Enclave

Beautiful! A perfect scent for me. It’s equal parts fun and sophisticated. I’ve heard that some people claim it smells like mint toothpaste. But, in my opinion, that description is inaccurate and rather lazy. The best way I can describe it is that Enclave gives the aroma of Pastel Mint Nonpareil candies (Google it and you’ll recognize them). A smooth, creamy, high quality mint that melts in your mouth. The opening and subsequent dry down melts over the skin and surrounds you with a fantastic ambient cloud of mint and frankincense. It’s so pleasant and inviting that you will look forward to every little waft that floats up, including in the later stages of the development. It’s not at all loud, but its presence is undeniable. A good 8 to 9 hours later, on the drive home, you are still being reminded that this was money well spent and you look forward to the next time you can get “sprayed up” with this masterpiece.

I don’t really know what happened. I bought a bottle after smelling it from the cap in a store which was pretty dumb. I didn’t understand the perfume at first after I’d gotten it. I’ve worn in about 5 times and each time I very much liked it, but I didn’t love it. I’ve been spraying lots of animalic ouds recently and I just sprayed some enclave because I had a random craving for it, and I really love this perfume now. It reminds me of the super early mornings before a flight with your family when going on a trip that everyone is excited about. The perfume is a little chaotic, but it’s exciting and familiar. The mint is a tiny bit toothpastey, but it’s not abrasive, and there’s just an exciting feel about the perfume. In my opinion, it’s not the best crafted or most unique Amouage perfume, but I really love to wear it. I originally gave it a 9.0/10, and I think I will now give it a 9.7/10.

Minty, spicy, floral earthy patchouli incense with the a good dose of a high quality amber accord. It actually has a bay leaf smell to me. That sharp mentholated herbal green. Get the oily green and dry green. Like a peppermint patch. Which I'm very familiar with as we had ornamental peppermint and spearmint rows leading to porch. The way it blends is phenomenal and creates such a unique experience. Another 10/10. I'm in awe once again. I get a posh cosmetic note. Patchouli takes on some of the sweet tones as it drys and the labdanum shines and then some. It's turning heads and you can see peoples eyes pop as the gears in their heads roar into action. Smoke coming from the ears.

Those of us who have been fanboys of the house for a while will no doubt lament the departure of Christopher Chong, and to some extent see this as the point at which Amouage seemed to take an entirely different creative direction. It’s fair to say that the more recent releases tend not to push the boat out, at least not in the way we had become accustomed to. The Renaissance collection marked a transitional period for the house, and while it represented a departure from the more flamboyant releases that preceded it, to me it still felt entirely creative, and dare I say, Amouage.

Amouage's Enclave by Perfumer Julien Rasquinet is another is a fragrance that didn't necessarily scream Amouage. The opening was not something that caught my attention right off the bat, but it certainly came around in the drydown. Off the top, the scent was spicy and minty, almost medicinal. As the scent developed on my skin, it became resinous and leathery. The leather was soft and somewhat warm and buttery. This fragrance was very refined, as you would expect from Julien Rasquinet. This is a unique fragrance from Amouage and in the same vein as Beach Hut Man.