I recently attended the Bergdorf Goodman launch of Amouage’s newest releases- Memoir Woman and Man.

 

Part of the pleasure was meeting Christopher Chong, Creative Director.

He is a delightfully urbane, suave gent who has done way too much globetrotting of late.

[The mind reels just contemplating it all!]

 

 

Gracious and charming, he was very enthusiastic about his newest fragrant collaborations.

 

[He was supported by Marlena Egan, the ne plus ultra of sales associates.

Knowledgeable, soft-spoken, and sincere, Marlena was an absolute [sic] joy .]

 

I have sniffed and re-sniffed both scents; in truth, the women’s holds me in deeper thrall.

So that is today’s subject of scrutiny.

 

 

Memoir Woman is an opulent creature.

 

 

She is so lavish in texture and weight, like the richest patisserie- that one might require a digestif after experiencing her abundance.

 

[I didn’t need one- but I’m an olfactory glutton.]

 

You needn’t fret about The Green Faery- the absinthe top note greets you immediately after spritzing., then flees, leaving you in a whirlwind of  peppery spice, blossoms, resins, and incense.

 

 

 

You are too intoxicated to think clearly

 

First, there is light.

Absinthe, mandarin, wormwood feel so fresh, herbal/ green/ zesty – it lasts but a moment.

Then, the rich mossy, leathery darkness, highly seasoned with clove, pink pepper, black pepper, cardamom .

Beds of labdanum, oakmoss, musk, styrax.

Somewhere in this synthesis, a dervish spiral – profusion of white petals, jasmine, roses engages your senses.

It is dizzying, and weaves in and out, expertly, throughout the entire development of the fragrance.

 

 

 

I truly enjoyed this heady perfume created by Dorothee Piot [of Symrise] and Daniel Maurel.

It is definitely one that may take several tries in order to appreciate its many virtues.

 

Memoir Woman is no crowd-pleaser; this is serious jus.

If wispy and diaphanous is your preference, this will not be to your taste.

If, however, you crave the baroque richness of a magnificently intricate tapestry-

Then Memoir Woman will fill the bill beautifully.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credits:

 

Memoir – basenotes.com

Unicorn tapestry-uic.edu

Christopher Chong-sniffapaloozamagazine.com

Rubens’ Samson and Delila -4urart.blogspot.com

Fee Verte poster-hauntedvampire.com

Whirling dervishes-turkeyforyou.com

Unicorn and hunting scene tapestry-victorian.fortunecity.com

 

–Ida Meister, Senior Editor