Jubilation 25 Woman

Jubilation 25 and Jubilation XXV, the latter being the masculine release, was conceived to celebrate the 25th birthday of the storied Omani brand. As far as celebration gifts are concerned, XXV in its current state is the equivalent of receiving a lump of coal in your stocking. It's a debilitated sour fruity woody mess. When Amouage used to design counterpart masculine and feminine releases the fragrances complimented each other either in thematic elements, notes and accords, or both. 25 is nothing like XXV, and I am very pleased by that. This is hands-down superior in every way to XXV, and, most fortunately for those of us that do not like XXV, 25 is unusually unisex for an Amouage feminine release. I was late to the Jubilation party, so I cannot say anything about original formulations and only comment on the most recent ones, but my decant of XXV that I purchased some small number of years ago immediately went into the trash after the second wearing, and I haven't bothered nor desired to go back to XXV for a reassessment. 25 went immediately into my full bottle collection. So, what's 25's story? Well, I'll go back to two previous comments, the first being that this has almost nothing in common with XXV and, second, that its unusual unisex approach for an Amouage feminine marketed release are due to 25 being a classic French chypre of the good ol' floral, stinky, and mossy woody variety. Its opening is a salute to that classic style with plenty of aldehydes, hesperidics, and fruity florals. But the aldehydes aren't classic French (nor Amouage, thinking of the Gold duo); they are not powdery or shimmering, rather they are softly metallic and crinkly like bits of gold flake wafting in the air. The hesperidics are quite sour, juicy and sharp, not smooth and green bitter or zesty. The fruity florals are a unique concoction of ylang-ylang and davana, and give a sort of creamy banana type quality and golden tree fruit of peaches, apricots, and pears layered over their soft floral tones. A big thwack of tarragon keeps the opening from going too fruity, the herb's cool green, smooth and anisic basil type aromas prevent the fruit notes from coming across as too jubilant, too puerile. A swell of Amouage's signature incense wafts upward to usher in a gorgeous rose heart. The incense is fairly restrained, the remains of incense smoke, not a billow of it into your face. The rose is deep, silky, and earthy thanks to costars of labdanum and cumin, but in actuality this is a cistus labdanum perfume - a rock rose perfume - more than it is a rose perfume with earthy contexts. When the florals of the opening give way with a bit more time, it becomes clearer that the cistus has been handled specifically to highlight its floral facet while not detracting in the slightest from its resinous, sticky, earthy facets. It's beautiful. The cumin arrives a bit later, coming across as animalic musky and aromatic woody, acting like civet or the old school animalics would in those French classics by giving us a hit of funk. Helping to drive the animalic funky facet of the cumin note is a salty, sweaty, swampy green vetiver. Stiff and woody mosses show-up around the same time as the cumin, and they lead us in the dry down to a stunning floral, resinous, incense, and woody amber. The cistus labdanum goes full on floral resinous with the rose note becoming brighter and green thanks to the vetiver and myrrh resins. Earthy patchouli ensures the cistus maintains a bronzed glow. 25 is gorgeous work. Despite the enormous earthy gravity that these big and heavy materials and notes have, there is a still a jubilant spring in its step. It genuinely feels energetic, alive, and happy, but that enormity and rich luxury might strain you, particularly since I’m now twelve hours into wearing it and 25 is showing no sign of letting up. That’s a lot to take. I don’t think it will ever get to the point of exhausting me but there is absolutely no way I could wear this in hot weather without suffocating to death. So it might not be for some, perhaps just a bit too much, but this is a once in a lifetime celebration. A 25 year jubilee in the exquisite grandeur and luxury of royal Omani style. What did you expect, a child’s birthday party with pizza and cake?

Amouage is a fragrance house that I have long admired. I have smelled a few of their offerings at fragrance boutiques, and Jubilation 25 was one that I liked the most. I recently received a decant, and so can contemplate it in more detail. The distinctive square bottles with their charming lids that house Amouage's "Woman" scents are among my favourite bottle designs of all - just the right amount of opulence and cultural reference, while being perfectly indicative of the high-quality scents inside. The background to the brand - the Omani royal family's interest in preserving their rich fragrance heritage - is what initially piqued my interest several years ago. As a life-long admirer of French perfumery, I was interested in finding out more about perfumery in different cultural contexts. The name, "Amouage", a Gallicised version of the Arabic word for "waves", suggests a juxtaposition between both cultures, which is never illustrated more clearly than in Jubilation 25. J25 is a great example of a modern chypre (without oakmoss), made in the style of classic old-world chypres such as Guerlain Mitsouko, Givenchy III or Diorella, by way of Serge Lutens. The myrrh, incense and amber add weight and depth, as well as reflecting the Middle Eastern roots of the brand. Ladylike and sophisticated, it also has a hint of the carnal in its base - a perfume for the alpha female. Luminous and warm with perfectly balanced notes, J25 is a complex masterpiece. J25 opens with a fleeting bright citrus notes, but soon develops into a smooth, balsamic herbal-fruity accord. The fruity notes are perfectly balanced, neither overripe nor sweet. Smooth, rich florals creep in, with a Chanel-like rose being most evident. Yellow florals also emerge, but it is tempered by the aromatic incense, which renders it dark and smoky. The myrrh is beautiful, adding a soft spiciness. This in conjunction with the incense is deeply evocative of the thurible used during Catholic funeral Mass (a big part of my childhood). On another note, there is something vermouth-like about J25, reminiscent of my tipple of choice when I lived in Spain. I checked the notes, and the inclusion of artemisia is the reason for this - a main component of vermouth apparently (every day is a school day, it seems). J25 remains green and mossy, becoming earthier as it develops - as to be expected from a chypre. Dirty patchouli comes to the fore after about an hour, managing to dominate. I appreciate its role in the creation of modern chypres like this one - I just like it to dominate less. Other notes balance it out over time, such as the grassy vetiver and the incense that remains until the drydown. The initial drydown is woody, earthy and smoky: dry and dark yet not too dense. It is resinous here, and vetiver takes centre stage. As it fades further however, it becomes a resinous, with softly sweet amber creeping in. It also becomes musky, more animalic than clean/sweet, addictive until it fades completely. Sillage is strong, and J25 is pretty long-lasting. It could be nearly be worn by a man these days (as could most vintage chypres, given how fragrance trends evolve over time). One of the best modern chypres I have sampled - a great alternative for anyone who misses vintage Mitsouko or Diorella. Full-bottle worthy - in fact, one of my best full-bottle purchases. It smells expensive, classical and queenly. Beautifully crafted, it is one of my favourite Amouages and a contender for my favourite perfume of all. Heritage, opulence and nostalgia in a bottle. 5/5.

I absolutely love this fragrance. I have just a 2ml sample, I wore it today, have it on my hand now. First off, this smells extremely similar to Diaghilev. I have a clone of Diaghilev, "trepak, by Alexandria fragrances", and I love that one too. Right now I have trepak on one hand and jubilation xxv on the other. They are very similar, but there's definitely subtle differences, and I don't think I really like one more than the other. The main differences Im getting is Diaghilev (trepak), feels heavier where jubilation feels lighter and more aromatic. Diaghilev has that civet and oakmoss, it's got more funk, I get a peanut butter vibe from it in the opening, it's thicker and warmer. Jubilation has that wonderful insense, it feels cleaner and fresher, crisp and edgy. As far as quality goes, I can't speak to the original Diaghilev, I'm sure it's slightly better in quality in comparison to the bottle of trepak I have, but.. that being said, jubilation is really speaking miles to me about the quality of this Alexandria clone, because comparing the two, aside from the subtle note difference, trepak does in no way smell of lesser quality being a clone. Both are fantastic performers, good longevity, hard to really judge projection on jubilation from just a sample, but it definitely projects. It's softer than trepak, which can fill a room if not careful. But jubilation still makes it's presence know. Overall I really really love this fragrance, jubilation xxv man is my number 1 favorite, actually it's a tie with figment man. So I had really high hopes for what jubilation woman had to offer and it didn't disappoint. Although it's similar to other fragrances, I think it fits perfectly as the sister to jubilation xxv man as the scent is fitting to the name. I really like that insense note in jubilation, and as close as it is to Diaghilev, I still would buy a bottle of jubilation, it's just such a comforting, rich, opulent, nostalgic scent. And the differences make both worth owning especially if you like this style of fragrance. And If you have tried Diaghilev and you like it but not the civet and oakmoss, definitely try jubilation woman.

Jubilation has a perfect development and perfect composition. The top, heart and drydown phases reveal themselves smoothly, and they are well-timed. I was even able to notice the moment when each phase seemed to hang in the balance, then begin to change. It was a pleasure to experience the mystery as it unraveled, seamless and compelling, because the overall scent has a sublime beauty that never diminishes from start to finish. I'm a lover of tarragon in perfumes, and here is no exception. I always feel like tarragon brings such a freshness and liveliness to a scent. Obviously, this is a tarragon of such quality it would ne'er be found dried in the cupboard of your kitchen. If I were attracted to dark and heavy musk, I would look no further than Jubilation for Women, because the drydown is exceptionally musky. Unfortunately, it isn't to my personal taste. I shy away from other perfumes that I love, like the otherwise gentle and sweet La Dame Aux Camellias by Jardins D'Ecrivains, because their musky drydowns are too much for me. I also dislike otherwise perfect perfumes entirely for this reason, like Chanel No 19 Poudre. Where neither of those perfumes could be worn by men, Jubilation for Women has an appeal that transcends beyond gender; I think it would suit a man with its muskiness that rivals any found in men's perfume/cologne. There is an accord in the opening that does remind me of my beloved Mitsouko. It is only one accord, though; there is little mistaking the vast difference of these perfumes. One dries down to smooth, animalic musk, the other to creamy, green oakmoss. This is the main indicator - to my nose - that Amouage has created an oriental floral perfume, while Guerlain has created a chypre fruity. Perhaps someday I might like to wear Jubilation for Women more often. It isn't sunny or nature-loving, like Mitsouko, it seems more solemnly spiritual and suited to indoor, formal celebrations, whereas Mitsouko can be worn for a walk in the park. If Mitousko is a forest, then Jubilation is a mountain. If I smelled Jubilation on another woman, I'd just stare at her in awe, and try not to trip over my own feet.

its a timless master piece.. ..it is so heavenly................. beautiful............divine...........sublime..................one spray and all of lifes most precious perfumes .. moments.. memories.. people come to life........it reminds me of fem rochas.. and of madam rochas combined..... immensely.. with a lot more going on from the golden era of perfumery.. its a s if you have combined the best carons and.. and ..and.. and.. and.. and and all the best classics from the entire renowned houses...and more.. etc............. in to one.. amazing.. everlasting.. timeless.. love spell.. bomb.. or time machine.. that simply takes you to wherever you want to go back in happiness.. and bliss.. the perfume is not explainable in words.. its one of those treasures..that you have to smell yourself to get an idea of what i am talking about .. every perfume addict must have ..its balmy.. smokey.. ambery ..yellow floral mysterious.. i find it a bit aldehic.. powdery.. and resinous..its aromatic ..woodsy ..spicy ..fresh.. mellow.. full .. wonderful..perfumey.. it smells like a perfume..!! in this time and age we live in ..where perfume has lost its identity ..where new generations are deprived of true bliss.. and knowing what rel perfumes should smell like ..this is as close as you can get..to real perfumery ..natural..clean..and refined..its a universal pleaser nothing offensive.. nothing strange..doest need much thinking..not an aquired scent..just a lovely fine perfume worth being called a perfume with honers.. its so unique..yet familiar.. elegant.. sophisticated..yet humble.. sharp ..witty ..yet yet down to earth .. complex yet simple..its a meaningful perfume..it almost speaks to you in love honer and respect....its gracious and grandeur..memorable and unbelievably unforgettable..it carries a story and a history .. edp 100 ml perfume ratting 5 out 5 bottle ratting 4.5 out 5 my personal liking ratting 10 out 5 ! bought from harods