New Fragrances: Amouage Memoir Man and Memoir Woman

I have smelled Memoir Man, it is actually very nice....but I smell a similarity with Gucci Pour Homme I by Gucci (the brown liquid).

All those notes in the male version sound fantastic

Both male and female sound fantastic!
Amouage is trying to bankrupt me. They have already launche the three Opus this year, that I want, and now i have more two from their line to go to my wishlist. And I still want a bottle of epic him and lyric him...

Thanks for the information! I will be curious to smell them. I think Amouage is better off with the Man - Woman concept than the unisex, which I think is overall very hard to achieve masterfully without compromising beauty (e.g. Opus I).

The man version sounds great!

Love the black bottles too , very forboding

...must find out the noses behind these.

Honestly, leather heavy scents aren't my thing but this is Amouage and they've made me need things I didn't even know I wanted in the past, so, I've got to sniff them!

I found some giant sized pics of the bottles. Thought you all might be interested:

Wow, now this looks like it's going to be my first amouage. The notes sound fabulous. I don't dig the black bottle though, I liked their green(epic) and red(lyric) bottles, they looked really exotic. Well, at least I hope this read is going to have the same sort of sexy reflection.

Anybody going to do a split on those? that'd be nice.

WOW, those are my favorite bottles yet!! And a chypre for the ladies; it's about damn time! I am not sure I have ever smelled fenugreek in a perfume, but I am really eager to see how that is worked around.

Volley, where did you smell them?

My friend and I just recently (2 weeks ago) bought bottles of Amouage from Hong Kong and they gave us a bunch of Amouage samples which included Memoir Man. It is now available in Hong Kong, I believe? Mr.R?

Hey volley, can you tell us more about Memoir Man? Is it, in your opinion, a cold weather scent, or can it be worn in warmer weather with a lighter hand?

To me, Gucci Pour Homme I smells like intense, freshly sharpened pencil, cedar, incense and amber. If I smell G Ph I, it has this tingling, sharp notes to the nose, very intense. Memoir Man smells like cedar and MORE incense with a touch of rose which makes it "creamier" and SMOOTHER, more elegant than Gucci Ph. I would say that comparing the two, Memoir definitely is well made and with the finest ingredients. And I am not saying this just because Memoir is more expensive. You can really tell the difference in quality from just smelling the two.

I would say that this is a fall fragrance/winter fragrance.

However, I could still see it being worn during summer, applied lightly. Then you get more "annointed" with the smell of cedar and incense. The heat makes it max out.

Surprisingly, the smell of cedar is actually quite nice.

Of the Amouage lines that I have smelled (Jub XXV, Memoir, Ciel, Gold, Dia), my favorites are Jub XXV and Memoir. I have a bottle of Jub XXV. Memoir is definitely worth owning a bottle.

Dia is just TOO weak! No projection and sillage at all.

Ciel is ordinary.

Gold is strong, very sweet, powdery floral. After a couple of hours, yes it does turn to piss.

Memoir Man & Woman went on sale here alongside the Opus Trio 10 days ago without any fanfare. I believe this soft launch was to coincide with a planned workshop to be given by Christopher Chong which was either cancelled or postponed - there is still talk of something in October. I bought both and have been wearing Memoir Man pretty solidly for 10 days or so but work has prevented me posting anything if substance and I didn't want to just fling breathless one liners around about something that is clearly a terrific piece of artistic work - I also wanted to wait till there was an official notice from Amouage, which now seems to be the case. Will try to get my initial impressions up later today or on the weekend - work schedule is extremely intense right now

I'm not sure I'm following the creative visions behind these (the story for the Epics made more sense to me), but just the idea of a paired fougère and chypre, Amouage-style.....

YES!

When I bought Memoir Man the only information the SA could offer was ‘Absinthe – Frankincense – Tobacco’.

Memoir Man opens with a moist slightly citric green haze, very fragrant and quite bracing. It took me three days to discern the mint in amongst all this. In that sense MM does bring to mind the opening of a handful of other serious high quality fougeres where there seems to be a bit of a scramble to quickly adjust the collar and tuck the shirt in before smiling at the person in front of you. This is a good sign IMO, because it usually heralds a serious composition, altho MM is not as obviously ‘new-fougere like’ as Opus II, Dhofar, Invasion Barbare et al.

Along with this quite unusual and captivating opening there is a sense of a moist tobacco leaf / herbal quality and an underlying ashy frankincense.

In that sense I think the proposed three-note sketch given to the SA I spoke to is quite accurate. The green minty sparkle encompassing the absinthe, the moist bundle of tobacco leaf and certainly the frankincense are all present and accounted for. On a couple of occasions I have also picked up a glimpse of a ‘Tribute’ note, which threw me a bit – still does – I keep looking for it.

Then MM settles into a deep frankincense+ aura. I am no frankincense expert but I would suggest this leans more towards the rugged, outdoorsy ember like incense of Epic Man (and at a big stretch the ashiness of Serge Noire) than the more genteel cathedrals of Avignon and Encens Flamboyant and so on. It’s not entirely dry to me – there is always a sense of a bundle of fragrant moist leaves hovering above smouldering charcoal.

And this is where I get lost, boys and girls, because much as I would like to wax poetic about the interplay of the leather, woods, tobacco, oakmoss and how the hint of lavender works earlier on I really perceive this as more of a mood or an atmosphere than a collection of easily discernable individual notes (this is why I don’t review).

So – shifting gears somewhat, I’ll put it out there that the quite poetic copy from Amouage quoted above is actually very, very apt. This is an autumnal, late afternoon soft golden light kind of scent to me, and if it is the memoir of a man who has traveled and perhaps seen more of the world (and himself) than some of us would care to, then my proposition would be that he did a lot of that traveling on foot. There is a gravitas to Memoir that I admire, it’s contemplative and there is an air of mystery about it. This is perfume for grown-ups.

This is the first time for a couple of years I have worn a scent almost exclusively for a fortnight and it has given me pause to consider how I approach this whole game - it's just so easy to be dismissive and jump to conclusions based on a sample wearing.

I understand that Man was developed first and then Memoir Woman, which works perfectly in the same way that Epic Woman alludes to Epic Man and then offers a more nuanced floral take on the original. There is coherence between the two, and I did briefly compare notes with Coconut on Memoir Woman – perhaps she will post on it. The floral aspect is there, along with the underlying herbal / leathery tones, and tuberose is apparent to me but in the context of the overall composition, not as a one liner. I would rate this as more overtly floral than Epic Woman, but no less intriguing. They make a wonderful pair, just like the Lyric and Epic duos IMO.

I am sure fans of Epic, Dia and Tribute will enjoy Memoir. Personally I think I like it more than any of them, although it has pointed me back to Epic Man, a scent I may have passed by a little quickly in favour of it’s sister. Looking forward to others thoughts and impressions – I’m sold! BTW, I’m thinking that as I bought the first bottle I may have ‘done a Trebor’ with this particular Amouage, which is sort of fun ☺

Yes, these dark brown bottles are beautiful.
I just hope the "Leather" isn't too gasoline type.
And I hope that Fenugreek doesn't come off as egyptian bread.

Some info about the perfumers...
Memoir Man was developed by perfumer Karine Vinchon; Memoir Woman by perfumers Daniel Maurel and Dorothée Piot.

Daniel Maurel now has his hands in 4 Amouages. He seems to be their go to man. He did Opus 1 and Lyric Woman by himself, and then collaborated for Epic Woman and Memoir Woman.

Karine Vinchon also has two Amouages to her name now, Memoir Man and Opus III.

I think the only other nose with more than one Amouage to their credit is Lucas Sieuzac who did Jubilation 25 and Reflection Man.

And Guy Robert; he did both Golds.

Ah, right, my bad! How could I forget the esteemed Guy Robert? *blush*

I'm curious who did Dia Man and Ciel Man. Dia Man almost smells like a Duchaufour composition (and a Duchaufour looking notes list, too).

Memoir Woman intrigues me greatly... And I generally get along better with the female and unisex Amouages.

This is a definite blind buy for me. I love this company and their whole story. Very much a class act company!!

Very nice black bottles, but the Epic bottle is still the most classy and beautiful.

To clear up any confusion....
are the bottles black/chrome/brown gemstone?
Or dark brown/chrome/brown gemstone ?

Can anyone who has seen one well lit in person verify?

The bottles are a translucent charcoal / black. If you hold them up to the light you can see the juice inside.

And the stone seems to be black but also could be deep amethyst / purple - will check in daylight tomorrow when I get home.

There is a charcoal and gray / black feather motif on the boxes.

Thanks for your review Mr Reasonable , it does sound right up my alley and I look forward to giving them a try .... its all your fault that I love Amouage anyway

Do you notice any stylistic similarity between Opus III and Memoir Man? Opus III is the only fragrance by Karine Spehner that I've tested so I don't know if it exhibits any trademarks she may have in her style.

Nothing leapt out at me to connect the two - it seems Opus III is predominantly a gentle, quite natural violet scent. It could almost work as an EDC, albeit a little more complex and lasting, but with violet replacing lavender as the keynote. Memoir is far more full bodied and stylistically in line with the Lyric / Epic EDP strength and complexity.

However the fact that Daniel Maurel was involved with both Epic & Memoir Woman is telling because, as I understand it, both were consciously developed only after the Man versions were completed . . . and I think the sense of continuity while extending the original idea in both is real artistry. Amouage seem to have a real knack for creating this Yin / Yang pair thing.

I like the sound of Man

Memoir Man has some very tasty notes. I can hardly wait to sample. My hope is it's nothing like the crappy Library Collection they just released. Opus I,II, & III are so watered down, it's a disgrace to the Amouage name. Everyone knows I'm a huge Amouage fan, but shit is shit and The Opus' are definitely in that category. Mr. Chong, what the hell were you thinking when you released this garbage?

Will pass on these.

Opus III watered down?

I don't think you can fault the other scents for perhaps not lasting as long as they seem to be more natural than the regular series. Besides, why is longevity and/or projection more important than the composition of the scent?

I just find it a bit ridiculous to call the Opus series shit, especially compared to 99% of the other stuff that is released.

It's not ridiculous if it's my honest opinion. Longevity and projection are an integral part of the scent for me. Without longevity there is absolutley no point in wearing scent. I simply won't pay $200.00 plus so so I can smell good for five minutes.

Fair enough thebeck. I do enjoy your opinions and insights even though we rarely agree. I guess I should be thankful that everything seems to last forever on me (although that is its own little curse, IMO!)

For the record, Opus I lasts for DAYS on me. And it lingers on my garments forever. I rate it as the single most tenacious scent I own.

My thoughts, too. Although I think Amouage is stuck too firmly in the man - woman clichee to do really beautiful unisex fragrances.
Thanks for the review, mr. reasonable! Now waiting for the Memoir to arrive at my local store...

This is exactly why you should review more. Your experiential description informs me more than cold analyses of notes.

Now i know i am in budget trouble. The attars, the Opus series, now Memoir!!!

Thanks for the kind comments - appreciate it and any opportunity to contribute - basenotes has been good to me

Is it me or can you not wait to smell this. I keep checking the boutique online to place an order. It sounds amazing. The Library collection is the only thing I didnt like from Amouage so this is really getting me excited!

Christopher Chong told me that US availability is on schedule for 22 September with the marketing film debuting 27 September. I can't wait to try a sample.

I heard "beginning of October" for the bottles to arrive at my local store here.

Any word on why there was a soft launch in Hong Kong?

(Not that it really matters, of course, just interested).

which stores in HK are carrying Memoir Man?

I wonder how long it will take to order a sample on Parfumesraffy.com and luckyscent.com..

I bought a bottle of Opus I from the london amouage store when I were in London a week ago and I enjoy it just as my other amouage collections(j25, Epic women and tribute). The SA who sold me the Opus I is going to send me a sample of each Memoir. I'm looking forward to try them.

Yes, the scoop is they use Hong Kong and Tokyo boutiques as a test market.

Just FYI, this Thursday is the official launch date in the UK, and the London boutique will be having a party with samples and food and wine in the PM.

Hillaire- great new avatar and a great review for Memoir too !
I spoke with Raffy from Parfums Raffy ,this afternoon and he says he should have Memoir in his store by beginning of October ( I think it depends on Amouage being slow or fast with shipment to US )
Raffy is a sweetheart BTW.

Hillaire, please let us know what you think of Memoir Man and Woman. =)

Interesting.

The two stands at Lane Crawford here see a pretty well heeled cosmopolitan crowd, no idea about Tokyo. I get the impression the Memoir pair have been moving faster than the Opus trio from the SAs. I'm really looking forward to reading impressions from others familiar with the line to see where Memoir sits for you in the Amouage pantheon, parrticularly now most will be trying it in an autumn context. Memoir Man is anything but a crowd pleaser (in the mass market sense), it's quite a brooding scent and Woman seems to be a fairly complex one, the floral angle is hard for me to read.

Christopher Chong said the debut in Dubai went fantastic today. Will he be back in London Thursday? I'm anxious to hear more about others opinions after I gather my own. Luckyscent is going to have them as close to an on-time debut as possible.

I actually got samples from Asia already, please read my Woman review. The men's was not great IMO, though modern and well done. It struck me as a better and more refined Commes de Garcons original (also like Gucci PH). Maybe it just paled next to the woman's, which is so good, I cannot wait to spend my grocery money on it!

where did you order from?

Very excited about Memoir Woman Hillaire. I loved your review.

about memoir man, i totally agree with you on that...just like what I said at the top part of this thread, memoir man smelled similar to Gucci Ph.

Oh oh... peppery all through... and WHERE is the leather in Memoir Woman, please???

pepper? ew, I was expecting a leathery ambery tobacco

I'm intrigued that they added wormwood. Wormwood being the psychoactive plant in absinthe. I'm wondering if it was added in addition to absinthe(if there is any) or directly. Very interesting....
-Fun fact- The name 'Artemisia absinthium' (wormwood) is derived from the ancient Greek goddess, Artemis!

Here's Some basic botanical info:
"Artemisia absinthium is the botanical name of the plant more commonly known as wormwood. Other common names for Artemisia absinthium include absinthe wormwood, absinthium, grand wormwood, green ginger, and true wormwood.

The Artemisia genus (which contains over 200 species) is part of the Asteraceae family (also called the Compositae family) of plants. Asteraceae is more commonly known as the daisy or sunflower family. It is comprised of over 1,100 genera and 20,000 species."

ehhh where IS Hillaire's review?