Memoir Man by Amouage

Memoir is an elegant fragrance that opens with a strong green note, dominated by wormwood, mint, and above all, basil. But the true magic happens as it dries down, where an Interlude-style incense emerges, blended with rose, tobacco, leather, and woody nuances. This blend makes Memoir a majestic and stately olfactory work, with sublime quality and balance. Its longevity is acceptable, and it presents itself as a very lovely and pleasant scent. I invite you to try it and let yourself be carried away by a magnificent olfactory evolution. It is ideal for those seeking something distinctive and sophisticated.

The price is excessive for what it offers. The longevity and sillage are a failure from this house; there are clones or inspirations that last much longer. Totally disappointed. This is my truth, although I know it depends on taste. Interlude fills a room in minutes when people realise I have arrived.

Along with Interlude and Tribute attar, it is the fragrance that has captivated me the most from Amouage. Lyric Man could also fit in, but the dry-down leaves something to be desired in my opinion. It is a contrast to the aforementioned, as here we perceive rather an ‘westernised’ Amouage, due to the very marked fougère (fern) facet. Again, the incense-based base is present, though something makes us think of this Omani house in a more diffuse way than in others from the house. Frankly, I find Memoir Man very addictive. I think the responsible factor is the menthol accord. More than a desert or a souk, this fragrance makes me think of a dense forest on a damp, autumnal evening at dusk. The scent reminds me of the sadly discontinued Gucci Pour Homme, but this one from Amouage, as one might expect, with more complexity. The performance is rather moderate, at least on my skin. To use on autumn and winter afternoons or evenings, and like all from this house, more suitable for special occasions.

Memoir Man is a scent I barely discovered and it made me remember my old man in his room. A touch of confinement mixed with tobacco, the volatility of a flask of liquor, and beside it, some smoked fruit husks. The most beautiful thing for me is that the name could not fit better with the above, ‘the man of memories’, for neither Pedro Urdemales could compete with my old man. Leaving aside the emotional aspect, I think it is a unique scent, green but not excessively so, smoky, slightly sweet, mysterious, and memorable. I feel it very complex, with many woody nuances in the base, more moss, musk, vanilla, and vetiver, as if they all touched a piano key every so often. I understand that many may not be captivated, but in my opinion, both when I had little experience and now, that I have much more (although it is never enough), I consider it an exceptional perfume. For temperate climates, for any type of occasion, although better if it is to make a distinctive impression, slightly more masculine than feminine, and above all, an olfactory experience worth having. Note: 9/10.

This Memoir has brought me some pleasant memories of old fougères, although without those characteristic florals. As if a gust of air brought directly from the 80’s were running across my skin, but more sophisticated and also much more contained, which reminds me that young people should abstain. I would describe it as mint-herbal with an almost spiritual (literal) incense, supported by musk and lavender that from below offer a clean footprint to the whole. In my opinion, the oak moss plays a fundamental role that, together with its great friend vetiver and amber, accompanies everything while the tobacco and sandalwood notes are included during this peaceful and unbalanced voyage with a slightly perceptible rose, yes… slightly sweetened by vanilla. The development and sillage are very modest, with a projection that decays rapidly after 2-3 hours and with a good performance characterised by the skin scent, until its end around 10-12 hours. I imagine Amouage did not want to make another Interlude and sought versatility, although it takes away the soul. It is true that the ingredients had the potential to create an accord with great projection and sillage (that is when the 300€ sting bites me). I see it mainly for temperate climates, without being excessively cold. Try before buying.

There is nothing similar in the market nor anything that approaches it. I would define it as a ‘spectral’ green perfume, elegant, mysterious, opulent, and sophisticated. A 10/10.

I don’t doubt its quality, although I’m not quite sure what it is. It doesn’t smell bad, but the longevity and sillage are low in my case and terrible if we consider the price. Barely 5 hours with very low sillage. If it cost four times less, it would be fine. Some Zara perfumes, at 17 times less, work better, such as Warm Black. A great disappointment. I absolutely do not recommend it, I wouldn’t buy it again and I’m trying to sell or swap it.

This is one of the most complex scents from the house, alongside Epic or Jubilation XXV. Mysterious, dark, and balanced by a touch of mint that saves it. Imagine this: you’ve burnt wood outside the cabin and the next day you’re picking up the remnants; we love that smell. I’ve really liked it because it’s unique and I haven’t heard anything like it; if you’re looking for something peculiar to smell different, it’s yours (even if you’re mature, 30+). I love it, but I wouldn’t wear it as a joke; I see it as perfect for scenting the car or the house. 9/10.

I know I deleted my previous review because I didn’t like it, so I’m back. Memoir Man by Amouage moves completely away from the house’s paradigms: there’s no trace of orientalism here. There is incense, quite a lot, but without the usual opulence. It feels ‘austere’. It carries notes like sandalwood that could suggest luxury, but it doesn’t. It’s smoky, but not ‘oriental’ like Interlude Man. It smells like a campfire in a boreal forest. What stands out most is grass and moss. It’s cold, clean, sober and ‘gloomy’. It smells like an overcast autumn/winter day in a taiga, with smoke from fallen leaves and turpentine. Along with Bracken, Figment and Reflection, it’s the most ‘westernised’ creation from Amouage. Still, I love it: despite being non-orientally incensed, it has depth and a peculiar aroma thanks to the mint. It seems like English mint chocolate. Good longevity, moderate sillage. Ideal for autumn/winter, cloudy days and rain, or formal occasions. It’s ‘poetic’: it evokes endless lakes, dense forests, atmospheric black metal and Rachmaninov piano.

Memoir Man is perhaps the worst perfume from Amouage. It has that notable opening typical of the house, but not spectacular like other works. Fresh and spicy at first, but then it crashes spectacularly in performance and scent. The performance is inexplicably pathetic for this brand: I barely smell overwhelming incense and unpleasant leather. Like with Arp, I can hardly distinguish more notes. It results in a very dark, dry and almost imperceptible fragrance. Whether it’s a reformulation or not, it’s a great, unintelligible disappointment. Scent: 2/10, Sillage: 3/10, Longevity: 3/10, Versatility: 2/10.

It’s quite green and woody, with leather and the typical Amouage incense. In the opening, the greens are noticeable: basil, mint and absinthe, giving it a herbal freshness. The incense isn’t as strong as in others from the brand, but it’s there. In the heart phase it becomes more woody, losing the mint freshness. Sandalwood, light oud and leather fill the heart, without being too dark. Then it starts to fade on my skin, barely noticeable. I detect an amber and vanilla base, but it smells too close to the skin to distinguish nuances. The performance is poor: good for the first hour, then skin scent and poor longevity. It’s masculine, better for cold or temperate climates; heat evaporates it even faster. Personally, I haven’t liked it; it doesn’t smell bad, but I don’t enjoy it, it’s not my type. Its low performance and high cost are a handicap. It could be more versatile than Interlude and less oriental; perhaps that would appeal to some.

Don’t tell us any tall tales… ‘Mint chocolate’. I’ve tried it twice and always thought that, despite its peculiarity, it reminded me of something familiar. The other day I said: ‘this smells like the Nestlé After Eight mint chocolates’, a classic. The mint is quite noticeable; it’s unusual to use it in perfumery. I detect incense, oakmoss, tobacco and vanilla alongside the mint. Memoir Man is attractive and dark; the black bottle already says it. It smells like winter, like night… what a treat! I’d ask for more projection on my skin, but otherwise it does very well.

I have no words for this ‘perfume bomb’ from Amouage. Memoir Man captures the senses spectacularly. Perhaps it’s the absinthe or the mint, I don’t know, but as a whole it’s a fragrance with lots of personality and sophistication. It has all-weather longevity and is very masculine. It’s one of those perfumes that immerses you in a forest atmosphere; I relate it thus due to its herbal and woody facets. It feels somewhat dark; the incense is responsible for that. I see it as phenomenal for use in autumn and winter.

Memoir is woody leather with fern. The green opening smells of absinthe, with lavender and rose yielding quickly to incense. This incense isn’t dense: dry wood, leather and tobacco just sweetened with vanilla and amber to avoid strong smoke. Everything turns a dark grey, conveying meditation, melancholy and a warm maturity. Rating: 7.5.

On my skin it smells almost like pure absinthe; the leather and mint are barely noticeable. I can’t quite distinguish the other notes, perhaps due to my pH or a reformulation. It doesn’t seem as opulent as other Amouage scents, though it does feel natural. I prefer the simple Gucci scent to this, although the Amouage wins on materials and longevity (12 hours: 6 moderate, 6 low). For those over 30 and cold climates. Perhaps Interlude is better, but try before you buy.