The Amouage line was launched in the early 1980s by the Sultan of Oman, who wanted to revive the traditional art of Arabian perfumery based on frankincense and myrrh. French nose Guy Robert was called upon to create their first fragrance, Amouage, now known as Amouage Gold. Today I am testing the men’s version, Gold Pour Homme. It is said to contain 140 ingredients; the notes are listed on the Amouage website as rock rose, lily of the valley, silver frankincense, myrrh, orris, jasmine, ambergris, civet, cedar, sandalwood, musk, patchouli, and oakmoss.
Amouage bills itself as “the most valuable perfume in the world”, and Guy Robert was reportedly told to spare no expense:
“In my kind of work,” says Robert, “you always have a dream of creating the perfume, the one in which you are given free rein to use all the essences of your experience, your thought and imagination, no matter how expensive.” (via saudiaramcoworld)
It is perhaps no surprise that Robert considers Amouage his “crowning glory”, and in fact, the emphasis on quality raw materials shows in the result.
The top notes smell like citrus and incense, slightly reminiscent of Etro Shaal Nur but much deeper and richer. As the citrus fades, it gets sweeter and a bit fruitier. There are said to be a number of florals other than those listed in the notes, including rose and tuberose, but the jasmine is the predominant floral note, and it is a lovely, true jasmine. The far dry down is deep incense over a woody animalic base.
This is a dense, heavy perfume, and not something that I would wear on a regular basis — which is just as well as I could not afford to anyway. But it is simply beautifully crafted, and I do pull my sample out from time to time just to wear a small drop. It is a nice reminder of what luxury smells like.
The lasting power is excellent. The women’s version of Gold is said to be similar, but with less patchouli and oakmoss. If you have tried it, please comment, but I do not find the men’s version to be particularly masculine in any case.
For buying information, see the listing for Amouage under Perfume Houses.
Tomorrow: Amouage Ubar
10 Comments
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Hi Robin,
The Gold Pour Homme seems the most potent fragrance in the Amouage line. My first purchase, however, is the discontinued Amouage Gentlemen Gold (sometimes available on eBay). This is the typical Amouage style, but lighter than the Gold Crystal. I feel like a million bucks wearing this, and although some may say it is formal wear, I wear it whenever I like! I also own the Men's Silver Crystal, and the Gentlemen Gold is more versatile. Your reviews are wonderful. BTW, I order the Ormonde Jayne sample set, and Linda said she would send Isfahan.
Regards,
John
John, I am completely confused by the names. I thought “Amouage”, “Amouge Gold Pour Homme” and “Amouage Gentlemen Gold” were all the same fragrance, and that they had just changed the name several times since 1983? Am I mistaken? I thought I read that they renamed Amouage to Amouage Gold to avoid confusion when they released more scents.
Thanks for the compliment, and I hope you love the Ormonde Jaynes! Do come back and comment when you get them.
Strange what the availability of cheap/readily available modern perfume notes have done to the fragrance “world.” Amouage Gold Pour Homme gets top points for staying power (even a shower with loofah did not dislodge those molecules!)…but the rich smells cannot compensate (to me) for the fact this smells like the cleansers they used in the men's bathrooms at Radio City Music Hall! when I was an usher there in the late 80s! I've given AGPH many tries…but cannot escape the “bathroom” connotations. I've also wondered if the natural civet essence “rounds out” that WC connection? It's always nice to cross off one's “must-have list” something that's exorbitantly expensive!
LOL — not a pleasant association! My best trick for fragrance removal: apply unscented deodorant, wait 10 minutes, wash off with liquid Tide. Using baking soda as a scrub sometimes works too.
And completely agree, it is a wonderful feeling to try something expensive and decide you don't need it
Hi Robin,
The Gold Pour Homme (Crystal) is a different fragrance from Gold Gentlemen Cologne, which is discontinued. So you will not find Gentlemen Cologne on the Amouage website; however, I provided a link to the eBay site where you can purchase or request samples. Cologne doesn't require the same effort to remove as the Gold Crystal that you reviewed. Cologne has less strength, which I find to be a positive attribute here, and sometimes use a single spray to my chest for maximum effect.
Regards, John
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11846&item=5582094892&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
John, Thanks for the clarification. I am wondering if the women's version is even lighter, and will have to look for a sample.
I like AMOUAGE DIA FOR MEN BETTER THAN GOLD. If you really want a lot of complements from people you do not know then this is the one for you. It is expensive, however, worth every dollar. You will not smell anything like it from any house. Sometimes the newer fragrances of the so called “Modern” scents blend together and are so similar that no one can tell one person from another. If you buy only this fragrance for a year or two (instead of buying several that you really do not like or just want to kind of try and they just sit in your cabinet) then AMOUGE DIA FOR MEN is the better buy. You can also find a sampler pack of AMOUGE that has 6 small spary vials and you can find out which one you really like. The sample pack costs under $75.00 US. I do not work for AMOUAGE. It has taken me 53 years to find “the fragrance for me” and I am just passing along the news to help you get a quick start and save a great deal of money and smell great along the way. I hope that you like it. JC Rancher, Fort Worth, Texas, and yes some of us have good taste in Texas
I didn't care for the Dia nearly as much, but so glad you love it! The sample packs are really a nice deal.
I am a male but have tried Gold Woman and it is VERY similar to Gold Man, to my nose anyway.
Yes, I would agree (I’ve tried it since I wrote this article). I still like the men’s a bit better.