Amouage Gold (1983)
by Amouage

Gold it is , rose , Frankincense and myrrh are really a Heavanly combination. I feel that this must be the smell of angels. The rose is most prominent to my nose . I feel enveloped in pure silk velvet when wearing this beauty.

To say that Amouage Gold is an immense, indolic-aldehydic white flower composition married to a potent frankincense and seasoned with civet is accurate, but it grossly oversimplifies the impression that this perfume makes. This is a monumental, sumptuous, overstuffed scent that you fall into and wallow in. It’s an operatic composition performed in period costume dripping with velvet, satin, and silk brocade. It’s so opulent that it borders on camp, yet sophisticated enough that it leans back from the brink and stands at the extreme of elegance.

When I think about Gold’s remarkable balancing act, I return again and again to the precise juxtaposition of floral accord and incense. Without the dry lucidity of frankincense Gold would be an obese, sloppy mess of a scent. The frankincense lends not only discipline and structure, but dynamic counterpoint as well, so that Gold exists in a compelling state of tense equilibrium. The scent develops slowly, revealing sweet spices and very soft woods as it ages. The base of woods, ambergris, civet, and labdanum is sensuous but also civilized, and emanates an unusual sense of antique exoticism.

Gold’s sillage and projection are room-filling, so forget about being inconspicuous when wearing this stuff. It’s a perfume for grand entrances and dramatic gestures, not demure restraint or professionalism. Gold is very potent and lasts forever, which might make the outrageous price seem a tiny bit more reasonable. Or maybe not. At any rate, it’s monumental enough of a scent that it’s worth sampling for the experience alone.

Amouage Gold smells very similar to their Dia fragrance with Gold being the lighter of the two lush floral perfumes and having a bit less of the spicy oriental notes. Thanks to the iris and violet notes, Gold has a "cooler" smell than Dia but they both share the same powdery base which is reminiscent of Chanel No. 5. Between the two Amouage perfumes, I have a slight preference for Dia probably due to the presence of bergamot (and the absence of iris) but neither of them are "me" at all. They both seem heavy and rather formal.

Here are the notes for Amouage Gold, as listed on The Perfumed Court: rose, jasmine and lily of the valley, apricot, lime and peach, silver frankincense, myrrh, orris,"rock rose of the desert", ambergris, civet and musk.

tha arabs are very proud of their traditions and they are conscious of themselves and their culture.
yet they are open,curious and respectful towards the achievements of other cultures.
and this is what gives them this royal aura of someone who knows who he is and who is able to learn from others without decieving his own roots.
this respect and consciousness make them so strong.
they accept and learn the best from others without giving up their own identity.
a rare and royal talent.
just as royal and rare is the fragrance that came out of the finest essences of oman and the light hand of guy robert who applied all his art of creating a fragrance worthy of a queen at heart.
it is a fragrance of undoubtless luxury and sophistication.
it is too fine to hide it's glory but too elegant to slap you with its richness.it is neither hiding nor showing off its excellence. warm and full flower accords with the green rock rose and francinsense,ever so rich but never overdone.
a royal highness.
i love it

Gold smells like powder and aldehydes and has a plasticky muteness to it, like hitting your nose against a wall. I get a soapy taste in my mouth when I inhale it. Other than that, it's... floral? Green floral? But not a modern cool, aquatic and citrusy green floral, a really old-fashioned warm, powdery and spicy green floral, positively drenched in aldehydes. Very far from golden, this scent is blindingly white.

Feels like Chanel does Ancient. Aldehydes on top of rich, complex florals and resins. Classic, will probably not appease a contemporary nose. I save this for very special events.