Karenin

To be perfectly honest, I’m yet to encounter a dull fragrance in Amouage’s rich collection. Without any hesitation, I’d describe a vast majority of them as (pleasantly) quirky. The Library Collection has been created with the intention of opening new possibilities for the brand and pushing the envelope again a tad bit further. Up to now I’ve sampled Opuses I to VIII and I can safely say all of them share the Amouage DNA.

The head of Opus I is dominated by spices and fruit. It’s an interesting introduction that makes one wonder which direction the fragrance is going to head down next. This becomes apparent in its deliciously floral heart: jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, tuberose, you name it. Given the notes, it’s not surprising this stage leans more on the feminine side, which might make some gentlemen feel a little uncomfortable. It shouldn’t because Opus I returns to the unisex path in its base. True, the floral bouquet never quite evaporates but it now occupies the background while the centre stage belongs to woody notes, frankincense and papyrus, creating a curious library-like aroma. Opus I is also a true Amouage fragrance in terms of sillage (with a rather intense head and heart yet a pleasantly soft drydown) and longevity (this is easily an all-day-long scent).

My verdict: Opus I is fantastic! I adore it primarily for two reasons: firstly, its oscillation between a unisex and feminine character (eventually settling for the former); secondly, its smooth and incredibly comfy base. Thank you, Christopher Chong, for begetting such an exceptional scent!

I just can’t help giggling when a mainstream fragrance company expands its portfolio by launching a supposedly exclusive range of scents. What many of these brands don’t seem to get is that producing true niche fragrances is not so much about expensive materials, fancy flacons, ludicrous backstories or exorbitant price tags. Masterful blending, willingness to push the envelope and, above all, a competent creative direction also play a vital role in the process.

The Italian company “Ermenegildo Zegna” has been around for about a hundred years, producing chic men’s clothes and accessories. As for their fragrances, I vaguely remember smelling one of their mainstream concoctions- a totally clichéd mix aimed at gentlemen for whom spritzing on their “cologne” is nothing more than a mundane morning routine whose sole purpose is to cover up all traces of body odour. So when I learnt Zegna had introduced their exclusive “Essenze” collection, I first produced the aforementioned giggle and rolled my eyes. Here we go again! But after reading a couple of favourable reviews, I was curious to try them for myself to see if the praise was justified. So far I’ve sampled five Essenze scents and I can conclude that what these fragrances lack in the originality department is generously made up for in terms of quality, consistency and, yes, competent creative direction.

It is my firm belief that when it comes to summer scents, there is hardly anything more uplifting and satisfying than a well-made, citrus-based eau de cologne. Nonetheless, there’s a downside and a quite a substantial one at that- the fleeting nature of its notes that makes the pleasure extremely short-lived. “Sicilian Mandarin” is Zegna’s attempt at composing a cologne-style fragrance. The result? An impressive one indeed! It opens with a burst of mandarin which is zesty rather than sweet and truly natural smelling. The mandarin is backed up by bergamot (also a natural note, reportedly from Zegna’s very own Calabrian orchard). On my skin, during the first fifteen minutes the mandarin and the bergamot play a tug of war in which the latter note eventually prevails. The citruses eventually land on a gentle mossy base. For a citrus-centred fragrance, "Sicilian Mandarin" has a decent longevity, but (not surprisingly) a reapplication will be necessary every three or four hours.

“Sicilian Mandarin”, just like its siblings from the Essenze family, doesn’t beat about the bush when it comes to its composition. It also lacks profound complexity, which is not necessarily a problem provided that things are done with care and dedication. All in all, “Sicilian Mandarin” is a very solid and pleasant scent that successfully captures the essence of summer. Ben fatto!

Amouage’s Library Collection is an excellent opportunity to discover a more experimental line of this reputable company. Although it does represent a certain digression from its classic line with its typical references to Middle Eastern traditions in perfumery (while producing resolutely modern fragrances), Amouage’s principal philosophy, which places great emphasis on the quality of materials (both raw and synthetic) as well as their masterful blending, is undeniably present in the line.

Opus IV is a spicy fragrance from top to bottom. Its head is dominated by the tangy smell of coriander, which is soon coupled with cardamom. After their brief tête-à-tête, another major player enters the game- cumin. I’ve come to appreciate cumin in perfumes, but I’ve also experienced that it can turn very naughty if not handled properly. Even though Opus IV’s cumin is far from delicate and therefore I’d advise all avowed cuminophobes to stay away from this perfume, I find the way it’s been treated and blended into its structure nothing short of remarkable. I believe it is thanks to the inclusion of cumin that the scent gradually adopts a sweetish (but never overly sweet!) character.

To be honest, there isn’t an awful lot of development in Opus IV. However, the resulting composition is so well put together that there is no need for any dramas here. Sometimes class and elegance can be expressed in just a couple of words or, in this case, notes. Deceptively simple yet brilliant work.

As Gold Man, the first fragrance I’d sampled from the Omani house of Amouage, had set the standard sky-high, I approached the next one, Dia Man, with a fair bit of expectation and a tad bit of trepidation. Would Amouage be capable of creating a follow-up fragrance worthy of their stunning original? To be honest, I strongly wished they would.

Dia Man is classified as a spicy-floral-woody scent. Its top features soft spices with a drop of citrus, whose appearance, however refreshing, is only brief. The dominance of the spicy notes lasts until the floral heart of the fragrance opens up. I’d like to point out that the flowers in Dia Man never become as pronounced as those in Gold Man and, therefore, Dia Man may seem more appealing to men than its precursor. In fact, I see the role of the floral notes in Dia Man as that of a bridge between the spicy opening and the woody drydown. The level of blending in this perfume is once again incredible! It’s a truly beautiful chorus of olfactory notes: none is allowed to steal the show, yet each plays its crucial role in the overall effect. Get rid of any one of them and you’ll spoil the whole composition beyond repair.

To this nose, Dia Man is as smooth as silk. Even though its projection is moderate, the same cannot be said about its longevity. Once you spray it on, it embraces you gently and you can do nothing but succumb to its charm. Undoubtedly, one of the best Amouages around!

The Omani perfume company Amouage had been on my radar for quite some time before I managed to pluck up enough courage to order a batch of samples of some of their fragrances. Having tested about a dozen of them, I can now see that ignoring this firm for so long was an act of utter foolishness. I must admit most of them are right up my alley: memorable, statement-making scents, composed of only top-notch ingredients. The first one I’m going to review is Amouage’s ur-masculine perfume, Gold Man.

From the very first spray, Gold Man took me by surprise- and a very pleasant one at that. It opens with a burst of floral notes, the most detectable one of which to my nose is lily-of-the-valley. Nevertheless, the fragrance remains floral only for a minute or so on my skin until soapy notes emerge. I remember that when sampling Gold Man for the first time, I had to check I was not actually testing its female counterpart since such a straightforward floral-soapy accord can rarely be found in masculine scents. It quite literally made my heart beat a tad faster! The soap-and-flower accord usually lingers on my skin for about half an hour. After that, it undergoes a gradual transformation with the arrival of musk and civet, thanks to which the fragrance adopts a more animalic character in the base. Yet the soapy notes never totally yield to the musk and civet, and thus prevent the scent from becoming too animalic.

I just couldn’t help falling in love with Amouage’s Gold Man! There are so many things about it that make my nose and heart rejoice whenever I put it on: its genderbending composition, superb blending of its notes as well as its effortless elegance. Despite not being a scent for all occasions, if the right one comes along, take my word for it: wear it, but be prepared to leave a few broken hearts in your wake. Exquisite!