Memoir Woman by Amouage

Brutal, original scent, humid, projecting florals, long-lasting, a luxury 👌

A blend of vintage Poison and Bijan Woman, capturing that smoky dry-down of both: incense, oakmoss, a white floral akin to bitter orange (not the mandarin citrus), jasmine and a soapy, wet cardboard, old furniture smell. It is a mixture of vintage aromas. I already own Poison and Bijan; this is softer and with that blend, it is unusual and mysterious. I recommend it if you liked those perfumes and incense-based scents. Good quality, longevity and sillage. Perfect for autumn and winter.

Memoir has a very strong opening: spices and a smoky scent, incense more leather (not animalic, very pleasant). Opulent, classic, with a retro 90s vibe, unisex due to the spices giving it a masculine touch. You can tell the quality; on skin it is oily. Then, after 15 or 20 minutes, a white floral bouquet emerges that adds to the leather and spices. After six hours, the moss arrives and that is when its chypre facet shines. It lasts more than 12 hours; it is a beast in terms of longevity. If the body heats up, the perfume blooms. This Amouage is excellent in cool climates. I recommend not buying blindly; try it first. In my case, I managed to get a decant which I will cherish, because in these parts of the third world, owning the perfume is expensive! 🫰🏻

Memoir Woman is a modern chypre-leather with a retro character, magnificent. It combines the elegance and sensuality of an exuberant, dark oriental with the sophistication of a spiced, smoky leather. A masterpiece. An opulent, complex and mysterious personality. It opens with spicy, aromatic, herbal and citrus accords. Cardamom and absinthe enoble the opening, giving it a warm, enveloping character with freshness and contrast. The heart is dark, woody and spicy, dominated by incense which gives it a resinous and sacred dimension, covering a sweet, narcotic floral bouquet (nard, jasmine, rose) towards an extraordinary base where the flowers intertwine with animal accords (leathers, castoreum) in a symphony of amber and balsamic notes. Definitely a masterpiece. Warm, cosy, sexy, dark as its bottle, elegant and sophisticated. Excellent performance; on my skin it lasts 10 hours. Diffusion and sillage are moderate.

Oh Amouage, how I love you. In this little bottle, I feel a lot of leather. The combination of notes is excellent. Typical of Amouage: the trail and longevity are everything you expect after spending more than $300.

What a fantastic perfume. Nothing like its male namesake; this one is truly unisex despite the ‘Woman’ in the title. It is an amber composition, warm, floral, deep, and exquisite that puts a smile on your face. I am going to keep ‘stealing’ it from my wife.

Strong spicy opening with clove and cardamom as the stars. The absinthe is noticeable at the start before taking centre stage. After some time, the spices settle and a dark phase emerges with classic flowers, green nuances of absinthe, incense that is not too smoky, and leather. Here it feels more unisex. Then comes a retro phase due to the animalic castoreum note, evident but not overwhelming. It is dark, with flowers that add sweetness. It ends like the previous phase but with less castoreum. I see it for cold weather; although it is for women, a man could wear it. Good projection and longevity. I liked it, but I would not buy it. It is changeable, with many nuances and quality, but it does not fill me enough to keep it in my collection. Nevertheless, a pleasant experience.

In one word: STRONG. It smells like an old perfume counter with aged fragrances, heavy on wood, incense, and concentrated spices. It is not bad; it is rich, but I see it more as a men’s scent. I detect no chypre notes; it is more of a woody oriental. Do not buy it blindly, not for the price (unless you are wealthy) and not for the scent alone. Memoir is complex, delicious, woody, masculine, expensive, and suited to cold climates.