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

Memoir Man is currently one of my top three favorite Amouage fragrances. What really stood out to me is its dual nature. It feels like it has two distinct facets that shift depending on my mood. When I’m feeling low or introspective, the darker elements of the scent come forward and almost mirror that mood. When I’m energized, the freshness, especially the mint, becomes much more noticeable. At its core, it’s a dark fragrance, yet it has a unique ability to lift your spirits. While the scent itself stays consistent, the way it makes you feel changes from day to day, which gives it a certain quiet majesty. I would describe it as a modern fougère with a distinctive twist, driven by its mint and green notes. It could work as a signature scent, although wearing it every day might become a bit tiring over time. It definitely leans toward the bold, more intellectual side, offering a complex scent profile that still feels relatively approachable on the surface. Compared to Enclave, which leans more into an amberwood-heavy profile, Memoir Man feels much more natural. It does have some drawbacks, mainly its longevity, which is around five hours, even less.

This is the most complex frag of 250 reviews. Every time I revisit this one, I get something new. I am getting the softness today of the rose and vanilla. Beautiful woody incense, bitter herbs, smoky and fresh... When I first tried this in the very cold winter, it seemed flat, I thought, I dont get this. Interlude and Jubilation are great fragrances, but Memoir Man has now become my top 5 and favorite Amouage. It is so refined, a beautiful masterpiece by Karin Vinchon, a great perfumer. MM is strong and powerfull, yet so subtle. It reminds me of my favorite fragrance Lumiere Noire Pour Homme by Francis Kurkdjian; a blending of contrasts into a harmonious whole. With MM, fresh green notes with a smoldering aromatic smoke, anamalic leather, and slight floral touches of rose and lavender. As an Incense fragrance, it is the most exquisitely beautiful fragrance. Some fragrances blend light and dark, like Lumiere Noire, or warm and fresh like Egoist Platinum. Memoir Man gets first prize on the theme of hot and cold. Rating: 10/10 God bless you. John 3:16 The season is important for this one, Spring and Fall seem best.

Memoir Man opens with bright emerald green and rich, sweetened, almost chocolatey tobacco. I like it, even though it rides the line of almost-tacky. A few minutes in, it starts to dry out a bit and become more herbal and “gray” with lavender, while the wormwood’s anisic-bitter character becomes more noticeable. The chocolate note moves in and out, sometimes becoming richer with leather. Nearly two hours in, the incense comes out, silver-gray and smoky and far lovelier than incense has any right to be. Finally, the scent settles down into the brown zone at 4 hours or so. This is probably the ultimate Mars scent, as traditional planetary correspondences go – wormwood, basil, and tobacco are all “under Mars”, and anisic fougeres like Memoir Man are a very classically masculine genre. I’m a huge sucker for wormwood – it’s so bright and juicy and bittersweet – and it’s a brilliant contrast with dark chocolatey tobacco. I love the execution here. It’s very legible, very dramatic, what you see is what you get – bright green, deep brown, and silvery gray.

My relation with this fragrance has changed from a dislike to like to a complete addiction. I actually couldn't stand it the first time I smelled it, but then slowly found myself really in love with it. If you didn't like it the first five or six times you try it, that's maybe normal. Be aware, if you continue smelling it you will suddenly find yourself where I am now. This is green, warm, woody, and creamy. It is like someone you know you know, but you can't remember who and where you met. I don't know how to explain it, it's familiar yet not at all. I get extremely good longevity, but not very strong projection. IMO this is perfect, I smell good (or at least the way I want) but I am not choking everyone else around me. It's not a first date, first impression, or interview scent. This is a signature scent, people will come to like it on you over time and you will like to be identified with it. This is how art should be.

This fragrance really caught me off guard. Truth be told I didn’t really know what to expect from it. With that being said I can’t really say I’ve ever experienced a fragrance even close to this one. The opening is very unique and it isn’t challenging at all. I find this to be a relatively easy wear. This fragrance has a very natural earthy, clean, and buttery smooth profile to it. It’s also very light and airy with just the right amount of sweetness and it’s not a very dense fragrance at all (very office safe). The only reason why I wouldn’t buy a full bottle is because it’s just the opening that makes this fragrance special, and sadly that isn’t very long at all. Maybe 2 hours max and then all that’s left is a hollow shell of generic sweet amber. If the whole life of this fragrance could smell like the opening then this would definitely be a 10/10 for me. But the poor longevity of the top notes makes this more of a 6.

I first sampled this over a busy Saturday on the weekend... Never really bounded with it over the day... Kind of forgot I was wearing it and nothing really called out special to me... On second and third outing wore to work took more notice of it... Its a light and airy version of beach hut man to me in the opening... Little green hints of ivy and subtle mint green but softer than beach hut... Nice... Then after lunch its a beautiful, not your run of the mill, soft and airy and on the calm side of subtle scent... Really gone up in my estimation... Has a little mild incense feel in the afternoon... I don't think I've anything else like this... Funny the top comment is Unique and distinctive which is bang on... This really grows on you... Its a love for the times you want to stand out in a crowded room without standing out in a crowded room... Top drawer stuff...

So far, Memoir is the only perfect incense fragrance I know. It’s been my stormy weather go-to, but some reviews below encouraged me to wear this in early summer, and yeah, the aromatic notes make it work. Amazing how it cools in the heat, and warms in the cold. My experience doesn’t quite agree with the comparison with Memo Russian Leather (whose profile is heavy on suede, making it resemble ELDO Tom of Finland more). The chocolate/Tootsie Roll observation? Haha, yes but just a minute and a half upon spraying. Weightless darkness, mysterious without being enigmatic, smooth and deep. Ultimately an abstraction, so not particularly transportive to me. I’m just not sure if it leans melancholic, intensely thoughtful, pensive or borderline arrogant? It’s a door that opens and shuts and opens and shuts. Emo, maybe. As humorless as it is, I love it.

This was my first fragrance from this house. Upon first spray I did not care much for the opening, The top note of absinthe was really challenging to my nose but with time I’ve grown to appreciate and even enjoy it. This is a fragrance that gets better as it evolves on skin. It’s very complex, and that’s one of the things I like about. The dry down is fantastic, give it about 15-20 minutes to start evolving before final judgement. It is a challenging scent so you may need to a few wears to fully wrap your head around it. It’s herbaceous, creamy, dark, and the mint gives it an effervescent quality that remains throughout the majority of wear. There is also a damp feel to the scent, so I can understand why many visualize a dark forest floor. If you enjoy challenging, complex, sandalwood fragrances its worth getting your nose on this.

I've wanted this for many many years and finally got a 50ml this past week. I absolutely love this! I think my memoruly of thisnyears ago from my 5 ml sample was a bit more sharp with the wormwood/ licorice likentop note. Now, it seems a bit more rounded and refined. Regardless, i'd consider this predominantly grassy leather vanilla scent with woody facets. People often describe this as a dark scent and i was never sure if that was the bottle's indluence on perceptions but to me, this has always been more a green scent... like a mossy green immagery. But i can also see the leather effect also giving this bit of darkness relative to other hyoer green grassy scents. Anyway, this is great and i'm thrilled to have it in my collection finally. Definately amongst my fav from Amouage.

I thought I got a bad batch because this is really a skin scent in 5 minutes... But after reading the comments I feel kind of relieved..? Yes, it still is a poorly performing perfume but at least I'm not the only one 🥲 also, Jubilation XXV bugs me a lot - got myself a pre-owned bottle (full package) but the lack of performance just made me think I got a fake one. Maybe it is fake indeed but at least the performance issue is now a bit more clear to me. Either way, as much as I'm saddened by the weak silage of Memoir Man, I am simply blown away by the beauty of this fragrance. It is so muchpleasurable (albeit intimate) that I can definitely forgive the abovementioned drawback. My bottle is 50ml and even though I got it new, the bank account did not suffer.

This is green to the max - reminds me a tiny touch of Nasomatto Absinth or the green perfumes from the Orto Parisi line. To me it opens clearly with artemisia, wormwood, some green resins, maybe oak moss - a fougere basically. The back is clean woody. You're not going to get a lot of vanilla or amber here - it's first and foremost aromatic fougere clean and woody, not warm or sweet at all for me. The mint here, luckily, doesn't mix with the spices like the in the Enclave where it smells of a cheap toothpaste and spices. It brings a green freshness, not an artificial chewing gum. Very natural, very well made, worth the price, lasting and strong. Not office safe unless you go light on the trigger, it's potent, you don't want to choke anyone. Masculine.

Memoir Man smells strongly of the Fall air filled with shades of Dark Greens, Browns, Reddish Browns, & Black. To keep this very complex fragrance simple, it smells like an "Absinthe Scented Potpourri". Imagine you took bowl of Fallen Leaves, Pine Cones, Rosemary, & Lavender. Then added to it fresh sticks of Licorice, & Vanilla Pods, with all of this resting on a bed of Dry Tobacco & Mint, then dusted with Nutmeg & Cinnamon. Just like the scent of fresh Potpourri Memoir Man Is dry. Its sure to conjure Fall Nostalgia & images of Rustic Halloween Decor. So If Fall is your favorite season you'll more than likely enjoy Memoir Man. But be warned. To untrained noses Memoir Mans Opening notes of Wormwood, Mint & Basil can be a bit polarizing.

I think I’m going signature with this. You can not lose. Pencil-shavings, if I had to pick one word for this scent. But it is so much more, even being hard to pin down at times. Longevity is eternal. There’s really no need to spray on clothes unless you just want the shirt smelling for weeks or until a good washing. I’ve smelled this on me, and strongly, after a shower, sleep, and another shower in the morning. Projection is great for the type of scent it is, right where I like it, meaning, you won’t have any problems smelling it, neither will anyone else, yet it gives off a such natural scent cloud that you forget and are reminded of it endlessly throughout the day. My first Amouage but not my last

My favorite spring fragrance hands down, good for fall too! It has a dense dark green vibe with elements of freshness and a hint of sweetness but not much. Very dry and somewhat herbaceous but blended so well! It hasn't been successfully cloned probably due to the complexity and quality. Amouage is the BEST at perfumery IMHO, just really expensive for a fragrance but this one is worth it to me. Sample first for sure. Such a unique fragrance that's both earthy and clean. Beautiful! Scent - 10 Bottle - 10 Longevity - 7 Projection - 6 Quality - 10 Price - 7 Uniqueness - 10 It takes time to understand this fragrance but for me it gets better with each wearing. My Spring Niche Signature Scent! 10/10

When I wear memoir man, I’m transported into a courthouse. I’m sitting outside of a courtroom, on a hard and cold wooden bench, and I’m observing the people walking by me. The air feels uncomfortably cold and piercing, and I can’t seem to recall why I’m here or when I got here. I’m wearing a long and dark water-soaked trench coat and the smell of the earth is clinging to my clothes. There’s a gray haze filling the air like a dream or a distant memory. Memoir man feels uncertain... But that’s the uniqueness of it. When I wear it, I feel important for a reason I can’t describe, and that’s the beauty of niche perfumery. You aren’t wearing a fragrance, you’re creating a story (or starring in it).