Amouage Interlude Man - 2012 - Page 2

Wonderful story. Almost sounds like this could be Chris Chong's motivation for these last several smoky/powdery/spicy perfumes.

I selfishly want him to have a midlife crisis and create a youth scent.

Sorry for not responding sooner. Life has been crazy as I frantically search for a new place to live, just got into a car accident (someone made a right turn from a left turn only lane), and some other negative things. Some know of the trials I've had in the last year and it seems like they just won't relent.

Anyhow, I really wanted to do a long and proper write up for both scents as I feel they deserve it, but I have just been unable to bring myself to sit down and actually write such a review. I will say this, I really like both scents. The men's is primarily a smooth spicy/woody with a drydown of myrrh (sweet myrrh, or opoponax) agar smoke, light amber and a smooth sandalwood along with a lingering allspice accord which is the spine of the scent. The late drydown shares some similarities with Epic Man, although it is a bit sweeter, softer, and less overtly masculine (although still quite masculine).

The opening is an awesome blend of smooth citrus, sweet allspice, and savory oregano. The oregano only lasts a few hours, and is never in the forefront of the scent, but it does add a wonderful savory quality and herbal dimension. I also get a fennel/anise like note in the opening. The scent is smooth throughout - smooth and full bodied, and this seems to be something that perfumer Pierre Negrin excels at, as it is also evidenced in his other scent for Amouage, the wonderful Opus VI. There are similarities in structure between both scents - a brief citrus opening, a singular ingredient that runs from head to toe as the spine of the scent, and a supporting cast of notes that are deftly integrated and part of a full-bodied accord that sheds layers slowly and seamlessly.

For the opening, try to imagine a niche/Amouage-take on a scent like D&G The One Gentleman (similarities being some citrus, fennel, a spice present early on - in The One Gentleman it's cardamom and w/ Interlude it's the allspice). Now imagine that niche-ifed version of The One Gentleman cross with Epic Man, and a few hints of Tribute, too. That is Interlude Man.

Woman has some structural similarities but texturally and with regard to weight and density, feels like a whole different scent. I shared some thoughts via PM with the person who sent me the samples, and I think I'll just copy and paste those thoughts here as I think they better capture that scent than anything I could write right now in my current mind-state.

"I'll be sharing thoughts on the scents on the forum after I investigate them more fully. As of now, I must say initial impressions are very very good. I think your assessment was spot on, and I can't help but pick up on the jelly bean vibe now that I've read your words, but as you said, it really is "in a good way." Maybe it's just me but the smoke/sandalwood/patchouli accord calls to mind Tribute - a toned down Tribute but still Tribute. In fact, the smoke accord in Woman also calls to mind Tribute, although in Woman it is toned down even further.

I tested both on paper and actually decided to wear Woman first - have it on as I type this - as I was spellbound by it on paper. It seems so... colorful. Prismatic, even. With regards to color I get a lot of oranges, reds, purples, nuances of yellow, green, black and ochre. There is one oddity in the opening I can't pin down, that kind of milky/clean note that you aptly said is pear like. I do read pear from it, but also get some nuances of green apple and almost a milky fig quality. That note persists for quite some time but is cleverly woven into the opoponax note that surfaces in the early heart. These make for a really interesting contrast to the spice/wood/florals that continue. I'm wondering if this is in part from the marigold note. That is one natural essence I don't have experience with, but the Good Scents Company lists it as being "sweet green apple floral spice." Other sites list it as being floral, herbal, medicinal, fruity, and with citrus, honey and hay nuances.

One thing I noticed about the two scents is that while they are noticeably different they do share a similar core structure, which I'd describe as spice + smoke + smooth sandalwood. With man it is mostly allspice and some oregano (in the early opening I do pick up a fennel note quite clearly, even though it is unlisted), and with woman it's mostly ginger (as far as the spice part goes, I also get a fairly persistent grapefruit and of course a beautiful floral melange). Ah, and they both feature a smooth leather note that is part of that accord (and Tribute's, too, if I recall correctly).

Ah, the heart of Woman is such a beautiful thing. The opoponax/ginger/sandalwood/smoke accord is so beautiful, warm, balmy and smooth, and the lingering citrus combines so beautifully with this floral melange, which smelled strongly of rose absolute early on, and then shifted and showcased a wonderful orange blossom note and now a semi-grapey jasmine that is supported by the grape/wine-like nuances of the opoponax note. I think there's a hint of castoreum too that not only contributes to the leather note later on, but earlier on adds its smooth darkness and a hint of tar to complement the smoke and agar.

The scent feels extremely natural. Man does, too. No obvious abuse of iso e super or any of the other 'cheap smelling' synthetics here. I think both of these are a step up from the Honour duo, which wowed me initially but later left me less than enthused (well, I do still like Honour Woman quite a bit).

Anyhow, I'm rambling. It's just that the experience of Interlude Woman, particularly, could not have come at a better time as I've been looking for a very colorful, prismatic scent that still has depth and is not overtly synthetic - which seemed like an exceptionally tall order that I'd never get filled. So far, Woman really fits the bill for what I was seeking. It's not even what I thought this scent I was dreaming of would smell like - my imagination is not good enough to have conceived of smelling this. It's always nice when reality actually exceeds your dreams!


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And another PM reply of mine with some more thoughts on Woman (and a few on Man, too)


"A quick thought about Woman and the mysterious pear-like note...

I don't know what to make of the published notes for woman. Cafleurebon lists the following - Interlude Woman is a floral chypre with notes of Bergamot, Rose, Frankincense, Sandalwood Nut, Coffee, Kiwi, Honey and Agarwood. A base of Amber and Vanilla inject warmth to the fragrances contradicting accords. Nose is Karin Vichon Spehner of Robertet

I asked Chris about this on his facebook page and he said...well, I'll just copy and paste as I'm not sure exactly how to read it:

SculptureOfSoul - Hey Christopher, the Cafleurbon article lists kiwi, honey and uh "sandalwood nut" as notes present in Interlude Woman, while all the other press releases don't have these listed. Just curious if they are present? I do sometimes think I smell honey in Woman.

Christopher Chong They are right. It's the discord. Its just plain ordinary nut. what is sandalwood nut?????

So I don't know if those notes are actually present per se, or if they result from the discord or are secondary notes from one of the ingredients listed (for example, helichrysum oil has honey nuances, as does the marigold). Anyhow, kiwi does kind of make some sense as far as what I'm smelling. The note is quite persistent and I still smell it 3 hours after application. It's when I 'sniff around' that note that I get the nuances. If I focus on that note then the scent seems simple. It's weird because with some breaths I get a fruity floral with light spices, and with others I pick up the wood and smoke notes much more clearly and the scent smells almost decidedly masculine. I do think I would prefer if this note, whatever it is, was toned down slightly, but then again this is a first wearing and I know how deceptive they can be. Sometimes our brains/noses just fixate on something and really exaggerate its role in the overall composition on the first wearing or two.

Anyhow, just some thoughts on the notes. Oh yeah, fragrantica also lists coffee as a note as well, and sometimes I swear I can smell coffee. I wonder if it's one of those synthetics that smells like more than one thing - as I'm thinking of Armani Attitude and its coffee/opoponax note. The kiwi/pear/guava-ish note, along with honey, also made me think of the original Anvers by Ulrich Lang which lists guava and honey as notes and has a similar note in the heart, and again has me wondering if it is one of those multifaceted synthetics that is not clearly one specific note.

Anyhow, tomorrow I'll be wearing Man. On paper it seemed simpler to me than Woman, but that's not a bad thing. I think Memoir Man is simpler than Woman and much prefer it, for instance. I think Interlude Man is going to combine many facets of other Amouage scents I love into one unified whole - I get bits of Tribute and Epic Man in it, along with a tiny hint of Memoir, and the pimento from Reflection, etc. It shares some texture - that ultra-smooth dryness that is comforting rather than scratchy - with Opus VI, and that is what I'm loving so much about Pierre Negrin's style."

You can see my review here:
http://chemistinthebottle.wordpress....interlude-man/

And here's also newly published review of Interlude Woman:
http://chemistinthebottle.wordpress....terlude-woman/

Excellent reviews Lucasai!

I agree that Interlude Woman is ultimately the more interesting scent, although it is also the more dissonant scent - and I can imagine many that might not like the challenge that it proves to be if you try and understand the scent. I didn't mention the honey in the heart of Woman, but it is awesome! The orange blossom note is kind of tucked into that, I find, and it makes it smell like - well, orange blossom honey (which smells almost as good as it tastes!).

Interlude Woman is a playful, if chaotic scent, and as I said above, strikes me as being truly prismatic. I pick up so many colors and textures while wearing it - it is one of the most complex scents I've ever come across. Occasionally there are a few moments of dissonance where I think "Oh, I wish that note was not so prominent" but those moments always pass fairly quickly, and then I am astounded at the next phase of the scent.

In all honesty, Interlude Man is much easier to wear and while chaotic in its own way, I find its simplicity more agreeable and there is never a moment in its development where I have a negative thought about it. That being said, I still prefer woman because it is more optimistic, vibrant, and intellectually stimulating. Man is definitely more.. comforting.

They are both great scents. I think the duo is the best since perhaps the Jubilation duo. (The Honours ultimately dissapoint, even though I do like Honour Woman a lot - both of the Epics are nice but not outstanding, imo - Memoir Woman brings down the Memoir duo as it is a bit too extroverted and even a tad shrill - the Lyric duo are very good but, and I know I'm one of the few, I feel that Lyric woman brings down that duo a bit...so yeah, that brings us back to the Jubilation duo, which are both outstanding scents).

Got some Interlude (man) on the way, can't wait to check it out.

Thanks! Can't agree with you more. Interlude Woman is more vibrant and more challenging. It's a daring scent. Interlude Man is a little bit more reserved, but still it's a great scent, quite complex but I find the Interlude Woman more surprising. Both are great.

My favourite Amouage is Lyric Man, Interlude stand right next to it in my ranking

Wonderfully informative read mr. reasonable, thank you.

So I take it that you feel Interlude Woman is unisex enough that you feel comfortable wearing it?

I find that on paper it stays fairly feminine, but on my skin at least, the spice/incense/wood come out enough to make it unisex. It's not overtly masculine, but I feel pretty comfortable wearing it - as long as I'm in a good and cheery mood as it kind of calls for that!

Opus VI is fantastic. I see a bottle of it or Interlude Man in my future. Interlude Man is probably more "me", but there's something about the medicinal quality of the sandalwood in Opus VI that just enchants me. The floral accord in VI is amazing, too, and it is just such a well-rounded scent. Pierre Negrin + Amouage = awesome.

Yup, when I was wearing it I felt pretty alright which allows me to say that I find it unisex to wear. Had no problems wearing it!

Cannot wait to try this! Anyone know where I can order a sample?? Ive looked on Ebay but nothing yet! HELP!

new sealed 100ml of Interlude Man sold for $189 (+$20 worldwide shipping from Hong Kong) on ebay a couple hours ago.

Got my samples of these today (and, no, I won't be writing any reviews any time soon - it's best to allow some time to muse over the compositions than racing to be the 'first' in the blogosphere to review them). And all I can say is that I'm a bit perplexed by them.

Are they better than the Memoir and Honour duos? I'd say so. Are they up there with the Epic, Jubilation and Lyric duos? At the moment, I don't think so...

The first thing that strikes me about Interlude Man is this charred smokiness (I'm assuming from the agarwood) that gently sears through the composition. It's like birch tar but more bitter or medicinal (which the opoponax could be partly responsible for). The leather becomes more prominent over time but there is a subtle ambery sweetness lurking underneath. As SOS mentioned, the creamy sandalwood is difficult to miss. It's restrained but substantial in its performance and, strangely enough, I think I currently prefer it to Interlude Woman. But the big question is, if Opus VII is supposed to be a leather scent, how will it differ from Interlude Man?

Moving onto Interlude Woman, all I can say is that it's a strange one. If it's a chypre, it's more along the lines of a modern chypre than the classic structure that Jubilation 25 encompasses. I mainly get an exotic fruity opening that harbours a creamy nuance. The honeyed core comes and goes but I don't only smell kiwi as the solitary fruit accord - I also get that pear note, as well as traces of mango/papaya, apple and melon. I'm not getting much rose but a nuttiness lurks in the background. As it's early days, I'll stop there but my skin is emitting that exotic fruity aspect more than anything else and it's not to my tastes. We'll see if my opinion changes...

Which Ebay site were you looking at? also I said I want a sample not a full bottle, dont want to get burnt again with a blind buy!


189 dollars is an excellent price for a full bottle though!

- - - Updated - - -



Where may I see your Amouage reviews Trebor? thanks!

He, he... They're still in the works...

I recently woke up to find both fragrances still evident on my skin. Interlude Woman has now lost the fruitiness that I didn't like too much, to reveal a faint chypre-like drydown. However, it's quite late into the final stages and it's literally on the verge of waning. On the other hand, Interlude Man is still going pretty strong. Yes, it's less leathery and more oriental in feel but I have to say that this may be the first men's version that is actually better than the women's.

I think Interlude Man will be my SOTD...

Looking forward to that, does Interlude Man remind you of any other fragrance you have tried?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...vip=true&rt=nc

I bought a botltle yesterday and am also wearing it today.

I wouldnt at all be surprised if some shrill bidding was involved. Take a look at the bidding details.

SubBass70, although not 100% original, I still think its unique for what it is. If you love smoky or/and leathery scents, youll enjoy Interlude Man. Btw, I did compare it to Mona di Orios Cuir and, while Cuir is slightly more controversial with its opening, Interlude Man feels more three-dimensional overall.

After wearing it for at least two hours so far, my main complaint is projection its minimal but still noticeable. Although my fixation with sillage monsters has long passed, I still very much prefer catching whifts from time to Wait a minute; I just caught a lovely 10 second balsamic waft whilst typing this. Stay tuned

Christopher Chong describes interlude as " ... a reflection of all the trials and tribulations one overcomes to attain personal satisfaction and achievement." Upon smelling interlude, it becomes evident that he considers Amouage's, great achievement to be Tribute attar. For anyone who had asked "what is else out there smells like Tribute?" I can now say that there is such a fragrance. I can't call Interlude "Tribute Light", because it is not. It takes the main accord of smokey, mesmerizing frankincense, leaves out all of the harsh sharp, green notes which people did not like in Tribute, and adds a slight candied, cookie dough like aspect (among other things I can not name). The result is magnificent.

I totally agree with this but don't consider it bottle-worthy. The composition itself is excellent but it's very much a skin scent after the first 2-3 hours. Such discretion may appeal to others but I would have preferred subtle wafts, similar to Chypre Palatin, being detectable throughout the day.

I find parts of Memoir in Interlude Man, too (not that surprising I suppose as this is some overlap between Memoir and Tribute, too). The candy-like sweetness of Interlude definitely has some parallels with the lavender absolute & anise in Memoir. I still maintain that I get some kind of slight anise-like sweetness in Interlude, although no listed note really explains that.

Anyhow, I really like Interlude, but I do much prefer Memoir Man. I'm not sure when I'd wear Interlude Man as if I was in the mood for something like it I'd probably reach for Memoir or Harrods Oud instead.

I definitely get anise in it as well! It is not a note that jumps out on me, but comes and goes through the early part of Interludes development.

I sprayed myself this afternoon, and went to Costco for a food run. I kept smelling Interlude Man the entire two hours of shopping. The longer I smelled myself, the more nauseated I got. There's some weird ass accord that's just so cloying, and nauseating, I could hardly wait to get home and wash it off.

Now on the other hand, if this funky accord floats your boat, you'll get plenty of it from IM.

I do understand why many will enjoy it. There's less Iso E, and longevity is excellent with plenty of sillage. It just doesn't work for me, but it is one of the better EDP's from Amouage from an overall point of view.

I think this one is going to be a basenotes favourite. Here are my thoughts on this subject:
-It is sweet
-Has loads of frankincense
-Rumored to have oud in it
-Complex enough to keep you entertained
-As well crafted as any Amouage
-Has terrific projection and longevity
-And most importantly (once again) it has a sweet note, which makes it so much more accessible to the average nose.

This is probably one of, if not the most accessible Amouages. Of course, there is Dia man which is super smooth, but is in a different genre, and Jub XXV, which is conceptually closer to Interlude, but has dry down issues and loads of ISO E Super. Dia was a hit among among niche aficionados, and JXXV was a hit among anyone who 'just wants a fragrance that smells nice and lasts a long time'. I think that Interlude, with its strong Tribute heritage, and the sweetish gourmand aspect, has huge potential to please those who spend most of their day in thought about the compositions, concepts, notes, imagery, philosophy, heritage, etc, behind the perfume, and those that want to get the most compliments and longevity out of their fragrances.

I think that it will be very interesting to watch how Interlude's destiny unfolds. We have, what I (perhaps mistakenly) feel is a fragrance with all the potential to become a "basenotes favourite". Whether it does or does not gain that status will be dependent on critical appraisal of users such as Alfarom and others whom the community trusts blindly. Or it may get populist "grassroots" support all on it's own. Perhaps it will just go under the radar. Who knows?

I really enjoy the funky first two hours.

I'd say it's something like allspice with a birch tar-ey anisic smokiness with oregano-like spices. Makes it feel like a cross between a day at the Chinese temple and a salad bar with pizza condiments. It eventually gets taken over by the sweet amber undercurrent and a wood accord. (creamy sandalwood + an airy synthetic oud note) Like pavel mentioned above, this has far less ISO E Super than many of the previous Amouage perfume releases. Good stuff.

I've worn it twice and I'm still figuring it out. I cannot yet say where this fits in the pantheon of Amouage fragrances. I do agree that it is probably more accessible to the typical fragrance wearer than Memoir or Epic or even Jubilation XXV. In some ways it seems to be a more mainstream fragrance than the others.I find it to be quite strong initially and for the first few hours. I'm a heavy sprayer and I used about 15 sprays both times I've worn it. That many sprays makes it a bit overwhelming at first, but after the first three hours or so it dries down to a much more reticent fragrance. It easily lasts all day, and although it loses a lot of strength after the initial onslaught I had no trouble detecting it late in the day. Like Trebor I have some issues with this unbalanced performance (opening vs. drydown), but in my case this was compensated for by the heavy spraying. I can see how using only a few sprays would result in an unsatisfactory drydown. I don't get the give and take, contrasting notes in the early stages that some others have described. Yes, I detect them but they don't strike me as competing or contrasting so much as working together to create an unusual accord. I don't find this accord nauseating or overly foody. It seems distinctive, well blended and balanced to me. I don't get much leather, but I do get a smokey note. I'm already becoming a bit weary of smokey notes in recent mens' fragrances and feel like running to womens' frags as sort of a sanctuary! But I don't find the smokey note in Interlude to be too strong, and it doesn't present itself in that ashen way that seems to be cropping up on some other fragrances. The drydown is probably my favorite part, and is probably the most conventional part of the fragrance. It's a creamy, slightly sweet, ambery sandalwood, very nice. I just wish it had more oomph. The weak base kind of lets down the overall experience.- - - Updated - - -I apologize for the single paragraph in my previous post. The website and text boxes are still behaving very strangely. I've tried to edit it but I still cannot get the separate paragraphs. Doing a simple reply to a message shouldn't be so painful!

Sounds like another quality release from Amouage. Great reviews guys, much appreciated.

Basenotes at it's best.

Which of these 3 from Amouage do you think is the best?

Interlude
Memoir
Honour

I do already have Memoir and Honour in my collection. Do I "need" Interlude man?

tried this in Selfridges London, last week and I must say it is very nice. It's perfect for evening wear

Memoir

I don't see having Interlude as a redundancy if you own Memoir and Honour if that's what you're asking. Do you "need" it? You might. I've probably worn Interlude three or four times since I got my 20ml decant a week or so back and I'll definitely re-up to 100ml when it runs dry. I dig the Interlude, but Memoir remains my favorite from Amouage.

I gave this a full wearing for the first time today. It's got great longevity on me, at least eight hours, although the last few are more of a whisper than a shout (but I prefer that). Generally speaking, the opening is round and sweet, and once it recedes, this is all over the place. Incense, dry leather, amber, woods, and smokiness all seem to intermingle, taking turns at random as the focal point. I got a few compliments too, always an added bonus!

The smokiness I got from the man version did remind me vaguely of Tribute, not as dense with some sweetness however I find both too smoky for me. I much prefered the woman version (quite unisex imo), but went for Opus VI instead.

How would you say it compares to Honour man ? Is it more or less dusty/smokey ? More or less accessible/mainstream ? More or less citrusy? I had very high hopes for Honour man, but was dissapointed in how very "Chanel Allure Blanche poussiéreuse tente extreme EDP" it turned out to be.

So Far, my favorite Amouages are:

1. Homage
2. Ciel Man
3. Jubilation XXV
4. Arcus
5. Al Andalus

It`s a mystery for me how some can place Honour man in that category. IMO, it`s miles and miles away from designer scents.

I too love Honour and hope to buy it next. But it doesn't get a lot of love here. I'm still digging Sculpture's initial review of it (before he changed his mind ). Starting to like Jubilation from samples. I have high hopes for Interlude but it sounds a bit sweet for me.

in Honour's defense, It does feature a strong and very realistic "burning sacra frankincense" note about 5 hours in, and that persists for much of the dry down. Great for lovers of burning and not fresh, resinous frankincense. But the first few hours are a smokier, more herbal EDP of Chanel AEB IMHO.

But I think, Amouage as a house for the last few years, they're drastically overusing many phenolic notes and lacking optimism/joy/cheer since Jubilation XXV, Homage attar and Lyric Man (which I disliked). It's as if the house actively wishes to maintain some serious, somber, meditative smokey facade, and will not break it's poker face for anyone.

Their recent smoke-laden offerings are more masculine/avant garde than the industry by far...... but under all that, is some b!tchy little angst-ridden, chainsmoking David Hyde-Pierce type cat trying way too hard. Heroin-chic in an obvious, contrived way, to me.

I'm not asking for sunny, naive Melons and clean florals like Arcus again, but give us some dichotomy within the fragrance. Smile a bit, Amouage...

Hopefully, the accessible/mainstream status hinted at here translates into good things for Interlude man.

I gave Interlude Man a full wearing yesterday, and its longevity was surprisingly good, given others' experiences. I found the opening to be a bit sweet and rich for my tastes, but it wasn't overwhelming. The drydown is amazing and always seems to be evolving.

I also complained about this characteristic in my post above (#89). I'm not very fond of overly smokey notes in fragrances, but it does appear to be a growing trend. It seems that Amouage, and the industry in general, is increasingly using smokey notes in their masculine fragrances.

I'm tempted to call this a manufacturer's shortcut, an easy method of affixing the label "masculine" to a fragrance. "Hey, let's add some smoke. Customers will think of it as dark, serious, and masculine."

I suppose this might herald a return to more traditionally masculine frags after years of sweetish and foody and unisex offerings for men.

I am a winner of this item and it's just arrived to me - 100% authentic and sealed. Bottle and sprayer in excellent condition.
Re the smell - mix of Epic and Memoir for me.
I think they need to change paradigm somehow.

This is the 6th Amouage fragrance I have tried. I think it is by far my least favorite. The longevity is incredible, but I found this cloying and borderline nauseating. However, my wife loved it on me. So, I will certainly give it a few more tries.

A very odd scent. Black licorice, oregano, and a hodge podge of other things that just don't seem to go well together for me. Some people have mentioned that because of the sweetness, it will be more tolerable to the mainstream. I disagree - I think it is not going to be well received by any mainstream people looking for a sweet fragrance - too spicy for a sweet fragrance IMO.

On the plus side, it is unlike anything else I have worn, so if you enjoy this, you will stand out. And with the longevity this has, you will stand out for a long, long time.

Yes! It really is a mix of those two, plus some Tribute, plus a bit of the sweetness from Reflection Man (Reflection Man also has pimento berry oil in it, listed there as "red pepper berries").

mr.reasonable, you are right about notes of Opus 6 which could be detected in interlude, but for me Interlude sounds much more natural rather than Opus 6 ( which I don't like due my perception of this scent as the pure synthetic juice).
It's already 16 hours since I have sprayed Interlude on my hand, and I stil fell the concrete notes of base. Great and benchmark longevity.

My SOTD was Interlude Man. I never got so many complaints about my scent, as I did today. I had 4 people come up to me and say they didn't like what I was wearing today. I guess the people where I live don't like it on me. I was right with my intial thoughts about it not working for me.

Has everyone simply blind bought this? I have been searching and am having the toughest time finding a sample of Interlude Man. I have full bottles of JubXXV, Memoir, and Epic and love them all. JubXXV and Memoir are probably both in my top 5. So I will likely blind buy Interlude, but I certainly do not want something that smells like a mix of Memoir and Epic.

exactly

Not at those prices! I've a sample on back-order from The Perfumed Court. If it does smell like a mix of Epic and Memoir, I certainly won't be buying it!!

Ok I just sprayed Interlude Man from a sample on one arm and my beloved Cuir by Mona di Orio on the other. Initially I thought that IM smelt extremely similar but when comparing these two fragrances side to side, I noticed some considerable differences. First off, IM starts off with a sweet, citrusy (extremely brief), slightly minty aroma. This stage literally lasts a couple of minutes, where thereafter the smoke starts to build up and the peaty aroma that is akin to Cuir forms. I can't help but notice a cinnamony feel that accompanies the smoke IM along with some dried fruit. However, this is very subdued and the smoke is what steals the show. Cuir gets warmer and warmer, the smoke never diminishing and an herbal, green, bitter absinthe with oakmoss facets joins in. Cuir is devoid of any sweetness whatsoever, whereas IM has a slightly candied, sandalwood vibe. I love Cuir because it is herbal, dry, bitter and without any sweetness interrupting the composition, but I like IM very much because it offers a different, slightly similar approach to peaty smoke. I'm guessing Chong's intention with Interlude was to make the composition as chaotic as possible; to marriage a buttery, sweet sandalwood with the dryness of leather and smoke. And in all honesty, IM is extremely organised and symphonic in its chaos.

Drydown: I have now gotten to the drydown of Interlude Man and I'm reminded strongly of Lolita Lempicka Minuit Noir's strong, dark liquorice along with a sweet, spicy immortelle which is faintly powdery. Interesting. The smoke and leather have diminished completely whereas they're still clearly detectable in Cuir.

15 Sprays?! Thats ridiculous guy. Lucky for you that you can afford fragrances like this, because if you didn't you definitely wouldn't be able to afford that much parfum in a workplace lol. You'd get the AXE (hah) in a minute.

I'm quite sensitive to immortelle and detect a huge dose of it in the drydown. It isn't listed; maybe it is an olfactory illusion or maybe it is in there but unlisted. Shame (for me) as I can't tolerate it. Although I wasn't too keen on the nose-stinging berries in the open either. It's a complex, original and interesting scent for sure and I can see the relation to Epic's spices (thankfully more subdued here) and Memoirs smoky woods. Will try again in autumn.

I tried Interlude man from a sample today, and IMO it`s a chaotic mess.. It`s not elegant, it`s not refined, it`s not sophisticated, and it`s mixed with notes that doesn`t fit very well together. The opening is dreadful, and the dry down isn`t good eighter even though the scent calms down after a while. What is Amouage`s intention with this release? Something fresh, modern, and casual?
I think the best for Amouage is to stay faithful to what they do best. Create luxurious, "big", bold, dense, sophisticated, regal scents for quality-conscious fussy clients. I love Amouage, but Interlude man is their weakest fragrance thus far.

Yea I get the cloying feeling now after a week of use. Slightly disappointed with Amouage. Think I shall put it in my collectors cupboard soon.

I couldn't disagree more with negative comments. For me, this is the best Amouage I had so far (after Gold and Jubilation XXV). I got a bit bored with Gold after some time (too flowery/powdery). Jubilation XXV very nice (but I had to get used to it and too much Iso E super despite the fact that I'm not a heavy spayer). Interlude...well...as I said..the best so far. Very nice on my skin..chaotic in the beginning (but very nice)...beatifull dry down. Constant changes of lovely smell and all in the right balance. How did Negrin do this?? Great longevity and silage. Works very well on my skin, so I can only highly recommend this scent!
Last edit...15 sprays??? Wow, that would last for at least a week! 3 sprays is absolute maximum here....well ok, 4 ...because I love it so much:-)

This is shockingly bad for an Amouage. Not to sound too dramatic but it's their first release that really makes me question how it got the green light for release. A metallic, vegetal vetiver bomb. It's a full fragrance but its soul is empty, or alien/foreign. Not something I'd ever crave to smell like and I can't imagine this one eliciting a compliment from anyone. Gave me a pounding headache and had to scrub.

Absolutely LOVE this! Well blended and jumps around with different spices. Everyone I have let try this and everyone who has smelled it has loved it.

The way the art on the packaging looks is how this fragrance feels it was slapped together.. random aromachemicals flung onto canvas. In the drydown I get something that somewhat reminds me of HdP Ambrarem, which I can only refer to as something vegetal or rhubarb-ish. It smells almost intentionally synthetic. It's just not an interesting smell. At least I'm safe to pull the trigger on the XXV bottle I'd been holding off on.

Smells like a niche version of Angel Men - indeed miles better than Angel Men - but you know, i get the vibe - the gourmandish
vibe that this can get very cloying if you go more than 4 sprays, nevertherless i just bought Epic Man, to be followed by Honour Man and only then Interlude Man - I have no penchant for others in this house.

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Believe me when i say, this is so different from Jub and Memoir.
This is sweet,earthy a little smokey and very well candied.