Overture Man
Amouage (2019)

As I age, I have less need for work safe scents. This one fills the bill nicely.

There is a touch of animalic, but it's not too strong for my taste. Some similarity to Jubilation XXV, but with a lot more spice and kick.

Warm, sensual with a touch of danger.

Not a "loud" scent, but it is very much present. Lasts quite well.

I'm surprised that as long as this has been released, no one mentioned this resembles Ambre Russe. Nice fragrance, but this has been done before. Slightly dirty amber that is a wonderful journey in mature men's fragrance. Not as dry as Ambre 114, but 114 is safer. I would not recommend this as a blind buy, but if you are a true amber fan you might really like this one. 8/10 IMO.

This fragrance is a delicate blend of cumin, cardamom, and nutmeg, which are balanced out by notes of cognac and a hint of myrrh. The drydown is a soft blend of sandalwood, leather, and incense. While the cumin note is present throughout the entire duration of the scent, it's not overpowering or reminiscent of body odor. However, despite its subtle complexity, this fragrance doesn't particularly intrigue me.

Overture should be a sharp-taloned desert harpy come to tear out your very soul what with its huge array of puissant spices, heaty resins and smoke, but such is the mastery of the blend that the too-hot-radiator effect is avoided and these dense aromatics have a cool sheen to them, which makes appreciation that much easier. As the elements play, all kinds of smell-harmonics emerge – scents of ebonized wood, leather, herbal nuances – to complement the more mercantile chest-of-earth’s riches theme. Not a perfume to wear lightly, and one to avoid if butch resinous affairs raise your hackles, but otherwise ride on the wings of this thing that is almost up there with other work Karine Vinchon Spehner has done for Amouage. Except for the deep drydown, when this becomes a much more standard warm and resinous affair.

there is something happening here, but i don't know what it is?
Disappointing scent.
I knew it would be, who in their right mind would have put up a blockbuster as an exclusive?

Overture Man goes on with a dirty cumin, nutmeg and cardamom warm spice trio supported by a warm boozy accord before slowly transitioning to its heart. As the composition enters its early heart, the booze infused warm spice remains in full-force, now joined by peppery cinnamon and a moderately synthetic smelling woody incense accord rising from the base that gradually supplants the spice as star, before joining rugged smoky leather as time passes. During the late dry-down the rugged smoky leather vacates, unveiling the previously concealed relatively dry sandalwood that now takes the fore, joined by trace remnants of the warm spice and incense through the finish. Projection is above average and longevity average at around 8-9 hours on skin.

Looking at the published note list and the perfumer responsible for the composition (Karine Vinchon-Spehner, who composed the amazing and highly underrated Coeur de Vetiver Sacre among others) I had high expectations for Overture Man. Alas, I knew early-on when applied on skin this perfume would disappoint. Things get off to a poor start with the cumin led dirty warm spice trio that I find off-putting, and they don't improve when the synthetic woody incense is added in, nor the near cringe-worthy rugged leather shows up an hour later. The pleasant sandalwood led late dry-down is too little, too late to save the composition in the opinion of this writer. I suppose I should say that the perfume really doesn't smell "bad" at any time, it just disappoints to a large enough degree that its minor faults seem all the more consequential. The bottom line is the $340 per 100ml bottle Overture Man has the pedigree and ingredients for success, but squanders its promise, leaving a very "average" 2.5 stars out of 5 rated outcome and an avoid recommendation to all but lovers of dirty warm spice.