AMOUAGE
BEACH HUT MAN
2017
PERFUMER
Elise Benat
Mint
Galbanum
Orange Blossom
Ivy
Vetiver
Moss
Woody Notes
Myrrh
Patchouli
Based on the name, I expected Beach Hut Man to be an aquatic, freshy type fragrance, but I was forewarned (by people that love Beach Hut) that this was a green fragrance. As someone who’s not a fan of most green fragrances, I didn’t have high hopes, but trying never hurts.
And green it is. I instantly knew I wouldn’t ‘like’ this fragrance, as in something that I would wear myself. On the other hand, I could also quickly see the beauty in the composition and understand why this is a gem to quite a few people.
Despite not being my taste, the opening was nice to me. There’s a healthy dose of orange (blossom) and smelled up close it was almost tart to the point of lemon. There’s also a refreshing mint note, which doesn’t smell like mint leaves as far as I could tell, but rather like toothpaste. Other than that, it’s green and slightly woody all the way (ivy, galbanum, moss, vetiver). Some people said this does remind them of a beach or ocean view, but I can’t make that connection at all. This is more akin to cutting plants in the garden, with natural smelling greens and a slight earthy base.
To me the texture bounces from being quite ozonic to being more resinous, which comes from juice of cut plant stems that it reminds me of. As far as comparisons, it’s different from anything that I’ve tried so far, but it comes closest to Amouage’s Opus II.
Performance is outstanding, especially considering how fresh the scent is. The citrus fades away quickly, but the mint lingers for a long time. After a full day of wearing, there’s still a slightly spicy skin scent that will last you through the morning. Clearly, this isn’t for me, but it’s not offensive either. I think this is a great option for people who can deal with green fragrances more easily, if you want something more unique and special for warmer weather. I wouldn’t limit this to warm weather per se though, it’s quite versatile in my opinion.