Sunshine Woman
Eau de Parfum, Amouage (2014)

Woodier than I expected for a women’s scent, but nicely so even though the wood verges on screamy sharp alcohol. Peachy tobacco with a dark bite of oud (or the synthetic version people are calling oud these days) and a soft pink sort of floral vanilla hovering over that. But it's very easy to over do this one. I use the tiniest amount and it's very strong, like most Amouage frags, and really gets bitey if you get too much. I"m liking it and can see the brightness recalling sunshine, but it's much much woodier than anything I would think of as sun or light. Even so, I"m liking it a lot despite the heavy sharp wood notes. I wouldn't buy a full bottle of this but my large decant will last me ages.

Sunshine Woman

The opening is quite the surprise: green apple Jolly Ranchers and Love's Baby Soft! I would have really loved this as a teenager. Soon, there is a sweet, fruity floral note that reminds me of the fruity rose in Miss Charming by Juliette Has a Gun. (Likely the magnolia/osmanthus/blackcurrant combo) But you can smell a bit of wood or Oud now, as if it's just around the corner. A plushy vanilla/almond supports the the wood as it enters. This wood smells slightly charred. Like bits of wood on a beach where there may have once been a bonfire. (Cade) And then suddenly, there it is: patchouli. And all this time, we are overwhelmed with sweet fruits. Berries, I think. They fooled me: it's a fruitchouli! Though, for a fruitchouli, it is high-quality and complex. Oddly, the combination, especially at the drydown, remind me of One Million by Paco Rabanne. Like the Rabanne, it's most certainly unisex. Even leaning masculine. My 13-year-old would wear this if he could afford it.

My first thought upon trying this, is that it is Amouage's entry in the fruitchouli department; stone fruits over a patchouli that falls somewhere between clean and dirty. There's a dry, non-smokey tobacco note that keeps it interesting and wearable, which, for me, is a rare thing in this fragrance category. Points for Amouage, but so far, nothing extraordinary.

After 15 minutes or so I start to get a strong sense of deja vu; there's something incredibly familiar about this scent, it reminds me of the 90s, of something I definitely smelled before, of something I've worn before. Like, I get flashbacks of gaseous clouds hanging over my high school gym's girls' locker room. Hold on, wait a second, THIS SMELLS LIKE PURPLE IMPULSE BODY SPRAY CIRCA 1994!!! Whoaa, it really, REALLY does! And now that I've made that connection it cannot be unmade; I smell like an upscale version of purple impulse body spray. It's a trip, I'll tell you that. I'll keep the sample for whenever I'm in the mood for feeling like my 13 year old self again (which is probably never).

The first of the Midnight Flower collection - but definitely the least impressive of the three.

A bit basic, simplistic, and even - I hate to say it - "dumbed down."

That is my overall assessment of Sunshine Woman.

Despite my strong pro-Amouage bias, I struggle to defend this one.

This fragrance has sharply divided the professional and blogging perfume critics. I fear I am falling far more into the negative camp on this one, although I don't quite share Luca Turin's "avoid" assessment; I guess my views are more in line with the Kafkaesque review.

At first, the fresh, lively, fruity blast that comes out of the bottle is enticing and enlivening but within seconds - mere seconds! - the notes coalesce, flatten out and deaden. I've sprayed this multiple times on my skin, but it always settles in the same way, much to my frustration. It's this one-dimensional and "flat" feeling that I find most disappointing, especially for an Amouage - the perfumes of this house normally have a feeling of complexity, and involve a certain multi-dimensionality.

What one is left with is a pleasant, nice-smelling fruity floral (actually much more fruity than floral) of the apricot variety - but that is it. I expect much more of niche perfumery at this price-range, and much more of Amouage, in particular.

I even question the "luxury" credentials of this perfume - the quality of materials is not quite up to the usual Amouage standard, and nor does it come across as classy or sophisticated; nor does it "feel" expensive.

Compare Sunshine Man, where the quality of materials is definitely up to scratch. It also evolves, in an interesting way, through a number of clear stages. On the other hand, Sunshine Woman lacks satisfying development.

So my final advice is certainly not to "avoid" - but rather approach with caution - especially if you are considering a blind-buy or full-bottle.

Totally unisex imo and much more interesting than the male version. Ok, it's a sweet vanilla floral, but for me, it has some bite and character in the base with an almond, patch and tobacco mixture pushing through and lifting the whole fragrance to a new level.

It costs not far south of £300, which is ridiculous, but it sure smells good to me.

A perfectly balanced, delicate vanillic floral...

I really love this one. It's a wonderful fragrance which shows a very different and transparent side from Amouage. Usually the house is famous for it's heavy laden, seductive and decadent oriental spices, with emphasis on frankincense and resinous woods. This one is different. Sunshine Woman is a beautifully soft, elegant floral which has osmanthus flower, jasmine, magnolia and tobacco blossom. But not only that, it also has almond, blackberry and vanilla. The white flowers and vanilla work beautifully together, along with the almond. I love it!

I think it is basically unisex, and inoffensive... but it would smell absolutely fantastic on a woman. In fact, I can see this one being a wonderful wedding day perfume, as it is so happy and transparent. Amouage have once again created something very beautiful and delicate here, a great perfume in my opinion, and very well balanced. It's one to try for women in the spring and summer. Really lovely!