NEW FRAGRANCE REVIEW Amouage Interlude Man and Woman: Perfume 500 Levels + Draw

When you go to American colleges the 500 level classes are for graduate students. They indicate the subject matter is suitable for those with an extreme interest in the subject matter. Every once in a while I feel like I am experiencing Perfume 500 courses when a perfumer has created a fragrance which can be admired on a superficial level but if one takes the effort to delve into it there is much more to see than just the surface. There are a handful of perfume houses which seem to aspire to making perfume of this kind and Amouage is one of them. The Creative Director, Christopher Chong, clearly wants the fragrances which carry the Amouage name to be something special and something the most advanced perfumista can enjoy. The latest releases from Amouage, Interlude Man and Interlude Woman, are these special kinds of perfumes I am describing.

Interlude Man is signed by perfumer Pierre Negrin. M. Negrin, on the surface, has made an oud, incense, and sandalwood fragrance. I know some of you are already thinking isn’t every Amouage made up of oud, incense, and sandalwood? The answer is no but some of their most memorable fragrances are made up of that trinity, which is why it might seem that way. Interlude Man is so much more than those three notes. As you let it develop on your skin it takes you on a trip deep into the caravansary as it camps for the night at an oasis.

Interlude Man opens with a unique accord made up of pimento berry, oregano, and bergamot. The pimento berry adds a bit of askew sweet to the herbal quality of the oregano. From there the resins come marching in as frankincense, myrrh, amber, and cistus take over the fragrance. What is so nice is the transparent transition as bergamot turns to cistus, oregano turns to amber, and pimento becomes myrrh all surrounded in a swirl of frankincense. These kinds of transitions are what make perfume special as it shows real development and how M. Negrin understands the interstitial spaces between his ingredients. The base repeats this kind of metamorphosis as the frankincense turns to a smoldering oud smoke, amber goes to patchouli, myrrh to leather, and cistus to sandalwood. As simply as I lay out these relationships Interlude Man is more than the simple geometry of Point A to Point B; it is the calculation which turns it from a straight line into something more beautifully circuitous.

Interlude Woman is a work of incredible intricacy by perfumer Karin Vinchon Spehner. Interlude Woman is the culmination of a path Mme Vinchon Spehner started when she created L’Artisan Parfumeur Coeur de Vetiver Sacre. Mme Vinchon Spehner showed with that particular fragrance she was a magician when it came to using contrasting vectors of notes to coax a new understanding from something previously well understood. Interlude Woman is described by the Amouage press release as a floral chypre but it really is much more an exotic gourmand on my skin. From sweet sticky beginnings you lick your olfactory fingers over a loaded censer before picking up a cup of strong coffee to sip with a bit of vanilla. Interlude Woman lets these orthogonal lines lay down a lattice that creates a fantastic fragrant fabric.

The finger licking good opening of Interlude Woman is made up of a brilliant bergamot joined with a honey drizzled slice of kiwi. The bergamot slices across the honey while the kiwi adds a juicy fruity quality. This is an opening which draws you close with its unusual sweetness. Then a very restrained frankincense first appears and it is joined by a slightly medicinal oud, a bit of rose, and finally a rich black coffee accord. Mme Vinchon Spehner is not so interested in smooth transitions and instead treats the wearer of Interlude Woman to quick pivots. The frankincense which starts off gentle becomes much sharper and as that sharpness washes away the sweetness of the top notes it carries in the oud and coffee to further distance itself from the opening. Only the touch of rose adds any sweet to the middle movement. Then the trick is played in reverse as now sandalwood, vanilla, and amber work to bring the sweet back into ascendancy. The vanilla does most of the heavy lifting but a particularly sweet amber along with the sandalwood make sure sweet makes it back on top in the end. If it sounds like this is a circular trip you would be missing the fun, Interlude Woman takes you on a memorable journey that takes you far from where you started.

Interlude Man and interlude Woman have overnight longevity and above average sillage.

Interlude Man and interlude Woman make the third and fourth outstanding releases from Amouage for 2012. I expect all four of them to be contenders for my best of 2012 list but Interlude Woman is going to be vying for perfume of the year. I’m going to have plenty of opportunities to re-assess that opinion but I expect both of these Perfume 500 level fragrances still have some lessons for me to learn before class is dismissed for good.   

Disclosure: This review was based on samples provided by Amouage.

Thanks to the generosity of Amouage we have a sample set of both Interlude Man and Interlude Woman to giveaway to one winner. To be eligible leave a comment on the Amouage fragrance you most want to own. We will draw one winner on July 18, 2012 via random.org.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

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85 comments

  • Just one??? There are a handful of Amouage perfumes that I’m dying to own, and this article perfectly captured why. The line is what other luxe ranges aspire to be but seldom achieve. If I was forced to choose only one Amouage it would be Memoir.

  • Farawayspices says:

    I would most love to own intlerlude Woman. It sounds like a breathtaking journey!

  • Waiting with anticipation to try Interlude man,recently I’ve been obsessed with Amouage frags.Reading this article doesn’t help me in my situation,lights my desire even more and I have no patience to try Interlude Man.
    The only bottle from Amouage I have is Epic man.It’s REALLY special to me and I already have the one Amouage fragrance that I want the most.I love a lot of their creations and I’m thinking about another or another two bottles from their line.I love Opus V,Memoir man,Jubilation XXV,it will be difficult choice.
    I also would love to try their attar line I have only tested Salamah,but I believe I would like Tribute much more.

  • What a tantalizing review …my dream Amouage has always been tribute attar but now it is Interlude Woman .Please make my dream come true

  • I own Jubilation 25, samples of Jubilation XXV and Lyric Woman, but I’m very intrigued by Interlude Woman–that might be the one that I would like to own next!

  • I would love to own Homage, and I can’t wait to try these two at some point. Thanks for the draw!

  • I would love to own the Amouage Al Shomoukh Silver Oudh, Vetiver, Musk Abyadh, Rose Taifi and Davana. It sounds wonderful. Thank you for the fun draw 🙂

  • Cheesegan says:

    I would very much like to own Homage. I have a sample of it and it is perfect.
    Thanks for the beautiful review.

  • Borko Boris says:

    I have tried a few and the most appealing to my nose is Jubilation XXV. Very classy and refined. A true masterpiece.

    Thanks

  • The answer is simple: I want all of them!! They are all so special!! Interlude woman sounds so lovely I would love to try it! Thank you for the draw and the lovely review!

  • I want all of them, especially the Opus scents! It’s so hard to choose just one. Interlude Woman sounds amazing. 🙂

  • Paul Bunch says:

    I guess “sample set” doesn’t cut it? So, I would like to try this new “500 level” Interlude Man, and hope that I can make the grade!

  • I love Epic Woman, but I already have my own preciousssss bottle,
    I am sure I would love the attars.
    And I covet both the Interludes, one for me and one for my husband.

    Great draw, thank you!

  • I would love to own this one…Interlude Woman in that gorgeous blue bottle. Or Homage Attar. Or any Amouage for that matter. 🙂 The line is stunning.

  • I own, and love, Tribute attar (it’s so addictive that I think I can use it every day of the year 🙂
    I’d like to try Homage, Opus VI and the new Interlude man (it sounds very interesting).

  • I own, and love, Tribute attar (it’s so addictive that I think I can use it every day of the year 🙂
    I’d like to own also Homage…

  • There are several I would lik to own, number one is Epic followed by Opus III and Memoir Woman.

  • I obviously am fevering to own Interlude Man. That surprising accord of pimento berry, oregano and bergamot sounds incredibly enticing, more so if they perform a double transformation during the drydown! A true oriental among orientals, with a little perverse twist, and I am eager to try it 🙂

  • If I could own a full bottle of Jubilation XXV I suspect I wouldn’t look for any other perfume EVER

  • Amouage Silver, Opus VI, Epic man, Memoir man…so much wonderful perfume in the Amouage line!

    Thank you for the draw

  • Laurentiu says:

    Dia Man. Perfection in a bottle. It would be my signature scent if it were not so fleeting.

    Thanks for the draw!

  • I would most love to own Intlerlude Woman. This sounds fantastic! Beautiful descriptions, thank you.

  • I would love Davana.
    Loved the reviews. I can’t wait to try them.

    Thank you for the draw!

  • Interlude Woman, I would love to own this. Sounds divine and that bottle, is gorgeous! Just gorgeous!:D.

  • Lyric Man has been an instant favourite of mine even though Ubar is pure beauty..
    Thank you for the draw…

  • Janet in California says:

    Gorgeous review. Tribute attar is my current favorite but I would love to try them all. And be rich enough to afford them all!

  • Memoir Woman! The review makes these sound wonderful and I would like to sample them.

  • Amouage is one of those perfume houses where all of their creations have a distinct place in a perfume lovers collection and have a certain desirability factor..Interlude woman and man seem to be of the same pedigree of its predecessors…Gold woman for its classic status was never on my to buy list but to own a bottle of it would be great!

  • d3m0lici0n says:

    The Amouage that I want the most is Tribute but I’d love to try these two new ones. Thanks for another cool draw.

  • TimeaZsofia says:

    If I had so many money I can able to buy one Amouage perfume, it would be Epic Woman.
    Thank you for the draw!

  • As a fan of the classic approach I think the Amouage I’d most like to own is Gold, or the new Beloved. However I’m also intrigued by an interesting journey and would love to sample the Interlude couple.

    Thanks for the draw opportunity.

  • My beloved bottle of Memoir woman has long since been spent, so I’d love to own it again.
    But all of their fragrances are so amazingly beautiful, though.

  • I would most like to own Opus III from the Library collection. Thank you for the draw- after reading this I would love to try both of these new fragrances- you make them sound marvelous!

  • Mark, you made both of these sound to die for gorgeous. The one I’m dreaming of at the moment, apart from the Interludes, is Opus V from the library collection.
    Thanks you for the review and the draw.

  • I own and love both Gold Man and Jubilation 25. I haven’t tried any of the attars but I would love to own Gold Woman. It is simply the best symphonic floral on the market today, in my opinion, even better than Patou’s Joy.

  • I’d love to own Jubilation 25, Epic woman, Lyric woman, Gold woman and Opus iii. But I need to spend more time with the entire Amouage range to be honest.The answer is based on very brief sniffs.

  • I’ve heard such wonderfulness about Epic Woman that it’s my #1 Amouage before I’ve even tried it.

  • I’ve only recently become acquainted with Amouage as a house, and after a few testings, I’ve been craving Memoir Woman with its thick, rose, incense, clove and leather blend.

    Thanks for the draw!

  • I have Jubiliation XXV and Epic Man. I’ve been wanting Memoir Man next, but this sounds wonderful. A must smell.

  • I would love to try Honour woman since I´m on the mood with flowers now =D Interlude also sounds very interesting!

  • These sound wonderful and I would love to sample. I think I would love Epic Woman. Thanks for the draw.

  • Ohhhh wow I did not need this pang of longing!
    These were incredible, evocative reviews (with lovely illustrations to complement the mood) –if perfume 500 were a real course, I would go back to school!

    I love Jubilation XXV and have a couple teeny samples of others…I think I would most like to own, besides the interludes, either Homage or something from the Opus or Attar lines–Opus III, IV, VI… unfortunately I’ve never sniffed so I don’t know which would suit best.

  • Well, after this description, the Amouage fragrance I’d most like to own is Interlude Woman! It sounds beautiful.

  • I’m very excited about Interlude Woman – your description sounds like a wonderful fragrance journey!
    The Amouage I’d like to own is Epic Woman. I love its deep spicy rose note and it is one of the few perfumes that smells great on me and my mom! 🙂

  • The Amouage fragrance I’d most like to own is Amouage Homage Attar. Thanks for the draw!

  • What a great draw. I am dying to experiment with their attars. Homage attar is at the top of my list.

  • I have followed the Amouage line since it came out. I would really love to try Amouage’s new Interlude Woman! Their past spectacular output whets the appetite for their latest addition. Thank you Amouage!

  • Michelle U says:

    I would really love to own Lyric Woman. It’s such an inspiring and elegant perfume. 😀

  • I love most of the Amouage perfumes and since I haven’t tried Interlude Woman this is the fragrance I would like to own.

  • I have the Amouage sample set and a bottle of Epic Woman which I find different than anything else I have smelled. I’m contemplating buying Gold Woman and Opus VI…haven’t tried the other Opus perfumes…would love to along with the new Interlude releases. Amouage, could you make a smaller, less expensive bottle for those of us who are greedy?!!

  • I already own Epic Man and had Gold Man when it was released,(too heavy for me now!). Interlude Man has been getting very good reviews. I am intrigued enough to try it!

  • The Amouage I’d most like to own is Interlude Woman, especially after reading this delicious review. Thanks so much!

  • Would love to own a FB of Gold Man, but I am loving all of the Amouage’s that I end up sampling. Thanks for the draw!

  • Amberosmanthus says:

    Interlude woman sounds like a fragrance adventure I would love to try. Thanks for the review!

  • Queen Cupcake says:

    I would like to win Interlude Woman because it seems to be unlike any fragrance I own. The illustrations you have chosen for this post are gorgeous! Thank you for the drawing.

  • I am head over heels in love with Opus VI, but have yet to pull the trigger on a FB of it, therefore Opus VI is my top “must have” Amouage currently.

  • Amouage is my favorite house. I am an absolute fanatic for Amouage. Right now I am saviing for Opus IV and am dying to try both Interludes and Beloved. Thanks for the drawing.

  • Amouage is the most glamorous house. My favourites so far are Dia, Honour and Ciel, all for ladies. Looking forward to trying, at least on a blotter, Interlude and Beloved… don’t care for the price, would grab any perfume I like.