Yesterday, I visited Niche Essence in Toronto, one of Canada’s finest purveyors of niche fragrances, to try several recent Amouage releases. All were created under the guidance of current Creative Director Renaud Salmon, and I wanted to see how the design language had changed from that of former Creative Director Christopher Chong. I wanted to smell the “New Amouage” design aesthetic, so I tried Lineage, Purpose 50, Decision and Search (I had already tried Guidance and the original Purpose a few weeks earlier at Maximum Fragrance in Mississauga).
Here are my first impressions:
𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐞
I was expecting this to be very aquatic, since I’ve heard many people say it reminds them of the sea. It wasn’t aquatic at all to my nose. Instead, I got a captivating spiciness that quickly gave way to beautiful frankincense and saltiness. The saltiness reminded me more of visiting a salt mine deep within a mountain in Pakistan than anything aquatic—it’s interesting how our memories can transport us to such different places. There was a serenity about Lineage; I could easily see myself wearing this while relaxing or in deep thought. I’ve also heard people describe this one as spiritual, as though they were in a church by the sea. I didn’t get that impression, but maybe with future wearings I’ll come around.
Would I buy a full bottle? It’s too early to say, but I think I might down the road. I’m actually very surprised Lineage doesn’t get more attention. Maybe, just maybe, it’s overlooked because it was released at the same time as Guidance, which has been a monster seller. So far, it’s my favourite Amouage fragrance from the Renaud Salmon era.
𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝟓𝟎
This is definitely a smoother take than the original Purpose. Normally, I don’t like Quentin Bisch’s work, not only for Amouage but for other houses as well. There’s only so much akigalawood I can take; I find that many of his fragrances end up smelling similar in the drydown because he almost always uses that ingredient to achieve similar ends, and it’s not a similarity that excites me. That said, I have to admit that Purpose 50 is quite interesting. It opened in a way that reminded me of a Chong-era release: complex, high-quality, rich, and evocative. The pink pepper in particular stood out to me.
Would I buy a full bottle? This one is getting so much hype right now, but I think I will have to pass, at least for now. I can’t find it for less than $750, which is frankly very overpriced. Even $500 would be a lot. Yes, I know that as an extrait the perfume oil concentration is sky-high (50%, hence the name), but for that same price I could buy many other fragrances I’d rather own. Don’t get me wrong, Purpose 50 is excellent, but I wasn’t so enamoured with it that I’d justify buying a bottle, especially at such an eye-watering price point. Maybe that will change over time; I need to try it again.
𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
As much as I found this a pleasant scent, Decision (another Quentin Bische fragrance) is not a must own. The bottle might be the most beautiful one Amouage has put out to date. It’s an opaque off-white with a slight yellow tint that almost looks like marble. If you’ve ever seen high-quality frankincense resin, you’ll know what I mean, it’s kind of like that. Pictures don’t do the bottle justice—trust me when I say it looks extremely high-end and luxurious—so I was expecting great things.
Unfortunately, Decision wasn’t what I expected. What I got was a very mild citrus and frankincense combination that sat very close to the skin. This isn’t a monster projector by any means, which can be a good thing in certain settings like office wear. In the case of Decision, however, the fragrance felt flat and linear. It didn’t evolve over time as I demand from an Amouage fragrance and it certainly didn’t take me anywhere either. At this price point, it needs not only to smell drop-dead gorgeous, but also to project better and last longer.
I did enjoy wearing Amouage Decision, but would I buy it? No, and I wouldn’t recommend you do either unless you’re intent on owning every Amouage in your collection or if you’re enamoured with it and get a unicorn deal under $250 CAD.
𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡
This is the most daring fragrance of the bunch, and one that gives me hope for Amouage’s future. It’s basically Amouge saying, “we’re not going to step down to anyone’s level, they need to step up to 𝘶𝘴.” Imagine a rich lemon note colliding with the smell of burning wood. It’s not just incense, it literally smells like a pile of lumber on fire. This fragrance also blasted off my skin; I wouldn’t recommend more than two sprays.
The extreme contrast between the lemon and the burning wood means Search is definitely not blind-buy safe, it’s extremely challenging. At one point, my car smelled like I had a bonfire going in the passenger seat once the citrus began to fade.
I also find it very masculine. Ladies, you can absolutely wear Search—or any fragrance you want—but don’t say I didn’t warn you. This is not a gender-inclusive Amouage in the way so many other releases from the house are. Far from it. I’m dead certain people will either hate Search or fall head over heels in love with it. Personally, I appreciate the artistry behind it, and to me it unquestionably qualifies as a niche release rather than a mass pleaser. It feels designed to be savoured, taking the wearer on a wild, uncompromising journey. I could not stop smelling my hand where I had sprayed it, especially once the burning wood accord took over.
Would I buy this one? I’m not sure just yet because I don’t like to rush into releases, but I don’t see why not, especially once it hits discounters. It’s original, unusual and absolutely worthy of at least a sniff, if only because Amouage Search shows the brand hasn’t forgotten its roots as a niche house capable of daring releases that stand with the best of them.
What are your thoughts? Have you tried any post-Chong Amouage fragrances? How do you think they fit into the house’s canon of releases? Let me know in the comments!
