Wow!! This is not my usual type of fragrance, as I normally gravitate toward green florals, but I was excited to try it from a lovely gift coffret of six mini Amouage perfumes. Memoir is amazing. Many reviewers have said it reminds them of the original Poison. I used to wear Poison in the 1980s and this is much, much better. I do understand that impression, though, but to me Poison was very plummy and I smell no fruit in Memoir other than the spicy orange in the opening.

As soon as I dabbed Memoir on my wrist, I got a strong whiff of cardamom and orange, with a herbal undercurrent from the wormwood, aka artemisia. The small dabs on my wrists left a slight sheen of oil, showing a high concentration of perfume essence. A little goes a long way! This would be easy to overdo, which would be a shame as its powerhouse sillage could overwhelm an appreciation of its nuances.

The orange vanishes very early but the cardamom lingers. Next come the incense and clove, mostly incense on my skin, freshened up by the floral notes. I can’t distinguish most of those, other than jasmine, but the combination is gorgeous. The incense is the strongest note on me at this stage, followed by the combination of jasmine and clove. A rose peeks out once in a while but on me, it comes and goes.

I am writing this as it dries down; it is becoming more woodsy but the incense is still dominant, which I am enjoying. The wood notes have a pleasantly smoky quality which suits fall and winter weather. The longer this dries down, the more the styrax emerges, with balsamic, resinous tones of spices, smoke, incense and just a touch of leather. The balsamic aspect is only slightly sweet, not cloying at all.

I am so under-dressed for Memoir right now! Wearing it, I feel as if I should have just come from a beauty salon with nails and hair done, and about to put on a fabulous dress and good jewelry for an expensive dinner out or elegant society party.

This is a very high-quality perfume. Not sure it’s worth paying the usual high price for a large bottle but this could easily become the signature scent for the right person, so maybe it would be money well spent.

Photo: amouage.com