Guidance 46 by Amouage

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Ordered this without testing it first—a blind buy.

I was initially fascinated by the original Guidance and tried it a couple of times; the scent is wonderful and lasts over 12 hours, but I found it too overpowering. It didn’t suit my skin chemistry, likely due to the heat where I live. The perfume became an obsession; a small piece of paper soaked in the original fragrance that came in my bag smelled so delicious, and even objects became impregnated with it—truly, smelling them was addictive. I live in a very humid and hot place, so I think the original Guidance was too much for my skin. I read several reviews of Guidance 46 stating it retained the DNA of the original but was less invasive, more in tune with modern times, and that convinced me. I ordered it from Maison Peony, and receiving it was an absolute thrill, especially testing it, as it’s considerably more expensive than the original. The good news is I absolutely loved it. The opening is somewhat woody, with a more masculine scent, so to speak. But as it dried down, it transformed into a much fruitier aroma, with a fresher touch, yet yes, retaining the DNA of the original. In short, I was fascinated and highly recommend it. If you live in a cold or cool place, I recommend the original, as I must confess it has better longevity; 46 lasts quite a while, but not as long as the original, but yes, definitely the original is for cold climates. For me, it was a successful blind buy—I’m in love with Guidance 46, I like it immensely, it matched my body chemistry brilliantly, and it’s now my signature fragrance… whatever that means, hehe.

• Longevity
• Price
• Woody