Photo Courtesy Amouage

Christopher Chong, the Creative Director of Amouage, has journeyed to his roots and his love for Shanghai Deco,  Chinese cinema and film noir to create his two new fragrances, Journey Woman and Journey Man. Drawing on his personal life and experiences, and integrating other art forms, he worked with Firmenich perfumers Alberto Morillas and Pierre Negrin to bring very different ways of traveling to life: Journey for Woman is “a quiet, observing traveler that first lays out a path”, and Journey for Man “takes an intrepid leap into the unknown.”

Shanghai Girl art deco poster, circa 1930's

When I first saw that osmanthus was in the list of notes for Journey for Woman, I became excited to try it, as osmanthus is a note I seek out. I was not disappointed. The opening of this perfume is breathtaking; sweet and summery with a juicy apricot note that made me have to go eat one of the pretty apricots in my fruit bowl. Osmanthus itself has a sueded apricot aroma, and the addition of extra fruit is lovely. As the fragrance warms on skin, it becomes increasingly elegant and made me wish I had a cheongsam, which is a dress style I have always wanted and am not built for. I wasn’t surprised to see jasmine tea in the notes list, because I could definitely smell it. If I made my perfect cup of tea, it would be a good jasmine-scented oolong with a heap of tiny dried osmanthus flowers in it and it would smell something like this fragrance. The perfume surpasses any tea, though, and I am thoroughly enjoying having it on my skin. As it dries down, it becomes softer, more demure, but doesn’t fade for a long time. I wore it one evening and could still smell it in the morning, just a bit of sweetness peeking through. Journey for Woman not only suits my travel style, which is mostly planning with a bit of leaping, but suits my olfactory style, and I can see adding the gorgeous red and gold bottle to my collection.

Notes: Apricot, Jasmine Tea, Osmanthus, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Jasmine Sambac, Mimosa, Honey, Cedarwood, Pipe Tobacco, Saffron, Vanilla, Cypriol, Musk

Still from "Shanghai Triad", directed by Zhang Yimou

Journey for Man is a powerhouse of spice and heat. I can see how this would represent a leap into the unknown, because it is bold and unafraid. It bypasses some of the notes commonly used in masculine fragrances these days, primarily woods, and they are not missed. This is a wonderfully complex scent; each time I put my wrist to my nose I detected different aspects. A bit of a clean note here, a touch of citrus, oh, some leather, all mingled in the gorgeous spiced aura. All together it smells slightly dangerous, like a man wearing it might have a perilous occupation, like a character in a Chinese film noir. I’d love to smell him. However, the tagline from the old Irish Spring soap commercials comes to mind: “Manly, yes, but I like it, too!” I know many women who go for the more deeply-scented perfumes, like me, who will want to try and might prefer Journey for Man.

Notes: Sichuan Pepper, Bergamot, Cardamom, Neroli, Bigarade, Juniper Berries, Incense, Pure Gerniol, Tobacco Leaves, Tonka Beans, Cypriol, Leather, Ambrox

Journey for Woman, Christopher Chong, Journey for Man; photos courtesy Amouage

Were I given the difficult choice of having to pick one over the other, I would pick Journey for Woman to own, but that’s not to say Journey for Man is less wonderful. Each of us seeks something different in our perfumes, just as we all embark on different journeys. I would wear either one with great joy.

I received samples courtesy of Amouage. These will be available in 50ml and 100 ml sizes at select stockists worldwide and the Amouage website as soon as June.

Tama Blough, Managing Editor

Thanks to the generosity of Chrispher Chong and Amouage we have a deluxe 2.5 ml sample of your choice of Journey for Man or Journey for Woman. Readers in the USA, Canada and the EU are eligible. Let us know which Amouage Journey would suit you, what your favorite Amouage fragrance is, and where you live.  Draw ends on May 23, 2014.

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.