Amouage Epic was a sublime accident thinking I ordered Amouage Lyric. The first time I got the vial I put a tiny droplet on the top of my hand, as I had another fragrance on my wrist from earlier. It was impressive that even though I was wearing Coco, I could from this one droplet detect its character. There is this soft sweetness I remember from that quick sniff of Lyric, it is never cloying because it is perfectly balanced with spices. There is pink pepper and tea in there. That droplet had so much going on I knew this would be the perfect scent for the New Year. The scent makes you want to recline and think of being strewn on silken sheets with incense around you in a palace.

I shopped to find the perfect top and jewelry for the perfume and found a ruffled, gauzy shirt with dark red and pinkish rose poppies with green leaves and a black background. I also found gold jewelry that suggested Central Asia.

I waited until I was fully showered, dressed, and made up to put the full application of Epic. Listening to the New York Philharmonic play Gershwin fit this sublime sweetness beginning -- that beautiful peppery rose opening lasts for a couple of hours where we decide where we want to go, drive, walk on street lit up with glorious holiday lights, and wait for a table and our food with a perfect straight up martini. Then at the start of dinner the fragrance just opens up and gives an "epic" performance of roses, spices...everything it got. It shocks and awes in a lovely way. Having pillowy, garlicy naked clams and in the halo of Epic was just perfect. My only sticking point was I picked an Italian white, which didn't quite work. Maybe I should have gone with a Fume Blanc. Oh well.

Then as we started driving home the fragrance danced one last time to the fusion live jazz on the radio and then it adjusts itself again and centers itself into a low flame of incense with a hint of the sweetness that was there all along. When I say "centered" I mean that this incense was the type for meditation - there was nothing distracting -- just this resinous low flame.

Overall, we all ate well and hubby was able to share in the perfume's various stages. The sillage was 6-12 inches according to hubby. The experience was so touching and wonderful, I was eager to recapture it. I went over to share Epic with a perfumista friend. While it was lovely, Epic should never be worn when just watching Bowl games. It just didn't work. My suspicions about this perfume was correct, it needs to be worn for special events where the tempo is slower and everything glows and is romantic or dear. Epic is not a casual perfume. Lesson learned. Yet, one last little spritz today as I relax at home. Then I promise to put it away til some special occasion.

Amouage: Planning My Trek Down the Silk Road

Image: JHP Design

During my sniffing trip last Summer in San Francisco, we made it into Jacqueline's Perfumery that features rare and vintage perfumes that is located down the street from Neiman Marcus. Even though I wasn't terribly impressed with the customer service I did get a whiff of Lyric by Amouage. It was a fleeting smell that stuck in my head and I kept wishing rather selfishly that she had shelled out the 260 bucks for the bottle.

The hesitation was understandable because we share the preference for pure parfums or extraits over edp or edt. If we are going to invest in perfumes, why not hold out for the best purity. Amouage seems to be an exception though. Often Heather and I would speak of Lyric in day-dreamy, unfinished sentences.

I would see 10 ml vial decants on Ebay for them and was wondering if I should really pay 60 bucks for 10ml. I broke down for Christmas and bought myself a vial only to find I accidentally ordered Epic. How did I do that. It was purely my fault as I saw a fragrance ending in "ic" and pushed the confirm button. This is filed under the heading, "Why Mommy Can't Read?"

When I received the decant I put a tiny, tiny droplet on the top of my hand and was amazed at the strength and longevity - not to mention the breathtaking beauty of Epic. Pepper, tea, spices do this intricate dance amongst the damask rose floral and it really does take you on this intoxicating journey down ancient silk road. It is a grand perfume that I will wear tomorrow night for New Years' Eve. This is not a work or perfume you go about your day with. I am not sure if it is a sexy perfume except in the context you imagine yourself captured as part of a harum on your journey along the silk road. It is more a special occasion scent or a scent to daydream to (or dream to). Epic is a commitment of most of your day. It is a statement perfume saying that you chose this occasion to wear the most precious and exotic ingredients expertly put together.

Since rose perfumes are great companions to culinary garlic in meals, it is a pairing I should try with this.

My memory of Lyric didn't jibe with its origins at a Perfumery stated by the Sultan of Oman using precious materials from the Middle East. Lyric seemed to me to be very French and western more so than Epic.

It's longevity may make the price a bit more tolerable -- a 100ml bottle is $300.00. For $59.00 you can have 10 ml from a seller on Ebay, Mudassir. He also has a direct store which he prefers we use and what a nice selection he has. It looks like I found a great source for fumes with him. He has kindly offered me a sample of Amouage Reflection (which is awesome because it seems it will be a nice addition for the coming spring) with today's order of Amouage Lyric. So I will be adding my reviews of all three Amouage fragrances soon. Now, if only I can manage to try Amouage's Attars...