Hey Posse, OOOOOH! There is a shitload of new releases from the mass-time giant. The most exciting for me is the Amouage Renaissance Collection. Four brand new fragrances totally created under the new directorship team. Luckily for me I was in a Libertine Parfumerie HQ the other day. Though their stock hadn’t arrived there were a set of testers I could try and grab decants from. So here are my initial thoughts on the set after wearing each one once and then popping them on again to review for you.
Amouage Renaissance Collection
Ashore
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Pink pepper CO2, Cardamom, Curcuma leaf
Heart: Jasmine sambac absolute, Solar note, Rose absolute
Base: Ambergris, Frankincense absolute, Sandalwood
A radiant white floral with crisp cool green steaminess on open. A very modern jasmine yet curiously vintage. It’s a conundrum. I find myself thinking of modern day celebrities AND golden age ingenues. This is the most traditionally feminine leaning of the Amouage Renaissance Collection.
Through the heart there is a functional fragrance vibe. More and more I’m getting this in fine fragrance because hotel lobbies and stores are scenting with better product. A real turnaround. Actually, I think it has a bit of a spa feel. Like those EO blends for calm and peacefulness? But done with the perfect blending and luxe ingredients of Amouage.
Crimson Rocks
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Pink pepper CO2, Cinnamon Essential™
Heart: Rose Essential™, Rose Ultimate Extract™, Jujube honey
Base: Oakwood CO2, Atlas cedar, Vetiver
This seems to be the rock star of the Amouage Renaissance Collection. At Libertine it was the real buzz frag. Just by the amount that’s been used in the bottle there I can tell it’s the staff favourite. I had a few perfumista mates around to sniff the set and it was definitely the stand out among them too.
My best description of Crimson Rocks is like hot beach sand and a bakery. Firstly, that cinnamon in the opening is spectacular, paired with the pepper! ZING and sizzle. This morphs slowly and seamlessly into an animalic woodsiness with bells & whistles. The rose doesn’t jump out at me at all. Most importantly, it smells bloody good!
Enclave
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, Spearmint, Pink pepper CO2, Cinnamon
Heart: Rose absolute, Patchouli, Frankincense, Vetiver
Base: Saffiano™, Amber Xtreme™, Labdanum
Enclave seems to be the least liked of the Amouage Renaissance Collection. Maybe because so many perfumistas have a problem with mint and the name is a bit something.
I love the weird assed minty herbaceous opening. I’ve never smelt anything quite like it. Disharmonious is my best adjective for it. Cool and fresh as it moves into the heart where you’ll find a very light but earthy patchouli flanked by unburnt incense and oily grass. Dry down takes ages to arrive, the heart is by far the star player of Enclave. It’s a creamy amber+ but not like amber as I expect it. I’m definitely hoping for a bottle of this.
Meander
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Frankincense, Carrot, Pink pepper CO2, Black pepper
Heart: Orris root, Rose absolute, Cypriol, Jonquil absolute
Base: Incense, Java vetiver, Sandalwood
OK, this is my favourite from the get go. Frankly, even if the scent had been only slightly nice I would want that bottle. Celadon green has long been a favourite ofd mine and here it is perfection.
Iris and incense are the key players for me. YAY already.
Opening is that fabulous iris/carrot given a lift by pepper and smoothed with incense. Very 21st century niche. The iris goes cardboard as we morph into the heart and the bouquet set behind it is fresh and spring-like. Through the heart we also get smoke and later the iris becomes rooty and earthy, excellent! Meander is well named, it is a shape shifter that really takes us on an iris journey, through so many of its moods. Dry down is dark and dry, even the sandalwood misses the usual creaminess. A stark ending to a wonderful meander.
Earlier in 2020 I reviewed Amouage Opus XI on Perfume Posse.
Surrender To Chance has an excellent Amouage selection, hopefully Amouage Renaissance Collection should be along soon.
Are you an Amouage fan? Which one of these sounds most you?
Portia xx
As a huge Amouage fan, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on these and so, thanks to wonderful people willing to split bottles with me, I happily have them all now. I completely agree that meander was an immediately love right from the get go. And Crimson Rocks is truly unique and not at all a standard Arabic Rose scent. I liked Ashore but thought it was the most mainstream of the bunch. And Enclave (which I hear is doing the best in sales) is, I agree, a bit off putting with the mint at first but becomes really gorgeous (and somewhat like Opus VI to me) in the dry down. Overall, I was relieved to see that the new crew is keeping with Amouage traditions for opulence and linking to Omani heritage. Also, I love the new “book” style boxes. I don’t feel like I will accidentally drop the bottle when reaching for the box now 🙂 thanks for your thoughts!
Dubaiscents! I hadn’t even noticed that books as apposed to pedestal boxes! O M G! A company listened to us whingeing at last and took note. YAY!! Celebrations everywhere.
Portia xx
Meander is so calling my name!
I feel sort of ambiguous about these so far, but I am looking forward to trying them!
I’ll be really interested in hearing what you think Patty, when you do try them.
Portia xx
Meander and Ashore both sound interesting to me. Love those green skewing scents, as everyone knows. 😉 Thanks for sharing these great reviews Portia!
Hi DinaC,
Green is good!
You’re welcome. It’s exciting to get to try these new things so early.
Portia x
They all sound interesting and worth a sniff. I have many Amouages, but my favourites are Fate and Memoir.
Hi TaraC,
LOVE the Fates but don’t remember Memoir, woman I presume? I’ll go have a sniff when I’m next in town.
Portia xx
you know I’m Queen Amouage and I’m eager to try all of these, just to smell the direction in which they are going. Any idea who the new Creative Director/Team is/are?
xoxoxoxo
Here’s the spiel from last year Musette. It’s all I know. The guy in charge is ex Proctor & Gamble. Let’s see how it pans out.
https://www.prnewswire.com/ae/news-releases/amouage-embarks-on-a-new-chapter-in-the-world-of-beauty-guided-by-new-ceo-marco-parsiegla-817611278.html
well. this will be interesting. Operators are standing by… xoxo
But! may I just say??? I think I’d be PERFECT in the role of Chief Experience Officer 😉 xoxoxo
You would
None of them sound like my deal, sadly. But good for my bank account.
Bummer Eldarwen22, but YAY too.
Portia xx
Meander sounds very interesting indeed. Also interesting given we’ve been talking perfume names recently. Now to see if I can come up with a sample …
Hopefully Surrender To Chance will have it soon Cinnamon,
Otherwise, do you have a buddy in London who can go nick you a little sample from Selfridge & Co or Harrods?
Portia xx
I have barely sniffed any Amouage. Combination of unavailability in my area and sticker shock, I suppose. The few that I have sniffed struck me as very “heavy” – not my style. Those colored bottles are gorgeous, though!
Hey MMKinPA,
Well the prices have only become more aspirational BUT the fragrances have become looser and less thick over time. Particularly the LOVE series of floral beauties.
Portia xx
I prefer the thick – are you more of a ‘looser’ gal, Portia?
HA! Luckily I love the whole range, though not every piece. Their earlier stuff was my coming into perfumistahood so it will always be special. The new less tapestried offerings are really lovely, feel thought out and created with a really good nose for beauty.
I do wish they’d stop ramping up the prices though.
Ooo, that fresh green bottle. The Meander juice could be disgusting, but I’d still want it on my dressing table.
Each time reading your blog makes me want to venture out on a perfume spree with you. xo
Jo Ann,
I LOVE Perfume Sprees.
Next time you’re in Sydney we’ll set aside a day.
OR meet you in Paris?
Portia xx