Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Magic Carpet Ride



When I started writing “Olfactarama” just about a year ago, I didn’t expect much. I thought I’d simply post to it a couple of times a month, maybe, and that it would have a readership of one -- me. And that would be it. But some people started reading it, and I posted to some forums. Others saw it, and, eventually, it became somewhat known in this small but jewel-like world of people who love fragrance as wearable art. So here I am, still at it, with a first anniversary, a hit-counter milestone to mark, and some like-minded new pals. Not bad for one year!

To celebrate, I got myself some samples of Amouage perfumes. Not to wear on the town, or to impress strangers or scent a crowded room, but for me to wear on long days alone. So I’m sampling the women’s versions of Gold, Lyric, Jubilation 25 and Ubar, and yeah, I’m delirious -- not too much to analyze, of course, not ever -- but I haven’t taken the plunge, and it’s because of, uh, well, you know, er...the money.

We don’t discuss price much in perfumeland, although the name “Amouage” is generally synonymous with “big honking cash outlay.” If you are, say, the wife of an oil baron, confined in so many ways, but with all the money in the world to spend, you might feel free to line your vanity table with big bottles of Amouage. The thing is, I’m not a sheik-ah, so; well, just “so.”

Nevertheless, it is such gorgeous stuff. If you are, say, a sultan, and you give a legendary perfumer like Guy Robert carte blanche on the budget, that perfumer would come up with the likes of “Gold,” and did. My impression? It screams luxury. With an aldehydic floral Paris accent. And no less an event than attending the Academy Awards would seem splendid enough for this scent, which is why I wore it to shop for onions today, and will again.

Life is short.

“Jubilation 25,” created by Lucas Sieuzac, smells a lot -- a whole lot -- like vintage Rochas "Femme." It’s got that unmistakable caramel musk, is called a “fruity chypre,” and is unabashedly seductive, but you know what? I already have Femme. And “Boudoir” (a sample anyway.) This, of course, is better quality; richer, smoother, deeper, but it’s not unique enough for me to make that long-term commitment.

“Ubar,” the new one, is a reformulation of the 1995 version. It's the only Amouage (so far) I can imagine wearing in summer. The original formula was credited to a group called “Creations Aromatiques” which also made the original Paloma Picasso’s “Mon Perfume.” (I couldn’t find out who did the reformulation.) This is my second-favorite of these four, with a springlike bergamot opening, a sharpish herbal-lemony mid and an animalic-floral-musk finish, and it goes on and on.

And then there is “Lyric.” The opening is like...whatever was really in those boxes that the three wise men brought to the infant Christ child. It couldn’t have been just frankincense and myrrh, right? It must have been something that smelled like this. It’s a late bloomer, too, ripening from the rich spices to an almost-fruity dark black rose, and then to the softness of vanilla and tonka. I haven’t tried them all yet, but for me, this is The One So Far. (The perfumer is Daniel Maurel, who hasn’t many other credits, yet.)

So, anyway, I hear that smaller bottles of these elixirs of the Gods are sometimes available, and decants of course; never far from my mind. It’s all about the want, with perfume. It’s an odd combination, this mixture of art and commerce. Before I started this blog, I’d never heard of Amouage, but, before long, I started picking up whispers here and there, about these Arabian-nights fragrances of royal Omani lineage, in crystal bottles, outrageously expensive. But not because they had to pay celebrities to shill them. Because they found the best ingredients in the world to make them.

Amouage: for me, the perfect accompaniment to onion shopping.




Photo composite by Olfacta. All rights reserved.

15 comments:

Rappleyea said...

Well, a great big HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! And many more - she write selfishly ;)

I've never smelled any of the Amouage's, and for the very same reason. I do NOT want to fall in love with something that expensive. But "vintage Femme"..... I could be in serious trouble!

I continue to enjoy your blog. Thank you!
Donna

Aparatchick said...

Congrats on the first year - I've enjoyed reading your blog!

I'm with Rappleyea regarding falling in love with something I really can't justify buying. Perfume is indeed about "want" rather than "need." It's good to be able to want what you can afford.

Femme .... what I have isn't vintage, but love it anyway.

Trish said...

Happy anniversary Bay-bay....got you on my....mind!

OK, just had to do that.

Why am I letting my sample of Jubilation sit in my sample drawer untested?? I must try it soon!

But Ubar...egads that was a mess on me. That sharp herbal lemony thing on you was urinal cake on me. Awful, and it went on and on....

waftbyCarol said...

Happy Annoversary Darling!
( clinks champagne flutes)
I will celebrate my one year July 11 !
Here's sniffin at you kid!

Divina said...

First of all happy birthday for the blog!! On Amouage: Have you tried the men's version of Jubilation as well? It is absolutely GODLY. As for a much cheaper way to indulge in Amouage, try their parfums d'ambience (room sprays for you and me :) ) which smell absolutely glorious and good enough to put on skin. mmmhhmm!

Olfacta said...

Hi R -- Thanks! I resisted the A's for a long time too. But I caved, finally...and have found to my delight that the smelling strips I prepared Tuesday morning are still going strong! (And these are EDP's, and even one EDT(the Gold) mind you.) Strong, with all their notes intact. How many modern scents would be? Not many, I'd bet.

Olfacta said...

Hi A -- Thanks to you, too. And I do think that the modern "Femme" is not all that different from the vintage -- I have a mini of that and a FB of Femme. The new is a bit more cumin-heavy. It's one of the better reformulations IMHO. So there's not so much need to pine after the vintage in this case.

Olfacta said...

Hi Trish -- Thanks! I think the Jubilation is the most seductive of all I've tried; use that info as you please
; )

Also I can see how the civet in Ubar would react badly on some skins. I really have to concentrate hard to single out that note in anything, but when I do, I say, "Oh, yeah. That." And Ubar is one of those you really don't want to be a scrubber, because you'll have to scrub and scrub and scrub and it'll still be there, as you know, it would appear!

Olfacta said...

Hi Carol -- Well happy upcoming anniversary to you, too! I'm partial to Tattinger, btw...; )

Thanks!

Olfacta said...

Hi Divina --

Be still my heart. ROOM SPRAY? Does there exist a palace so opulent that its rooms are scented with Amourage? I can imagine maybe the Alhambra...I will look for some in the Lyric scent for scenting myself, and possibly my entryway, at Christmas time. Thank you!

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