Amouage Beloved & Xerjoff Oud Stars Mamluk – Sex From A to Z

In other words, today is the day to review astronomically priced and really beautiful and interesting scents that ooze sex, like Amouage Beloved and Xerjoff Oud Stars Mamluk.  For those of you that have your hands over your eyes and ears as you are reading because you don’t wanna hear about $400 perfume, I don’t blame you. Save yourself, click the back button now.  But I do have one reason to be happy about the $430 price tag on Beloved and the 300-400 price tage on the Oud Stars. More on that in a second.

Amouage Beloved – I’ll just go all in, join the Perfumed Internets Bandwagon and say this is my scent. It’s everything I want.  It goes on lush with all of that lavender and clary sage frolicking through those spiced flowers, saving it from its own excesses.  Like a youth that goes galloping off in love with life, bumping into one bad choice after another, falling madly in love with other people, beliefs, ideas, only to fall into the abyss of disappointment when nothing lives up to what/who they believed and wanted – always a narrowly averted major train wreck, leaving behind parts of their heart, ideals. Some inner sense of preservation keeps pulling them back from the edge of Really Bad Things that Happen.

As the days of their life go on, that impassioned train wreck of what is now their past becomes an undefined part of them. You can see all the lustiness of their life in the eyes that still sparkle from a well of sadness, and you can hear it in the deep throaty laugh, and you can feel it when they reach over and hold your wrist when you talk about a loss in your life. They wear the weight of their life easily, it doesn’t wear them.  

Amouage Beloved should be a hot mess, and it’s not.  All of those elements – white floral, violets, dirty bits of civet, musk, amber, incense, immortelle, sage – become cohesive, never muddied.  This is not a small perfume, it goes on big, stays big, but it doesn’t have big projection. I can smell it near me, and it wafts beautifully when you walk, but it’s not Giorgio Beverly Hills big – the weird elements that you think don’t go in there – sage, cedar, lavender – keep it from careening out of control, sending you fleeing from the elevator if someone gets on wearing it.  The good news for why it should cost so much? I don’t want everyone wearing Amouage Beloved – I want it to be mine, mine, mine!!!  Where is the sex in Amouage Beloved?  It’s implied, not directly stated. It’s the after-effect of a lifetime full of sweaty sheets, thrilling trysts and steamy showers.  I know the bottle is pink, but, guys, I swear, this would be amazing on you.  I really want a guy to try it and let me know what they think. Every guy that has smelled this on me has loved it, and not just for how it smells on me, but loves the scent.  

Now, can we talk about the perfumer who created it, Bernard Ellena?  Click on over to Robin’s marvelous encyclopedia of perfumers and their creations and look at what he’s done before. Where the hell did this come from?  Is he really Jean-Claude’s brother? If so, I may have a new object of my perfumer lust.  Sorry, JCE, we are so over.

Xerjoff Oud Stars Mamluk – Gourmand Oud. Oud scents were just beginning to make me sleepy every time a new one came out, so imagine I was sleepy 10 days out of 20 the last few years.  Multiplying faster than fruit flies, oud in perfumery had become tne new “bergamot” it seemed.  Oud is interesting, but, well, it’s not that interesting. You’ve got your oud and rose, oud and saffron, oud and white flowers, oud and rose.saffron.whiteflowers.  Rinse, repeat.  Mamluk is a revelation.  

March once wanted to make a perfume called “Candy Ass” – I know she told me about it, did she tell everyone here on the blog?  That day has come, and it’s Xerjoff Oud Stars Mamluk. Candied Oud with a skanky backwash.  You’re not sure whether to eat it or bed it.  Caramel, honey and vanilla blend so beautifully with the oud, and you get a jab of sharp oud, then it’s covered over in more candy  Floating down there under it all is sex and more sex  –   with the dessert after and, well, before and during.  But this, while being gourmand and feels sweet isn’t that sweet – not Pink Sugar sweet at all. The oud, amber and benzoin choke off the overfilling parts of the candy so you just crave more, and it never delivers so much that you have your fill  Notes of honey, caramel accord, jasmine grandiflorum, osmanthus, Laos benzoin, vanilla Madagascar, Indian oud, crystal musks and amber.  

I thought about asking a price point question here, but thinking about how much something you love is going to cost you to get is depressing.  So of the two ambitiously priced scents I reviewed, which appeals to you more, and you can throw in the other Oud Stars if neihter of these are doing it for you in theory?  I can do 4 samples of the Mamluk as a drawing for commenters, but my little teeny bottle of Beloved is about gone now. Should I get more before next week (crossing fingers&toes), I’ll throw in that too.

Winners of last week’s drawing for the Aftelier Sepia samples – Connie, Hester and Tammy. Clickety click on the Drop Us a Note above, send me your address, remind me of what you’ve won, and I’ll give you a quick e-mail confirmation so you know I got your e-mail, then I’ll send it off to you!

  • ana says:

    Pretty please put me in the draw as well! Mamluk sounds very inviting to say the least! I liked the part with you don’t know if you want to bed it or eat it!LOL

  • Please put me in the draw, I’m GAGGING to smell them,
    Portia xx

  • violetnoir says:

    Yeah, baby! I’ve got to try both!

    Thanks!

    Big hugs!

  • M.j. Rose says:

    I actually went to Bergdorf’s today just to try this. Thanks – just want I needed – to fall for a $430 perfume. It is fabulous. I resisted but am now obsessed with wanting it.

  • Ramona says:

    Ohhhh! Sounds LOVELY! Thanks so much for the draw 🙂

  • Connie says:

    They both sound beautiful and I’ve not tried any perfume from either line. I think Mamluk may be more me but either would be lovely to try. Thank you for the draw, Patty. 🙂

  • nozknoz says:

    Patty, is it hot in here, or is it just your review? Both scents appeal to me hugely, but the unobtainable (unless I win the draw) Mamluk sounds like the one I’d most like a roll in the hay with.

    Wow, Bernard Ellena certainly came out of nowhere fast. I don’t know which is weirder: that he did a perfume called Dog Generation Oh My Cat! or that Maurice Roucel was the co-author!

    I’m hugely enjoying all the new authors – they are real stars!

    • Patty White says:

      I know! I’m still baffled by that. For having a big-name brother, and he’s done a lot of perfumes, most of them just weird and small and huh? I wouldn’t have predicted he would be the perfumer on this after I smelled it.

      weren’t there some Hello Kitty scents on there too? Just a weird, weird list.

      I’m loving all the new authors too, it has been a really nice thing for all of us!

  • Joanna says:

    These both sound lovely but Beloved calls to me more than Mamluk, (What a name. It seems like someone should say “Bless You” after you say it.)

  • Ann says:

    Hey, Patty! I’m normally not too much of an oud girl, but a gourmand one? Mmmm, sounds right up my alley, thanks to your great description. Same goes for Amouage, but Beloved does sound divine and I’m game! Thanks for these, and of course, no draw for me …

    • Patty White says:

      Oud and gourmand go together. I don’t know that I would have believed it, but it takes a deft hand or this could have been a big, sticky mess. Done right, it’s pretty freaking great.

  • Flora says:

    Oh boy, here we go! I would love to try either or both of these – you never know when a VERY special occasion fragrance will be needed, right? 😉

    I suspect that Beloved will be more “me” but I do like a good gourmand, and I like oud, so Mamluk is probably going to work for me too. I also suspect that I will regret trying it due to the price!

  • LindaB says:

    omg, I am dying for some more dirty skank!! lol No seriously, I just can’t get enough lately…please enter me in the draw. Thank you!

    • Patty White says:

      Well, these aren’t that filthy. 🙂 The mamluk is probably a tidge smuttier, but it’s covered up a lot more, but it just never really gives up being smutty musk.

  • Mother Courreges says:

    WANT the Beloved!

    Please enter me in the draw!

  • Eva S says:

    The both sound really interesting but I would like to try Beloved especially. The problem is that if I would “really” love it, how would I get hold of a bottle living in Sweden as I do?!

    • Patty says:

      I think they are selling it at Harrod’s right now and some other shops, and I think that’s just on its initial release. I’m betting it will be available widely after the intial exclusivity runs out.

  • Heather F says:

    I would love to try either, and while I had been most interested in Beloved, your review of Oud Stars Mamluk made that sound super-enticing as well… curses!! (Told myself I wasn’t allowed any new sample lemmings for the time being, particularly any Xerjoff… 🙂

  • Janice says:

    Well I’ve been dying to try Beloved but now this review makes me want to try Mamluk even more. Would you say it is similar at all to Micallef’s Aoud Gourmet?

    • Patty says:

      I don’t think I’ve smelled that Micallef recently and probably then just briefly. I’m sure there are some similarities. or enough that it’s in the same type of scent.

  • rosiegreen says:

    Wow. Both of these sound amazing. Please enter me in the draw.

  • Dionne says:

    I have still never tried anything from either the Xerjoff or Amouage lines (and just recently tried my very first oud fragrance….ehh) but the reviews for Beloved – wow. Count me in as one who would be very happy with a 5ml decant.

  • Stacey says:

    I would love to try both, but especially Beloved since I am already an Amouage fan! It sounds heavenly…I forsee a 10ml decant in my future when a split happens.

    • Patty says:

      I have a feeling Beloved will be the most split perfume of 2012, just an early prediction, if anyone tracks that sort of thing. 🙂

  • mim says:

    unf! Mamluk sounds even better than I imagined! And this review did not help slay the lemming for Beloved… In the past I would have skipped but I realized I can be very happy with samples and decants in perpetuity, no matter how pretty the bottle is. I like having a very large scent wardrobe even of most of the scents in it are scarf-sized instead of evening dress/coat sized, if that makes sense…
    And if I ever win the lottery (which would be a miracle without a ticket) I have a killer shopping list!
    Please count me in for the draw! I would love to try either of these. Mamluk sounds more like the stuff I like now and Beloved sounds like a category unto itself, not sure which I would like to try more…

    • Patty says:

      Sorry, sorry!!! :Delighted:

      You know, I have to have full bottles around for the business, but I generally wear nothing but samples. I’m always trying something else all the time. There are a few bottles I like having because they are pretty, but other than that, I could do without the whole bottle thing. But I would need a better cataloguing system. My sample system now is about 20 boxes full of them. Not very attractive or easy to find.

      I’d have a hard time picking between the two, honestly. they are so different, but great in different ways.

  • Ari says:

    I think JCE and Bernard Ellena must be related- a Google Image search reveals that they look very much alike. I suspect the Mamluck will be more my thang, and I’d love to try it.

    • Patty says:

      I saw someone say they were brothers. They have had a very different career trajectory.

      Mamluk is really pretty amazing, but gourmand haters will hate it even more than usual, except for that oud. it just takes it somewhere else entirely. That and the musk.

  • Rena says:

    I suspect the Mamluk would be more me–sweet and sexy seems like a nice combo to me. As far as price points, I’ll keep a perfume on my wishlist for years if necessary. If I want it enough I’ll either save or hope for a good tax refund:-)

    • Patty says:

      there you go! That’s my thinking, just keep it on the want list, and if I still want it when I can afford it, then I’ll get it. If I’ve forgotten about it by then, I clearly really didn’t want or need it that much.

  • Maureen says:

    I would love to try these fragrances…Beloved sounds more like me, but I’d love to try on the other personality for a little while.

  • Susan says:

    Oh, I would definitely choose Beloved, although Mamluk doesn’t sound half bad, actually. Some of the other Oud Stars, the flower ones, sound more interesting to me. Not that I’ll ever afford them!

    • Patty says:

      Zafar, is that the one you’re thinking of? Yeah, it’s really pretty. Xerjoff did a really great job on these. Well, except the price point, but the oud in there isn’t the ordinary stuff, it’s the for-reals oud.

  • AnnieA says:

    Am I sexist? Still think oud is for boys….

    • Patty says:

      Nope. I keep thinking that too. There are plenty in the Oud Stars that definitely feel like boys, but two of them swing our way – Mamluk and I think Zafar is the other one. I need to check that to be sure, I get the names mixed up.

      Gao is seriously room-clearing. Once it’s on the skin, it does some cool magic, but you walk around holding the bottle out from you about 10 feet, it’s dense and crunchy.

  • mo says:

    I really like the first two paragraphs of your Beloved review.
    “Some inner sense of preservation keeps pulling them back from the edge of Really Bad Things that Happen.” Nice!
    I don’t need to be in the draw, just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed reading about Beloved.

  • rosarita says:

    I received a swap package from an ace perfumista recently which included my first taste of Amouage. Swoon. As to price points, I’m with Sherrie – 5ml is plenty. I wish all perfumes came in 5 – 15 ml sizes, actually. Count me in on the draw, and thanks for making my mouth water this early in the morning 🙂

  • Karin says:

    These both sound soooooo wonderful…but those prices – ACK! Won’t stop me from wanting to try them, though. 🙂

  • Olivia says:

    First time commenting here (but long time reader!) – hello! These both sound amazing! I’ve read great reviews on both and they sound mouthwatering. I think, probably, the Mamluk is something I’d more actively seek out (having sampled another sweet aoud the other day – M.Micallef’s ‘Aoud Gourment’, which was interesting.) The price point for these sort of scents makes me feel queasy, it seems so much money to pay out in one fell swoop..but then ultimately I’m with Poodle on this one – I’d rather have something I adore (and gaze at lovingly as I place it in it’s new place of pride in my cabinet) than several things I like but are just ‘nice.’ It’s only the moment of paying that’s painful – I find not long after you can push the memory to the back of your mind (go into denial?) and just revel in having the perfume! I’d love to be in the draw to try both really but Mamluk wins out for me 🙂 Thank-you!

    • Musette says:

      Olivia,

      Hijacking Patty’s post to say welcome!!! I know what you mean about the price – it’s sort of like childbirth, isn’t it? After a short while the pain recedes and you just revel (what a perfect word) in the loveliness

      xo :Devil:

    • Patty says:

      Hi, Olivia, and welcome!

      Price point makes me queasy too. 🙂 If you are a gourmand lover, the Mamluk is a dream, and it lasts a century. I sprayed it on yesterday,a nd I”m overdue for my shower today, but it’s still going strong almost 24 hours later. A little faded, but it didn’t lose anything. you know how some perfumes get muddied in the drydown this didn’t, even retained that smutty “I just saw my lover and had, um, dessert” feel to it.

      I’ve turned into more of a gourmand girl than I used to be, but usually I’m not this far in, but Mamluk changed my mind. It’s the Oud, it saves it from itself, seriously.

  • Definitely more excited about the Beloved! When Amouage gets it right it is masterpiece (Jub 25 and Lyric, imo). And composed by Bernard Ellena?! I am jumping up and down now!

    Regarding price, it is a moot point because all I really need is a decant anyway. If I really love it, I’ll save but I have a hard time even finishing 5 ml decants.

    These both sound gorgeous, and can’t wait to try! Love all the great posts everyday also!

    • Patty says:

      We agree on Amouages. I skipped Epic, and Musette banged me over the head. And I do like it too, but love Lyric so much more. They got Beloved right too. As well as a Tribute and Homage in the attar range.

      Well, Anita gave me most of a 5 ml decant, and I plowed through it in an embarrasingly short period of time.

  • FragrantWitch says:

    Not sure whether to ‘eat it or bed it’? Now I am all intrigued…
    I want to be a fit for Beloved but doubt I will. Must track down samples as I dont know whether I qualify for draws since posting!

  • Poodle says:

    Would love to try these. The price point has always been a concern but the more I think about it the more I think I would rather spend more money to get something that I totally love instead of a few scents that I almost love. I wish I had access to a store that sells them so I could just go sniff and not have to buy a sample. Mamluk sounds like something I’d like maybe even love.. Thanks for the opportunity to win a sample.

    • Patty says:

      I know, I have the same problem. I’d rather have a few things I really love than a lot of things that I like a lot.

  • Irina says:

    Please, enter me the draw, both sound great- I think Mamluk will suit me better
    Thanks

  • Eric Love says:

    Would love to try these!

  • cheesegan says:

    I would be interested in sniffing either, but if i had to choose, I would choose Beloved.