Lyric Woman
Amouage (2008)

I didn’t think very much of Lyric Woman until I spilled a sample vial of it on some paper in my office one day (nearly a decade ago, Jesus) and was met by this most incredible aroma of real Indian sandalwood – creamy but dry, rosy but as sturdy as a table. I was felled; it moved me. But if the sandalwood was the hook, I ended up sticking around for the lush rose and smoky-buttery-banana ylang, floral shapes in the air carved out and defined by the spices that jostled in the air pockets in and around them – mostly a prickly, piquant green cardamom, which gives the rose a grainy, beery-like dimension, and a fiery black pepper that sharpens and adds angularity to the custardy ylang.

The overall effect is surprisingly smooth and mild for something so densely packed with spice, and I’ve come to realize that Lyric Woman shares a similar structure with Parfum Sacre, in that the botanical ‘true-ness’ of the rose is modulated and made lotiony-smooth by the buffing action of the spices, and intertwined so deeply with the sandal that it is tough to see where the seams between rose and wood actually lie.

In the 2009 Guide, Luca Turin talks about a fruity-woody damascone note in Lyric Woman that turns it from a nice perfume into one that might be called a masterpiece. And he is right, of course – there is a raisiny, dried plum quality to the rose that makes you think of rot at the heart of an otherwise perfect-looking apple – but I also think that the piquant cardamom and incredible sandalwood are also key players in the magic. Without them, this might be a nice fruity-woody-incense rose – with them, Lyric Woman becomes the most accomplished translation of the traditional rosy-sandal attar motif of Arabian perfumery to a format more familiar to Western Europeans.

When I first started exploring the world of fragrance (I’ve always loved perfumes but there was a definite time where a deeper interest level arose), Amouage was one of the first niche brands I tried… and at that time, the beauty of Lyric was lost on me. I am so glad that I had the foresight even then to hold onto samples that I didn’t like to revisit later.

Now, now I can say that I fully appreciate Lyric Woman. There are many perfumes that I love, but very few do I feel comfortable calling a “masterpiece”. Lyric is among the few for me. It’s just simply perfect.

To me, I get retro vibes, and I LOVE that! It opens with a sharp and dry blast reminiscent of a chypre to me, before unfurling its legs into an alluring velvety rose oriental, with just the right amount of spice. I remember wanting this experience when I tried FM Portrait of a Lady, but it didn’t quite give me this. I set out for a while after trying POAL, to find a fragrance that delivered what I was looking for, and everything was just a bit off. It wasn’t until after I set down that side mission that was getting me nowhere, that I revisited Lyric. I didn’t even have the POAL quest in my head, just a simple urge to try some perfumes that I had previously written off.

And that’s when I fell in love with Lyric. Couldn’t even imagine how I could ever possibly dislike it in the first place. But I’ve noticed that the deeper I fall down the rabbit hole, the more I appreciate true perfumery, and not the oversweet stuff of today. I do still enjoy them, but my heart belongs to the fragrances that have something more to say than just sugar sweet.

For something as beautiful as lyric, I wouldn’t really even care too much about performance, but it doesn’t disappoint there either. Easily lasts all day, and has the Goldilocks amount of projection and sillage that it remains noticeable but not loud. It really is just perfect all around.

A low key scent by Amouage standard which is still unmissable. What's clever is how the bitter sweet Angelica rubs out the rough edges of Geranium which in turn lengthen and widen the rose accord. Rest of it is classic Amouage goodness. Love it.

Lyric Woman

Unexpected. The soft, powdery, mildly sweet, yet complex fragrance belies the fierce red packaging. Unlike the Amouage fragrances I've tested so far, no single note immediately sings out. This is well-blended, and dare I say unique? Arguably sweet with a slight fruitiness, it is nevertheless not foody. It's difficult to define, because while definitely an oriental and with all of those hallmarks including spiciness, it doesn't come across as spicy. Spices are a simple structure around the ethereal breeze of tonka and orris, highlighted by bergamot and filled out by white florals. At the drydown, it smells familiar. I can't place it, but I know it reminds me of Dior Addict and Iris Perle by Les Imodables. Pleasant, personal, pretty.

A bright and spicy opening blast characterises the initial stage: cardamom, orris,a touch of cinnamon and quite a bit of ginger - the latter's camparable brightness was a bit enhance by an influx of bergamot. Spicy, but not sharp and not dark.

The drydown turns floral, but thanks to some slightly bitter angelica it is not all floral softness and sweetness. I get a bit of muguet, a good lashing of a pleasant geranium, and a good bunch of roses. The rose never really unfolds fully, and blends in somewhat inconspicuously instead of taking on a lead role. This is more ascribed to a jasmin that developed a bit further down the track. There is an underlying restrained creaminess owing to an ylang-ylang, but again this does not come to full fruition and remains more of a forme fruste. All these notes blend in and remain intertwined; a team effort amongst equals if one expresses it in a positive manner, or alternatively a concoction that does not allow the notes to develop individual excellence if seen in a negative fashion.

The base displays the same characteristics: a nonspecific woodsy muskiness - a touch of a bland sandal breaks through occasionally - with a soft and slightly mossy patchouli, with a mildly sweetened undertone of tonka - again a mishmash focused on the collective impression and not the individual notes. The spiciness of the top notes is lingering still, have takes on more of and incense characteristic and displaying the spiciness in an attenuated strength.

In get moderate sillage, very good projection and and very good eight hours of longevity on my skin.

An interesting autumnal composition, with the top notes being the most convincing ones. The later stages are a bit too generic at times, and the sheer amount of different components can suffocate more than enhance each other at certain moments. Still, some of the ingredients are of high quality, the blending is excellent and the performance is very satisfying. Overall 3.25/5.

Well , I for one , am not breaking the positive streak of this fragrance...an exquisite Oriental masterpiece...totally unisex...i also prefer this much more than Lyric Man....opens with a volley of cinnamon accented juicy bergamot...for sure a rose fragrance , but the rose does not dominate or overpower the other notes....overall feel is sweetly sour, which i find to be a nice ccmbo...flavors and accents galore...other flower flavors accentuate the rose in the mid, and then a woody finish with traces of incense and a little bit of musky vanilla...gorgeous , exotic and erotic...