Amyris Homme

I completely agree with the statement in the pros section that says "tropical summer vibe with a warming tonka woody winter vibe." This is in all ways a high heat fragrance, but smelling it reminds me of winter for some reason. To begin with, let me just say that I agree with the comparisons made to this fragrance. It does give off a slight Chanel allure homme vibe in the opening, but it smells more like a hybrid between YSL l'homme and Prada l'homme. Actually, on my skin, it smells the most like YSL l'homme because it just smells like a huge blast of pepper on my skin after the mandarin and subtle rosemary in the opening fade away. After it dries down a bit, the iris and chocolate become very dominant. I don't smell any coffee or oud, and my skin chemistry amplifies oud, so I wouldn't say there's any oud in this fragrance. Maybe Kurkdjian included the lowest amount of oud possible in this fragrance to be able to legally say that this fragrance contains oud, just to be able to overprice the fragrance, but this is not the first instance of this unethical practice (consider Tom Ford and Creed). Ultimately, the tonka bean starts smoothening and sweetening this fragrance, giving it a mass-appealing quality. I love how the tonka bean is used in here, because it reminds me of winter even though I've never smelled this fragrance until I recently bought it. Now, about the performance. Lemme warn you in advance that my skin chemistry is not the greatest with citrus fragrances, because those tend to underperform on me. The longevity is okay, not more than 4 hours on my skin. The sillage is huge in the opening but then drops flat after 5 mins. This smells unequivocally masculine, mainly because of the pepper overdose. The price is quite bad, but at least it's masterfully crafted, the raw materials are high quality, and the perfumer is respectfully goated. Overall: Scent: 8/10 Season and time of day: Summer and spring days (but also peppery and icy enough for refreshing wear in winter) Gender: Masculine Longevity: Moderate (mid) (3-4 hrs with 3 sprays) Sillage: Moderate (beastmode in the first 5 mins but then falls flat almost immediately thereafter) Price value: Overpriced (good perfumer making high quality frags, but definitely overpriced for the performance it offers)

Amyris Homme leaves an impression of “not much effort but still flawless” from the moment it first reaches your nose. An understated, artificial, measured elegance. Just like a perfectly ironed but loose shirt... the elegance inside is hidden in its simplicity. This perfume seems to have been designed for men who do not like ostentation but want to inspire respect in their surroundings. No one notices how much you spray, but when you leave a room, that air is still there. It almost blends with the skin, creating a feeling as if you are smelling it from the inside rather than from the outside. Amyris Homme has a bit of French cinema in its air. Like those plain but mysterious characters. A man who does not show what he thinks but draws attention, who neither laughs nor talks too much... But once you make eye contact, he is like a man who offers a silence that can deepen. This scent gives a kind of “clear mind, clear view” feeling. Modern but not sterile, warm but not suffocating. Despite the hustle and bustle of a day in the city, it carries a sense of inner order. Despite the daily rush, it smells like someone who protects his personal space and boundaries. It performs very well especially in hot weather. It does not get heavy, it does not stick, it does not tire you. Instead, it remains on your skin like a nice, silky layer. In the office, outdoors, in a meeting or on an evening walk... It has a structure that adapts to all. It does not belong to a single environment; it is versatile, but never ordinary. Some perfumes impose themselves on you, while others adapt to you. Amyris Homme is in the second group. That's why it is easy to wear. It does not try to show itself, but still attracts attention. It is like the polite man of modern times: a presence that exists without making noise, but whose effect does not fade. (Amyris is often referred to as "western sandalwood", but it is not a substitute for true sandalwood. It has a slightly sweet, slightly woody, citrusy, creamy feel. Its structure is more volatile, its effect is calmer and simpler. In perfumes, Amyris offers a similar character to sandalwood, but more budget-friendly and fresh.)

"Masterpiece" is a word I don't throw around too much when it comes to fragrances, and if I do it's often an objective appreciation of the art, and not a personal love of the fragrance itself. Many of the best I've smelled are along the lines of "this stuff is amazing but I would barely wear it," however this is one hell of an exception. For way too long I've been looking for an everyday cool-weather scent that's not cloying, exotic, gourmand, or too mature/sophisticated. Something that's fresh and clean, while being soft, warm, and comforting. Stunningly beautiful yet understated. Unique and worthwhile yet simple. And I gotta say, Amyris Homme is that fragrance through and through. Clean iris and amyris warmed by rich tonka, lifting up the soft spiciness of rosemary (and something else almost cinnamon-like, it might take a bit more time for it to click). All rounded out with this sweet, powdery, lactonic cacao note that takes this composition to another level. These are some of my all-time favorite notes in fragrances. Personally, this is a warm scent and would come off as cloying in the heat. The fact that so little people vote this as being suitable for winter is crazy to me! If you're someone who isn't a huge fan of scents that are overly spicy, sweet, or laden with boozy/tobacco notes, then this is an absolute banger in cold weather. This fragrance in general is for those who are put-together, like to make themselves presentable, but don't take themselves too serious. Confident, dependable, yet not afraid of the side of them that's soft, filled with the inevitable flaws and quirks of us as humans. If you have a fragrance like this really suits you well then you probably know what I mean. Glad that after spending so long collecting and sampling, I finally found a fragrance that truly resonates with me in a way other than "wow this smells so good." While performance isn’t spectacular, I'm refraining from trying the extrait for the time being. Trying a potentially better version of this and not being able to afford it sounds terrible.

I first smelled this at Macy's and didn’t really get the hype. So I ordered a decant and I’m glad I went with a 30 ml. This is a smooth, bright spring summer fragrance that comes across as quite sophisticated. There’s a subtle “pheromone-like” vibe to it (my wife really likes that), along with a faint note that reminds me of chocolate-coated waffles. It’s not sweet in an obvious way more like the smell of waffles lightly dipped in milk chocolate rather than drenched in it. The opening is citrusy, but it has a warm, sunny quality to it. It actually reminds me a bit of the uplifting opening of Byredo Bal d’Afrique, possibly due to the Amyris note. In the middle, that chocolate-waffle nuance becomes more noticeable. The base leans into tonka-heavy amber and agarwood, but I still catch whiffs of the amyris popping up every now and then, which keeps it interesting. Performance is solid. It has good sillage and longevity, even if you personally feel like it’s fading. One thing to watch out for: if you apply it on damp skin right after a shower, it can give off a slightly medicinal, cough syrup-like note from the chocolate aspect. I noticed this happens when there’s moisture on the skin, so I now make sure to apply it only after I’m completely dry. Overall, this is a classy, office-safe fragrance that feels smooth and refined without relying on the usual vanilla-sandalwood combo that’s everywhere right now.

On my skin, it starts off airy, cool, green and metallic. It then dries down to a green, earthy, creamy, slightly sweet and powdery scent. It smells like "mountain breeze", at least on the initial spray - the airiness, the cool, mint-like effect, the greens that smells like pine trees – loved it! The airy, effervescent effect of it is interesting and I loved this aspect that seems to be common to MFK offerings, in my mind - BR540, and Gentle Fluidity Silver also has this effect, and speaking of GFS, I caught the same metallic scent from GFS here. That mountain breeze vibes is gone after 15 mins in my skin. I wish it lasted more though. The drydown, even though not as much, is still interesting – earthy green, creamy, powdery and subtly sweet. It feels unique but familiar at the same time. There are times that I smell its earthy, green-ness more, but there are also times that I can smell the makeup-y aspect of it. It's perfectly in the middle. For me, this is very versatile. Perfectly unisex, can be worn day or night imo, and can be worn on warm or cold days. It seems to have this character that tries so hard to be in the middle but ends up as someone that is not sure what it wants to do. It's a bit hard to picture out a certain type of guy/girl that would wear this honestly. Appreciate and love how masterfully blended this is, having no character also fits perfectly for me – a 10/10!