AMOUAGE
BOUNDLESS

2021

PERFUMER
Karine Vinchon Spehner

Cardamom
Ginger
Blood Orange
Elemi

Bourbon Vanilla
Benzoin

Tobacco
Myrrh
Incense
Cacao
Guaiac Wood
Patchouli
Papyrus
Vetiver
Oakmoss

Boundless was released in 2021 alongside Material and I feel that the latter has received the majority of the hype. For me personally, Boundless is the more interesting of the duo.

Three things are happening in conjunction with Boundless. It opens brighter than you might expect. Blood orange is very prominent, but it’s mostly bitter, while I feel the ginger is adding the zest. This brightness lasts quite a while, as this is a strong fragrance overall, but it gives the opening some welcome levity and acidity.

What stands out at least as much, is the spiciness. Cardamom is listed and it’s clearly there and sort of green. It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a hint of cumin as well. The spices here give Boundless more of a connection to the ‘old Amouage’ than the Renaissance collection and Material did. It adds a classy, mature aspect to a rather playful top and base. The spices remind me a bit of Cartier’s classic Declaration EDT.

The third element is the sweetness. Resins and vanilla are the core of the new duo. In Material they’re up front the whole time. In Boundless, there’s a sugary airy wind in between the spices and brightness, but it’s not until several hours in that it overpowers completely. It’s quite the transition, resulting in a Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille-esque drydown that I didn’t see coming when I first sprayed it on.

This is a more modern, more accessible and sweeter fragrance, yet it still feels like an Amouage (of pre-Renaud Salmon times). For me personally, it strikes a nice balance.