Fate Man
Eau de Parfum, Amouage (2013)

The cumin note blends surprisingly well with the middle and base notes. I can see why some might be turned off by the cumin note, but I think it complements the incense and labdanum. The fresh aspect of ginger and vibrant nature of cumin helps gives the incense and sandalwood base an uplifting tone. The warm and fresh spices are battling each other so it sometimes feels like its heart is trying to decide whether it belongs in the shadows or in the light.

Performance seems to be good, so I wouldn't worry about it. Not sure if this is full-bottle worthy, but I keep on coming back to my sample to smell it.

Good lord, what a mess...

Being an avid user of the most heavy spicy orientals, male and all, I expected Fate to be exceptional.

One has to be a cumin addict to appreciate this.
The stuff which usually makes me sick are suffocatingly indolic flowers.
I have entered new territory here, where cumin, with slight immortelle, incense and licorice added, gave me a splitting headache within 5 minutes to be followed by a nausea which threw all previously experienced nausea overboard.

Kudos to those who love it.

This is my old review during my misguided naive impressionable youth as a reviewer:

If this got up Collin Maynard's nose one of the nicest guys here on basenotes (from the quality and good energy in his reviews) then you know something is not right.
This is essentially redundant. Its a boozy tobacco which is short lasting and not very potent and is hopelessly outclassed by Amouage's own Journey Man and by Roja's Fetish. The latter starts off strong but settles into a subtle deliciousness which is makes it the pick of the three here unless you like loudness then go for JM. Two winners so you can't loose.

Fragrance: 6.75/10
Projection: 6.75/10
Longevity: 6/10

In order to leave truly accurate and insightful reviews you need experience, comparing and returning and reconsidering.
Even the best can be wrong so not having the temerity to claim to be in the upper echelons as Collin Maynard and other esteemed members are I can now say we have all been horribly mistaken.
Fate Man is quite simply the best I have tried.
Masculine and fresh without a hint of the Amouage heaviness.
It is not a cumin bomb although there was one horrible instant after reading repeated comments about curry that I almost agreed but I have not since been afflicted with this unworthy misperception. An illusion of the halo effect let us say. Distorted perception influenced by the opinion of others.
This is genius. Mandarin, ginger, incense, cumin, frankinscence and cedar and its fairly linear with ginger and incense burning off becoming slightly more herbal but not terminally so.
This is the quickest full bottle purchase I have made.
The closest is Roja's Fetish but its a bit harsher and more uncompromising and quite simply not as pleasurable or as wearable.
Amouage's Journey Man is excellent and another full bottle purchase but they are not comparable. Journey Man is more a special occasion or very cold day scent , heavier while at the same time clean cut with the best tobacco note I have ever experienced.

Fragrance: 9.5/10 well nothing is perfect and neither should it be otherwise there can be no progress. But this is my choice for now as the closest anything has come.
Projection: 8/10
Longevity: 8/10

This is my cold month signature scent.

On my skin I initially get mostly liquorice, and a boozy scent, then I recognize cumin and incense, and light floral notes. It reminds me of Tom Ford Tobacco Oud. After a while, it becomes very dry, and evokes l'Air du Désert Marocain. A very nice scent.

So disappointing! I had really high hopes for Fate Man, but on me it is a very synthetic mixture of Alien Eau Extraordinaire and Platinum Egoiste: completely dominated by white musk. Very powerful and long lasting, with strong sillage - which is great if you like the fragrance.

Cumin and Everlasting Flower -- hard to tone that accord down and Fate Man just lashes it up.

I find it totally unbalanced and difficult to wear.