Amouage Honour 43 Woman Review (Alexandra Carlin) 2021+An Exceptional Extrait draw

January 31, 2022January 31, 2022

Amouage Honour 43 Woman on Floral Mosaic photos Amouage and Unsplash edited by Rachel©

I can barely believe the original pair of Honour eau de parfums were released by Amouage over a decade ago in 2011, inspired by the famous Puccini opera, Madame Butterfly. I am not much of a fan of opera however, I am a true admirer of Honour Woman. It is one of the first Amouage scents to grace my collection and has always held a place of “honor”. When I learned that Honour 43 Woman was to be released as part of the Exceptional Extrait collection I knew, even before trying it, that I would have to find room for another Honour Woman on my shelf. Wearing Amouage Honour 43 Woman immediately takes back to my years in the Middle East but, for a completely different reason than with Epic 56 Exceptional Extrait which I previously reviewed. This is not a journey along the old spice routes and through the back alleyways of the traditional Middle Eastern souks. Honour 43 brings me straight to the famous Trader Vic’s Restaurant & Lounge. Yes, the same Trader Vic’s originally founded in California back in 1944 and, as legend has it, where the original Mai Tai was invented.

For reasons unbeknownst to me, Trader Vic’s is extremely popular around the Middle East. There are currently locations in several of the Gulf countries including Oman, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. They are just as you might expect from a brand that prides itself on being “paradise in a glass”, over the top, a little kitschy and so much fun! Live bands play non-stop Salsa and Caribbean music, the bar is always full and the drinks are plentiful and delicious. When you are at Trader Vic’s you can almost forget you are in the Middle East at all.

Amouage Honour 43 Woman with Salsa Dancers – photos from Amouage and Unsplash edited by Rachel

The same could be said about Amouage Honour 43 Woman, at the start, you could be forgiven for not realizing that this is a fragrance from an Arabic brand. Honour 43’s bouquet of big white floral notes (jasmine, tuberose and gardenia) is reminiscent of the scents in the Secret Garden Collection (Love Tuberose, Blossom Love, Lilac Love and Mimosa Love) but, much bigger and bolder. This is not a shy soliflore, Honour 43 is the equivalent to the band playing at full blast while bodies move to the beat of the reggae and Latin tunes. It is potent rum drinks in oversized bowl-sized glasses topped with flowers, citrus fruits and the requisite paper umbrellas being mixed non-stop to satisfy the thirst of the growing crowd of revelers. The big (and I really mean HUGE) white floral notes take you straight to a tropical paradise where the heat and humidity mingle with the night blooming jasmine, creating a very sultry and sexy atmosphere. As at Trader Vic’s, where the party goes on and on, a parallel universe of seemingly never ending hedonism, so goes the floral heart of Amouage Honour 43 Woman.

Amouage Honour 43 Woman with Mai Tai – photos from Amouage and Unsplash edited by Rachel©

But just as you think you can’t dance another step or drink another Tiki Puka Puka the lights of the Tiki lounge are raised, shocking you back to reality. Discarded flowers at the bottom of empty glasses start to wither as the bouncers usher you out into the night. Could that possibly be the adhan, the call to prayer summoning Muslims to the mosque before sunrise, that you hear echoing in the distance? Whispers of incense that have been lurking under the dominant florals suddenly become more prominent. As you rest your head against the cool glass of the taxi window whisking you along the asphalt canal lined with gleaming skyscrapers that is Dubai’s famed Sheikh Zayed Road, you can’t help but smile at the scent of resins and spices mixing with smoky green vetiver reminding you that you are not really in Tahiti or the Caribbean but, a land where Tiki Lounges have their own special place of honor alongside the more traditional venues of the Middle East.

New vs Old Dubai – photos from Unsplash, collage by Rachel

I have lost track of the number of people to whom I have suggested they buy Amouage Honour 43 Woman as a gift for a loved one or as a memento of their travels to the Middle East. It is certainly not the most traditional Arabic scent but, it manages to seamlessly bridge the divide between East and West. It reminds us that this truly is a global world in which we live.

Rachel Watson, Senior Contributor

Honour 43 Woman Exceptional Extrait by Alexandra Carlin was released in 2021

Top Notes: Pepper, Rhubarb Leaves, Coriander, Heart Notes: Jasmine, Tuberose, Gardenia, Lily of the Valley, Carnation, Base Notes: Sandalwood, Labdanum, Vetiver, Frankincense, Opoponax, Leather.

Read about the other Amouage Exceptional Extraits reviews here: Interlude 53, Epic 56, Reflection 45

I couldn’t pick just one favorite so, I gave them all a special mention in my Best of 2021 list. They truly are all exceptional!

Disclaimer: Review is based on a bottle of Amouage Honour 43 Exceptional Extrait that I purchased myself from Nordstrom. My opinions are my own.

Thanks to Rachel’s generosity we have a 5ml decant of Amouage Honour 43 from her own collection for one registered reader worldwide. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest about Rachel’s review, if you have tried any of the Amouage Extraits and which one you would pick if you win and where you live. Draw closes February 3, 2022.

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