MrLawman

“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.”

― André Gide

I find this quote to be appropriately fitting for Interlude Man by Amouage because of the complexity of this perfume. Some reviews highlight the oregano note, while others like to talk about the obscure use of churchy incense. Sometimes its a battle between the presence of the opopax vs. the labdanum and amber.

We are, in the end, provided with so much in depth analysis of each ingredient used in Interlude Man, that we might loose the broader picture out of sight, which in itself is difficult to grasp due to the complexity of this perfume.

While everything has been said already, we are invited to listen again because we, rightfully so, cant stop talking about this Negrin masterpiece.

Looking at descriptions of this perfume, I expected a heavy leather with loads of nuances due the extensive use of woody notes and powderyness. Imitation Man, however, to my nose leans more towards suede than a true leather.

Note breakdown-wise: suede-like leather first, powderyness sevond, woody and floral notes (violet) on a shared third spot. Its very appealing and alluring.

If you use true leather scents like Tuscan or Ombre leather as your go to black leather jacket perfume, Imitaton Man may very well be your daily driver. The violet tones the edges of the leather down (or better said: it turns the leather into a suede), which provides us a more mass appealing perfume. The rose, orris and myrrh do play a major role in achieving that goal.

Performance, sillage and projection: above average, typical Amouage fashion.

Price: okay, not too bad

Bottle worthy: I would say so, due to its complexity. Dare I say: grab it while you can cuz this one looks like a reformulation prone...

Bracken Man offers us a charming, traditional old school fougere: spicy, fresh, zesty and woody. Its clean, well composed, lineair (which isnt always a bad thing) and, in the end, an unique alternative for fougeres lovers.

For reference: imagine going for a walk in a forest, one hour after a rainstorm. Under those types of circumstances our olfactive senses are indulged with that dewy, damp, sharp, itching, woody yet refreshing smell that keeps lingering in the forest during your whole walk.

I would call it masculinity at its finest. How would you?

To be fair and transparant, I have to admit I had low expectations testing this one. I thought: who would ever call a perfume a beach hut? Other than some sailors and pirates, I figured Amouge, in the end, is the type of house to come out with such naming.

However, my low expectations led me to a pleasant surprise: this was actually really nice and pleasant! Lesson learned I guess...

It opens up fresh and green with galbanum, orange blossom and mint. The latter stays in the heart of the fragrance during its entire life span. Oakmoss, ivy and vetiver provide Beach Hut Man a aromatic base which lies underneath the mint. The back bone is formed by woody notes.

In a nutch shell, Beach Hut Man is a very minty, refreshing, green and slightly woody fragrance.

The name, in my opinion, doesn't reflect what you get. It isn't an acquatic perfume, nor refreshing with bright citrus notes like bargamot or lemon. Its a rather green beach with a field of grass nearby. I could call it foresty but not a typical humid forest, rather a dry one.

If you like to go to those kind of vacation destinations, I would highly recommend you giving this one a wear since perfume can take us on vacation while staying in our home sofa.

Back in May of 2019, when the world was in its natural habibat, I went to my local mall to try some new fragrances. I went to the Kilian section, to explore some more from that house (I already owned Black Phantom at that time).

The assisting lady asked me how I like my perfumes. I answered: ''big and sweet, just like my daily coffee''. We had a good laugh and afterwards she starting thinking which Kilian might fit my taste.

She took a good few minutes to come up with the question: ''May I offer you another brand?''. With huge feelings of repulsion, I answered: ''Of course u can!''. Let's admit: we all have been in those kind of situation where you nod in agreement, mainly out of politeness ;)

The lady took this weird looking, orange colored bottle off the shelve and asked if she could spray it on my skin. In full repulsion, I, again, answered: "Yea, sure". My plans to only test some Kilian on skins just for thrown out of the window.

She sprayed it on .... I was positively surprised.

Soul by CoSTOME NATIONAL was (and still is) so rich, dense and sweet that my repulsion converted into shame: how could I be so condescending towards the suggestion of the assisting lady? I learned my lesson: we live to explore and can only explore when our mind and attitude are open.

Regarding the smell: a complete masterpriece. I know, the word ''masterpiece'' gets thrown around like a hot potato but in the case of Soul, its indisputably fitting, in my opinion.

Warm, sensual and pure. A true art of quality, especially given the price tag.

Its a sexually seductive perfume, where ambergris combines with woody and ambery notes, to sweet, lustful and spicy effect. The vanilla creates a soft aromatic accord that soothes the fragrance but does not change its slightly oudy and ambergris nature.

For people who have a sweet tooth like me: highly recommend you to give this one a try.

For people who want to explore certain houses (like me regarding Kilian): be open minded towards others too. Only with sharp eyes, we can find hidden gems.