Top 7 Best Amouage Colognes for Men

Mysterious

Let’s just cut to the chase:

Memoir Man isn’t for everyone. Let me explain…

This is HUGELY unique: It’s a dark, green, woody, mysterious smelling scent.

In fact, some people even say it conjures up images of a dark enchanted forest.

I kind of get that. 🙂

Now, the reason for Memoir Man’s uniqueness is because it contains a rich green herbal note – acquired from a plant called wormwood.

Super Unique

By the way, wormwood is also used to aromatize the legendary green colored drink called absinthe (nicknamed the green fairy).

And just like the drink absinthe, Memoir Man is also an acquired taste – something which you learn to appreciate after several full wearings. (Or maybe not.)

So if dark and mysterious sounds like your kind of thing, read on…

Now I’ll be super real with you:

I haven’t actually smelled natural wormwood (or drank absinthe, for that matter), and therefore, I can’t compare Memoir Man’s likeness to them. But I will try my best to describe the scent to you…

Swirls of Rich Frankincense

On first spray, you’re immediately greeted with that mysterious dark green herbaceous accord… with swirls of rich frankincense flowing through it. And this is mixed with a contrasting touch of fresh mint.

To be honest, this opening could be challenging for some people (especially if you’re new to niche perfumery).

However, don’t judge the scent just yet because it quickly transforms into something MUCH more enjoyable. Stay with me…

Warm & Rich

Now, as it starts to dry-down, the green herbaceous minty accord is pushed to the background…

As warm smoky-woods creep in, joined with a pinch of leather and a pinch of tobacco (and some other perfectly blended supporting rich notes).

Furthermore, the rich incense continues to weave its way through the scent. The end result?

A super-unique green smoky-woody scent. Think: burning enchanted forest. 🌲

It’s deep, it’s dark and it’s mysterious. Very sophisticated.

Dark & Mysterious

Now, to be clear:

This is a serious, mature smelling scent. So in terms of age – I suggest 30-up.

And it’s more appropriate for dressed-up nighttime occasions in the cool weather (fall, winter and cool spring nights).

That said, it’s not a room-filler type scent so you can wear it to the office/work (just be careful with the sprayer).

Now:

Memoir Man is an EDP, and doesn’t scream out for attention. It projects around an arm’s length for the first few hours, then it slowly recedes until it sits politely close to the skin.

Lasting power is ballpark: 5-10 plus hours.

Classy

Oh, and did I mention the bottle looks awesome?

Yeah… like all their bottles, the presentation is top-notch, but I particularly love the black bottle with the contrasting silver colored logo and cap. Very classy.

Bottom line:

If you are looking for a premium-quality dark, green, woody mysterious scent – this is it.

Spicy & Woody

Now, full disclosure…

Honour Man is a masculine dry peppery woody scent, which has a nice dose of black and pink peppercorns. So needless to say…

If you’re not a fan of peppery scents, stay well clear. But if that’s your thing, stay with me…

Let me break it down for you:

Right off the bat, you get a dry spicy blend of freshly ground black and pink peppercorns…

And this is mixed with a touch of elemi (a resin), which adds a contrasting fresh green citrusy lime-like quality.

Freshly Ground Peppercorns

As this spicy opening subsides, a slight hint of nutmeg shines through, with a soft floral rosy accord (geranium) buried underneath.

Also, whispers of soft frankincense flow through the scent.

And as it dries down, it becomes woodier, as vetiver creeps in and morphs with the pepperiness.

And finally, this is joined with a kiss of sweetness, which adds a warm semi-sweet nutty woodiness to the scent. Nice.

And the good news…

All Seasons

This is super versatile and can be worn in all seasons. Just adjust your sprays as necessary, and avoid using on hot summer days.

Now, this is a masculine mature scent, more suited for the 25-up, and can be worn dressed-up or down.

It has a professional businessman like feel to it, and is great for the office. Or for nights out, date nights, for that matter.

What’s more, this is Eau de Parfum concentrated and projects nicely (approx. arm’s length) for an hour or so, before taking its position just above the skin.

Refined

So if you’re after a room-filler, you will be disappointed (Interlude Man is what you seek 🙂).

Because Honour Man is refined and gentlemanly. Does it last long?

Our testing resulted in the 5-8 plus hour range. Not too shabby.

Bottom line:

If you like masculine spicy-peppery woody scents, don’t sleep on this.

The Blue Beast

Ah, the Blue Beast… you’ve just gotta love it. “Blue Beast?”… What the heck?

Oh, in case you don’t know, in the online fragrance community Interlude Man has become known as the Blue Beast. Why?

The answer is simple: It comes in a blue-colored bottle… and it performs like a beast! (More on that shortly.)

Maybe you’ve heard, when a scent has excellent projection and is also super-long lasting, it gets called a “beast mode” fragrance. Crazy, right? Anyway…

Does it live up to its name? Let’s find out…

(Spoiler alert: Heck yeah!)

Dark & Smoky

But before we dive in, I’ll be super honest with you:

Interlude Man isn’t for everyone. Let me explain…

This is a very strong, very dark, very smoky, incensey and warm semi-sweet resinous woody scent – with a Middle Eastern feel.

So to clarify…

You have to be confident to wear Interlude Man… Because if you’re not – it will wear you. 🙂

Okay… With that out the way, let me walk you through it…

Brace yourself: (Kidding.Mostly.)

Interlude Man opens up bold and unapologetic, with a dry green herbaceous oregano note, mixed with a dose of spicy pepper.

Strong smoky frankincense swirls through the scent.

And buried underneath all this, is a blend of dark rich warm notes – waiting for their moment.

Rich Semi-Sweet Myrrh

It’s dark, spicy, herbaceous, smoky and resinous. And as I said earlier, it’s not for the faint of heart, as this opening is quite challenging (especially if you’re a beginner).

That said, don’t write the scent off just yet, because it slowly transforms into something special. So give it some time.

Stay with me…

As it starts to dry-down, dark rich semi-sweet myrrh (opoponax) starts to shine through and mix with the smoky incense cloud.

And this is joined with a warm honey-like sweetness and faint wafts of burning woody oud.

Hint of Smooth Leather

And finally, after a long dry-down, a hint of smooth leather, patchouli and sandalwood reveal themselves – to add some rich deepness.

So there we have it. The Blue Beast isn’t as frightening as it sounds, right? 🙂

By the way, if you’re an oud lover, you may want to head over to our top oud fragrances list.

Now, to be clear:

This is not an everyday casual type of scent – far from it. This is something an Arabian prince would wear.

It’s rich and luxurious, and more suited for dressed-up special occasions. Nights out, outdoor events etc.

Rich & Luxurious

What’s more, I wouldn’t advise wearing this in small, enclosed environments. Or for the office/work, as it has the potential to fill a room.

That is unless, of course, you’re the boss. 🙂

If you do – my advice: go with 1 spray on your chest (under your shirt).

And as I said before, you have to be confident to pull this off. Therefore, it’s more suited for mature 30-up well put-together gentleman.

Now, in terms of seasons, this is strictly a cold weather scent: fall and winter. By the way, do not rock this in the high heat. Trust me – you won’t do it twice.

And the good news…

HUGE Performance

This lives up to its name. And more! This is an EDP and has HUGE projection and lasting power. So if you want to get noticed, this is for you.

Upon first spray it projects heavily (up to 6 ft plus) for up to 4 plus hours, leaving a nice scent trail. It then slowly becomes more subtle, creating a nice scent bubble around you.

And we found lasting power to be an impressive 8-12 plus hours. ‘Nough said.

So needless to say:

You’ve got to be careful with this one: 1-2 sprays MAX. And you’re set.

Bottom line:

If you love dark rich smoky complex scents, which pack-a-punch – then I urge you to try this.

Masculine Spicy Tobacco

Just a quick heads-up…

This has a dominant Sichuan Pepper note. So if you don’t like peppery scents – this is definitely not for you. But if that’s your thing, read on…

Now, Journey Man is actually a collaboration between two perfumers:

Pierre Negrin (who created the iconic Interlude Man).

And award-winning superstar perfumer Alberto Morillas (who has created a TON of blockbusters during his career – most notably: Armani’s Acqua di Gio).

Apparently, Morillas worked on the spicy-peppery fresh opening, and Pierre Negrin worked on the warm rich tobacco dry-down. Did they deliver the goods?

Let’s take a Journey, and find out… 🙂

Sichuan Pepper

Your Journey begins with an intense blast of spicy Sichuan pepper – mixed with a touch of cardamom. This spicy bite is slightly softened with a splash of bergamot and neroli freshness.

You get a strong warm fiery spicy-peppery effect ­– with a hint of citrusy freshness to it. And…

As time goes by, the pepper eventually softens up… and allows a fruity, pine tree accord (juniper berries) to reveal itself.

And this is joined with dry tobacco leaves, mixed with swirls of rich smoky frankincense.

Pinch of Leather

And finally, a pinch of leather pokes its head through, and also some woods. And these are smoothed out with a subtle kiss of tonka bean sweetness.

The end result?

A dark warm spicy-peppery tobacco fragrance – infused with rich frankincense… And rounded off with a pinch of smooth leather sweetness.

It smells rich and luxurious. Unique and VERY manly.

By the way, if you love tobacco notes, then don’t miss our best tobacco colognes post. We have discovered the cream of the crop.

Masculine & Mature

Now, Journey Man is a masculine mature scent, more suited for the well-dressed 25-up crowd. And can be worn all year – just avoid wearing in the high heat.

And more suited for dressed-up formal, semi-formal occasions: The office, business meetings, special occasions, nights out. Or even in the club.

This is an EDP and projects just over arm’s length for about 2 hours. (That said, the initial 30-second blast can fill a room.)

It then recedes back, and sits politely close to the wearer. Making it a nice fit for a refined reserved gentleman. Is it long lasting? Here’s what we found…

Reserved Gentleman

We got a respectable 5-8 plus hours of longevity, before it became a faint skin scent. Ain’t complaining.

Oh, one more thing…

The bottle looks stunning. With a striking color combination of crimson red and gold.

Crimson on the front and back face. With the sides, cap and logo being gold colored. Finished with a red Swarovski crystal on the cap

Awesome.

Regal

This is the brand’s crown jewels. Here’s what you need to know:

Jubilation XXV is a special scent, as it was created to celebrate the brand’s 25th anniversary – hence the name: Jubilation 25.

And what’s more, to create this celebratory scent, Amouage commissioned none other than world renowned French perfumer, Bertrand Duchaufour.

With no expense to be spared.

Therefore, he chose to use a TON of different high-quality ingredients to create something prestigious and worthy of such an occasion.

Prestigious

Some of the notes include… blackberry, sweet myrrh, oud, honey, frankincense, guaiac wood, cedar wood, cinnamon, orange… The list goes on and on and on…

However, Duchaufour masterfully blended all these rich noble ingredients into one complex balanced fragrance.

The end result?

A rich, opulent, regal smelling scent, which has a Middle Eastern quality.

Moreover, it’s like something you might imagine an Arabian king or prince to be wearing. Yeah, but…

What does Jubilation XXV smell like?

In short: it’s a dark rich resinous and warm spicy sweet-honeyed woody scent. It’s complex. And because it’s so well blended, I can’t detect all the individual listed notes.

That said, let me give you a quick rundown, of the main notes I do pick up on:

Jubilation XXV opens with a dark dried-fruity sweetness of blackberries and a hint of dark bitter orange…

And this dried-fruitiness is mixed with sweet resinous incense, soft woody oud, and pops of spices.

As it starts to settle, the dried-fruity sweetness fades into the background.

And the scent becomes darker, richer and woodier… with the appearance of smoky guaiac wood and cedarwood.

Furthermore, the woods are joined with a pinch of cinnamon, and a whisper of floral notes lie buried underneath. And…

Dark Fruity Blackberries & Honeyed Woods

All of these are drizzled with a dose of warm syrupy honeyed sweetness (not sugary sweet).

And eventually, you’re left with a rich, resinous and smooth sweet-honeyed spicy-woody scent… Which is very unique and very distinguished.

In a word: regal.

Ah, yes. That reminds me – I should make something clear…

This is not for the younger guys; this is grown men’s stuff. Because this is a very serious, mature smelling scent. My recommendation?

It’s more suited for 35 and up. More specifically, an upper-class sophisticated gentleman.

And what’s more, just as Jubilation XXV was created to celebrate a special occasion…

Special Occasions

The scent itself is also tailor-made for special occasions: dressed-up formal/semi formal, black-tie events, business meetings, fine dining, nights out etc…

To clarify, it’s not an everyday casual type of scent which would go well with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, for example. Far from it.

Plus it’s more appropriate for cool weather use: fall, winter and cool spring days (cold summer nights).

Now to be clear:

Jubilation XXV comes in an EDP concentration and doesn’t scream-out for attention. It projects softly (within arm’s length) for around 2 hours. It then hovers politely over the skin.

Reserved

So if you’re looking for a heavy-hitter, you will be disappointed. This is a reserved gentlemanly scent.

After all, a true gentleman doesn’t let his fragrance announce his presence. 🙂

Does it last long?

We got a mixed bag of results: Depending on the temperature and skin chemistry of the wearer – anywhere from 5-9 plus hours.

Bottom line:

If you’re looking for a high-quality, luxurious, expensive regal smelling scent, with a Middle Eastern touch – then try this.

Minty Green & Woody

Before you read on…

Don’t let the name “Beach Hut” throw you off. Because this is misleading. Here’s why…

Well… with Beach in the title, you might be expecting (at least, I was) some sort of beachy type scent, right?

Maybe a tropical, salty marine/aquatic kind of scent. Maybe even with some coconut and rum thrown into the mix. Or other beachy notes.

However, Beach Hut Man is none of that. In fact – this is quite the opposite.

What does Beach Hut Man smell like?

It’s green. Very green. More specifically, it’s an extremely natural smelling minty green and woody fresh clean scent.

So not something I would associate with anything beachy.

(By the way, if you are looking for a beachy, coconutty rum sort of scent, then I urge you to check out: Creed’s Virgin Island Water. Now that’s beachy)

Okay with that out the way…

Let me give you a quick breakdown:

This opens up with a blast of minty greenness! Freshly crushed mint leaves mixed with a bitter, sharp, green accord (galbanum).

And buried underneath all this greenness is a soapy layer of orange blossom – which has the slightest hint of sweetness.

It smells clean, fresh and minty green. Very green.

Clean, Fresh & Minty Green

As it starts to settle, a dose of ivy creeps in and morphs with the greenness, to add a slightly spicy leafy cooling effect.

And this is joined with some vetiver and moss to add some masculine woody green earthiness.

And as the scent slowly develops, the minty greenness becomes more transparent. This allows some dry woodiness to shine though… joined with a hint of slightly sweet earthy patchouli and a whisper of sweet resinous myrrh.

And hats off to Amouage:

This smells incredibly natural and incredibly unique.

(Speaking of… if you enjoy minty green scents, then I also urge you to check out Colonia Club from the brand Acqua di Parma.)

Performs All Year

Now, this is a mature scent (suggest 30-up) which can be used all year – just adjust your sprays for the temperature.

And is more suited for everyday daytime casual, semi-formal use. Works great in the outdoors, for vacations etc. And is also office/work safe (spray lightly).

However, it shines in the spring and summer. But be careful not to overspray on super-hot days. Because here’s the beautiful part…

A Little Goes a LONG Way

Beach Hut Man is an EDP and has excellent performance. On first spray, it can project over arm’s length – for up to an impressive 4 hours.

Then it slowly becomes more subtle, and creates a nice scent cloud around you. How long does it last? Here’s what we found:

Depending on the temperature/situation, lasting power was 7-12 plus hours.

So needless to say:

Be careful with the sprayer. 1-3 sprays MAX… and you’re good to go.

Two thumbs up! 🙂

Beautifully Simple

This is currently Amouage’s best seller for men. And for good reason!

Because out of all their scents, this is the most mass-appealing (compliment getting), versatile and easiest to wear.

So if you’re new to fragrances, and/or looking for your first niche scent – then this is a GREAT choice.

However, if you’re already a fragrance connoisseur, then maybe the brand’s darker, more complex offerings on this list would be more suitable for you. To be clear…

Not to say Reflection Man should be overlooked, it just may not be complex and/or interesting enough for you. Okay, with that out the way…

What Does Reflection Man Smell Like?

This one is pretty straightforward… It’s a luxurious sweet clean white floral scent, with a smooth creamy woody backbone. Done in the nicest way possible.

Let’s take a closer look…

It opens with a thick sweet clean white floral accord (jasmine & neroli)… mixed with a pinch of rosemary and a nice spicy kick of pink pepper.

As it settles, the sweet white florals take center stage. And these are joined with a touch of orris root (iris) – which gives the scent a powdery clean soapy sweetness.

Creamy Sweet Woods

It smells like fresh clean laundered sheets. But in a sweet luxurious way… And understandably, it rakes in some nice compliments.

Ain’t complaining. 🙂

And finally, as it dries down, sandalwood creeps in to give it a nice soft warm creamy-woody backbone.

This is also joined with a hint of cedarwood and other dry woody notes. Does it smell expensive?

I’d say so. Yeah… although it’s not a super complex scent, the quality is definitely top-notch. And so it should be.

(Speaking of… to discover more of our favorite sandalwood colognes go here.)

And the beautiful part:

Hugely Versatile

This is HUGELY versatile. You can wear this all year for just about any occasion: from smart-casual to dressed-up at a wedding.

And it’s GREAT for the office. Or even dates, or clubbing etc. Handy stuff!

Just adjust your sprays, and avoid the high-summer daytime heat (as it will become overly sweet).

Now, I should point something out:

Despite the name of this scent, it’s actually quite unisex. So if you’re looking for a masculine man’s man type scent – this is not it. Therefore…

Sharply Dressed Guys

I would recommend this to modern 25-up stylishly dressed guys.

Now, Reflection Man comes in an EDP and doesn’t shout-out for attention. It projects just less than an arm’s length for up to 2-3 hours. It then recedes and sits close to the skin.

And we found its lasting power to be a respectable 6-8 plus hours.

Works like a charm. 🙂

Amouage are a luxury niche fragrance house based in Oman. But here’s the cool part…

The brand was actually created under the request of the former Sultan of Oman himself, Qaboos Bin Said (now deceased, RIP).

So needless to say:

This is high-end stuff.

In fact, the brand use world-renowned perfumers to create their scents. Furthermore, no expense is to be spared when it comes to the ingredients that go into them.

On top of that, the scents come beautifully presented in premium packaging and the brand’s signature glass crystal bottles.

Premium

The caps on the men’s line are reminiscent of the handle of a traditional Omani Khanjar dagger (which is the national emblem of Oman).

And what’s more, the cap is magnetic and adorned with a Swarovski crystal.

The final result?

Fragrances that are like an experience. However, they also come with prices to match (understandable).

Plus, they are an acquired taste, as they are unlike typical mainstream scents found in department stores.

Oh, in case you’re wondering…

What does Amouage mean?

It is simply a mash-up of the French word “amour” (which means love), and the Arabic word for “waves.”

Just a quick heads-up…

When your new prestigious looking box arrives, be VERY careful how you open it. Why?

Because if you open it up on its side, and pull from the bottom, the bottle can easily fall out and hit the floor. Trust me – you won’t do it twice.

So it’s much safer to place the box upright on a flat surface, and then lift the top part of the box up to separate it from the bottom part – to reveal the gorgeous bottle sitting in its pedestal.

Thank me later. 🙂

We hope you enjoyed our article and found this list useful.  If you did, we would love it if you would share it to your favourite social networks!