“A white flower with a dark heart”
The luxury Omani perfumier, Amouage, have turned to Puccini’s Madame Butterfly for inspiration for Amouage Honour, its newest fragrance launch.
Creative Director Christopher Chong loves to tell a story with his fragrance and the Italian opera provides a dramatic backdrop of sweetness and tragedy for the new Honour fragrances for men and women. Madame Butterfly tells the tale of a Japanese child bride’s struggle to retain her honour in the face of abandonment by her American husband. And Chong takes the story on with the longing of a son for his lost mother – the recollection of a bright beautiful young woman, mixed with a sense of foreboding leading up to her demise.
We always expect a wonderful intensity from Amouage – suggested by their narrative too – and these fragrances hit that button whilst being perhaps a more European take than usual.
Concocted by Chong and perfumers Alexandra Carlin and Violaine Collas, Honour Woman is a floral fragrance with contrasting woody base. A light spicy top of pepper and coriander is blended with the floral warmth of jasmine and tuberose, and a base of the Amouage signature Frankincense with Amber.
Honour Man, created by Chong with Nathalie Feishauer, is spicy and woody with reflecting the feminine fragrance in its top-notes of Pink and Black Pepper before it adds the potent heart-notes of Geranium, Elemi and Nutmeg and a stormy base of Patchouli, Frankincense, Cedarwood, Vetiver, Tonka Beans and Musk.
The launch is accompanied by a short film, bringing to life the beautiful story in a brief but poignant filial eulogy.
Amouage Honour is available now at the Amouage boutique on 14 Lowndes Street, SW1, at Harrods, Selfridges and Les Scenteurs, at selected boutiques nationwide, and online at www.amouage.com. Woman Eau de Parfum 50ml (£120) and 100ml (£150), Man Eau de Parfum 50ml (£110) and 100ml (£140).
