Amouage, the name for some reason, signifies quality and connects you to the Middle East in a way that no other brand can
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We are an international, luxury fragrance brand with long lasting and innovative fragrances that pay tribute to the art of fine perfume making. Our fragrances sing and tell a different story with creative integrity,” says David Crickmore, CEO of Amouage, aptly describing his brand.
Arresting and alluring, the various collections of Amouage are synonymous with a lifestyle sought by only the most discerning patrons. The brand appeals to sophisticated, confident and well-travelled consumers who are not afraid to stand out from the crowd by wearing something really special and innovative. It is for those who seek and appreciate superior quality.
Amouage fragrances have reflected the alchemistic heritage and the wonderful traditions of luxury perfume creation internationally, since the last 33 years. The brand is devoted to creating finely blended perfumes using only the highest quality and rarest ingredients sourced from around the world, bringing a true artistry to the perfumes. In recent years, Amouage has extended its product range to include Bath, Home and Leather Goods – all of which reflect innovation, attention to detail and luxury.
So what is it that makes Amouage perfumes different? Well, look no further than David Crickmore and Christopher Chong.
Led by its CEO, David Crickmore, Amouage adopts an inventive approach to all its creations. Along with Creative Director, Christopher Chong, they have together reinvented the brand to make it appeal to today’s international consumers.
Christopher always looks for the unusual or different in his creations, even if they fit into an established perfume genre. Florals are multi-faceted, especially in the base notes, spices and woods are used in curious juxtapositions and rare ingredients are often used in the heart and base notes for a diverse angle. The strength of the brand therefore lies in its creative integrity, since it makes its own trend, as opposed to merely following the flock.
Amouage perfumes are developed according to Christopher Chong’s inspirational brief and created by world-recognised perfumers in Paris, Grasse, Geneva and New York. The perfumers, with whom Chong chooses to work, have an intimate understanding of how to interpret his inspirational directions.
Amouage’s mainline fragrance portfolio comprises 36 fragrances. More recent launches are Beloved for both men and women, and the final creation that expresses the end of the first cycle of the Amouage narrative, Fate, again for both men and women.
The brand has also introduced a new stratum of creativity in the Library Collection, which comprises of eight fragrances, each one a numbered Opus. The Collection was formed to celebrate the unexpected and to express the mastery within perfume creation. As such, the fragrances are true oeuvres, or works of art.
“Perfumes are ethereal instruments that open our minds to remnants of an experience and there lies the magic,” says Chong. “All the fragrances in this Collection pay tribute to the artistry of fine perfume making and are inspired by the knowledge and experience drawn from the art of living,” he asserts.
Amouage’s fragrance collection also includes a Bath and Body Collection which features soaps, hand creams, shower gels, body creams and body lotions for men and for women and a Home Collection of candles and perfumes d’ambience.
An exclusive collection of Leather Goods has recently been added to the brand offer, with a number of designs from wallets to travel bags. These luxurious products are hand-crafted in Florence and feature the finest, top-grade calf and exotic skins available today.
With an aim to reach out to the discerning customer and provide specialised customer experience, Amouage is gradually rolling out a programme of stand-alone retail shops in key cities around the world. So far there are 18 stand-alone shops in prominent cities.
Here’s what Amouage has to offer from its wide range of fragrances.
GOLD
More than three decades since its debut, the original Amouage classic, ‘Gold’, continues to be an iconic and highly-acclaimed fragrance which reflects the wonderful heritage and tradition of perfumery. ‘Gold’ is artistically crafted using only the highest quality and rarest ingredients sourced from around the world, and is reminiscent of the great couture fragrances of the 1930s.
Both fragrances, Gold Woman and Gold Man, are housed in gold glass crystal bottles with a specular finish, paired with 24 carat gold-plated caps encrusted with a single white opal Swarovski jewel.
JUBILATION
In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, Amouage introduced two commemorative fragrances, Jubilation 25 for Woman and Jubilation XXV for Man. Amouage’s Creative Director, Christopher Chong worked with master perfumers in Grasse to create a timeless classic using only the finest ingredients. The desire was to create a pair of fragrances that harked back to the 1930s and 1940s, the era of ‘real’ perfume, a time when many great classic fragrances were created by the master noses of the day.
OPUS
Like any great tome of work or composition, each fragrance is named Opus followed by a Roman numeral. Slated to become modern classics, the Collection begins with an odyssey – each revealing the many facets of a discovery.
Opus I is a glorious and timeless chypre inspired by the start of an inquisitive journey for knowledge. The sophisticated fragrance is a mélange of vibrant citrus notes of Bigarade and succulent Plum with a fresh bouquet of florals in the heart note which is richly woven with an earthy accord of Papyrus, Guaiac Wood, Frankincense, Vetiver and creamy Tonka Bean in the base.
The majestic fragrance of Opus II captures the aura of a great library and is an opulent fougere which opens with mesmerizing Absinth and aromatic Lavender in the top notes with a spicy-floral heart of Rose, Jasmine and Cardamom, warmed by an irresistible woody base of Amber, Musk, Patchouli and Frankincense.
The research process from the darkest moment of frustration to the brightest moment of finding the truth is reflected in Opus III – an enchanting floral oriental fragrance where the radiant heart reveals Violet with woody accents of captivating White Musk, Ambrette Seed, Cedarwood, Sandalwood and sweet Vanilla in the base.
Opus IV opens with luminous and invigorating notes of Lemon, Mandarin and Grapefruit with a warm spicy mantle of Coriander Oil that awakens the senses. The heart is characterized by the sharp and exotic Elemi Oil, Cardamon and Cumin that pervades to a sweet blend of Rose Berries, Rose and vibrant Violet Leaves. This inventive fragrance finishes with woody and smoky undertones of Labdanum, Frankincense and Musk.
Opus V explores the transformative journey of conventional media of communication and knowledge through the coalescing power of the internet; navigating a world that has changed radically and forever. This floral and woody neoclassical masterpiece is arresting, paying tribute to haute parfumerie while still remaining germane to modern-day living. The raw and classical beauty of Orris and the seductive resonance of Agarwood strike a perfect balance that allows each to manifest symphonically in a trance-like aura while the juxtaposition of Rum and Rose in the top and heart notes expresses nuances, fragmented yet unremitting in an ingenious composition. The fragrance is rounded off with an opulent leathery and woody base.
The sixth volume in Amouage’s Library Collection, Opus VI studies the nature of memory and romantic love. Born of the age-old mastery of haute parfumerie, this enduring and emotionally resonant fragrance was inspired by the power of erasing, destroying and re-inventing unwanted and painful memories. Traditionally used as a healing agent in folk medicine, Amber narrates a story of a tragic love affair, where forgetfulness is one’s only comfort. The re-formulated Amber tone is perfected with the use of Periploca which conjures an almond-like undertone. Frankincense along with Sichuan Pepper add intensity. The base radiates with the opulent golden warmth of Ambranum, rounded off with legendary fragments of woody, leather and citrus notes.
Opus VII is a green, woody and leathery fragrance that arouses the juxtaposition of harmony with the intensity of reasoning between conflicting ideas and beliefs. This is seen in its fullest splendour with the help of the Galbanum and warm woods set against the violent reincarnation of the resin notes. The black bottle with specks of gold represents the two visions. The tome-shaped box is bound with black and gold crisscross lines, an allegory of the subjugation of the mind where thoughts are subverted and deconstructed.
Opus VIII, is an evocative exploration of the subconscious dialogue between illusion and reality. Crafted with the perfume connoisseur in mind, irrespective of age or gender, the woody, floral fragrance comprises of the finest ingredients sourced from around the world. Jasmine Sambac from India serenely fuses with Ylang Ylang from the Comoros and Orange Flower from Morocco to reveal a golden aura in the top notes. Saffron, Ginger and Incense smoke in the contradictory heart conjures an abstract and intriguing profundity. A surreal wave of luxury passes through the structure of the fragrance with the dark intensity of Benzoin, Balsam, Bay and Vetiver.
The white bottle with specks of gold represents the enlightening aura of the fragrance. The tome-shaped box is a black and white floral Toile de Jouy, with an indentation of the bottle creating a Trompe L’oeil illusion.
