I’m not on social media much – even less in recent weeks – but it came to my attention that a newish Amouage was all the rage among some online perfume fans, and the algorithm bearing that information managed to pique my interest. I’m talking about Amouage Guidance, which I guess is the new Baccarat Rouge, so to speak. People are losing their minds. Should you pony up $380 for the regular 3.4oz, or $520 for the Guidance 46 extrait version? I was curious enough to order up a sample of each from Surrender to Chance.
What a stunning bottle, though.
I’m an old grump these days so I’m going to start by saying how wildly uncompelling I find the name “Guidance” — to the point that I probably wouldn’t have bothered trying it. Names aren’t everything, but they’re not nothing, either. I haven’t gotten around to sampling Material for the same reason, although the notes are appealing. Are we running out of more interesting English words? Guidance makes me think of school guidance counselors, or getting directions from Google maps. I’ve resorted to giving it a faux French accent in my mind which makes it marginally better, but come on, a name picked at random from a hat might have been more appealing.
With a couple minor variations, the notes seem to be pear, frankincense, hazelnut, saffron, rose, jasmine sambac, osmanthus, cistus, sandalwood, akigalawood, ambergris, vanilla. That all sounds … very Amouage to me in the sense of a lot going on, and also it’s probably not going to be a shy little thing, either.
Guidance is sweeter than I expected right off the bat. It’s not toothache sweet, but we are solidly in fruity-floral territory, although I’d be lying if I said I could pick out a single one of those top notes. The sweetness fades somewhat over time although it never really goes away, and eventually you have a warm, richly sweet, slightly woody base. I had no idea what akigalawood was and it’s fascinating – developed by Givaudan (I think), upcycled from patchouli oil waste, that has its own character suggesting spice, oud and patchouli.
I wore this thing on and off for a couple of weeks and … I just don’t know how I feel about it. I got some compliments on it, which suggests decent sillage, and also its lasting power is excellent. Carolyn noticed it when I walked into the house, hours after I’d given myself two dainty spritzes from my sample atomizer. (She also described it as sweet and was surprised to hear it was Amouage.)
It smells nice enough (and expensive enough), while being generically pleasant enough that it’s appealed to the perfumed masses – or at least that segment who can afford to know/want/flaunt such an expensive fragrance. (If you’re curious, this thing on Amazon is touted as a dupe, although I didn’t try it.) But of all the amazing fragrances from Amouage, why would this one go viral? I know it won some awards in 2024. But there are certainly other options in the line that have a broad appeal that also happen to make me swoon. This ain’t it. Oh, also – the Extrait for $520 has similar notes on the drydown but is less sweet and more citrusy on me at the top.
Have you tried this? Do you love it? What am I missing here?
As you know, I’m in the Lyric camp. Guidance is a strong no. The notes don’t do much for me and it contains akigalawood which on my skin turns into something incredibly nasty, vile, and overpowering. I could not get that stuff of my skin. Don’t laugh too loud but I really did try sandpaper – exfoliation, don’t ya know. It didn’t work and I had to stop for obvious reasons. Strange though since most say akigalawood smells lovely.
YIKES!!!! I think (?) the akigalawood was the nicest part on me, cut the sweetness. And hey we all have our massive fails that everyone else seems to loooooove. So far nobody’s gotten on here and argued that Guidance is fantastic. And yes, we’re all Camp Lyric.
Lyric is “my” Amouage. I had Gold Extrait but sold it on. Far too grown up even for an aldehyde lover like me.
I won’t be trying Guidance, on a no buy, but in my head it’s in the realms of Delina
No, Lyric is mine! MINE!!! Hahahaha ok there’s enough for both of us (plus all the other Lyric fans on here.) Musette bought the Guidance dupe and I hope she does a post on it!
I feel bad admitting this but I’m a fan of Aldi dupes of JML. Largely because to my nose those I have I enjoy more than the JMLs.
Looking forwards to Musette’s thoughts
Oh man I miss Aldi. We had 3 of them in the DC area. A favorite. And sometimes the dupe works better for us, not surprised.
So many Amouage sound great to me but it is just not my house. Nothing sits quite right. Which is really too bad — at least based on what people say about the original output.
Phooey, that IS too bad!!! Their lineup is too big and they need to slow down and I don’t love everything, but when they work, they WORKKK.
I’m with you, March. I don’t get the hype but I suppose it comes from people who didn’t try or forgot the old Amouages. I’ve tried Guidance 46 and to me it was very soapy-fruity. Not bad but there are at least 8 Amouages that I like better.
Soapy-fruity is a good description! And with you on all the Amouges I like better, even the “mainstream” ones like Crimson Rocks, for example.
I haven’t tried. But that list of notes would make me ask for guidance on finding the exit.
LOLOL. I know pear can be kind of a nightmare, but in this case I think it’s adding sweetness without gooeyness. I liked the list of notes tbh — I was expecting something more interesting tho.
I reckon the lame name saga is proof that Christopher Chong has left the building March.
Probably the reason the greater world is going apeshit is because it’s fairly simple with a twist.
Portia xx
YEP. Fairly simple and to be fair, it smells luxe. Which it SHOULD. But I have a whole list of Amouages I’d rather have (that bottle is so pretty though!)
Completely agree that the name Guidance reminds me of high school guidance counselors, as in, “Dina, go down to Guidance and talk to your counselor about the classes you’re taking next year.” Hahaha. Totally doesn’t fit that romantic pink bottle and that long list of fruity floral notes. For that price it needs a dreamy name and an ever better scent. “Guidance” needs to smell like chalk dust, sneakers, cedar pencil shavings and teachers’ lounge coffee.
LOVE that note list DinaC.
Agreed! I conjured up that smell almost immediately upon reading her notes list!
Yes! A dreamy name! I don’t know, something about clouds, or sunset, or blah blah blah. Love your notes list 😀 I even went to the website to see if there was some explanation of the name that’d make me hate it less, and nope.
I’ve tried both the perfume and the extrait – it runs spicier on me and both remind me of M. Chong’s attars . …Which is a fabulous thing
But now I kinda wanna try that dupe!
I wish I were getting spicy and attars! To BE FAIR, it smells nice, it really does! But it didn’t make me swoon. HAHAHA try that dupe and report back!
The only exceptional extraits that I have tried is Epic 56, Honour 43 and Dia 40. The only one that really wowed me was Epic. If it were Lyric in exceptional extraits, I would be selling everything of value to get a bottle. My love of Lyric knows no bounds. I will get a sample of this to test it out.
There is a Lyric EXTRAIT ( or there was…) it is… overwhelmingly gorgeous… but I could only wear it at home – and only during the day, it’s that overwhelming
Gorgeous, though
Some Lyric lovers on here today! At least in the US it’s easy enough to get some private samples of Guidance. I thought it was pretty enough; I just don’t get the hype though.
I have not tried, but what I really want is Amouage Myths Woman, the scent that to me is perfectly green, yet the bottle is somehow purple?! It makes me think I have the wrong lusted-after scent in my head, and I can’t splurge on a “maybe this is right?”
Oh but it probably IS Myths — narcissus/galbanum, some leather … (purple bottle for violet/violet leaf.) I get what you’re saying about being sure. At least in the US if you google, there are places you can buy a sample from to try it out first and confirm.