AMOUAGE
MEANDER

2020

PERFUMER
Mackenzie Reilly

Carrot Seed
Pink Pepper
Black Pepper

Orris
Cypriol
Narcissus
Rose

Sandalwood
frankincense
Vetiver

Meander was probably the one that I expected to like the most from the Rennaissance releases and it met my expectations halfway. I find this one a little hard to describe.

In the opening it’s a woody masculine leaning scent, but I feel it’s very subtle. Not in performance, but in scent. It’s one of the more easy going masculine Amouages (much like Enclave), but still a little bit in a more traditional Amouage style, maybe like Dia Man, which I find to be one of the most accessible, office safe ones from the brand’s pre-Renaud Salmon era releases.

An office fragrance is definitely something that came to mind when I smelled this. I agree with a lot of the reviews on Meander that speak of a carrot-like iris. In my opinion the iris and woody aspect is front and center throughout the wear. There’s some spices up top, but they are nothing like the punchy openings of some other popular spicy Amouages, it’s much milder. There’s a hint of sweetness and I find it pleasant overall.

What surprised me (and I haven’t heard much talk of this), is that as it starts to drydown, the floral, rose-esque vibe really comes to life on my skin. It stops leaning masculine after the opening to me. At that stage, it made me think of a more full-bodied Dior Gris Dior, which caught me off-guard, but I really like it.

I think this is a good addition to Amouage’s line. It’s not as modern or sweet as Enclave, was in the same collection, yet it’s one of the most accessible ones. I wonder how many people get the strong rose element on their skin and I think your evaluation of this fragrance depends greatly on how you feel about that aspect.