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Friday, September 12, 2008

Perfume Review: Amouage Lyric Woman

"The search for a perfection beyond reality; the rare and exquisite nature of the lyric-spinto voice that inspires both awe and envy; the sacrifice made in the quest for immortality..." No, you are not reading a synopsis of a Lloyd Webber musical. This is how Amouage introduce their new "deliciously dramatic" fragrance, Lyric Woman. To be fair, the perfume is in fact dramatic. And delicious, in that tantalizingly odd way in which roses can be delicious when they are blended with spices and vanilla.

According to Amouage, "Lyric is a floral fragrance, but one that introduces dark intensity" to the genre. Simply put, it is a floral-oriental scent. Or rather oriental-floral, because the spices, the resins and the woods rule the composition. Do not expect a pure, naturalistic rose scent. When the (lyric-spinto?) voice of the rose IS heard in the passionate and perfectly harmonious chorus of other notes, it does sound wonderfully realistic. Those are the glimpses of roses in their natural habitat, in a luxurious garden, with dew glistening alluringly on their crimson petals (hey, I can do over-the-top marketing copy with the best of them!)...but most of the time, Lyric is a masterfully-woven tapestry, or perhaps more appropriately in this case - a carpet. At times you can recognize the flowers in the abstract ornaments but mostly they blend into the ornate, magnificently intricate design.

It may or may not be apparent from this review, but I am in love with Lyric. I don't like naturalistic rose scents and, as those close to me would unhappily confirm, I love drama. I also appreciate complex compositions. Lyric has a multitude of facets: there is a fresh, slightly sharp floral part fronted by jasmine and geranium, the mouthwatering spicy side of cardamom, cinnamon and ginger, the sweet, edible fluffiness of vanilla, tonka bean and orris, the dark sensuality of wood and frankincense...And this host of voices is tied together with the velvety ribbon of rose, and what could have been cacophony becomes breathtaking harmony.

Lyric Woman was created by Daniel Maurel. I would be curious to find out what other perfumes were done by Maurel and from now on will be eagerly awaiting his new scents. Lyric collection also includes a masculine scent, Lyric Man, by Daniel Visentin: a fresher, spicier and equally beautiful blend, which continues the Phantom of the Opera theme by recounting "the myth of a beautiful young woman and a powerful, mysterious man who seeks to immortalise the beauty of her voice." But more on that at a later date...

Lyric Woman and Man are available at amouage.com, for €185-€220 and €165-€205 respectively.

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17 Comments:

Blogger elle said...

OMG. WANT. Just like the Jubilation scents were probably my faves from last year's crop, I seriously suspect this may be my fave for this year. Every single thing about it sounds perfect. Absolutely perfect.

10:19 PM EDT  
Blogger Flora said...

The moaning you hear is me, anticipating my first sniff of this obvious masterpiece.....and loving your wonderful imagery! Lyrical indeed.

So far I have loved or liked everything from the House of Amouage. I don't see that changing any time soon.

1:14 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

L
Jubilation 25 is still probably my absolute favorite, but this one is gorgeous too

6:39 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Donna
I am almost sure you would love this

6:40 AM EDT  
Blogger Beth Schreibman Gehring said...

Oh my god, Roses, spice and vanilla...It sounds sublime. Can't wait to try !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As usual, you've managed to wet my appetites and destroy my budget all at once.....

6:53 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Beth,
:-) My work here is done then :-)

6:54 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Does it compare to Parfum Sacre at all? - Emma

7:07 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Emma
They are in the same family. This one is less pepper, less sharp and much "thicker".

7:08 AM EDT  
Blogger poodlegirl said...

Well, I may just have to spend my entire perfume budget on this instead of a refill for my Tabac Blond. ::sigh:: This one sounds like it was tailor-made for me. Thanks for the wonderful review!

p.s. just saw that this is available at Four Seasons, too (not affiliated)

12:15 PM EDT  
Blogger TrippleJN said...

Has anyone mentioned how beautiful this blog is in the last few days? It always is, but I really love the red theme threaded through most of the recent images...it's luscious. Even if I'm a complete novice, I love coming here for the eye and brain candy.

By the way, I received my sample of Apres la Mousson and I think it will be just the ticket for hot days.

Jenny

2:51 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Ann,
I imagine you will love this. Good to now 4S carry it!

3:32 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Jenny
Thank you! I am in my red period in clothes too :-)
Glad you liked Mousson!

3:33 PM EDT  
Blogger lilybp said...

Just checking in from under a pile of work to say I miss you--and I want this, too (but I am broke, so I probably won't get it). Hope all is well with you!

8:20 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

J,
I've been missing you! I hope the pile of work lets you come and play once in a while :-)

8:26 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love your comparison of the perfume to a"magnificently intricate" carpet. I've spent many hours at the Met entranced by a Safavid Kashan Carpet decorated with an array of combative mythological animals and stylized flowers . Your description of a dark, alluring rose, vibrant and complex, suffused with spices, woods and incense, is too enticing to remain unexplored. There's no way I 'm going to wait to see if it makes a stage entrance in the U.S. I'm off to the Amouage website, and won't be able to take a breath until I press the "add to cart" button.

11:22 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ah, I do look forward to your review of Lyric Man. I am enraptured with Amouage since discovering the perfection of Jubilation XXV -- and at their prices I'm *very* afraid of sampling the line further. Nice to read this review -- sounds beautiful.

12:24 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just smelled this (Lyric woman) over the weekend and... Juicy Fruit gum. I laughed when I smelled it - $300 for Juicy Fruit gum? But the drydown was pleasant.

The men's was irremediably boring unfortunately.

4:51 PM EDT  

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