Imitation Man

So I was in a perfumery this weekend and thought I'll check the ones of Amouage I still didn't try. Most of the few ones that were left on my list to check out I didn't like and I left Imitation as the last one. Why? I've seen it for a really nice price before, and it says something, I've seen the dislike button here, and the rose in the notes. While I like it, I can't stand Lyric Man with that rose shower gel and I was afraid this is going to be the same not to mention the violet flower which sometimes smells like a toilet cleaning product (I love it when it doesn't, and violet leaves is my fav note ever). Then I remembered hey - Portrayal Man doesn't get many good reviews and I absolutely love it, maybe my taste is a niche of a niche simply. I spray on a blotter and put it closer to my nose. That's when it hit me. I don't know Aaron Terrence Hughes' work because it's not really worth it to pay all the taxes on shipping (fkin Brexit) but the first thing that popped into my mind upon smelling Imitation is the phrase 'Hard Candy'. The producer mentions that this composition is 'neon' and it couldn't be closer to the truth. It smells of neon and neon colored hard candy. It opens up first and foremost bright, very strong, and with the notes on the very different ends of multiple spectrums. It smells of colors, vivid and strong, and very different colors. The smell is very natural and the concentration of the oil high as it glistens on my hand with a fat/oily thick layer. It does smell of all the colors of the bottle, even more. It's neon yellow with that bright, zesty, acidic citron which - surprisingly, I can still feel in the base 6+h still on my skin. It's purple with that violet - a flower, not leaves this time. There's orris but it never gets full on earth, powder, or iris. Don't get me wrong, it is powdery, but as much as everything else - and that everything else is very different, making it so incoherent, yet so fitting each other. It's red, and at the same time green with that Turkish rose. It's red like a rose while not smelling feminine or like a candle and it's lime/cucumber-like green as TR sometimes can be. It says leather, and to be honest - maybe it's here, but it's not a lather fragrance to me. I don't think of a leather jacket. There is castoreum in the base but while Epic is full of it to my nose, having a sour piss note, here it does what it historically did - supports, strengthens, and prolongs the floral aspects. I can't wrap my head around this - it is so yellow, so red, so purple, so violet, and it's all in a thick, strong, aromatic, floral, but mostly candy way. It doesn't smell of sweets, it's not sweet, it's just... Hard Candy. And Neon. It's alive, it's on a high, it's in the mood, having it's time. It B L O W S my mind. I get the dislike bar - not everyone is going to love it. You need balls to wear it, you need not to give a F. And while you need balls - it's a unisex. I can imagine my wife wearing it, too. It is not office safe, and it's great for the whole year maybe except the 20+ summer. It lasts 8+h and projects strong for at least 5. Im kind of surprised they don't mention the natural oak moss extract which it has - because it says so in the INCI. It's important, and it's of value to me, yet they don't even mention it as a note. Strange. Nevertheless - I can imagine this being a hit niche bestseller if it wasn't released by Amouage. If any hip brand released it with a marketing campaign full of lasers, neons, a rave in a basement-level dark club with lots of people having the time of their lives on ecstasy. I can hear The Prodigy playing in the background. I'm fing hyped right now smelling this fragrance and writing this post for you people. I'm euphoric, my chest is about to burst out with flames, I'm jumping in my seat. IT'S AN OMEN, IT'S AN OMEN THE WRITING ON THE WALL

This is one big party from mid to the end of each decade when decadence was rife! 1977: Opening Night of Studio 54: When everyone interesting enough to Steve Rubell's gruelling selection criteria (he was bi-polar, so it could be anything depending on his mood), was granted access to the most hedonistic 'dancing ball' of NYC, rubbing shoulders with Warhol, Michael Jackson, Halston, Diana Ross, et al while snorting cocaine, drinking champagne out of the bottle, and engaging in all sorts of sexual behaviour on and off the dance floor, fuelling the night with the DISCO beat. 1987: Closing Night of The Paradise Garage: When everyone nearly unhinging their shoulders or hips, voguing in ecstasy to the snares, licks and bass-lines of 'larger than life' underground tracks, enabling the forgotten and deprived to be what they wanted to be on the dance floor, fighting it out with nothing but their bodies to the 4 on the floor. 1997: Ministry of Sound London: David Morales plays his remix of 'Plastic Dreams' and I go apes*** on the dance floor like it's 1999, dancing myself into the abyss of joint fatigue of early morning 6am. This fragrance basically wants to conjure up all our associations and emotions we link to the artistic freedom expressed in nightlife of yesteryear: for that reason alone I NEED to own it. Objectively, it is a very wearable modern chypre (even though we are told here that it is a floraleather oriental) reminiscent of 'Eau Du Soir' by SISLEY, 'Ô' de Lancôme and it even has some of the musky, aldehydic pungency of my beloved "Iquitos" by Alain Delon, that is long discontinued and gone.....I love the triangle that is Suede, Vetiver and Patchouli here. The rose is very abstract and vinylised, (not vandalised, although you can interpret perhaps a Graffiti Rose of the late 80ies), like a shrink-wrapped vinyl record, eagerly waiting to be opened, as you take it out of your suede 70ies style designer tote (courtesy of Chloé). The weird and wonderful castoreum (also used to fake vanillin, the genuine vanilla flavour, in cheap and cheerful ice creams) makes it all the more seedy and musky, if not a tad dirrty (like Christina used to sing). VERDICT: The bass-laden dance version of its opposite that is Opus X (which is a Stradivari sit down concert). When a fresh out of cling-film wrapper Gogo-dancer, releases heat pheromones. Perhaps not a safe option for a job interview, but surely a pull in a night club, when you feel frisky. Sits somewhere between 'Beach Hut' and 'Figment" and perhaps the most wearable of them all? 8/10 Not a masterpiece but an honourable and great attempt of trying to 'Bottle up' Hedonism.

Amouage Imitation Man was released in time while Christopher Chong was still the creative director of the brand and one of the last fragrances created under his creative hand. Being no stranger to underappreciated perfumes, I happened upon this gem approximately two years ago, and after a couple of months, it claimed its place as my second favorite from an Omani brand, alongside Dia Man. TOP NOTES The top notes seem to kick off with a somewhat polarizing accord, which is a combination of citruses, spices, and the aforementioned rose note. However, this rose note initially comes across more like a nail polish remover than a burning plastic. Amidst the initial shock that some consumers may experience, the rose continues to shine and mixes with other florals from the heart notes, primarily watery violet, and powdery iris butter. At times, it can resemble a semi-sweet chocolate. The juxtaposition of florals, citruses, and spices creates a unique and sensual opening, likely not found in any other fragrance. HEART NOTES In the heart notes, as the fragrance begins to settle and shed its initial harshness, a captivating transformation unfolds from the polarizing opening. The rose, still a prominent player in the composition, finds balance with an increasing presence of iris (orris butter). This transformation evokes shades of Dior Homme Parfum but offers a smoother, and in my opinion, better-blended rendition than Dior. BASE NOTES After a good couple of hours, Imitation reaches its full dry down. The composition takes on a warmer and more sensual dimension, creating a blend of notes that introduces some of the animalic aspects reminiscent of many old-school scents from the past. A castoreum accord, akin to the one found in Chanel Antaeus, mingles with a halfway modern patchouli note reminiscent of the original Givenchy Gentleman (1974), and a touch of semi-dirty myrrh. All of these dance around the central brown leather accord and iris, creating a spectacle that demands to be experienced. OVERALL Sometimes, there comes a fragrance that defines an entire genre, and Imitation for Men is one such fragrance. Initially unsure if I would like it, this scent grew on me, and for that reason, along with everything else discussed here, I highly recommend sampling it as soon as you can. Compositions like this one are what fuel our passion for fragrance and keep us exploring the ever-evolving world of scents. Read the full review at scentgrail.com

This will be more of a rant than a review, but I want to clear the air with this one, so I’ll try to keep it brief. I bought a carded sample of Amouage Imitation Man. At first, it wasn’t a love—it was bitter and hard to understand. After a while, it REALLY grew on me. It developed this rosy soapiness that was made unique by a bright, bitter citron, with a beautiful orris-leather drydown. Then I went out and bought a bottle. I specifically sought out the older style of packaging, although it turned out to be a 2022 batch. I’m pissed. The rose is muted, and the citron is completely gone. In its place is this weird flinty gunpowder note that’s not too dissimilar to Baptême du Feu by Serge Lutens. I love BdF, but gunpowder doesn’t have a place in this fragrance—especially in place of the critically important citron note. With the top of the fragrance changed, the orris drydown doesn’t hit the same anymore, and who knows—maybe they changed that as well. And yes, even though I don’t believe that maceration will significantly improve a fragrance, I let this one sit for almost a year with no improvement. Needless to say, I’m not happy. I feel like I got bait-and-switched—duped, lied to. This was definitely reformulated, even though Amouage denies it. It’s honestly funny to me how fragrances never seem to change or get reformulated for the better—they’re ALWAYS worse—and I am soooo tired of being gaslit about it. The carded sample of Imitation Man was super addicting. I couldn’t wait to wear it, and I went through the sample quickly with just one spray on my hand a day. When the sample was gone, I ordered a bottle straight away and eagerly anticipated its arrival. I’d give that version a 9/10, maybe even a 10. The 2022 version that showed up is just boring and forgettable and, frankly, a waste of my money. I’d honestly rather be wearing almost anything else. I tried it again today, hoping I’d get something good, but I was left angry and disappointed yet again. I’d give it a 5/10. Maybe the creative director, Christopher Chong, in his wisdom anticipated all of this, and that’s why he named it - Imitation Man.

**** THE MOST UNDERRATED FROM AMOUAGE **** Imitation Man reminded me of my Grandma and growing up in the 80's in Long Island, NY. I guess it was her perfume that gave that smell. Who knows maybe it was my grandpa’s. Either way it reminds me of my grandparents house in the 80’s. It’s very nostalgic for me but not worth a full bottle, even at $138. Not sure when I could wear it. Luckily I was able to return it. FYI - it was a no go for the Mrs as well. UPDATE 12/02/20: Purchased a 10ml decant. There is still something about this scent that I love. I will give it more wearings. Being that it's not very versatile, I think my 10ml decant will be plenty. UPDATE 01/23/21: After some more wearings I have grown to love this scent. Imitation Man needs many wearings in different environments to truly appreciate it. There is a freshness about it that is amazing. I wore this to skateboard at a skate park with my son. While I was there I kept getting whiffs of an amazing smell. My parents showed up to watch my son. I thought what I was smelling was my fathers's cologne. I was about to ask him what he was wearing, then I remembered he only wears Aqua Di Gio Profumo. That's when I realized it was me who smelled so good. Imitation Man works great with some body heat. I retract my previous statement about this not being versatile. This again has an airy freshness about it and I find it be very versatile now. The dry down is the best part. Just be careful with the sprays if used in doors. With that being said my wife still doesn't care for it, but I love it and will be re-purchasing a full bottle. This is an artistic nostalgic scent that every collector should have. This is unisex leaning a bit more masculine IMO. This projects and performs literally the whole day. Out of my collection, I'd say Layton Exclusif and Dior Homme Parfum are the only ones that can compete with this. Dare I say Imitation Man is more powerful. 10/10 This would be my signature scent if my wife enjoyed this on me.

So I've had this sample for a few months now and I never actually tried it on because out of the tester vial it just smelled like straight rum. I thought; why would I bother wearing this when I could just splash myself with some Captain M's and be on my merry way? Well after the year that shall not be named I thought...wtf who doesn't want to smell like rum? So I splashed this on and instantly got slapped in the nostrils with a boozy orris leather floral something-or-other that, while not unpleasant made me feel displaced. After about 3-5 minutes in I find myself no longer in my home but rather transported somehow through time and space to my...elementary school!?! What sort of wizardry is in this tincture? I get some old dusty, woody, leathery floral feeling that smells EXACTLY like my school when I was a little dude. Granted this school was almost 100 years old when I attended so this place was just loaded with old wood and decades of wear and tear that had such a distinct feel and odor I clearly will never forget. It's the smell of the old school and the books in the library with rays of sun shining through the windows with that excellent haze of dust particles floating aimlessly. I can see my reading/writing teacher standing in a ray of sunshine the corridor on a sunny day with a wool sweater, pleated green plaid dress and rosy cheeks with bright red lipstick. I know it may not sound like something you'd want to smell like but I can't stop smelling this on my wrist. There is something spectacular about a scent that can conjure an image based on a smell and there is something absolutely majestic about a fragrance that smells exactly like the past and Amouage Imitation Man is the latter. I'm sure there is something of a blast from the past for most people in this mixture. I love a trip down memory lane and I will be purchasing this bottle in the very near future. Nostalgia alone makes this a 10/10 for me.

For me this is Amouage in a return to form, not that there was much of a slump to be fair because I liked Braken, Beach hut was hugely interesting, I think it's just Sunshine and that purple one that was a rare miss step in my opinion. The name of this is a little weird and I can only deduce it would have negative connotations when applied to perfume. Why would you want to be an Imitation? There's probably deeper meaning and a positive spin to be found in the marketing bumf...I've no doubt. Also I respect the reviews of Nick Zee but I don't agree with him on this one. I can say categorically that Imitation doesn't even smell remotely similar to Dior Homme parfum. Okay so the opening is very floral and fresh but clearly has masses of depth and an obvious orris root base right out of the gate. This milky, creamy, leathery powdered nature defies the adjectives I just used to describe it because I might say that about a designer fragrance with an orris/iris base but this is clearly a higher calibre and that's evident straight away. I love how soft and floral this scent is with violet and just the suggestion of roses. It has a classy base and I'm no doubt there's some myrrh in here to keep in with the Amouage, incense aesthetic. The point is, individual notes are blurred by a wonderful chypre type concept and masterful perfumery. I really didn't get patchouli from it but I have only sampled once and sprayed on a card which I kept for a week or so and it still smells fantastic if very faded now. This might be an Amouage I just can't be without, I thought the smell was majestic, and for the man who has no regard for M/F fragrance paradigms. The performance is good and perfectly acceptable at a high price (not sure what the price is but I'm sure it's not cheap!) I love it.

JUST CHILLIN' This is like Imitation Woman's more chilled out younger brother. While that diva is burning up the dance floor under disco lights and glitter balls, he's vibin' to some vinyl in his downtown studio, in no hurry to get anywhere at all.... Unlike Imitation Woman's full-on dramatic opening flourish, this one opens with just a mild frisson. An accord made up of: a juicy fruity note (certainly not citrus - more like a sweet ripe apple); a plasticky vinyl note; and a slight underlying mustiness. The overall effect rather resembles the atmosphere of an old second-hand clothes or record shop. These initial impressions are fleeting and after only a few minutes the whole thing has settled down into a smooth vinyl with a sweet/fruity veneer. I don't smell the florals distinctly, and they seldom feel like real flowers - it's more like they merge into this sweet artificial/plastic fruity accord. The whole feel is quite airy and light for the first couple of hours. Not like an Amouage at all. (EDIT 26/1/21: the opening phase is a lot stronger and heavier than I originally thought). I tend to prefer the development after that, where our smooth retro lad gets a bit more tousled and ruffled: the base notes start coming through. There is a slightly rougher leather note in the mix, along with patchouli, and I can definitely detect castoreum if I sniff closely (but we're not talking Epic Man levels of castoreum here). Longevity is good; sillage and projection I'm still rather unsure about. As I said, it doesn't feel too much like an Amouage, more like a high-quality designer scent. I rather wish the whole thing was a bit more pumped and amping, more like his Big Sis.....

Great rose leather and some fruits and spices mixed in. Very unique. Most people will not love this on first sniff but keep using this and you are likely to appreciate the uniqueness and complexity of this one. This is something to wear for yourself alone or on your way to a rock concert or to meet other anarchists. The bitter opening is particularly depressing - in a positive artistic way. An absolute gem but give it time and do not expect compliments from anyone that is not seriously into fragrances. Update half a year later: I sold this... I still find this very interesting perfumery and kept testing many times and every time that I tested this I found the quality to be great and and the scent interesting. But it is not wearable because it has so much character and that character is not matching my own character. Hence I was not wearing this in public at all. And the few times I asked someone’s opinion at home, they were comments such as “that smells weird.” So for me, this is not a wearable fragrance but rather a collector item. The rose leather combo added with the plastic smell is definitely unique. I would enjoy someone else wearing this. Although I would undoubtedly tend to think that this person is a little weird and introverted and not necessarily enjoying life that much. It is a nostalgic perfume for a sad person. Just like a depressing yet skilfully made painting, this perfume is art that one should not be around for too long, or it will darken your own mood too.

Beautiful citron opening, yes, whenever I think of memorable fragrance openings, this one comes to mind. When I sampled this one, I found it weird; I couldn't really get a feel for it. I have learned in time that whenever I can't form an opinion on a scent during the first or even second wear, it's probably something special. After a year, I came back to the sample, and the citron got me. I just couldn't get enough of how this pulpy, dry-realistic citrus transformed into a sort of vinyl and three-dimensional space and story. I got a bottle and realized that this scent is pretty dynamic and shifty. Furthermore, I am in awe of the creativity behind this scent. Amouage under Mr. Chong is truly "art". Last summer I had to really restrain myself from wearing this daily. It is in a class of its own. I place this on the same level of genius as Overture Man. If you are seeking uniqueness, try/get a bottle. Ignore people that criticize this scent, as they probably haven't understood what they are smelling. Making a sort of flat negative interpretation. The layers of the florals, the blending of this powderyness and leather, the "redness" of rose becoming purple and yet keeping this sort of greenness and yet being formed into "vinyl" is just jaw-dropping. And how the bottle mirrors these colors in the scent is just one of those details that make me smile whenever I hold this bottle and sniff the atomizer.

I have smelled most "for men" amouages at this point, from the main line Dia and gold are left for me to try out and imitation was the last one, and oh boy i was absolutely floored when I did so, who knew this would be my top amouage of all time! I immediately decanted everything the store had and currently sadly only have 6mls. The scent is fermented in a sour way, patchouli heavy, mossy, leathery, smoky, metallic, animalic and floral. It's like a dry dark leather chypre with floral nuances. The castoreum/pissy musks add a beautiful vintage soft and oily finish to the dark patchouli/ jungle like base and labdanum, combined with castoreum, myrrh, leather and slight dusty soft orris butter create this dark metallic tinge that I die for. The florals at the start are mixed with Citron (a bit softer than most citruses, it's rind like and bitter) and darker notes that creates the dark feel contrasted with juicy sour citrusy accord and softer sweeter floral feel. this paradox is what I love in rose oud like scents but the mid and dry down here is mainly leather , smokes, mosses, patchouli and dark woods. I really cannot wrap my head around the discontinuation of this beauty, I have to find a bottle at a reasonable price now. The performance though, is not as nuclear as other amouages like interlude series, silver oud or outlands, It's acceptable.

Nose Note #894 I wrote a review for Lyric Man yesterday and right now Imitation felt somewhat similar, but when I compared them side by side just now the difference is stark. In comparison Lyric Man feels even more unisex or feminine leaning, and again it just reminds me so much of Flower by Kenzo. Imitation has a similar rose note (same rose essential oil?), but these two accords or citrus and leather are central to the composition. Lets just say Lyric is all about the rose, whereas Imitation is all about all three - rose, citrus and leather. I tried to think of another similar fragrance and the closest thing I have is Gold Intensive Aoud by Mancera (I love it!). To my nose this citrus+rose together feel a bit like a honey accord here too. And the leather is somewhat oudy. Gold IA definately feels a lot more like honey, whereas Imitation has a stronger animalic note. Great performance, great projection, strange bottle design (gives me fruity and queer vibes). Slightly masculine leaning, but can be worn by women. And it can work in almost any season except hot summer sun. Nothing particularly genius, but one of my favourites from Amouage, it's just really easy to wear for me. 8.5/10, the bottle actually reflects the mood of the scent quite well

Imitation is appropriately named since it imitates many masculine iris-based perfumes of the last decade. The most notable comparison is Dior Homme Parfum. You can see the pressure on Christopher Chong to capitalise on this trend, which he tried to do with dignity in Myths Man, But has had to completely capitulate in Imitation Man. Thankfully Imitation Woman fares far better for originality and many men may need to turn their mind to that one for a new Amouage fix. I get lots of orris masquerading as leather, like it so often does. Because to give men orris without listing leather in the note pyramid might scare them. But when did real leather ever smell of powdery orris? Surely this is one of the most frustrating reconstructions of leather. It’s a fantasy accord I have never understood. In contrast, Tuscan Leather smells literally like treated new car leather and Hermes Bel Ami is virtually a new horse saddle. So why must perfumers continue with fantasy leather accords when the real thing can be easily imitated? The “leathery” powderiness is accentuated by the violet flower, and the Turkish rose lends some much needed richness.

Lipstick, leather, a rum highball, and old school NYC grime. I love it. It’s definitely a gender bender. It’s called Imitation Man for crying out loud. I find it fairly unisex, if not feminine. I’m a woman (admittedly, I have no problem wearing masculine scents) and I think anyone interested in the lipstick and floral-leather genres can wear and appreciate this one. Do you remember when Manhattan was still dirty and dangerous? I smell a bit of that funk here. I too get a bit of a plastic note which briefly brings to mind Gucci Rush, which I personally associate with Y2K era Christopher Street. (Not that these scents smell alike, but they serve the same purpose.) By association, that’s what Imitation brings to my mind. NYC nightlife where you can pretend to be whoever you want. On me, this is more waxy than powdery and I also get a hefty dose of vetiver in the drydown. I think this is massively underrated. For me, it is the perfect lipstick-leather. 10/10 BTW...despite the fact the they share few notes, this smells strikingly similar to Nishane Tuberoza. I’m utterly flabbergasted!

True art in perfumery. The perfumer listed, Leslie Girard, has only 7 perfumes in her database. This makes me think that Imitation man was truly driven by the genius of Christopher Chong. This was Chong’s crescendo - his last gift of greatness before he parted ways as the creative director of Amouage. What a spectacular way to make an exit. Imitation man is a culmination of genius that Chong exhibited throughout his tenure at Amouage. This perfume stays true to Amouage DNA and artistry. I could pine on about notes, because in most cases they do matter. Imitation man is just a different beast. Sure, there are notes and accords, but that’s like saying that Guernica has shapes. You have to put your nose on this to understand. What a creation - what a masterpiece by Christopher Chong! The Amouage of those days is unfortunately very much gone. And I wouldn’t be surprised if fragrances like Imitation were on the chopping block with respect to the companies new path forward. If you like the Chong era scents, it may be wise to find a bottle sooner rather than later.

This was my first Amouage that I bought. I received a sample years ago when the scent was just out....I sprayed it on a piece of paper after. everyday I smell the scent and I loved the smell. I knew I wanted a bottle of that juice. Imitation man smells like a sweet rose with flowers and soft suede leather. It has the Amouage DNA what means the quality is very good, well blended. sophisticated. But unique, I have never smelled something like this before. I don't think a lot of people will be offended how this smells. Most people will like this I think. Definitely unisex. I think you could wear this all year round. Winter, spring, fall. for very warm summer days I think I would wear something else but summer night you can pull this one off too. Great perfume from Amouage! Underrated scent from Amouage. Performance is very very good! I understand that some people have difficulty in when to wear this. For me that is why it is so unique. I think this is a signature scent! will it be my signature scent....? Time will till, I love it.

This is a treat for people who enjoy unconventional perfumery. It’s not difficult to pull off in my opinion, but it’s a very unique smelling perfume. Imitation Man has some qualities that I’ve never smelled in any other perfume before. It’s obviously famous for its “vinal” accord, which is very oily, plasticky, and odd. This vinal accord is paired perfectly with myrrh and castoreum, which both add an oily and dark resinous texture. But, even more noticeable than those notes is the rose, musk, and licorice. I don’t believe musk or licorice is listed, but I very strongly get it in Imitation Man. The rose does not smell jammy, dark, or cold. Instead it feels “fake” almost in the way that you would imagine the rose emoji to smell if you were transported to a pixelated world. This perfume is vintage and futuristic at the same time. Sometimes you feel like you’re in the bustling neon city of New York in the 70’s, and sometimes you feel as if you’re in cyberpunk. Very transportive and amazing perfume.

This perfume is masculine and stunning right out of the gate it presents you as handsome and sophisticated so effortlessly. The blending of its notes is perfect, from beginning to end it purrs like a well tuned engine. During the opening the citron, nutmeg and black pepper give out an exhilarating freshness which opens your airways, making you want to breath in the magic. In the heart and base which together last at least 8 to 10 hours, I am presented with the sweet, fresh, earthy and leather notes of this masterpiece, which when I allow myself a few moments to put the urgent tasks of the day aside, evoke in me nostalgia and joy. When my 28 year old son asked me for a niche fragrance so he could make a good impression at his new job I said "sure take this one with you". Well it looks like he has adopted my Imitation Man, but that's ok because whenever he takes me somewhere with his car I get to enjoy it on someone else and it is fantastic. Imitation Man is a 10/10

At the risk of heresy, Imitation Man strikes me as a less-appealing version of Nasomatto Nudiflorum: a rose-dominant fragrance built for a confident woman, but with just enough of an edge to keep it appealing to both sexes. One major problem for me: the rose dominates EVERYTHING, and it's my least favorite note in perfumery. The leather, the iris, the supposed vinyl note--all of it is smothered beneath rose for most of the drydown. Despite the marketing, the floral-heavy composition leads me to regard this as decidedly feminine--more so, for example, than Overture Woman. Bottle is a work of art. Typically strong Amouage longevity. On first impressions, this is not my style at all, but I lucked into a 5 ml decant at a very good price, so I'll post updated impressions after a few weeks. Update: After several more wears, Imitation went from a ‘like’ to a ‘love.’ Despite its unisex profile, there’s something so addictive about this scent. Another Chong masterpiece.

Genel beğeniye önem veriyorsanız ve parfümleri de öyle seçiyorsanız bu parfümle işiniz yok. Tüm Amouage larva olduğu gibi son derece güçlü bir parfüm. Kalite hissi her aşamada sizinle. Bu harika bir Orris- Deri karışımı. Bu ikilinin arasına sıcaklık katmak için gül girmiş. İkili arasındaki boğuşma yaklaşık 3 saat sürüyor. Orris ve Deri bağırıyor, aradan gül de onlari ayırmak için bağırıyor. 3-4 saatin sonunda aralarındaki kavga bitiyor ve birbirlerine karışmaya karar veriyorlar. Gül de böylece sesini azaltıp geri plana çekiliyor. Enerjik bir parfüm ama 3-4 saat sonrasında ağırbaşlı bir hale geliyor. Bu 3 notanın dışındakiler ise alt tarafta oldukca kaliteli bir zemin oluşturuyor. Notalar arasında görünen animalik sizi korkutmasın. Sadece ilk yarım saatte güç katmak için orada. Gençlere göre değil. Her mevsim olabilir. Takım elbiseye uyarmi bilmiyorum, deneyeceğim...:-)

2ml sample. I like this, especially in the air. I get a lot of the rose, citrus and bit of the orris and iris. Really not getting much leather, I slightly detected a bit of the animal note in the dry down. And I really don't smell any nutmeg or pepper in here either, which is a bummer, I love nutmeg and pepper. Kinda reminds me a bit of a softer sweeter, tart version of musk oud by kilian. I wish I had more of the sample to wear this again, I was ready to come home an order a bottle I liked so much of what I was smelling while wearing this, and now I have the last of it on my hand and I'm not quite sure because it just doesn't seem to have alot of depth. Id like to see if maybe I was just missing out on detecting some of these notes. Overall a very good first impression for me of this fragrance, I'd like to try it again. Perhaps even just get a bottle.

Don't let the ratings deceive you. This is a wonderfully complex rosy leather fragrance. The rose isn't too lipsticky or powdery, and the leather doesn't smell like a synthetic car mat. The opening is a wonderful citron nutmeg that lasts a surprisingly long time. If you enjoy the Rose and Cuir by Frederic Malle, Imitation Man takes an Arabian twist of that scent profile in a better way, in my opinion. Excellent lasting power as always and good projection. Leaves an oily sheen on skin when sprayed, hallmark of the high perfume oil concentration. Inoffensive but unapologetically masculine, Imitation Man is the fellow who drives a nice car but never brags, dresses expensively but understated, is charming but knows how to say 'no' graciously.

This is definitely one of the best man Amouages I have, and is at least it's as good as the other crème de la crème fragrances from the house like Interlude and Gold. As is often the way, the initial experience seemed bizarre and I wasn't sure, but a full wear had me completely hooked. Perfumery doesn't get better than this. Imitation Woman is also incredible (and insane). Long live the Chong era (sob). Update: It's like a classic chypre through a twisted Willy Wonka lens, absolutely crazy but very compelling. I don't wear it often, and I often don't think of it fondly, but when I actually do wear it it's glorious. Definitely one of the pinnacles of Amouage at its most creative.

Amouage Imitation man is one of the most complex and most artistic fragrances I’ve ever had the pleasure of smelling. I’m happy to own a bottle before its discontinuation. It opens up fresh and somewhat tart and earthy? It has a fresh squeezed lemon accord with a jammy, yet earthy rose. As it dries, the violet takes over the rose giving a powdery and earthy floral that’s playful and uplifting yet sophisticated and complex. The full dry down has a strong, yet smooth Leather accord making it masculine with a bright side to it, it’s somehow not animalic at all on skin and plays beautifully in the air. Projects well and lasts a solid 7-8 hours on skin. This is art in fragrance form.

One of the most unique fragrances I've ever smelled to this day. The opening is absolutely crazy interesting to me. The way the violet mixes with the rose makes it smells like a sour fruit. I believe this is signature scent worthy and can be worn anytime. Extremely fresh with a beautiful violet accord with very slight leathery nuances to my nose. Has a nice sour jammy rose occasionally throughout. Pure elegance in a bottle. I feel like the man everytime I wear this. Extremely versatile for such a complex scent. You can dress and style yourself in so many different ways and this fragrance will suit it well. Gorgeous scent.

I've read some of the reviews and I agree this frag is hit OR miss for most people. I'm into Amouage, this was one of my later purchases. I like it. I do get the leather, a bit of citrus, spices, a lot of rose, and I get the animalic and patchouli. I don't have anything else that smells like Imitation Man, and when I want to rotate away from my preferred darker frags, this works for me. I think I can wear it in the summer as well as the other seasons, but it will have to be light and no hotter than 80'. Sophisticated and well made...and NOT for everyone. Welcome to world of Amouage!

As usual, Amouage is delivering a masterpice for me. This is so beautiful, you can were this with a casual outfit and with a classic outfit. I find the combination of citron in the beginning with the rose and the violet so beautiful!! In the base, for me the castoreum is a little bit dirty but nice, and the combination of patchouli + myrhh + vetiver combined with the most unique LEATHER, it is DIVINE!!! The longevity is at least 7-8 hours, the sillage is pretty strong 3-4 hours. I find it pretty unisex! Sample it, you will not regret!

I sometimes get Dior Homme vibes from this but with a different arrival. Soft and safe smell indeed and quite different with other Amouage range before. A rare creation to me. No more deep dark mysterious incensey smell of all i have , 30 in my collection. A totally different take. Nice bottle, nice smell but not significantly unique that much. But as collector i want it to be on my shelf. I found that the Woman version is more strange but unique. Still not everyone's taste i guess. I praise Amouage to be different this time.

This is gorgeous! If you remember those grape ice pops you get from the store, this smells exactly like that, it smells like the color purple. I can pick up on the vinyl but that is easily the sharpness of the violet leaf. "Imitation Man" Is that name because this leans so feminine? I totally get the name now. This is unisex but women can pull this off casual or formal. A man? this is not a T-shirt type fragrance. I have 10 Amouage fragrances and this is in my top 5.

First impressions but this is different from amouage that I am use to and I welcome a little change. Very nice, florals, light leather, kinda throwback'ish type of scent, light not overpowering, more of something you would smell in French perfumery. Don't be worried about the castoreum, it's not really animalic. This opens unisex, but dries down masculine, as the myrhh and vetiver gives it a smoky incense touch. Very nice.

I got a PR sample of Imitation for man, which gave me plenty of opportunity to try it out on both my boyfriend and myself. I'm keeping it for me because the myrhh and violet I get from this are just DIVINE. My nose can't really seem to detect the leather here. The leathers I'm used to are Mimosa Indigo by Atelier Cologne and Bottega Veneta EDP - I guess they're quite a lot harsher? (Feel free to educate me haha)

If this lasted longer than 4 hours on me, I'd say Imitation is an easy winner. A honey-like sweetness on my skin, beautiful nip of sourness from the citron, nice florals without being powdery, and then the, what I'm assuming is, myrrh to make it oriental. I didn't pick up the leather note. When I'm rich and don't care that this one is expensive for having mediocre longevity, I'll pick up a bottle :)

I would describe this as leather violet and rose. Very appealing, not the strong type of leather you will expect. The florals calm down the leather, give sweetness and some powderness from the violet. I like it, is nice and can be worn everyday. Usually I dont like the heavy leather perfumes but as said, this is not a heavy leather. It's all ine between leather violet and rose.

Is this a niche fragance that goes in a designer's direction? No, not really. But it smells like Dior Homme combined with a softer, feminine, rose Amouage like Lyric Woman or Gold Woman, and with a lot of leather in it, as well. It is Amouage's rose and signiture all over my body. And I am happy for its sillage and longevity. I guess that for some women this will be a joy, too.

I liked this from the get go. There's something warm and delicious at the center that brings it all together for me and I love getting wafts of it. This is in my top 5 of Amouages, now. I have 10: 1. Lyric Man 2. Journey Man 3. Interlude Black Iris 4. Interlude man 5. Imitation Man 6. Epic Man 7. Sunshine Man 8. Memoir Man 9. Jubilation 10. Gold 11. Myths Man

Imitation is indeed close to Dior Homme Parfum or Intense but not as much as Portrayal is to Fahrenheit. Imitation has its own vibe, the opening is brighter than Dior Homme and the mids and dry down are more floral with a more natural lipsticky note. I just have a sample and it lasts 24+ on my skin. I like it but it's too floral for me, not masculine enough.

Sooooooo good. I blind bought a brand new bottle (2021 batch) and it’s incredible. Very unique, super heavy on that leathery/oily castoreum and myrrh combination with a gorgeous rose, violet, and citron punch. Super unique, strong, smooth, gorgeous in the air. What a masterpiece. It’s sad to see amouage’s best perfumes constantly getting discontinued

This is a rose scent with some interesting additional notes added to it. So I don't agree with the FR profile that it's leathery and woody: these are somewhere far in the background only. But I don't really understand what's in between them. Some light brown haze in the air perhaps...

Incredible royal soapy rose, a floral leathery concoction with a slight powdery lipstic vibe. Literally "beast mode" of a performer, it literally stays on clothes even after washing.

This might receive a cult status similar to that of myths man. In terms of artistry, I think they fall in the same category. A classic amouage that will be remembered!

Love at first sniff. Mesmerizing Stuff!!! I have 12 perfumes from Amouage (by far my favorite House). And I have many more on my buying list.

Amouage have just updated their website and it shows that Imitation Man has survived the cull! Sales must be okay I assume.

Vintage-like smell leather masterpiece! Unique and classy ! Over 30+ . Not a safe blind buy. Not so bold as Myths Man

Just a love from the first sniff. Very interesting and different from all the rest . Great job!

One of the best from the brand. Very underrated. Signature scent worthy.

A real shame it is discontinued! This creation was truly beautiful!

@MrMrBrian As well as Bracken and Beloved! :(

Just like a Violette Fumee by Mona di Orio!

Wow....Perfect . I'm addicted to it.

So...is it discontinued or not...