Christopher Chong, Creative Director of Amouage (courtesy of Amouage)

Bhutan is the last extant great Himalayan kingdom: tiny, remote, profoundly Buddhist in nature, and situated in the Eastern Himalayan mountain range with mighty China to its north and influential India to its south. Imagine a parliamentary democracy in which its monarch, the Dragon King – champions the concept of “gross national happiness”. It should come as no surprise, then – with lush vegetation and monasteries shrouded amidst the mountains – that Bhutan  proved a source of inspiration for Amouage's Creative Director Christopher Chong Figment Man and Figment Woman.

Bhutan carved image in rock

I've long dreamt of making a pilgrimage myself. ÇaFleureBon’s Contributing Editor Robert Herrmann recently sang you the Siren Song of Amouage Figment Man so lyrically: “liquid Shangri-La in a cerulean blue bottle”. Now we must attend to the women.

Jetsun Pema Queen of Bhutan

Amouage Figment Woman delivers a clarion of nose-tickling pepper and saffron – upon which are enthroned Voluptuous Gardenia and Queen Tuberose. The preliminary spicy fireworks step aside as we tumble into in The Garden. 

Tuberoses (apped MC)

Profusions of indolent blossoms perfume the mist: ever-joyous jasmin sambac, exhibiting its customary generosity –  melds with orange blossom and the intricate embroidery of spicy lilies, frangipani, creamy and diffusive. A kiss of cinnamon underlines Figment's floral orientalism. Not too fast: another entire layer of intrigue awaits.That patina is verdant, woody, umame: salted with tendrils of incense. It burnishes Figment Woman with a fascinating component: papyrus.

Papyrus

Ancient and enigmatic, papyrus complements our marvelous mint (yes, mint) patchouli and silvery, woody-violet orris with the olfactory equivalent of umame: salty, sweet, mushroomlike, with notes of rye bread which dry down to a more arid woody / grain effect. This is what looms at the base of Figment's mountain of blooms and  wisps of spice. I find it heartrendingly graceful. It supports the initial moist floral abundance which feels mythically tropical and lush.

 Scene from Figment Woman (from the video by Amouage)

In its own fashion, Figment Woman feels a fitting counterpart to Figment Man – that green land which time forgot, an unclaimed paradise.

Bhutanese beauty with textiles

I underestimated Figment Woman. She has showered me with one delight upon the heels of another.

Notes: Top: Sichuan pepper, saffron, gardenia; Heart: Tuberose, jasmin sambac, orange blossoms, Lisylang, cassia; Base: Orris, papyrus, patchouli, incense

Thanks to Amouage for my samples! Opinions are my own.

~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor

Thanks to Amouage and Christopher Chong, we have one 30 ml spray bottle of Amouage Figment Woman OR Figment Man for one registered reader (be sure to Register here) in the U.S.or E.U. only. To be eligible, please tell us what appealed to you about Ida's review of Figment Woman, which you would like to win (Man or Woman) which Amouage you love best, and where you live. Draw closes July 9, 2017

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like ÇaFleurebon and use our RSS feed... or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.