Reflection Man

Man... I have a distinct memory of doing laundry with my ex girlfriend in her tiny little laundry room that barely had enough room to fit the washer and dryer. She had a really tough day that day and accidently washed an important note she had left in her jean pocket, which really upset her. I went over to hug and comfort her, and together we slumped to the floor and she rested in my arms for the hour it took to rewash her clothes. It was intensely hot from the combined heat of our bodies and the machine in that small space, but it didn't matter to us - we had no concern for anything other than each others presence. This smells like that memory: the gentle, comforting florals of the laundry; the powdery, intimate smell of her skin. Ugh. My love still lingers, but that time has long passed.

The fragrance opens with beautiful white floral notes intertwined with a herbal touch, giving it a fresh, green feel. It's one of the few floral-dominant men's scents that I've truly enjoyed. While it doesn't exactly resemble Lacoste Blanc, it captures that same clean, fresh white-floral opening. After about five minutes, the neroli starts to emerge—a classic note that most of us recognize. The middle notes introduce a powdery aroma that harmonizes beautifully with the other elements. You might expect such a combination to lean feminine, but Amouage has skillfully created a composition that retains a distinctly masculine character, allowing these notes to work wonderfully together.

This is a very sophisticated creation of a very plain Jane scent profile. Amouage is a brilliant house and I don't think I've came across anything thus far that is of poor quality. I appreciate the creativity of the perfumers and of their creative director(s). I'm just not a huge fan of these classic barber shop style fragrances. I remember distinctly wearing this to a graduation and even got a compliment from the graduate I was there to see. It's a nice fragrance when all said and done but unlike @Ombrégray, I would have to call it boring compared to many other Amouage fragrances.

Amouage Reflection doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, but the quality of the composition speaks for itself. To be completely honest, it's not one of those room-filling bombs, and the projection is purposefully contained and intimate, but the scent is simply impeccable. It delivers a perfect harmony between the herbal freshness of rosemary, the elegance of a remarkably clean jasmine, and a super creamy, comforting sandalwood base. And well, in autumn, the cooler air holds onto the base molecules better, giving it an extra strength and depth that makes it even more interesting.

Wow, this is a fantastic daily flexible (office, weekend, casual) offering from Amouage. The quality of ingredients are blatantly upfront. Projection is sturdy and the longevity goes very deep. I consistently get compliments on this one. The drdown gives some light woods and pepper after a energetic opening. It is not hard to see that Amouage is continuing to produce high quality for the prices they charge. If you can make it happen, you should not be disappointed.