheaper alternative. It is lighter and a little less creamy than its more expensive counterpart. So it's definitely a strange choice to build a fragrance/accord around. But I think Mr. Kurkdjian knew what he was doing. First of all, because of its relative affordability, I believe a large amount of real amyris oil was used here. If sandalwood was used this liberally, the price of this fragrance would probably be double or triple its already high price. Second, even though sandalwood has more depth and character, that is not what this fragrance needs. It is simply trying to impart a fresh/clean feeling - not make a loud, brash statement. Third, I think he is trying to showcase his creative/artistic muscle by choosing an "inferior" scent profile to base his scent around. Regardless of the reasoning, I believe the choice was a good one and a perfect profile to create a minimalist design around.

The composition is not complex. Really, it's pretty much one accord: amyris. The amyris tree is part of the citrus family - let's include orange to amp that up. It has a faintly sweet balsamic aroma in the drydown - let's add some vanilla and tonka bean to fortify that. But it's a masterpiece in its simplicity. I could see people smelling this and writing it off as just another "clean" scent that doesn't have a lot of depth. And it is that. But I think it's one of the best in its class.

So, Amyris EDT is awesome and smells really good. The same can be said about Extrait .. but then, why is MFK offering both?

The EDP and Extrait Silk Mood, Satin Mood, etc .. are not much different in longevity, let´s say the EDP is 8-9 hours and Extrait over 20 hours for me.

But the EDT and Extrait for Amyris are really so different, so this makes me wonder why is MFK actually offering both ?

The beautiful mediteranean vibe of the EDT is also here, with a huge sillage and longevity to make many modern perfumes jealous .. if you spray on clothes, it will be there for a long time!

The modern sweetness is simply stunning and it makes you sniff it again and again. When I had this on my arm the first time, it made such an impression on me.

The price is too high, like everything from LVMH: at 244€ for 70ml it makes this one more expensive than Ombre Nomade per ML (3.48€).

For a nice smelling freshie, this is outrageous and I see no point in looking at Retail for it, even with big discounts it will still be expensive so better try first before you buy.

This smells awesome, sweet, slightly leathery, powdery, with some citrus touch at the very opening. Lemon peel, powdery light iris, sweetness from vanilla and tonka, mixed with the suade accord, which i presume comes from saffron. Totally unisex leaning masculine, it has old money vibe to it. Possibly the least syntetic fragrance from the house.

However, this all comes with the cost of performance. Lasts around 6 hours on my skin with barely any projection, pretty much sure that this is the weakeest extrait de parfum concentration i have ever tried in my life. Might be perfectly worn as signature scent and it can be worn 4 season i believe. Unfortunately, due to its bad performance, i got rid of my bottle.

I like many creation of MFK because I cherish the wise balance among different scent notes. The main criticism is that they are not so peculiar and so "nichy" as expected and their big price is not justified.
I fell in love with Amyris (the EDT version) as soon as I sprayed it for the first time. I can't do withouth smelling my wrist continuously. But I got a discordant note something metallic and wrong. I was about to give it up and to tell myself that Amyris was not a perfume for me, then I tried the extract version and that magic balance came out!
In this fragrance vanilla, tonka and the amyris dance together without go sweet (incredible to say!). No ones overcomes the others and the powdery of the iris gives a touch of freshness that make this perfume wearable in every situation.
Maybe there will be some other designer fragrances like this one (maybe) but I still like this for the magic work made and the long lasting scent.
This is not a loud scent, it is a classy signature.

The extrait is amazing and exudes quality. Iris is the strongest note upon application. Some people say Amyris Homme smells designer-y but that’s because soapy clean iris is super popular in designer fragrances.

The iris here smells punchier than typically found in designers. It stings your nostrils when you spray it, but in a tantalizing way. The creamy vanilla keeps it in check. Over the hours, the iris fades away and the gentle woody amyris starts to take over. Something about this trio of notes just works.

Like many of my fragrance loves, this did not impress me at first wearing. However, I kept wanting to smell it again and again. Great for daily wear.