The Amouage line was launched in the early 1980s by the Sultan of Oman, who wanted to revive the traditional art of Arabian perfumery based on frankincense and myrrh. French nose Guy Robert was called upon to create their first fragrance, Amouage, now known as Amouage Gold. Today I am testing the men’s version, Gold Pour Homme. It is said to contain 140 ingredients; the notes are listed on the Amouage website as rock rose, lily of the valley, silver frankincense, myrrh, orris, jasmine, ambergris, civet, cedar, sandalwood, musk, patchouli, and oakmoss.
Amouage bills itself as "the most valuable perfume in the world", and Guy Robert was reportedly told to spare no expense:
"In my kind of work," says Robert, "you always have a dream of creating the perfume, the one in which you are given free rein to use all the essences of your experience, your thought and imagination, no matter how expensive." (via saudiaramcoworld)
It is perhaps no surprise that Robert considers Amouage his "crowning glory", and in fact, the emphasis on quality raw materials shows in the result.
The top notes smell like citrus and incense, slightly reminiscent of Etro Shaal Nur but much deeper and richer. As the citrus fades, it gets sweeter and a bit fruitier. There are said to be a number of florals other than those listed in the notes, including rose and tuberose, but the jasmine is the predominant floral note, and it is a lovely, true jasmine. The far dry down is deep incense over a woody animalic base.
This is a dense, heavy perfume, and not something that I would wear on a regular basis — which is just as well as I could not afford to anyway. But it is simply beautifully crafted, and I do pull my sample out from time to time just to wear a small drop. It is a nice reminder of what luxury smells like.
The lasting power is excellent. The women's version of Gold is said to be similar, but with less patchouli and oakmoss. If you have tried it, please comment, but I do not find the men's version to be particularly masculine in any case.
For buying information, see the listing for Amouage under Perfume Houses.
Tomorrow: Amouage Ubar