Ciel Man
Amouage (2003)

Promising sharp bracing opening for a masculine fragrance with a herbal edge becoming increasingly herbal and woody almost cumin like but not quite. It is a gentler woodier less interesting version of Fate Man and as such it is easy to see why Ciel was discontinued and Fate Man kept.

Fragrance: 6.75/10
Projection: 7/10
Longevity: 7.5/10

Really great fragrance. This and Dia are 2 of a kind. They are different but in that same sort of family if that makes sense?? I prefer Dia so need to pull the trigger but very good all the same. Very unique and the peach note is very alluring.

This could be a flanker for Knize 10, with a muted dynamic. A little soapier, and nowhere near the longevity or projection of K10 but that can be an advantage. Much more modern vibe but still a sly and gentlemanly nod to the bespoke Viennese stylings.

One of the most unusual Amouage scents I've ever tried, and overall also one of the most unusual fragrances I've ever sniffed in general. The uncommon nature of Ciel lies to me in its very complex texture made of, say, several thin layers perfectly matching one onto another, which I would have never thought that could blend so perfectly together considering them singularly. It's basically an amazing sharp symphony played around several nuances of green, peach and white. A lot of inspirations come into play here, from a herbal-mineral masculine fougère (Guy Laroche Horizon anyone?) to a slightly creamy-green sort of Gucci Envy for Women type of blend, connected by an old-school, extremely sophisticated Chanel-esque soapy-fruity axe of white flowers – jasmine, mostly – and peachy notes, all framed within a gentle yet very crisp “barbershop” layout of lavender, sandalwood and vetiver. Basically a sort of bizarre “feminine fougère”, so to speak, as it smells clearly rooted into the classic family of green/barbershop fougères but throwing in a bold “feminine” aura of floral and fruity-powdery notes, and most of all, a very peculiar – and again, more on the feminine side – substance: very breezy, clean, sharp, transparent, almost “crunchy” in its crisp leafiness, at once graceful and silky. I'm not that into gender categorizations but one can really see this isn't exactly a range of “macho” features – and I fear this is why many men seem disappointed by Ciel.

So overall, something completely different from most of other Amouage offerings for men. No opulence, no somber incense-resinous sumptuosity, actually the complete opposite: Ciel Man, surely aptly named to this extent, is all played on a very clean heart palette of pastel colours which are all about floral silkiness, faint greenness, gentle fruitiness, sharp cleanliness, somehow feeling kind of “formal” and almost aseptic (oddly in a good way, a “calming” and soothing sort of asepticness). As I said there is indeed a subtle green-barbershop fougère vibe though, a sort of very discreet frame made of “mineral” herbs, light vetiver, soapy sandalwood and spices, perfectly acting as the manlier counterpart to the breezy feminine heart of Ciel. But still it's probably more leaning towards the “floral-green-clean delicate stuff”. The drydown leaves most of the stage to the woody-spicy notes, so as time passes Ciel becomes more and more “masculine”, dry and woody, with a whiff of smoke too, still with a decided green-white mood.

The quality is more than remarkable to any extent for me, both of the creativity and of the materials, as I smell a lot of notes and nuances with an astounding clarity and richness – which is one of the things I love the most in the nicest Amouage scents, their intricate yet very clear texture, something only top-notch quality materials can allow you to build. It's all consistent and harmonic, and yet perfectly “separate”, allowing you to dive into the composition and smell the notes with a heart-melting clarity and deepness. Overall an unusual, crisp green-azure unisex gem with some hidden darker nuances which I'd really recommend to any fragrance fan, at least for a try. Many seem to mistake it cleanliness and apparent light breeziness for dullness, while it's actually an incredibly creative, complex and interesting blend for me (or I maybe wrong, of course). It could, and maybe should be a bit more powerful, but I appreciate its discreet yet long-lasting presence on skin.

8-8,5/10

To my nose this is primarily made up of base notes. I get the frankincense, patchouli, vetiver, cedarwood and the nutmeg notes.

The florals and the sweeter spices hide from my awareness. Perhaps they soften the bases, as this does not appear at all heavy to me, very light in fact.

The note tree is very evocative and seems quite balanced. I'd like to be inhaling how I would mix those individual items. What I am getting however is pretty much a linear wood and resin accord without complexity. So for the outrageous price, it's not worth the investment.

A shame to be spending so much money on pure ingredients without an end product to make it worth the expense.

Atypical of the heavy, incense-laden house of Amouage, Ciel Man is a light, mainly floral fragrance, but it involves a good blend of seemingly a ton of notes. Lavender is the most dominant, dryer sheet / laundry soap note that is both strong at the opening and in the forefront throughout the fragrance's duration. Peach seems to be cited as one of the main notes, but I can barely detect it at all. Instead, citrus seems to be the only source of sweetness, and bergamot is the note that rounds this off. I don't see this is as spicy at all, but I give major credit for Ciel being able to embody several other genres: floral, woody, and fruity. It's not likely to offend, but not likely to amaze, either.

Ciel is a welcome departure for Amouage and certainly a deliberate warm weather entry, best for daytime use. It is symptomatic of the same value questions as the other Amouage frags, as its longevity and projection, while good for a summer EDP, nonetheless don't seem to merit the usual $230+ cost to own a bottle. Still, it succeeds as a summer fragrance more than most of their heavier fragrances do as winter fragrances because it is so agreeable and well-blended.

7 out of 10