Imitation Woman

Fate Woman was the last Amouage that I loved. But while Fate was mostly an homage to vintage Bandit, Shalimar and Opium on my skin, Imitation Woman is completely new. I’ve been scratching my head to try and figure if it reminds me of anything, and it doesn’t. There’s a general vibe, a nod to genres and a way of saying ‘this is how they used to make em’, but Imitation is a beauty on its own, at least for me, although I’m sure this won’t be one of the popular ones. It’s too weird, too ‘in your face’. Maybe that’s why I absolutely love it! The inspiration behind is 70’s New York, but for me is mostly late 70’s to early/mid 80’s. Early 70’s were still pretty much green, chypre fragrances, and hazy dreamy florals. Think Halston, Scherrer, Chloé, Anaïs Anaïs, Private Collection; fragrances were tough just like the women and the conditions in New York, but there was space and time for a more dreamy world, seen through a haze of erotic florals. Imitation lands somewhere between 1977 and 42nd street; seedy, gritty, colorful and bright just like a neon sign on Times Square. The opening aldehydes (not as big as I wished for, but there for most of the duration) give room to the blackcurrant, the juiciest, highest pitched, most authentic blackcurrant that I have smelled. It’s uber sweet and gives fruitiness a whole new meaning. It’s fruity in the same way vintage Poison or Black Orchid are fruity; not the same by a long shot, but the same carnality and sensuality, hidden behind a playful façade. The licorice, which usually is my nemesis comes soon after, but it is done in such a beautiful and mature way, I keep wanting more of it. There’s a ‘secret elixir’ feel to it, just like a shot from an unnamed bottle served to you at Studio 54 while you’re chatting with Grace (Jones of course)! She would have rocked it back then. The heart brings a honeyed orange blossom and skanky jasmine together, creating a more extravagant 80’s floral heart, with patchouli (earthy and heady), incense (dry and smoky), and sandalwood instead of long gone animalic notes. The beauty and the beast. ‘Pretty’ florals along ‘dirty’ base notes with rough edges to remind us that Bright Lights Big City is also dangerous. Imitation feels like a girl that lives somewhere uptown. There’s a different feel than living downtown, and a bigger sense of security. But she loves to party, and she knows that the real living is somewhere along midtown, Coney Island or the Bronx. She doesn’t mind getting dirty, but she always has perfectly manicured red almond nails and a healthy supply of hairspray. And when she leaves the comfort of her suburban enclosure, she lights up a cigarette, gets of at Times Square, and follows the flow. It might not be Studio 54 every Saturday, but she always finds the right place. Imitation smells bright, ‘happy’. There’s a certain innocence underneath, a sensation that youth is eternal and the world is one big bite, that Saturday nights last forever and the sun will always shine brighter this side of the Brooklyn bridge. Slightly ambiguous, Imitation manages to blend the beauty with the grittiness. It is both clean and dirty, and it’s New York before the Giuliani cleanup that eliminated, along with murder and crime, the rogue diversity that made Manhattan. There’s a scene in The Deuce’s second season opening (HBO, highly recommended) where we see Candy walking along pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers and hustlers. She’s wearing a fur coat and a white silk ensemble that looks like Halston. While she smiles to some familiar faces on her way to a new disco, there’s a melancholy reminding her that some years before she was on those streets asking 30 plus 10 for her services, and a strength that shows her that she’s past those years, somewhere better, but not quite there yet; there are still obstacles in her way. It’s Christmas 1977, the snow is falling, and Candy smells of Imitation. She might not have the uptown living just yet, but she embodies the scent perfectly! My favorite release of 2018.

Uncomfortable. “Life imitates art!” Or so says Amouage in the brief. Well, life is frequently uncomfortable as is art, so I guess the phrase fits – but life and art here, according to Amouage and Pierre Negin, is very uncomfortably fruity. There are enough fruity damascones, acetates, esters, C14, and/or ketones - and who knows what else! - in this perfume to create more than a couple other perfumes, at least in the opening of Imitation Woman that is. It is one of those perfumes where I sprayed it on myself and had the near instantaneous thought: “Oh dear God, what I have done?? I have to go into the office today and I decided to wear this?!” Green apples, oranges, peaches, berries, bananas, and plums abound in shocking quantities of neon juices, crystalline sugar, and oily glossy zests that constrict the floral undertones gasping for air. The rose is trying. The ylang-ylang is trying. The orange blossom is trying. They need to try harder because their floral notes are epically losing a battle to their fruity notes. It is almost too much, like watching a moment in a comedy film or tv series that is so uncomfortable you look away while your stomach churns. Those aldehydes – the C14s, and probably some C8s and/or C10s as well – explode into being, like you were just pelted by some prankster on the street with a balloon full of some concentrated fruity liquid you dare not wonder the identity of. Choking back panic and maybe tears, you hope to get home as quickly as possible and start scrubbing. Rather quickly things begin to calm down, but it’s going to feel like it takes forever. What was desperately trying to come through as rose in the opening fortunately becomes a blackcurrant note that is fruity, a bit jammy rosey, and slightly green and sulfurous, and a very welcome turn of the steering wheel away from the onslaught of fruit. It keeps going in this direction gathering speed as a fruity and earthy floral of a dark plummy rose variety. Then, as if taking a hard turn on a dime, a frankincense note bursts onto the scene that holds back on the incense smoke and presents... fruit smoke instead? If you can, try to imagine an incense smoke that smells purple fruity rather then strictly smokey, and you’ve got it. It’s bizarre yet captivating. The final dry down goes to a more standard frankincense note overlaying plenty of smooth patchouli and sandalwood for a lasting, calming yet uplifting effect. Life imitates art, and the most memorable art and the most memorable lives are bold and daring. So, I guess, this is encouraging us to be boldly and daringly fruity. I know a few people who are very fruity, and it seems to work well for them. For the reasons of boldness and daring, and certainly not for the least of reasons that it is very well composed, I have to give Imitation Woman a lot of respect. Negrin and Chong have given us many masterful perfumes under the Amouage name, and this is definitely one of them. You’ll just have to decide if it’s your style of bold and daring.

I have been here to write the review of Imitation woman quite a few times before. It's like a deja-vu moment for me. I could never write it. By the time i can put pen to paper (fingers to keys on the keyboard) I forget all about the notes and whatnot that constitute this fruity bamboozlement that is Imitation W O M A N! and yes, I'm a man. and it's also true that I got this for my girlfriend who (thankfully) rejected it but it was always love-at-first-sniff for me (I'll tell you all about it soon) and I only decided to let it go because it would have stayed in the fam (wink wink) Okay, I'll confess. I have no review to write for this sweet confusion called Imitation Woman. the notes are beyond me. I'll leave it to Kafkaesque to write a snobby academic essay on the note breakdown and unfurl other chemicular (is that a word?) mysteries. I'll just say what happened and how I felt. I take these saxophone lessons and have no prior experience in music. Dabbling a little in music theory with an amazing teacher. I bought the cheapest saxophone money could buy and kept daydreaming about being the next Coltraine in about forty more years (provided I practice ten hours a day or so). So I got the sample and sprayed a couple. Swear to god, if my saxophone had a smell it would be this. this sweet, fizzy fruity, jammy, ylang-ylang-y, bamboozlement coming out of the neck and horns of the golden alto. It's cacophonic sillage choking the neighbours next door. I call up my girlfriend and rave about it. "If my saxophone had a smell, this would be it", I remember saying. And i swear i didn't even see the "An olfactive imitation of New York City’s multiculturalism in the 1970s this floral aldehyde fragrance is a tribute to an iconic era" scribbled at the back of the sample card. The description is spot on and Pierre Negrin is a genius (duh!) The guy also made Black Orchid and comparisons can be drawn. Not to say they are similar by any stretch of the imagination but... they have similar dark backbones. Nocturnal animals of different kinds but built on the same chassis, as it were. I spray it every time i practice the sax (progress is sloww but steadddyyy) and I'm transported to the heart of a world marked by excesses, flamboyance, and richness.

Imitation Woman is exquisitely beautiful and brings modern, everyday relevance and ease to the chypre category. I prefer it to Amouage’s Jubilation 25W, finding it an easier reach. This is not a girlie-pop mall fragrance, but one for perfumistas who have been around the fume block (and the world) a few times and now only have time for a flawless luxury trip; I’m thinking the Bristol in Paris; It is gorgeous and easy in the same way. There are no rough edges. Imitation perfectly balances syrupy richness and ethereal radiance, light and dark, black fruit and incense, evoking Paris in the 80’s more than NYC in the 70’s. It’s closer to Dior Poison than to Halston, although it is not as brash as either and considerably more beguiling than both. It inhabits another intoxication dimension. The notes are perfectly balanced and moderated while lending the fragrance a truly stunning and unmistakable presence. Its masterful restraint makes Maison Crivelli fragrances feel like a trip to a NJ turnpike gas station; you don’t need Dawn dish soap to wash it off, and more importantly, after hours of evolving play, you won’t want to. When I wear it, Imitation quite literally makes my day, or night. There’s something sparking and musical in the dark shadows, like the thrill of a Stradivarius floating from the choir of a candle lit church in Venice. It is La Traviata on Saturday night at the Met, not Donna Summer at Studio 54. The aldehyde/chypre aspect is mind blowing. It makes me feel sorry for Rue Cambon. How can it be so stunning, yet easy to wear every day as well as on special occasions ? Imitation is like nothing out there; It is set apart- a true masterpiece. I think it’s my all time Amouage favorite (thought that’s a tough one!) with Memoir woman as the super-wow, winter ‘flanker.’ I can’t get over it. I’ve never been more tempted to buy a back up bottle of a $400 fragrance. I’ll have to wait until Lent is over. And, did I mention that GEORGEOUS bottle?!?! I could go on...

AMOUAGE Imitation Woman Pierre Negrin 2018 Unisex imo “Life Imitates art” Like this fascinating bottle the scent itself as well is neon colored and a chameleon. It sounds strange but after smelling the scent the term makes sense. First of all the scent is very unique and different than all other Amouages. Secondly the combination of notes is very interesting. White ORANGE BLOSSOM, JASMINE and ROSES in the opening are surrounded with captivating mix of BLACK CURRANT BUDS which is not juicy (it’s not the fruit itself, it’s buds!), ALDEHYDES which is not soapy or frosted, and LICORICE which is not sweet neither Anis. YLANG-YLANG in the opening is not tropical like sweet or sour. Nothing in this scent can’t be imagined with the list of notes. It’s one of the most difficult to put into the words. All the notes are somewhat abstract and something which you haven’t experienced before. The result is vivid, a little bit vinyl like but not synthetic, nor cloying. It’s very enchanting, it’s airy enough yet vibrant without being sticky or headache-inducing. After wearing it a couple of times you will notice that it’s astoundingly wearable, versatile and charming yet totally unique. The drydown is heavenly and polished , even intoxicating, with SANDALWOOD, PATCHOULI and INSENCE while all the other notes stay there until the end creating this magical concoction. This scent is called here Chypre Floral which it is not. I don’t know why so many scents are called as “Chypre” nowadays without its characteristic note pyramid. Men’s counterpart is not for me. It’s very artistic but too plastic imo. Definitely worth to try though. EDIT: Bought it later and it's gorgeous. Thank you for reading, I hope my review was helpful. I would appreciate a lot if you want to follow me on IG and/or YouTube (English subtitles): @ninamariahperfumes It gives me a lot of motivation to write more. 🤗

I didn't think I could love an Amouage more than I love Interlude Man, but this is it for me. Imitation Woman is spectacular. I normally can't stand blackcurrant in any guise in perfume, but this is some sort of addictive magic. And, it has distinct stages (three or four I reckon), all of which are as beautiful as each other. Stage one - floral psychadelia with minty blackcurrant Stage two - blackcurrant buds come to the fore with aldehydes and church incense wisping in and out Stage three - warm resinous incense with the sweetness of the initial florals coming back as a garnish Stage four - incense embers and smooth woods Incredible! Side note: this being for sale on Amouage website doesn't mean it's not being discontinued, they have to sell the remaining stock. They seem to be getting rid of all but the best selling perfumes from the Chris Chong era to focus on crowd-pleasers and expensive flankers. I'd say get this while it's there, as it is too weird and artistic to be retained by Monsieur Salmon with his anodyne commercial vision. Update: On a stifling, humid, roasting hot day, this is the absolute shit, so glorious. The florals and blackcurrant bud in the opening are so ripe and juicy, and despite it being super strong (too much, I find, in other types of weather), somehow the aldehydes lift it off the skin into this joyous, summery fanfare, but without ever being overpowering. I was almost considering selling this, as since last summer I hadn't worn it at all, but I'm so glad I didn't. This is my number one for boiling hot days when I am out and about in the sunshine 👌🏼

This fragrance has rocketed into my top 5. I bought a sample about 6 months ago and was very unsure of it. However it was a dabber sample, and one thing about Amouage in my opinion, they really need to be sprayed on. So I purchased a little spray decant and was immediately hooked and ordered a full bottle. In the opening, I smell Orange Blossom, syrupy Black Currant, and Rose. The licorice and the incense/aldehyde blend almost comes across like vetiver. It is a little bit unisex. I could see it being controversial because some people really don’t like black currant or licorice. As it settles into the heart, the syrupy sweet black currant continues along with the licorice and aldehydes and smokey rose colored incense. Sandalwood and patchouli show up here and there but they are very quiet in the background, supporting the heart notes. I am not normally into aldehydes, but this is not Chanel No 5 aldehydes. These are blended gorgeously into the black currant giving it a cool lift. This fragrance lasts for hours and hours projecting that spicy sweet fruity goodness. This can be warn in a hot summer or a cool fall. This is one of those fragrances that every time I spray it I think “I could just wear this one and this one only for the rest of my life”. (obviously I couldn’t really, but that’s always my first reaction lol) This one is definitely not blind buy safe, but if you are intrigued at the notes, it’s worth sampling.

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN? Referencing an 80s pop song to describe a 70s-inspired perfume, but if you try it, I think you will see what I mean. Seems like a lot of the reviews so far are more "gut reactions" to particular notes rather than holistic assessments. Luckily for me I don't find any of the individual notes off-putting. I confess I'm sorta digging the big glamour vibe of Imitation Woman. Comes out of the bottle screaming Crazy! Wild! Let's Party! Nothing subtle going on here. Very few feminine perfumes convey "dangerous woman" in the way this one does. Not so much mysterious, noir femme fatale; but more "I'm loud, reckless and irresponsible" and "I may lead you astray but it's gonna be fun while we do it." The opening phase smells like muscat grape energy-drink soda and booze spilled across a nightclub dance-floor shrouded in hazy clouds of luminous green dry ice, hairspray and cigarette smoke. Then it calms down over time and becomes more restrained (but never entirely respectable). Would be absolutely laughable to wear in formal or professional environments. Would certainly get people thinking "where is she at?" So not very versatile then. Almost exclusively a "going out" or nightclubbing perfume. But nothing wrong with having one of those in one's wardrobe, surely?

On my skin this begins with a confusing blast of fruitiness, yellow florals and something so odd and strange, at first I was thinking I'd need to go wash my hand. In my spreadsheet, before looking at the notes, I called it "mint" and "something strange and terrible." My dramatic yet vague language aside, thankfully, this phase ended after a few minutes. Now, in the heart of the scent, it's densely sweet with vintage vibes, edges of currant green fruitiness and lots of patch. The overall effect on my skin is mint, but of course, the "mint" I'm getting is a combination of the zesty patchouli mixed with incense and aldehydes. This scent reminds me of fizzy cola with a few springs of mint garnish. I get the vintage vibes--I get how some might say this is a nighttime frag. But you know how cola and mint make sense for any occasion? I can see someone with the top down on a vintage corvette, and I could see someone dressing this up before heading out to dinner in the city. It's a beautiful work of art and I think it might be more influenced by the wearer than anything else. Completely unisex, imo. update: Last stages of this scent are primarily aldehydes, incense and woody notes.

Another masterpiece from Amouage. I love it because it's such a chameleon! On the first try, I got a lot of black currant and cat urine. It gave off a really retro vibe, and I shied away from Imitation for some time. I tried it in hotter weather later and I was astounded -- intoxicating white flowers, ylang-ylang and a whiff of aldehydes. The dry-down is magnificent, really... I get a lot of incense and creamy, sexy, poisonous white flowers with fruits and aldehydes dancing along somewhere in the background, adding up to the complexity of the scent. Strong sillage, average lasting power in extremely hot and humid weather, excellent lasting power at 77°F and below. I'd say wear it at any time of the day since it gives one such a badass vibe. It makes a stern, crispy aldehydic black currant in winter and in autumn and a seductive, eccentric, modern incense-y fruity frag in summer and spring. Definitely not a crowd-pleaser but I had some people comment on it saying it smells amazing.

I got it blindly... was tempted to buy this scent, because I’m a fan of patchouli and a fan of oriental type odour... Must admit, wasn’t happy from the first spay! At the beginning what I could smell was only a strong and very sweet black currant note hitting my nose... (I do not like sweet perfumes!!!!) After sometime I realized I’m enjoying the smokiness on me!!! Such a great perfume! Another peace of art by house of AMOUAGE! 😍🥰💫 this perfume has a CHARACTER! Just wow! Nothing to compare with Guerlain “La petite Robe Noir”! Though, if I would need to choose between Imitation woman and Figment woman - would definitely go for Figment woman! To sum up, I love this perfume indeed! So it’s in my TOP 5 for sure! Again... I’m taking a bow to the house of Amouage! U guys r masterpiece creators! Creating something so different and unique! When I’m wearing these perfumes I feel like “one in a million”! Thank You 🥰🤍🤍🤍🤍💫

A masterpiece, almost indescribable...it’s more a feeling, a time and place. So unique there are only a handful of occasions I would be led to wear this...A whole year after first opening the bottle, it is much better than at first sniff...blackcurrant syrup, like ribena, meets hot vinyl fresh off the record player, a generous dash of YlangYlang, smoky incense blended with the most stunning patchouli, and a sprinkle of liquorice. It make’s me think of sweltering 70’s nights in NYC, of smoky lounges and drug fuelled discos, of glamour and seedy opulence, and being carefree! I prefer this in warm temperatures- it opens up beautifully on the skin and radiates all day. I can see it being polarising for sure, not a safe blind buy - however I did just that, and will never part with this beauty so it was a win for me

I absolutely adore Imitation Woman! It's a great mature night-time scent. I very much agree with NZFH's review: I completely pick up the girls just wanna have fun & dangerous woman vibes. I can also see why this isn't a crowd-pleaser. I do like the NY 70s story behind it. It's a little sweet, a little sour, it's smoky, it's loud, sassy, brash, sexy, juicy, and unapologetic. And it smells just like my hookah. Imitation Woman brings to my mind a late-night hookah joint with belly dancing. And since I'm a pro belly dancer myself, it fits me perfectly so I got myself a bottle LOL. I haven't been so excited about an Amouage new release since Lilac Love came out. I do enjoy the other recent releases, but this one is special to me & stands out in a good way. Not everyone will agree, and that's okay!

Amouage Imitation is truly one of my all-time favorite fragrances. There’s nothing quite like it, and I haven’t found anything better. What I love most is how it changes depending on the temperature. In cold weather, it’s vibrant and energetic, while in warm weather, it becomes deeper and more intense. It’s fascinating how it adapts so beautifully. The blackcurrant note is amazing—fresh and tangy, it really adds a unique touch. And the aldehydes are what make this fragrance stand out for me. It has a different aldehyde quality than most perfumes, giving it a distinctive, special feel. For me, Imitation is my signature scent, and honestly, the less people know about it, the better. It’s one of a kind.❤️

Didn’t really know what to expect, but I came away loving it. I got reminders of perfumes like L’instant de Guerlain when I got whiffs of Orange Blossom, some hints of Jazz club and also By the fireplace by Maison Mariela when I got whiffs of something boozy and smoky, and suddenly a lovely aromatic patchouli. The change from the opening to the dry down is a heck of a trip and one of my favorite things about Amouage perfumes. The opening is definitely a little “interesting” for a few seconds but it’s so shortlived. The mid and dry down is where the magic is with this beauty. Also that bottle 😘

I’m obsessed with this fragrance! Opens with a cold, gorgeous tart berry and floral expression. The flowers are so well blended that I can’t really tell what’s in there. I don’t get cat piss or bug spray or animalic notes at all. The dry down is a warm quiet patchouli. I wish it lasted as long as Guidance 46 does on me. I sprayed much more today than last time and will give it a full wear to work and then an eve event to see how it lasts. Edit: still in love with this fragrance and its sillage and longevity are significant. Wish I got the bigger bottle

Yes it is a strange perfume. The opening is quite sick and later becomes more easy. I smell a kind of flower thats very strange and very dominant. I dont know what flower that is. Sillage is good. My car is filled with its smell the moment i got in. Distracting me while im driving. But im good sniffing it. The dry down is quite masculine and very pleasant. So i love it. Regardless of how strange it is, however it retains its uniqueness and pleasant that asking me to buy. Niche collector must have! To me this perfume deserves an Award!

This one has all of the best notes I love, I should love it. But something is making this one very weird, for the first half hour. Then it’s beautiful so I bought a full bottle . I am obsessed with smelling this one so I always have to spray some on the back of my hand. I don’t know if i love it, it’s more of an addiction to the scent. It’s a keeper and a 7/10. Only coz it doesn’t last. But nothing lasts long on me . I have to use a primer. Eccentric molecule is perfect for making perfumes last .

Wooow, this in one of my favorite Amouage- it is absolute for warmer weather! The first half hour is a little bit strong but then it will be softer and a real fruity beauty. Very unique- it is extemely long lasting (double time as Amouage Dia) and it has huge sillage. 2 spays is really enogh!!! I think my 100 ml bottle will lasts for 100 year. For me the main actor is blackcurrant and incense. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

Well I’m just loving this little big fun fragrance, starts off with a fruity look aidish smell, little insense, but not too smoky but sweet and a little tangy?oh the florals! The ylang! Pleasant woods. Kind of a orchid ish black vibe but sweeter , very unusual but I’m really digging it. Hard to explain, no big licorice to my nose , must be blended very well, it’s very likable. Gotta try it yourself.

If this can be considered as a warm fragrance will classify as such, because gives a sense of warming sun on a bowl of fruits and berries that you eat. It is a very interesting fragrance and the bottle is stunning. Lovely especially in winter for me, will see how opens in warmer months. Be careful with dosage can suffocate, it is very strong and very long lasting!

It's a very Guerlain style, especially "La petite robe noire" Line. Nice, cloudy rose, emerging from a bouquet of red fruits and blackcurrant union, which stays almost inchanged through almost 5 hours. Stable projection. Safe parfum, devoid of olfactory aggression all it's way through. A huge like fromm me.

I love this. But i think it's been discontinued. I got an awesome clone from Perfume Oil Expressions which is a beast and one of the first perfumes I've worn that got me lots of compliments. There's something about this that really is nostalgic but it's still modern & chic.

This is a powerhouse of a fragrance. Fruit, patch, incense, aldehydes, and ylang are what I mostly get. Projects like crazy so spray lightly. Just wow. Bought a couple backups of this because it will soon be hard to find in the old formulation.

This fragrance opens with a ‘burst’ of green black-currant and follows with a huge floral bouquet. The effect is bold and punchy, but also bright and airy. Very reminiscent of a big 80s floral with depth and complexity, It’s fabulous. Love.

Big floral notes (rose, jasmine) mixed with this slightly sharp, aldehydic vibe that feels very old-school but luxe. Then it gets darker with incense and patchouli, so it’s not just pretty... it’s got attitude👏🏻✨

I don't understand how this is so underrated with just 3.90 out of 5.00. This is The Masterpiece of the brand, next to Ubar. Love, love, love!

My daughter told me I smelled like SpongeBob’s crabby Patties candy when I walked past her :-)

Selling my 100ml full bottle, in the new packaging. 205€ shipped. EU only. Edit : It's sold.🌹

Great perfume. Not for young kids for sure. Black currant at the start is amazing. 9/10

so vivid. amazing use of aldehydes and blackcurrant. wow! study bitcoin.

It's not discontinued, it's still available on the Amouage website.

That is a kool aidish fruity smell to start.darn auto corrector!

This one is actually quite pleasant, I must say... Smelling these in store, I was taken aback by how impactful it was -- blackcurrant floral with a rose-sandalwood base -- nothing revolutionary, nothing life changing and nothing at all different, but a wonderful, well-blended, non-bombastic Amouage scent. I could almost say it would belong in their mid-2010s range, possibly like a Lyric Woman, or something of that vintage -- it's been 10 years since Amouage started breaking my heart with the watered-down, lukewarm stuff (you know what I'm talking about!), but this one stacks up. I gotta admit, this is one I could have gone for 10 or 12 years ago, I feel. It has that solid top and mid note range, and that everlasting base. It is a little synthetic and artificial in the dry down, but it is indeed something I could happily smell and smell again. Maybe not something I would purchase and use regularly, but something I could use if I was scentless and in a department store. The fruity-floral open is NOT obnoxious, and the floral-sandalwood base is rich and pleasant. I can happily put this on my 'not bad' list from Amouage -- worth the sniff.

My feelings about this fragrance flip-flopped quite a bit while I was testing it. On paper, the initial spray was underwhelming - very sweet and fruity, which seemed disappointingly one dimensional, but I grew to like it after a few hours, with the smoker dry down. I tested it on myself, and was shocked - the blackcurrant note was still strong, but once the fragrance is on skin, the incense is STRONG. I understand how it might give some people "granny" vibes, and while that doesn't always bother me, the opening is just too loud for my taste. But 15 minutes in, and the incense became darker, smokier, and some almost vanillic notes appeared. The drydown of this fragrance is right up my alley, but I will have to test it more extensively before I can commit to a full bottle. Like most Amouage fragrances, this is definitely worth testing before you buy - the house is known for making unique, and sometimes difficult scents, and body chemistry plays a huge role in how the scent reveals itself to the wearer.

Life imitates art and so does perfumery. I never really explored Amouage’s women’s line before, even though I don’t see perfumes as gendered. Truth be told, my mom has this fragrance, and I never thought to try it until last month. I wore it on a hot night, heading to the movies at the mall. Expecting something more “feminine forward,” I applied lightly. To my surprise, I enjoyed it quite a bit. The standout is a mature black currant note that blends beautifully with the florals and aldehydes. The aldehydes bring a fresh quality not citrusy fresh, but a clean, airy freshness that keeps coming back as the scent evolves. Beneath it all, you get the deep base notes that are so typical of Amouage. It carries that touch of elegance you’d expect from the house. For me, this is definitely a unisex scent. I have not yet tried Imitation for Men, but I am sure I would enjoy it too. As it stands, Imitation Woman surprised me in the best way. Another hit in my book.

At Imitation's core, the fresh, soapy aldehydes blend smoothly with the tart grape-juice-esque crispness of the fruity accord, and both are elegantly supported by the sweet muskiness of the classy, expensive-smelling florals. The composition is commendably cohesive, but dichotomous: the florals and aldehydes are clean but the black currant and incense are dirty; the aldehydes are cool but the licorice and incense are warm; the florals are honey-sweet but the black currant is tangy-tart; and all the notes smell fresh, but none of them smell light. It's classy and refined, yet arch and challenging; a bit cut-throat; a bit playful. Like vintage Chanel with a subtly post-modern twist. I don't really get much of the woodiness until nearly two hours in, when the aldehydes and black currant cut out, at which point the whole thing dries down into a classy balsamic wood scent, as soft and smooth as warm silk.

Strong black current and aldehydes. Mixed with licorice and rose it has some sort of vintage perfume feeling and I can see how some people would appreciate this. Quality is excellent (hope so at that price tag). Smells natural and expensive as it is. I would say this is an amazing perfumery creation. It's perfectly mixed and different from your other typical female perfumes containing black current and rose. If you're a fan of classical feminine perfumes try this. At the price tag, I won't buy though. Maybe in 10 years I'll revisit that perfume (if still on the market) and get a bottle.

This is just such a weird scent especially from amouage. The initial blast is hard to stomach ngl. Doesn’t smell as luxurious as the scent it settles into after some time. Just 30 minutes and it gets really yummy. One of a kind I’d say but the closest thing I can compare it to is CK reveal. But not exact. This made me look at amouage differently like oh these people are crazy crazy.... And I love them for it

At first I feel incense, although it should be at the end. Then I smell aldehydes, and because of that I find it very similar to sparkling Stairway to Heaven, however, a little mixed up with a weaker incense. Quite an interesting result. I enjoyed reading some of the reviews here :)

Definitely feels like the 80's and I most definitely get the cat piss. Thankfully though, it's only in the opening. I get the visions of metallic spandex leotards, overload of Aquanet hairspray, and neon lights. They did well. Another evocative masterpiece from Amouage. Bravo.

I tested it yesterday & I would describe my initial impression of Imitation like a sweetly spicy scent of smouldering incense, sweet and delicate licorice & rose essential oil. Imitation is softly floral, gently spicy, oriental & enchanting.

A complex, bright, and airy fragrance that opens with sweet blackcurrant jam. Then there are refreshing aldehydes on a base of incense and patchouli. A celebration fragrance. Sweet, primarily fruity. Lasts as long as possible

well blended! I could smell something between One Man Show Emerald Edition & Lapidus Pour Homme in this nice fragrance!

Fruity aldehyes with just a touch of patchouli. I agree this one is a bit of an outlier for Amouage, but it's nice.

I’ve been wanting this perfume since I first tried it in the sadly now closed Osswald store in soho in 2018. Finally was like- fuck it and bought it from some rando seller on eBay. While I don’t doubt it’s authenticity- it’s just weird af to spray at home. Maybe it’s the climate? Dry & cold NYC fall/winter doesn’t suit this fragrance? All I get is sour. I’m not getting any of the groovy fruity mayhem like when sprayed in a store. Oh wait- now the sour has calmed down and I smell the incense. My husband loves it on me and said the sandalwood & licorice combo does it for him. I guess I like it a bit more knowing he digs it. Def need to put it away and try again in like- June. Also should probably try it against one in a store- although I really don’t think this is a fake. I find my Amouage Epic to be way too batshit at home when it smelled heavenly in Osswald. Maybe everything smelled better at Osswald! Ugh RIP Covid closed perfume shops! 😭

This is my first time trying this fragrance. I'm testing it from an original Amouage sample. The first spray reveals fresh blackcurrant wrapped in a cloud of aldehydes. The opening feels bright, sparkling, and full of energy. As it develops, the blackcurrant gradually thickens, losing its freshness and transforming into rich blackcurrant jam. After a while, a smoky facet emerges, and the fragrance begins to smell like smoky blackcurrant. As the scent continues to evolve, the blackcurrant recedes further and further into the background until it eventually disappears altogether. What remains on my skin is a dense, smoky trail. This perfume reminded me of Givenchy Hot Couture Eau de Parfum. The difference is that in Hot Couture I perceive smoky raspberry, while here I get smoky blackcurrant. If you enjoy the idea of a berry fragrance with a smoky character, you may find this similarity quite intriguing.

This is strange and a little challenging. I can’t quite discern the top notes but my nose is thrust straight into the strange intermingling of licorice, blackcurrant and aldehydes. There’s an airy whisp of a white floral floating somewhere in the background. This isn’t “woody” in the traditional sense and doesn’t quite dry down to a lovely warm woody expectation. Instead the mid notes remain albeit joined by a couple of meek friends, incense and patchouli. I’m glad I resisted blind buying this instead opting for a sample. A little too challenging to consider a purchase, but complex and niche.

So I have had this samhple for some weeks now and even though I was scared to revisit it being that I hated it as much as I did- I decided to try it. I am now getting the flowers and no longer getting the masculinity. The Jasmine is now super strong. It smells like a park in the summer in the city. It is no longer horrible- but still not to my liking. It has become more interesting and I can see why those who love Jasmine would love this. I will revisit it again in another month or so. For now, I still would not want it- but no longer hate it.

Update July 15th 2022: it’s finally the correct weather (high 80’s & humid) for Imitation to bloom. To me this is a strictly hot weather scent. Warmth allows all the prickly jagged aldehydic sour berry elements melt into the licorice, woody incense- -rather than sit awkwardly on top (when worn in cooler temps). It’s still quite eccentric. I have to be in a specific mood to wear this as it can easily wear you. Quality, sillage & longevity amazing as was all of the Chong era Amouage. Meh about the recent stuff.