Perfumes of the Night

The absolutely wonderful, efficient and amazing Vijay at Suravi Online included lots of great samples in my last order of Montale, and two of them were Dia and Gold from Amouage.

This is a line I had heard about for a long time and had wanted to try since I first saw that bottle. To…die…for.  Dia is billed as a day perfume, where its sister, Gold, is definitely an evening perfume. Trying ever so gently NOT to be biased by that gorgeous bottle, Dia has notes of Aldehydes, Cyclamen, Bergamot Calabria, Violet leaves, Fig, Sage, Tarragon. Heart Notes: Bush Peach Blossoms, Rose Oil Turkey, Orange Flower, Peony, Orris. Base: Gaiac Wood, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Incense, Vanilla, Heliotrope, White Musk. That’s a lotta ingredients, y’all.

When it first goes on, it is way too big on me, too rich, too — just too.  One commenter said that this smelled like a trophy wife perfume.   Ayup, that’s my first impression as well.   As it dried down, the big floral part of it gives way to the base of gaiac wood, cedarwood, sandalwood, incense and musk. The drydown is very much more to my liking, woody and incensey, with the floral bouquet providing a thin gossamer cover to it. It isn’t heavy at all, and I revised my opinion on it being too much — it’s pretty much just right. This can be worn during the day, but give it about an hour or two to settle in before you head out the door. Now, it is uber-expensive, and this constrains me from getting a full bottle at present, but if you love stunning perfume bottles and care not how much you spend on perfume, this is a terrific perfume in the drydown, and I’d buy it in a second if cost were of no concern.

Gold by Amouage, on the other hand, is a Perfume of the Night. One little tiny spritz on my shoulder, and this goldladies1.jpgperfume blooms big and gloriously rich.  Not a trophy wife, this is the real deal — old money, boarding schools in Switzerland, furs, diamond cocktail rings, organizing sales of artwork for the Museum and Bentleys lined up in the driveway.  Top notes of rock rose, lily of the valley, silver frankincense.  Heart notes of myrrh, orris, jasmine. Base notes of ambergris, civet, musk, cedarwood and sandalwood.  The civet, musk and woods keep this thing from being too garish — it is earthy and rich and suitable only for night and your best dress, and get a fur or a fake fur to go with it and white gloves, for pete’s sake, but the garters or a lacy thong will feel right at home in Gold’s company.

Given that my idea of an evening out is a new rental from Netflix, I think I’d never have anywhere to wear this, but for those that have lots of ritzy evenings and need a perfume that smells like Old Money, this is it. In your high end perfume, it’s a better bargain than most. One spritz will take you through an entire night and keep you company at a late brunch.

Now y’all can start throwing stones. Yes, they are high priced, but I’ve never been averse to paying a stupid amount of money for a perfume that I want and love. Nothing can replace the experience of opening a package all the way from Guerlain in Paris, pulling out the samples, the pretty bee bottle, or opening that gorgeous and simple crystal Caron bottle with the stopper.

The Amouages are high octane like Patou 1000 is high octane.  They also fit what they are designed to be quite well — a perfume experience in an exquisite bottle that smells rich and luxurious.

  • Vijay aka Maisonstinky says:

    Victoria, thanks for giving that information. I did not know that, we learn something everyday.:)

    By the way are you the same Victoria that emailed me at suravionline.com for the 50 ml’s in the Montales. If you are, I could not respond to you because your email address did not come through ( I hate it when the technology does not come through). Email me at [email protected] and I will respond.

  • Flora says:

    Hey, what did I SAY? Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, as the saying goes … /:)

    Oh yes the Gold – sigh. My sister’s favorite, in my top Ten, and just exquisite. And MUCH TOO expensive but worth it if you can swing it.

    Ubar? My favorite of the line and so deeply, darkly, perfectly chypre. Too bad it’s gone away….I am hoarding my bottle!

  • Cheezwiz says:

    I think these 2 would be too big and over-the top for me. I am curious about Ciel – the notes sound a bit softer, and I absolutely love the aquamarine juice and the silver stopper on the bottle. The Amouage bottles make me drool – so stunning!

    I think if I had money to burn though, I would go for L’Artisan’s ltd. edition Orange blossom instead :d

  • Victoria says:

    Guy Robert created some perfumes for the line, but not all. His is Gold, which is remarkably similar to his Madame Rochas. If you email Amouage directly, they will give the full listing of who did what.

  • Vijay aka Maisonstinky says:

    According to the Amouage web site the creator of the line is Guy Roberts :-?.

    Thanks for the wonderful review Patty, by the way I love Amouage Dia for men.

  • Patty says:

    Robin, this explains a lot. Totally did not see that it was JCE’s. It’s not as subtle as he usually is, at least on the first spritz and for the next hour, so I would have never guessed that, but the drydown has his subtle hand and development.

    Where in the world do you run down who actually creates a certain perfume? I can find some of them, but not others, is there one good source, or do you just keep in in a spreadsheet? If so, my hat is off to you!

  • Robin says:

    Gold is lovely, and so is the unfortanately discontinued Ubar. Dia I didn’t love on first smell, but since finding out it was by Jean Claude Ellena, I’ve been meaning to try it again.

  • Patty says:

    Cait, you are an interesting one, you know that? 🙂 But I think we all are in some warped, wonderful way.

    I think you’d admire these. They may not be love for you, but they are definitely suited for what they were made for. Pretty cool when that happens.

  • Patty says:

    R, I didn’t get an off note at all. I think maybe you had samples that were something, or maybe it’s a note that doesn’t agree with your nose? I really liked them both, just not sure I want to spring for them… but that bottle!!!! I am just an easy girl for a pretty bottle. 😉

  • Patty says:

    Pam, no way! I have hope to be in style yet again!!!

  • Patty says:

    Ina, so odd. The Dia, after an hour or so wasn’t heavy smelling at all on me. It was actually pretty beautiful. Not light, though, either. The gold, as well, even though the drydown keeps this definitely in the heavy, rich perfume category,I didn’t find it to be too much in the drydown either. Surprised me, given how loud they were on first spritz. 🙂

  • Cait says:

    I just like to cut the shoulder pads out of things and then do samba shoulder shrugs when I want to fill them out. /:) Hahaha. I obviously need a personal seamstress to go along with my taste in perfume, which makes me want these Amouage puppies.

  • violetnoir says:

    Patty, I had samples of these a few years ago and hated them. There was something in the base that just smelled not right to me, sort of chemical as I recall. Did you notice anything a bit “off,” or maybe I received bad samples.

    Hugs!

  • Pam says:

    Patty, there might be some good news yet on the shoulder pad horizon. Vogue Patterns has introduced some fashions which are reminiscent of the Nolan Miller/Dynasty era: Pleated sleeve caps which require some nice sized shoulder pads to set them off, for example. So, what you consider idiocy might really be cutting edge style. **fingers crossed** With you in the old broad arena, BTW.

  • Ina says:

    Great reviews, Patty! I used to love Dia but never wore it much since it was pretty heavy-smelling on my skin. Can’t remember what Gold smells like. Totally agree with you that these two smell like Old Money. 🙂

  • Patty says:

    Marina, we agree? Wow! That hardly ever happens! so cool!

  • Patty says:

    Pam — I did go get me a pair of shoulder pads, and they are my new idiocy. I can’t help but love them, but keep thinking their day has passed just a little so I’m verging on “Old Broad Who is Living in Last Decade” idiocy.

  • Marina says:

    Absolutely agree with everything. Great reviews!:x

  • Pam says:

    I meant budget, not budge. Keeping the budge happy sounds like something Pooh might say. LOL

  • Pam says:

    Yep. Ditto to what Patty said about $$ for ‘fumes yet driving an old clunker and wearing yester-year’s clothes to keep the budge happy. That’s me. ITA with what Elle said about viewing the Guerlain and Caron masterpieces as works of art, and the fun part is, it’s art we can wear without ever having to worry if the shoulder pads are too big or not. 😡

  • Patty says:

    Oh, I can’t even imagine that Amouage would be everyone’s thing, and the Gold, while I admired it for what it is, really isn’t me at all.

    I agree with you on the priorities. I’d far rather drive an 20-year-old car and scuff around in five years’ ago’s fashion than to give up a beautiful perfume that brings me so much happiness.

  • Patty says:

    Yes, March dear, civet. I tried this one before I read your Chicago report, and I couldn’t believe you just all that dismissed all that civet, ambergris and musk! Well, you’ll get to try it again shortly. I was a little shocked at Gold’s thong under that Chanel dress. I think your sniffer was tired. 🙂

  • Elle says:

    I have to admit that I liked, but didn’t go into swoon mode for the Amouage scents. However, just wanted to say how much I love that you said “I’ve never been averse to paying a stupid amount of money for a perfume that I want and love.” 🙂 I am so w/ you on that one. I do interesting, but sadly low paying work for a living, yet in my budget hierarchy ‘fumes get *serious* precedence. Have never once regretted forking over for a gorgeous Guerlain or Caron. I think of it as the equivalent of an art collection – one that I use and enjoy daily.

  • March says:

    Did you say … civet?:x

    Flora was right, you’d think I’d remember smelling that Gold in Chicago. I smelled 3 (4?) and they just had this uberexpensive sameness to me without the … exotic plumage I expected as a signature. Like smelling your first Serge (or your first Patou, really.)