The House of Amouage is based in Oman, an historic trading centre for precious perfume ingredients such as incense and myrrh …
Founded in 1983 and famous for opulent modern takes on the Arabian art of perfumery, Amouage has a new collection, The Essences – Lustre, Reasons and Outlands. This trio is created using an innovative double-infusion process, which involves the perfume concentrate being left to mature over six months with sandalwood chips, while the ethanol is aged in custom-made oakwood barrels. The result? A whole new intensity. As perfumer Cecile Zarokian, the nose behind Oatlands, tells me: “There was an overall effect we were after, and the double-infusion process made it more round and richer, with more depth.”
Of the three – created by perfumers Bertrand Duchaufour, Julien Rasquinet and Paul Guerlain – Oatlands is a standout for me. At first spray, there’s a burst of citrus, with potent lemon; Zarokian describes it as a “candied lemon, smoother and less sharp” than usual. The top is vibrant and sparkling, with uplifting citruses, bergamot and pink pepper. “We wanted to make a strong impression, with a very long-lasting, powerful sillage and trail; I had in mind beautiful perfumes of the 1980s, so potent and strong, yet elegant. A statement, but subtle.”
“A lot of chypres, based around patchouli, were iconic in the 1980s. I wanted to work on a patchouli-based fragrance, but without it smelling outdated, avoiding those bohemian cliches of the ’70s and ’80s. I wanted to balance the power of patchouli with resins, labdanum, opponax and frankincense to smooth the fragrance in an elevated way. Outlands is not a sweet gourmand; the vanilla is used in a subtle way, sensual, heavy and potent.”
The perfumer describes wearing Outlands as like a hug, an embrace, with an addictive element. “The fragrance warms you up and is comforting.” It’s also uplifting, with a vibrancy via spices (such as pink pepper, coriander, cardamom) that helps the fragrance to sparkle. When you realise that the perfumer’s brief was the notion of time, no less, you realise how optimistic and positive this scent is – something we could do with right now.
“When I first get the brief, I let it infuse at the back of my head for a while,” explains Zarokian. “A few days later, how I want to translate it to ingredients and formula becomes clear. The exciting part is the end when it all makes sense, and the whole things comes together – the bottle, name and texture.” The bottles are weighty, beautiful and unusual, built to stand out on your dressing table, and to last.
Zarokian has been thrilled with the response to Outlands so far. “I didn’t expect it to be this successful. It launched in October and in 48 hours it had completely sold out online. Since then, everywhere I go I’m told they’re waiting for a new shipment, as it’s been out of stock – I get messages asking where to find it. Great feedback is rewarding and meaningful for me – when people seem to enjoy wearing it as much as I did creating it, that’s the best reward.”
Amouage has standalone stores around the world, including on Rue St Honore in Paris. Zarokian is based in Paris, and also recommends heading to multi-brand perfume store Jovoy, near Place Vendome in the Marais; and Brazilian perfumery Granado (Zarokian has created scents for this brand, too), which has three stores in Paris.
We love the idea of ageing a perfume, like a fine whiskey, and it certainly adds a new depth and dimension to these scents. “The most luxurious thing when it comes to fragrance is time – to age, to properly smell it and to wear it on your skin. The whole experience is one you should take time over.”
Amouage The Essences, €420 each, available at Brown Thomas.
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