Dragon

About the perfumer – Quentin Bisch →

A modern fairy tale in a bottle: pear, hazelnut and rose over a creamy, glowing base. Guidance by Amouage, released in 2023 and created by perfumer Quentin Bisch, became an instant sensation for its blend of pear, hazelnut, sambac jasmine, rose, saffron, sandalwood and creamy woods. Bold, emotional and magnetic, it feels luxurious and distinctly feminine.

The Story

Guidance reinterprets Amouage's signature triad of rose, frankincense and ambergris, reading, as the house puts it, like a poem and smelling like an embrace. The delicate strength of femininity is its theme, told in a dreamlike progression from a sweet, nutty opening, through a garden of osmanthus, rose and saffron, to a warm, enveloping base.

How It Smells

Opening
A striking contrast of juicy pear and creamy hazelnut with a veil of frankincense, sweet, smoky and instantly addictive.

Heart
A lush floral heart of rose, sambac jasmine and osmanthus blooms with richness and sensuality, while saffron adds warmth and intrigue.

Dry Down
Sandalwood, ambergris, Akigalawood, vanilla and cistus give smooth, creamy woody depth. The overall effect is creamy, fruity, floral and musky, and highly luxurious.

Fragrance Notes

Top

• Pear
• Frankincense
• Hazelnut

Heart

• Saffron
• Rose
• Jasmine Sambac
• Osmanthus

Base

• Cistus
• Sandalwood
• Akigalawood
• Ambergris
• Vanilla

Fragrance Profile

Floral · Amber · Fruity · Gourmand · Musky

An olfactory journey into Arabian luxury. Liwa by Widian sets golden saffron, luminous jasmine and bergamot over warm amber wood, then settles into sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver and smoky oud incense. Rich, elegant and deeply captivating, it is boldly refined.

The Story

Liwa is an extrait de parfum from Widian, the Abu Dhabi-based house that builds its perfumes around the oud, amber, incense and rare flowers of the Arabian world. It has a regal Middle Eastern character, but one that is refined and modern rather than overpowering.

How It Smells

Opening
Rich, mysterious and immediately luxurious. Saffron, jasmine, bergamot and artemisia give a spicy-floral radiance, golden saffron meeting smooth jasmine and aromatic herbs, exotic, polished and very high-end.

Heart
Amber wood, white flowers and geranium form a warm, elegant heart, silky and opulent, balancing floral softness with glowing amber richness.

Dry Down
Cedarwood, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver and oud incense settle into a smoky, resinous, woody base.

Fragrance Notes

Top

• Jasmine
• Saffron
• Bergamot
• Artemisia

Heart

• Amber Wood
• White Flowers
• Geranium

Base

• Cedarwood
• Patchouli
• Sandalwood
• Vetiver
• Oud Incense

Fragrance Profile

Amber · Floral · Oud · Woody · Spicy

A song of the sea: brine, ink and ambergris. Zoologist Squid pairs tangy salt, crisp incense and a sweet, cloudy black ink accord with the moody glow of ambergris. Perfumer Céline Barel composed it for Zoologist Perfumes in 2019.

The Story

The vast ocean swells and contracts, caught in the relentless tug of the moon. Beneath the surface a school of squid emerges, strange elastic forms propelled from the deep in a frantic search for sustenance, and when predators lunge they are foiled by blinding jets of murky ink. The hunt ends abruptly as a monolith materializes: a massive sperm whale that dives, leaving a temporary peace in its wake. Decades on, relics of the battle resurface as lumps of ambergris, expelled by the whale and polished by the salty currents, wash ashore. Waste or flotsam? To the perfumer this elusive substance is nothing less than treasure. Zoologist Squid tells a melancholy tale through tangy brine, crisp incense and sweet, cloudy ink, all united by the moody aroma of ambergris, and like the depths that inspired it, it ripples with mystery.

How It Smells

Opening
Pink pepper, a bright solar salicylate and crisp incense open with a sparkle of sea air.

Heart
A black ink accord and a salty accord sit alongside the resinous sweetness of opoponax.

Dry Down
Ambergris, benzoin and musk close in a warm, balsamic, faintly salty glow.

Fragrance Notes

Top

• Pink Pepper
• Solar Salicylate
• Incense

Heart

• Black Ink Accord
• Salty Accord
• Opoponax

Base

• Ambergris
• Benzoin
• Musk

Fragrance Profile

Amber · Aquatic · Resinous · Balsamic · Salty

Smoke, resin and roasted coffee in a dark, hypnotic haze. Black Afgano by Nasomatto is darkness refined into luxury. Smoky green accords, roasted coffee, rich tobacco, sacred incense, oud and glowing amber create a fragrance that feels bold, mysterious and unforgettable. Deeply provocative and endlessly magnetic, it leaves a trail of pure intrigue.

The Story

Black Afgano was released in 2009 by Nasomatto, the Italian project of perfumer Alessandro Gualtieri. The house says it aims to evoke the best quality of hashish and is the result of a quest to arouse the effects of temporary bliss. It is one of the most recognizable creations of the house.

How It Smells

Opening
Dark, dense and immediately hypnotic, with a smoky green accord often associated with cannabis, blended with resinous woods and aromatic herbs. The first impression is mysterious and almost narcotic: earthy, bitter-green and deeply atmospheric rather than sweet. It is one of the most recognizable openings in niche perfumery.

Heart
Richer and warmer. Coffee, tobacco, resins, woods and incense rise through the composition, creating a thick, luxurious darkness that feels meditative and sensual. Many wearers describe smoky hashish, dark woods and warm embers rather than a literal cannabis smell.

Dry Down
Smooth, powerful and unforgettable. Oud, amber, musk, vanilla, guaiac wood and incense melt into a deep resinous trail that lasts for hours. It smells expensive, rebellious and intensely charismatic.

Fragrance Notes

• Cannabis
• Green Notes
• Saffron
• Resins
• Woods
• Tobacco
• Coffee
• Agarwood
• Incense
• Amber
• Musk
• Vanilla
• Guaiac Wood

Fragrance Profile

Oud · Smoky · Tobacco · Woody · Resinous

Fog, green mountains and wet earth after the Omani monsoon. Meander by Amouage is one of the house's most poetic and atmospheric creations, a modern iris-and-wood fragrance that feels introspective, elegant and deeply unique. Created by perfumer Mackenzie Reilly, it turns carrot, orris, frankincense and vetiver into a misty, meditative landscape.

The Story

Meander was inspired by the Khareef, the monsoon season in Oman's southernmost governorate, when fog rolls through the cliffs, the mountains turn lush and green, and streams run through the land. Amouage presents it as an exploration of the exhilarating happiness of that landscape. The fog is suggested by frankincense and smoky vetiver, the greenery by cypriol and jonquille, and the damp earth by carrot, orris and sandalwood. It was launched in 2020 as part of the house's Renaissance Collection.

How It Smells

Opening
Carrot seed arrives first: dry, earthy, slightly spicy and unexpectedly elegant, set against translucent olibanum and a flicker of pink and black pepper.

Heart
A smooth, buttery iris gives powdery sophistication without heaviness, joined by rose, the hay-like woodiness of cypriol and the green floral touch of jonquille. Frankincense adds a translucent, smoky, resinous lift.

Dry Down
Sandalwood and vetiver create creamy woody depth, with olibanum resinoid lingering underneath. The overall effect is misty, rooty, powdery, woody and quietly meditative.

Fragrance Notes

Top

• Olibanum Oil
• Carrot Heart
• Pink Pepper CO2
• Black Pepper Oil

Heart

• Orris
• Rose Absolute
• Cypriol Heart
• Jonquille Absolute

Base

• Olibanum Resinoid
• Vetiver Oil
• Sandalwood Oil

Fragrance Profile

Woody · Iris · Powdery · Resinous · Green · Spicy

From Oman to Cuba, along the Tropic of Cancer. Opus XIV Royal Tobacco by Amouage joins radiant frankincense to rich tobacco absolute, liquorice, vanilla, myrrh and oud. Regal, dark and complex, it is widely regarded as one of the great tobacco fragrances in modern niche perfumery.

The Story

Released in 2022 as part of the Library Collection and created by perfumer Cécile Zarokian, Opus XIV links Omani frankincense with Cuban tobacco traditions. Amouage describes it as a fragrant journey from Oman to Cuba, with a frankincense and tobacco accord that bursts alive; it also nods to El Lector, the readers who entertained cigar-factory workers with novels.

How It Smells

Opening
Radiant frankincense, cardamom, elemi, anise, basil and bergamot: fresh, spicy, resinous and immediately arresting.

Heart
Tobacco absolute and liquorice root form the core, warmed by fenugreek, lavender, orange blossom, osmanthus and rose for sweetness and complexity.

Dry Down
Vanilla, myrrh, benzoin, oud, birch tar, tonka bean, vetiver, guaiac wood and musks create a smoky, resinous, creamy finish, dark, sweet, spicy and extraordinarily rich.

Fragrance Notes

Top

• Frankincense Oil
• Elemi
• Cardamom
• Anise
• Basil
• Bergamot

Heart

• Tobacco Absolute
• Liquorice Root
• Lavender
• Prunol
• Fenugreek
• Orange Blossom
• Osmanthus
• Rose

Base

• Frankincense Resinoid
• Peru Balsam
• Benzoin
• Labdanum
• Myrrh
• Birch Tar
• Tonka Bean
• Madagascar Vanilla
• Vetiver
• Guaiac Wood
• Oud Assam
• Musks

Fragrance Profile

Tobacco · Resinous · Spicy · Smoky · Sweet

Oud Paradisio unveils itself: a fragrance at once powerful, captivating, opulent, and audacious. Dominating with majesty is a dark, enveloping oud wood. At the top, the fresh, citrusy brightness of bergamot is enlivened by the juicy, succulent sweetness of frosted pineapple, while a subtle veil of incense and saffron whispers through the composition.
The exquisite floral heart unfolds as a precious trio of roses, two essences 01 and an absolute 02, imbuing the composition with elegance and depth. The warm base marries shadowy oud with cocoa, creating an arrangement rich in intensity and sumptuous voluptuousness. Sensuality blossoms among a woody warmth, nuanced with subtle restraint. Its assertive character is sculpted by the animalic accents revealed through the potent olfactory presence of oud essence. Complex and surprising, Oud Paradisio is a nocturnal perfume steeped in mystery.

Fragrance Notes: 

Bergamot, Pineapple ice cream accord, Incense, Saffron, Bulgarian rose, Turkish Rose, Cocoa absolute, OUD 

Rainforest agarwood in cream and smoke. Silky Woods by Goldfield & Banks is a luxurious woody gourmand centred on rare, sustainably harvested Australian agarwood, blended with warm cinnamon, tobacco leaves, exotic ylang-ylang, Tahitian vanilla, saffron, incense and Australian sandalwood. Rich yet refined, it is a sensual, modern interpretation of oud wrapped in creamy sweetness and polished woods. Perfumer: Hamid Merati-Kashani.

The Story

Silky Woods is inspired by the ancient rainforests of Tropical Queensland and is the debut fragrance of the house’s Botanical Series, which focuses on rare botanicals. It features Australian agarwood that the brand says was sustainably harvested for the first time in perfumery.

How It Smells

Opening
Soft cinnamon spice with a subtle fruity sweetness.

Heart
Smooth tobacco and exotic ylang-ylang deepen into silky woods.

Dry Down
Rich vanilla, sandalwood and oud form a velvety, comforting finish.

Fragrance Notes

• Cinnamon (Ceylon)
• Peach
• Tobacco Leaves
• Ylang Ylang (Madagascar)
• Saffron
• Incense
• Vanilla (Tahiti)
• Sandalwood (Australia)
• Agarwood (Tropical Australia)

Fragrance Profile

Woody · Gourmand · Oud · Tobacco · Spicy

About the perfumer – Quentin Bisch →

Decision 42 is a new 2026 Exceptional Extrait from Amouage, created by perfumer Quentin Bisch. It takes the original Decision DNA and makes it darker, smokier, richer and more intense, with an exceptionally high 42% perfume oil concentration.

The original Decision centers on a lightning strike near a juniper tree. Decision 42 raises the stakes: neroli, cardamom and cinnamon sharpen the lightning effect, while juniper meets patchouli and rectified pine tar for a darker, smokier profile. Vanilla and labdanum make the base warmer and more life-affirming. Fierce, uncompromising and dazzling.

How it smells: Brilliant spice and citrus collide with dark woods, smoky resins and incense, then settle into warm, ambered vanilla. Compared with the original Decision, it is deeper, smokier and more resinous, with a stronger emphasis on woods and incense.

Fragrance notes:
Top: Pink Pepper, Bergamot, Cardamom, Neroli, Cinnamon
Heart: Frankincense, Juniper, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Rectified Pine Tar
Base: Patchouli, Cedarwood, Vanilla, Labdanum

Details: 42% perfume oil concentration, aged six weeks (four weeks of maceration and two of maturation). Amber, woody and aromatic.

Read our full review of Decision 42, including how it compares to the original and who it's for.

Above the clouds, in serenity without end. Existence by Amouage is a luminous floral-resinous fragrance built around lily of the valley, rose, aldehydes, frankincense and soft musks. Artistic, airy and quietly powerful, it is one of the house's most unconventional modern releases.

The Story

Launched in 2025, Existence completes Amouage's Odyssey collection alongside Decision. Composed by perfumer Quentin Bisch under creative direction by Renaud Salmon, it draws on Jebel Shams, the highest peak in Oman, and the sense of serenity and endlessness of standing above the clouds.

How It Smells

Opening
Lily of the valley, rose and bright aldehydes: clean, floral, sparkling and almost cloud-like.

Heart
Frankincense, Mystikal and labdanum create a soft resinous warmth that adds depth without heaviness.

Dry Down
White musk, benzoin and ambergris give a clean, skin-like finish with glowing warmth. The overall effect is floral, musky, airy, soapy-clean and quietly powerful.

Fragrance Notes

Top

• Lily of the Valley
• Rose

Heart

• Frankincense
• Mystikal
• Labdanum

Base

• Ambergris
• White Musk
• Benzoin

Fragrance Profile

Floral · Musky · Resinous · Aldehydic

Overture Woman by Amouage is one of the boldest and most theatrical creations in the house. Released in 2020 and created by perfumer Annick Menardo, it was inspired by the glamour of old Hollywood and the emotional intensity of grand opera. Rich, dramatic, and unforgettable, it blends boozy fruits, spices, florals, smoke, and resins into a true statement fragrance.

What It Smells Like

It opens with a decadent blend of cognac, apple, saffron, and benzoin—boozy, fruity, spicy, and instantly rich. The heart reveals lush myrrh, cinnamon, rose centifolia, and delicate florals, creating warmth and grandeur. In the drydown, smoke, leather, sandalwood, frankincense, and animalic nuances add deep sensuality. The overall effect is dark, boozy, spicy, smoky, and glamorous with huge presence.

Fragrance Notes: 

• Top Notes: Bergamot, Saffron & Apple (Calvados Accord)
• Hearth Notes: Benzoin, Myrrh, Rose Centifolia, Geranium, & Cinnamon
• Base Notes: Pyrogenic Incense, Ciste Labdanum & Leather Vitessence

A field of flowers inside the brain. Amygdala by Mendittorosa is one of the most emotional, cerebral and artistic fragrances in modern niche perfumery: a semi-abstract floral, woody and ambery extrait with an iris character, a prominent jasmine and an unusual bitter-almond, coffee and ginger opening.

The Story

Created by Luca Maffei for the Italian artistic house Mendittorosa, Amygdala explores emotion, memory, fear, instinct and olfaction, named for the almond-shaped part of the brain tied to emotion and smell. Founder Stefania Squeglia drew the concept from her psychology studies, imagining a vast field of flowers inside that tiny structure, with violets at its centre. Maffei built a complex floral bouquet around it, inspired by a brain scan that showed an iris-like shape.

How It Smells

Opening
An unusual contrast of bitter almond, coffee, ginger and green brightness.

Heart
A dense floral-woody cloud of iris, violet leaf, jasmine, orange blossom and ylang-ylang.

Dry Down
Balsamic labdanum and smoky vetiver, with a leathery, resinous warmth.

Fragrance Notes

Top

• Ginger
• Coffee

Heart

• Almond
• Iris
• Ylang-Ylang
• Violet Leaf
• Orange Blossom
• Jasmine

Base

• Vetiver
• Labdanum

Fragrance Profile

Floral · Woody · Amber · Spicy · Leather · Resinous

Crystal Saffron is a luminous and magnetic fragrance where precious Greek saffron meets airy musk, glowing ambroxan, and sacred incense. Sharp yet sensual, clean yet deeply seductive, this modern composition transforms saffron into something radiant and effortlessly chic. Bold, sophisticated, and unforgettable, Crystal Saffron is niche luxury with unmistakable presence.

How It Smells

It opens with a striking burst of saffron—warm, slightly leathery, metallic, and golden, but polished rather than dense. Habanolide musk adds a clean, skin-like brightness that gives the fragrance its “crystal” transparency. In the drydown, ambroxan creates an addictive amber glow while Somalian incense adds subtle smoky depth. The overall effect is bright, modern, spicy, musky, and powerfully elegant.

Fragrance Notes: 

Musk Habanolide, saffron, Ambroxan, incense

A primeval, smoke-charred roar of resin, leather and ancient blooms. Zoologist Tyrannosaurus Rex pairs fir, black pepper and laurel with a heart of rose, champaca and ylang ylang, over a base of cade, frankincense, leather, patchouli and cedar. Perfumer Antonio Gardoni composed it for Zoologist Perfumes, which released it in 2018.

The Story

A sultry heat wafts across the land, lapped up greedily by the abundant flora that thrives in its midst. Trees soar to majestic heights and plants flower for the first time, their petals giving birth to a world rich in diversity. The Cretaceous period comes of age against a backdrop scorched by wildfire and lightning strikes, and over this turbulent landscape a massive predator looms. Giants rule the earth, but even giants can be cut down by the powerful jaws of the fearsome tyrannosaur, who stands tall and fears nothing until a fire in the sky signals the end of the reign. Zoologist Tyrannosaurus Rex is a gargantuan scent that sinks its teeth into the world of delicate fragrances and rips it wide open. Primitive woods and florals snatch you away to an ancient era; smoky, charred wood warns of smouldering fire, while droplets of metallic rose oxide offer a chilling premonition of blood-lust. It is sometimes menacing, sometimes fascinating, but never ordinary.

How It Smells

Opening
Fir, laurel leaf, black pepper and nutmeg hit first, lifted by bergamot and neroli.

Heart
Rose, jasmine, champaca, osmanthus, geranium and ylang ylang bloom with a slightly metallic edge.

Dry Down
Cade smoke, frankincense and resins join leather, cedar, patchouli, sandalwood and vanilla in a dark, charred finish.

Fragrance Notes

Top

• Bergamot
• Black Pepper
• Fir
• Laurel Leaf
• Neroli
• Nutmeg

Heart

• Champaca
• Geranium
• Jasmine
• Osmanthus
• Rose
• Ylang Ylang

Base

• Resins
• Cade
• Cedar
• Civet
• Frankincense
• Leather
• Patchouli
• Sandalwood
• Vanilla

Fragrance Profile

Woody · Resinous · Floral · Leather · Smoky

Bright citrus, ginger and incense for a confident signature. Akoya by Vivamor is an uplifting, invigorating signature-worthy fragrance that opens with Italian lemon, grapefruit and pink pepper, moves through African ginger and Indian jasmine sambac, and rests on a smooth base of incense and amber. Master perfumer: Christian Carbonnel.

The Story

Akoya, launched in 2022, is a citrus aromatic designed to make the wearer feel confident, balancing freshness, spice and resinous warmth for day or evening.

How It Smells

Opening
Sparkling and energising: Italian lemon, grapefruit and a prickle of pink pepper.

Heart
Warm, spicy ginger from Africa with Indian jasmine sambac.

Dry Down
A smooth, resinous finish of incense and amber.

Fragrance Notes

Top

• Italian Lemon
• Grapefruit
• Pink Pepper

Heart

• African Ginger
• Indian Jasmine Sambac

Base

• Incense
• Amber

Fragrance Profile

Citrus · Aromatic · Amber · Spicy

Oud, coffee and the deck of a sailing boat. Agneta by Eight & Bob blends rich spices, roasted coffee, precious woods and sensual amber into a deeply sophisticated extrait de parfum, opening with bergamot, black pepper, nutmeg and cardamom, deepening with coffee, incense, magnolia and oud, and ending in creamy sandalwood, musk and amber. A statement fragrance for those who appreciate richness, elegance and distinction.

The Story

The fragrance centres on prized oud, valued for its scarcity and long maturation. Its name is that of Agneta, the sailing boat of Gianni Agnelli, and the scent is meant to evoke the boat's wooden deck: enigmatic, discreet and nostalgic, with a link to the sea and the themes of elegance and lifestyle that Eight & Bob is known for.

How It Smells

Opening
Dark, luxurious and spicy. Cardamom and pepper sit over bright bergamot, with nutmeg adding warmth.

Heart
A rich roasted-coffee note is wrapped in incense and soft oud, with magnolia adding depth and character.

Dry Down
Warm sandalwood, cedarwood, amber and musk settle into a smooth, powerful trail that feels commanding and refined.

Fragrance Notes

Top

• Bergamot
• Black Pepper
• Nutmeg
• Cardamom

Heart

• Coffee
• Incense
• Magnolia
• Oud

Base

• Sandalwood
• Cedarwood
• Musk
• Amber

Fragrance Profile

Woody Amber · Spicy · Gourmand · Oud