Interlude 53 Man

An interlude to what?! An apocalyptic forest fire?! Part two of Amouage's epic Interlude trilogy shows us destruction and dystopian forces in the forest that was Interlude. Taking it from the top, it's almost exactly the same as the original Interlude with the oily and rindy hesperidics, oregano, and allspice, however, give it another sniff and you soon realize that there is a lot more going on below the surface ready to flow upward and outward. The citrus fruit and the spices are burning in a fire. In the heart and base, the oud is more prominent than in the original Interlude, but then so is the frankincense and leather. The oud and the leather have a heat that is like lava rolling across a forest landscape, annihilating everything in its path. Thick black smoke, white hot embers of burning woods, raging reds and oranges of lava and melting resins. Notably in 53 compared to the original release, the sweetness of the ambers is more palpable, which is what's responsible for this thicker lava/melting-resin feeling I'm getting in my mind's eye in conjunction with the smoke and hot leather. The original Interlude was a hot and parched forest with a fire only having just ignited, or a volcano spurting hot gasses into the air getting ready to set a countryside ablaze. 53 is everything on fire. There is no saving the forest, there is no extinguishing the blaze. Let it burn and hope for the best. A mind blowing and stunning perfume.

The Exceptional Extrait flanker to the original Interlude Man. This is a very smoky and luxurious fragrance, with notes of spice, incense, myrrh, Oud, amber, and a slight touch of bergamot in the opening. When I first spray it I get that oregano, pepper, and bergamot that gives it some zesty and green feel. The oregano here smells like fresh oregano on the plant, not like seasoning on pizza! The bergamot and green oregano give way to very dark and intense smoky and incense, with some very clean and woody Oud. Since it has a very high oil concentration it has this very smooth feel on my skin, and the longevity is insane. It lasts more than 12 hours on my skin, and stays for days on fabrics. The thing that peaked my interest was the 53% perfume oil concentration, which worked exactly as I was hoping. Since it has a large oil content it stays around for a long time and doesn’t radiate out to the entire building like the original does. I also think the longer aging time makes it smell very smooth and sophisticated. Overall I rate this a 9/10. It smells very smoky and smooth, with lovely spices on the top, and also lasts an eternity. Even my sister who didn’t care for the original at all was asking me if they had a ladies version!

Interlude 53 is a strong perfume. The very first burst of this scent lets you understand the direction it's going. It definitely has a special aura. Even though it reminds me of florals like violet or iris, it's clear they aren't actually present. Instead, they used Pimento and Oregano in a scaled combination, as if they were flowers. First, the Pimento (I've never smelled Pimento oil) hits in the first 10 minutes, and it's beautiful. Later, the oregano fully emerges and takes over. This part is pretty strong and plays back and forth with the pimento. However, what I noticed and needs to be clear is how amazing and pleasant it smells in the air. It's one of those compositions that will absolutely be noticed anywhere you go. When you can feel it on yourself as you move, you know this is the real deal. It's pungent, direct, and leaves nothing else in the air to shine; it covers everything. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I'm sure someone will love how dominant it is. If you care more about the sillage than how it smells on you, this would be a winner.

I love this. Amber, smoke, and a freshness that’s almost reminiscent of rosemary. This isn’t a hard wear if I’m being honest. People just love sweet scents. But if you’re a man, smell like one. In the air it wafts all day. Might be my favorite amber in a frag. You can’t test this on a tester, only on skin. Less loud than the OG but I prefer it to be a bit more airy and subtle even though it’s a thick frag regardless. Idk man, smells great. 40 and below, don’t wear in the heat. This for me is an easy reach. If you love amber and spices, don’t want something with vanilla or ambroxan all the time, and would enjoy a realistic Smokey campfire accord, grab this. It’s sexy. Everyone says you need to be confident wearing this. You should be confident in anything you wear. It’s just a frag, so shutup about, “you don’t wear it, it wears you”. Don’t overthink it.

My journey with Amouage began with Myths Man some years ago. Sadly it got discontinued and I found myself being without my beloved signature scent.