By Dane
I challenge anyone in a clear state of mind to deny Gold's beauty. Even if you're not into aldehydes, and even if you're not into grand 80's florals, the sheer perfection of contrasts within Gold make it a marvel.
Enough with the fanfare - as much as I adore Gold, I'll admit it's a challenge to wear (although not so much as Gold Man). The aldehydic opening is a blast...to your senses...and from the past. To my nose, the typical sparkle of aldehydes is heightened with some chypre-like qualities...notably, bergamot (not mentioned in the advertised notes) and something resinous, namely, rock rose (aka labdanum ciste...I think). The heart reveals some lovely floral tones - jasmine, possibly some rose, a sticky myrrh, and the star of the Amouage line, frankincense. While Gold Man amplifies its incense accord to unspeakable volumes, Gold Woman appears to use it in a supporting role, maintaining the resinous vibes of the topnotes well into the drydown.
And what a drydown it is! So complex, it almost seems to contain its own top, heart, and basenotes. Starting with an unusual wood tone, raspy at certain angles and dry and dusty at others, followed shortly by a sweeter sandalwood, and finally finishing with a grand animalic accord of civet, leather, and lord knows what else.
Gold is basically a perfume roller-coaster, only fitted with a regal horse & chariot. I've taken a different approach to it though (with the wise advice from some lovely gals on Perfume of Life). Why wait for special occasions? Life is too short to save beautiful things like this for inauguration balls (of which I'm invited to few). It's proven to brighten up my jeans and tshirt-clad, dreary Monday mornings.
Year: 1983
Perfumer: Guy Robert
Notes: rock rose, lily of the valley, silver frankincense, myrrh, orris, jasmine, ambergris, civet, musk, cedarwood, sandalwood
Hi Dane, I just tried Gold a couple of days ago and yes! This is what perfumery really means to me. Heady, opulent , potent and beautiful in all it's glory!Gold is strong and I think it's gorgeous and meant to be enjoyed, even if it has to be in smaller doses cause I'm such a heavy spritzer!
ReplyDeleteHey I love perfume!
I like spraying till I'm wet baby! ;)
Maybe I've just been wearing it too often lately, but I actually don't find it all that strong (well, compared to Gold Man at least).
ReplyDeleteSpritz away!!
Don't accuse me of snobbery, but I prefer this one in the extrait. The edp just don't do it, I dislike its raw aldehydic nature and weak jasmine, it needs the extra rose absolute to be smooth, and the sheerness of extra rose an jasmine real compounds.
ReplyDeleteThe extrait is much more like a pyramid of scent, with a huge sized rose-lilyofthevalley blast, that fills the room, and that takes 2 days to evolve, even the myrrh and incense seem better.
I can't define it, in a rational refined way, because it hits you aromatherapically. Then you don't know what it really smells (nose charmed), or where it beginns, you waft in it, it's heady and sleepy in the most nice way.
You don't feel the rose, it vanishes in the first minutes, you feel the effect (liquor like, harmonizing the composition) ; and the extrait clearly has so animalic skank ingredient, that nowadays brand are reluctant to use.