Full Review: Guidance by Amouage
For over 35 years, @amouageofficial has set the standard for luxurious perfume; original fragrance craftsmanship. With a mission to deliver “The Gift of Kings” from its founding in Oman’s Sultanate, this world‑renowned High Perfumery House creates exquisite fragrances through modern innovation and true artistry ‑ elevating Arabian perfumes into a realm that transcends boundaries.
The Scent
Unlock your journey with Guidance, a captivating floral fruity fragrance that’s inspired by modern‑day femininity. Created in collaboration with esteemed perfumer Quentin Bisch and launched in 2023, this dynamic scent will take you on an aromatic excursion.
The Journey
Guidance opens up with sweet hazelnut, juicy pear, and peach from the osmanthus creating an almost lactonic, coconut milk accord. It's delicate, lightly nutty, and sweet with a myriad of fruity and floral notes dominating in the opening. As the scent develops, a sweeter floral aroma emerges to create a soft and delightful blend of rose and jasmine.
The fascinating thing about this fragrance is that it captures the unique characteristics of labdanum and saffron in an artful way; not overwhelming. It's just enough for you to know they’re there ‑ slightly ambery and slightly bittersweet.
The fragrance might start off inviting and playful but as the dry down evolves, it starts to reveal its true brilliance ‑ it's seductive and innocent at the same time. Vanillic tones lend it a subtle warmth, while hints of salty ambergris add depth to the scent.
The creamy sandalwood grounds everything together with frankincense hanging in the background. It's a fragrance beyond comparison for sure; with a composition of notes that go beautifully together and are so well blended, it's hard to tell them apart.
The Review
As someone who struggles with floral scents, Guidance has become one of my favorite fragrances to wear. The myriad of accords work so well together and are majestically blended creating a smooth aromatic scent bubble around you.
At first sniff, you'll definitely start to notice how this scent is a departure from Amouage's starkly rich and gritty style in perfumery. It's mass‑appealing and wearable while still retaining that niche quality the community expects from the house.
Effervescent undertones of pear and lightly toasted, sweet hazelnut are expertly intertwined with sultry saffron and rose and jasmine blossoming in their coercive force. It then comes down on you with a dark vanilla skin‑like sandalwood scent infused with the warmth of amber, labdanum, and seductive drops of regal ambergris.
The dry down is my favorite part; it's a creamy, almost silky, sandalwood on my skin with fruity florals playing a supporting role. The frankincense hangs beautifully in the background adding a touch of dark, mysteriousness to the otherwise playfully vibrant scent.