Guy Robert approached his assignment to create the first Amouage men's fragrance by throwing the "how to make a successful mid-1970s to mid-1980s fragrance" handbook right out the window. that of Civet, its tobacco undertones highlighted by those of Patchouli, while Oakmoss and Cedarwood transform them into a resolute chypre. As spectacular a ride as the top and heartnotes of this perfume are, the drydown is one of the best I've smelled. It's there, softer and quieter than the topnotes, but it remains fully-fleshed and complete. The drydown isn't just a ghost of the heartnotes. My good man, you have convinced me. We are holding you unjustly, Mr. Amouage. What's that scent called, anyway?" Myrrh, delirious with warmth, and a pearlescent and indolic white Jasmine stand on an Iris from which emanates a rich, terribly luxurious scent of

Both are great, but as a lover of all things vintage, I would love to get my hands on a full bottle. He looked confused "Well, the chemical spill here, or whatever they're on. Man, there's a constant stream of stuff floating around, you need a license for that!" I had no notion until I smelled Gold Men that I'd formed an image (fantasy) in my mind of what the old-school animalic floral/orientals of the early 20th century were. On smelling Gold Men, I realized that I did, and that this was it.Sensational, huge powdery animalic fragrance. Now I understand why these old perfumes were both powdery and animalic. If you do it right, it's brilliant.

But for me, it all works very, very well. I'm comfortable with fragrances that have elements traditionally associated with feminine fragrances, particularly when they progress to a complex, animalic dry down the way Gold Man does. I was silent for a long time before I answered. "Well, you're right. Only who's going to wear it? You're not exactly a horse brand sugar water. And I can't taste smoky pineapple either." You already had myrrh and frankincense," he said when leaving the room a free man. "The third gift was still missing, then you have the name!" In 1983, the Sultan of Oman had him come to Oman specifically to make the first magnificent Amouage perfume.

Reviews

As the first men's fragrance by Amouage, Gold Man set the scene for just how revolutionary Amouage's scents would end up being.

Just received a .5ml vial of the original formula. It should be noted that the original was an EdT, while my other bottle (magnetic cap) is an EdP.A completely new theme for a men's scent in the early 80s, Gold Man bears a close resemblance to Chanel No. 5, at least in the opening stages. But do not be fooled by the development of this scent, which is so drastic, it could easily be classed as 3 scents rolled into one. The opening is full aldehydes and florals. Jasmine makes an early appearance whilst slightly veiled by the aldehydes, but the rose that introduces the middle stages takes the scent into a completely different direction. It's almost as if the Chanel No. 5 has been spiked with roses. Some more powdery notes enter at this point, before musk and frankincense join to create an opulent and long-lasting dry down. Older bottles had a nuclear civet note from about the mid point, which contrasted beautifully with the rose. This has been neutered in more recent bottles, but the overall aldehydic, soapy, floral-musky accord is largely still intact. I tried to laugh cool "Yes, and Iris too..." "Oh, now I'm getting a little too much! Clearly I smell something soapy-animal what becomes darker and darker, almost earthy and cool! Surely these are not only your flowers?" Like all Amouage products, the presentation is well done, the atomizer is very good and the ingredients and blending are, at least to my nose, superior. He introduced the maximum finest delicacy to Guy Robert, the noblest Omani raw materials, and the great genius created this grand chypre containing more than 120 elements skillfully orchestrated in an amazing perfume!