Memoir Woman (Amouage)

By Dane

I despise ad copy. Case in point:

"Enthralled by the enigmatic motion of her alter ego, this chypre fragrance is evoked by the transcendental discovery of her past, present and future echoed in his fragmented memoir."

Barf. Moving on...

At the heart of Memoir you're find a truly lovely accord. If I had to compare, my first thought would be of a spiced, baked apple pastry. Not your typical, boring apple pie, but also not in the overdone, dark-fruit-compote style as found in the Lutens line. A complex, edible/inedible constrast that is a touch too sweet, but ultimately works.

Given the lovely middle, Amouage scents are really about the drydowns for me (which is why I've made no mention of the uninspired "absinth" topnotes), and when you take said autumnal baked good and add a slug of frankincense (not miles from Jubilation XXV), you're left with a stunning, exotic accord that lasts for hours and hours on skin (and continues to last on the sleeve of my jacket).

I believe in my review of Opus I, I made a point of Amouage not needing to release new scents so often. I stand by the opinion that the Library Collection wasn't necessary, but I'll make room for Memoir. Truly beautiful work, and in what might be Amouage's sharpest bottle yet.

ps - contrary to the ad fluff quoted above, this composition really has nothing to do with "chypre".

Year: 2010
Perfumer: Daniel Maurel and Dorothée Piot
Notes: Mandarin, Cardamom, Absinth, Pink Pepper, Pepper, Clove Bud, Opulent White Blossoms, Rose, Jasmine, Precious Dark Wood, Frankincense, Styrax, Oakmoss, Castoreum, Leather, Labdanum, Fenugreek, Musk