Memoir Man

As always the case upon reviewing fragrances, especially the ones that are popular, or much-deserving of a review, I always take certain measures in improving overall effects, or eliminating potential drawbacks of scents. Therefore, I applied unscented lotion around my neck, being the applicable part of my body - where I applied the fragrance – to eliminate the possibly of skin dryness. I avoided eating onions or garlic, which can easily travel through skin pores, affecting the performance of a fragrance. I also avoided smoky / greasy-smelling environments. I applied two full sprays on each side of my neck, totaled four. As mentioned, this fragrance has been a blind-buy, so I have no prior biases or unwarranted criticism toward it. Right from the top notes, I instantly got the basil and mint, not necessarily wormwood, or it might have been somewhat faint. Nonetheless, the opening is quite enchanting, giving much to be curious about going from mid notes, to base. Not long after, the incense and lavender made their introduction, with the former totally overpowering the latter. The rose is faint, did its “required" appearance, a quick tease, then exited the scent. At the point, lavender and incense fought it out for a bit, then the lavender lost the fight, considering the incense / frankincense is a force to reckon with; nevertheless, non-aggressive, but possesses a high degree of confidence to overtake or overpower anything on its site, yet again with refinement, politeness, precise directives, and exquisite blend. There's undeniably a pencil-shaving aspect to this fragrance, which is quite reminiscent to Gucci Pour Homme I. The aspect or nuance is so damning that, you would quickly assume it's Gucci Pour Homme I, being blindfolded to sniff both. This being said, you would quickly come to your senses, realize the difference in the quality of the incense / frankincense from Amouage Memoir Man, being the superior one. If Gucci Pour Homme I can be compared to Amouage Memoir Man, it's an instant gratification / hype for Gucci Pour Homme I, as Fragrance Enthusiasts may reconsider the goodness of it. Gucci Pour Homme I can be worn, both, casually and dressy / dressed, but Amouage Memoir Man is better suited to be worn dressed-up, in order to properly convey your intentions of displaying sophistication, grandiosity, class, and opulence, with much confidence. Amouage should have named it: Sartorial Man. Amouage Memoir Man is a mature fragrance. If you're in your 20s, you may want to stay away / refrain from it – unless you're a bit daring and much more mature for your age. Also, if you're not into incense / frankincense, stay away, as it dominates most of the journey of this fragrance. However, if you're into incense / frankincense, along with (woody notes) amber and leather, your search is over with this spectacular combo to form the character and complexity of the fragrance. At approximately 45 minutes, the daring and adventurous incense jumped to the base, coordinated tasks with the creamy sandalwood, amber, tobacco, and leather, as the other notes appeared quite faint, barely noticeable. It must be noted that this tobacco is quite refined, somewhat ashy. Perhaps the other notes got intimidated by the prowess of the incense, and they decided to rescind themselves. Well, as often the case, no matter how strong you may be, you will “eventually” get defeated. Considering the fragrance lasted about 10-11 hours on my skin, the incense finally surrendered to the mesmerizing amber, refined tobacco, and refined leather from the 9th hour into the journey. This fragrance has moderate projection, at arm's length, lasting 2-3 hours; above average sillage, and superb longevity. All these criteria were being determined with the assistance of a female friend. She really likes this fragrance. In conclusion, I absolutely adore this fragrance. From 1 through 10, I'm awarding it 10. The House of Amouage, you have created a Masterpiece, bravo!

THE MEMORY OF FEZ EL BALI MEDINA There was an intense minty smell in the air. It is certainly due to the strong mint-leaf tea that everyone is drinking. The atmosphere is cooler and greener than usual. As usual in Fez, the coffee terraces are overcrowded. I can only glimpse middle-aged men dressed in "djellabas" and "babouches". Many of them preferred the bitter, clear absinthe to the warm drink of fresh mint. There was also a disturbingly sour aroma of Artemisia and Angelica in the air, which aromatized the absinthe and countered the prevailing freshness of the mint. If you're looking for the leathery, woody, rose-like scent of the desert, you shouldn't be wandering around El Bali all the time. As long as you stay away from the "Souk Des Tanneries", your nose is free of the spicy, pungent, skunk leather smell. Where I was, one could only sense the gentle aromas of herbs, spices, balms and oils throughout the winding alleys of the Medina. As usual, I got lost in the tangle of scents and I also had no idea where I was. Judging by the stores and the noise of the artisans, I should be near the "Souk des Étameurs" near "Place Seffarine". I just resumed my walk. The smell of incense was now very strong. I was probably not heading towards my destination, but my nose was in heaven. Oily resins, noble woods, sweet spices and herbs now dominate. I began to recognize the appearance of the "Souk au Henné". Countless bottles of different shapes and sizes were competing for space in the store. Baskets and plates with brightly coloured spices powdered, pieces of wood and bits of incense, piled up so that the customer never missed an offering. I felt like I could breathe this divine air forever. Whenever I want to return to the small alleys of the Medina of Fez, I sniff myself sprayed with a couple of Amouage Memoir Man whiffs and, as if by magic, my mind again wanders through those fragrant souks. Ratings for this deep green and minty incense perfume: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ - Opening: 9.0 (fantastic mint and absinthe, but I miss some sweetness) - Drying: 8.5 (deeply resinous, balsamic and amber, but still a bit too dark green for my usual preference) - Longevity: 9.0 (above average; I easily get 12 hours of lifespan with 3 sprays) - Sillage: 7.5 (slightly above average; you get a maximum trail width of 1.5 meters radius and 2.5 hours of projection) ~Uniqueness: 10.0 (a unique fragrance) - Portability: 9.0 (fall and spring + summer nights + winter days) - Versatility: 7.0 (You are already cold, but you still need some extra green dark freshness? Try Memoir Men!) - Compliments: 7.0 (not very good at it, but with a few fans bursting out here and there) - Quality: 9.5 (high-quality ingredients; excellent packaging, solid bottle and efficient sprayer) - Presentation: 9.0 (very nice, though similar to all of Amouage's men's collections) - Price: 6.0 (140 euros for the 100ml bottle? Maybe it was on sale as it used to be more expensive) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Overall rating: 8.32 / 10.0 (between 8 and 9 = recommended) Note: This fragrance is intended only for lovers of the mint-absinthe-incense combination. It could even be your signature perfume if it fits this recipe. Recommended for blind shopping? No! Try it before you buy it, as with any unique fragrance. It's also too expensive to buy it blind, even if you think you'll love it. Have you ever been to Fez? No other fragrance reminds me of this ancient city like Amouage Memoir Man. Music: Youssou N'Dour - "7 Seconds"

If I had to name a favorite active perfumer, I'd be hard pressed to choose between Antoine Lie and Karine Vinchon-Spehner. And as fate would have it, I'm currently sitting at my computer wearing two nearly identical fragrances: Lie's "Des Cendres" from Les Abstraits on my left wrist and Vinchon-Spehner's "Memoir Man" from Amouage on my right. These are both fantastic fragrances; but with subtle differences. Here is my tandem review (to be posted under both). Des Cendres--or "From the Ashes" if vague memories of high school French class serve--is aptly named. Its foundation is rich, dark, and smoky with underpinnings of birch tar and pine tar. Oakmoss, leather, (subtle) hyraceum, and patchouli give further support to the top notes of violet, tuberose, and (even subtler) mint. I describe the scent pyramid in this order because I really feel that the perfume presents itself this way--you are plunged immediately into a dense smoky fog from which the lighter and more fragrant notes gradually emerge...from the ashes, as it were. Memoir Man is the flip-side of this experience--that is--a much more conventional journey: The top notes of wormwood, mint, and basil guide you gently into the rosy, resinous mid-section and--gradually--you are immersed into the base notes of leather, oakmoss, vetiver, and a melange of smoky woods. Both fragrances are brilliant but neither is blind-buy safe; office-safe maaaaybe; not really restaurant-safe unless it's a steakhouse or casual dining (especially barbecue). Performance is similar (i.e., robust longevity, mild projection and sillage). Either could be bottle worthy, but you really don't need one if you already have the other. If you favor a bottom-heavy, darker, smokier, and more brooding scent then I would recommend Des Cendres wholeheartedly. If you prefer a slightly more well-rounded and aromatic profile (which includes a medicinal mint-wormwood note; and is still plenty dark, brooding, and smoky), then Memoir is your Man. I already own Memoir, so I'm skipping Des Cendres (albeit with a due tip of the cap to Antoine Lie and the Les Abstraits team). However, if the situation were reversed, I would gladly maintain Des Cendres in my regular rotation (alongside La Douleur Exquise and Belle Ame from the same house, as well as various fragrances by Amouage). Memoir Man and Des Cendres are equally impressive interpretations of a similar theme by two genuine masters of perfumery. It all comes down to your own particular preference. Des Cendres: 9/10 Memoir Man: 9/10

Dark dark herbs, this almost comes off like a barely sweetened dark chocolate on initial spray to me. From initial blast to very early dry-downs the greens brighten up a little surprisingly, and the wood makes itself a bit more known with the incense lightly enveloping it. I feel like with each wiff I'm plunging deeper into a dark green area. I picture in my head an ancient eroded temple that's been overtaken by trees and plants, the sun can no longer penetrate the overgrowth. Also the song "Death Image" from the Death Note OST popped into my head for some reason along with that image, the first time I've ever had a fragrance trigger an audio memory in me, something I never would have anticipating ever happening. Also interesting as I haven't heard this song in probably over a decade so I spent about an hour trying to figure out where this song that popped in my head was from. Memoir takes me to a pensive or meditative state of thought that no other fragrance has before. Beautiful beautiful art that has left me stunned. I would gladly wear this any day any time but not everybody would enjoy wearing this. Definitely give this a try, at the very least sample or purchase a small decant to experience the vision this scent can give you. I see myself using this both going out (no dress code for me with this scent, I feel a strong connection with this to not worry) and for my personal enjoyment at home on a quiet day.

Nose Note #846 I first had Abraaj Memento, and I don't know if I'm dissapointed, but this dirt cheap dupe was so damn close to this. I've run out and can't compare them side by side, but just from memory - man, it gives you the same experience. Now, Memoir Man is slightly sweet, Memento didn't have any sweetness. Memento had this earthy/tomato/wormwood note amplified (which is actually really cool), whereas OG paints a bigger picture. Overall, Memoir Man is just a much more complex experience, but I can't say it's worth almost 12 times more. If it was at least 5 times as expensive, I'd say just go buy Memoir Man. The worst thing is the performance, it doesn't stick to me at all. Performance is just above average, but rather strong if you overspray (10+ sprays). Sillage is a bit more than intimate. So, one of the quietest Amouages, and I have almost all from the Mens line. This is a unique thing, just like every Amouage fragrance and I wish there was a better dupe. Fragrance World/French Avenue can do just outstanding things, 99% close. Memento is 85-90%, which is good enough, but Amouage feels deeper, definately more oily. The only drawback for me is this slight vegetable sweetness, but Memento didn't have. 8.2/10, it still deserves a higher score, it's just nothing else I've tried