An homage to a rose, one portrayed first in shimmering light and with richness beyond imagination, then in smokiness with silver incense. A spicy, sweetly nectared, fresh rose that glows like a mix of yellow diamonds and pink rubies, before darkness sweeps over it and dries its petals. It’s a rose with a few thorny flaws as well, from sour lemon to a sharply pointed clean musk and a lathering of soap, but it is still one of the most famous, critically lauded, and beloved roses around. It is Homage from Amouage.
Source: wallshark.com
Homage is an attar or concentrated perfume oil from Amouage that was initially introduced in limited fashion in 2008 to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. It soon became one of the most celebrated of Amouage’s much beloved attar collection, and was subsequently released on a permanent basis. It was also one of the handful of Amouage perfume oils that was more widely available in the West, along with its equally famous (and utterly glorious) smoky brother, Tribute.
Everything changed last year. If you’re new to the blog or unfamiliar with the Amouage attar situation, the nutshell synopsis is that the company ceased all production of its famous, extremely popular creations. Soon after I broke the initial news last year, my research unearthed that the neighboring United Arab Emirates had something called The Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS) which was going to be enforced that year. It was a law that would indirectly require compliance with EU/IFRA regulations for perfume. Amouage is located in Oman and, while they sell a lot of products in the UAE, I couldn’t figure out why the new law required the total cessation of all attar production in their home country, particularly given the attars’ huge popularity.
Amouage’s attars. Source: amouage-collection.ru
At the time, I contacted Amouage’s Creative Director, Christopher Chong, for an answer. He said he had none because the attar division is wholly separate from the one he runs which is centered on Franco-Arab fragrances. He had nothing to do with the attars, and didn’t know the story. A month or so later, however, at the launch of the new Journey duo in Dubai, he spoke with a reader, “Dubaiscents,” or Rachel Grot Watson, and had an explanation. Ms. Grot Watson posted the details of their conversation in several Facebook perfume groups, so I don’t think she’ll mind me sharing them here again as an update for all readers.
Christopher Chong of Amouage. Source: Mark Behnke at Colognoisseur.com
Christopher Chong told her that he’d been very impressed with my research into the UAE law and, upon looking further into the matter, it turns out that the law was indirectly responsible for the attar cessation. The simple reason was insurance. Amouage would unable to obtain corporate insurance (and, therefore, liability and indemnification coverage) unless they complied with the law and international standards.
So, it’s insurance concerns stemming from the EU/IFRA requirements that is the cause of Amouage ending all production of their attars, and not some of the other theories that have been put forth. For example, some of the Amouage’s European sales people have stated that the reason was concern over the possible dilution of the attars on eBay, while others have said that Christopher Chong wanted to take Amouage into a purely European style of perfumery and away from the Middle Eastern focus of the attars. Well, by his own words, Christopher Chong never had control over the running of the attar division, and says it’s an insurance issue.
Regardless of reason, the end result is still the same, which is that the attars are no longer being produced, and existing bottles soon sold out. It’s particularly difficult to find any bottles left in the West, which always had a significantly smaller stock to begin with and, even then, only carried a handful of the collection, like Homage and Tribute. In short, availability essentially comes down to a stroke of luck, and merely sampling a few drops is not cheap. In the case of the lesser known attars, it’s basically an impossibility unless you know someone willing to share.
I usually try to avoid reviewing fragrances that have extremely limited availability, never mind those that practically impossible to try, but I’ve decided to write about a handful of Amouage attars in the upcoming weeks. One of my New Year’s resolutions was to stop hoarding my rarer fragrances, and to wear and enjoy them while they lasted. I’m a little too OCD for this to be a wholly successful plan, but I’m definitely going to try to do it for the 9 or 10 Amouage attars I have samples of, simply because I fear they’ll eventually evaporate if I don’t. Plus, quite a number of people managed to get vials of the various attars in splits following the discontinuation news, so perhaps these reviews will be of interest to them.
Source: Fragrantica.
I’m starting with Homage because it is the best-known scent, perhaps even more so than the fantastic Tribute which is my favorite creation from Amouage. I call Tribute Darth Vader’s perfect rose and the Devil’s elixir, because it is a study in darkness and smoke that is only tangentially about the flower. Homage is an entirely different story and the polar opposite. It showcases the rose front and center, and starts as a portrait in light. The notes are hard to state with any certainty, particularly as there is nothing on Amouage’s website, but Fragrantica says they include:
Taif rose, silver incense, jasmine, silver oud, orange, lemon, sandalwood and Al Andalus attar. [Al Andalus is an Amouage attar with citrus, orange blossom, and white musk. Some of it has been used in Homage.]
Source: it.wallpaperpics.net
Homage opens on my skin with the crystal clean purity of a thousand rose petals, distilled down into a single drop. It’s a rose that is opulently deep and endlessly plush, almost as if the petals had been made of velvet and satin. Their colours skew ruby-red with beefy richness, but also yellow and gold with warmth, sweetly pink with fruitiness, and greenish-white with dewy freshness. All of them are drizzled with soapiness, as if fat, waxy aldehydes had been used, but there is also the sweetness of nectar, drops of crisp lemon, and a touch of juicy, tangy tangerine. Spiciness wafts all around, as if a pinch of buttery saffron had been used, but it’s extremely subtle and much more likely to be a byproduct of the Ta’if rose’s naturally complex, multi-faceted nuances. Hovering in the background is a streak of fresh greenness, evoking images of the flower’s green leaves, but these feel as though they were made of neroli and petitgrain woods more than anything truly leafy.
“Enchanted rose” by Night-Iridescence on Deviant Art. (Direct website link embedded within.)
All of these facets and wisps are enveloped in a shimmering light, then wrapped up with the thinnest ribbon of a silvery, almost sweet, incense. It’s lovely, but I have to confess to struggling with several parts of it. For one thing, I’m not really a rose lover, and generally eschew soliflores centered around the note. For another, I really dislike soapiness, and there is a hefty amount of it here. Some concentrated rose extraits occasionally turn soapy on my skin, but it’s not a common, typical occurrence. Homage is subject to batch variations (as all the attars are or were), but I’ve never seen anyone mention soapiness as part of their experience, so it’s clearly due to my personal skin chemistry. Nevertheless, I’m not fond of it at all, and the same goes for the green freshness of the flower here.
“Rainbow Rose” by D3ADJFR33MAN on Deviant Art. (Direct website link embedded within.)
On the other hand, there is a beautifully narcotic quality to the richness of the rose, something that simultaneously feels photo-realistically natural but also surreal beyond belief. Homage really feels as though you’re smelling a rose in a garden, except this is the hyper-saturated, 3D version on heavy steroids, and then some. It’s so intensely rich, so dizzyingly heady, it almost feels like a floral drug.
The rose’s sweetness verges on an opaque nectar, one that has been infused with fruitiness, spiciness, and drops of honey. I think the jasmine is largely responsible for the nectar, but the actual flower itself is really not evident on my skin, particularly for the first 8 hours. Instead, like the orange, it works indirectly from afar to amplify the damascena rose’s inherent qualities.
All of it is perfectly balanced, and seamlessly integrated. None of it feels cloying, gooey, artificial, or unnaturally sweet. Homage is simply larger than life. The astonishing thing is how the opening bouquet feels so dense, thick, and rich but, simultaneously, so filled with airy softness and radiant light as well. It’s as though sunlight were shimmering on a vast sea of golden-yellow, pink, and red petals.
The secondary elements are mere supporting actors in the first 20 minutes, characters who dance about on the distant shore, and change their nuances often. The tangy mandarin orange sometimes seems more akin to a sun-sweetened orange, but usually feels a little tarter. The brisk, crisp lemon weaves in and out, initially acting like the mere suggestion of something citrusy rather than a clear note. Still, it is far more noticeable than the incense which flickers quietly in the background. In the base, the first hint of woodiness briefly pops up, only to vanish minutes later. The neroli-like greenness soon follows it, though Homage continues to feel very much like a fresh rose at this point, thanks in large part to the advent of a very clean, white musk.
Source: background-pictures.picphotos.net
30 minutes into its development, Homage blooms on my skin like a rose unfurling its petals in sunlight. The lemon becomes more prominent, finally taking on a clear distinctness in its own right. Unfortunately for me, the soapiness and clean musk grow stronger, too. The incense and greenness weaken, while the fruitiness feels more abstract. There is a vague, insubstantial suggestion of woodiness in the base, but it doesn’t really seem like sandalwood or oud.
As Homage’s various nuances develop, the perfume’s sillage seem to bloom as well. Using drops amounting to 3 good smears, Homage is now radiating far more than the initial 2 inches with which the perfume opened, though there isn’t a scent trail, per se. Attars are often too concentrated to have more than soft projection, but Homage’s projection feels significantly stronger than the norm, even if it’s a distorted view stemming from the perfume’s enormously concentrated richness instead of actual inches.
At the end of the first hour, Homage shifts a little, turning more fruity in nature and less spicy. Homage is now very much a fresh, fruity rose doused heavily with lemon, lightly flecked by soap and clean white musk, drizzled with nectared sweetness, and then wrapped up with the thinnest ribbon of incense. The orange feels abstract, the soap is lighter now, but both the lemon and the white musk are extremely strong on my skin.
Source: Polyvore.com
The greatest change and Homage’s second phase begins roughly 1.75 hours into the perfume’s evolution. The smoke suddenly surges to the forefront, while the oud and soft woods creep up to the edges. Homage is no longer a purely lemony, spicy, sweet rose but, increasingly, a rather dry, smoky, woody one as well. The lemon, soap, and clean musk continue to be very prominent, but the spicy, honeyed notes are growing quite weak.
As Homage turns drier, the incense vies with the rose for dominance, and the perfume no longer feels sweetly nectared or so languidly thick as a whole. It’s as though the incense had dried up some of its heavy, treacly texture, rendering the scent lighter in weight and density, though it remains very strong in its actual bouquet. My problem with the increased incense is that the accompanying loss of sweetness leaves a vacuum opposite the lemon. There is no counterbalance to it now. On my skin, the result is a sour rose, in addition to being a smoky, woody one. The dryness of the incense also seems to exacerbate the clean musk, and turns it into something very sharp and pointed on me.
Source: theseaalwaysfilledherwithlonging.wordpress.com
The overall effect is to strip the rose of much of its lushness and velvety warmth by the start of the 4th hour. Homage is now an incense rose with sourness, soapiness, woods, and clean musk. There is almost no sweetness or honeyed nectar; very little fruitiness beyond the sour lemon; and little spice. The oud is rarely strongly noticeable in its own right, and feels subsumed into the general woods. However, there is a huge amount of silver incense, clean musk, and dryness. I’m afraid I’m not a fan of this part of Homage. The clean musk was so strong, it gave me a piercing headache that not even 3 Tylenols removed. The narcotic qualities of the first hour that made me feel almost dazed with its richness as if I were about to enter a rose coma have largely dried up. And the incense is not my favorite sort, either. It’s not the smoky blackness that dominates Tribute, but something cleaner, icier, and sharper on my skin.
Wilted rose by “Happinessisfree” at Imgarcade.com
Homage remains largely unchanged from this point forth until its last few hours. It merely turns more abstract, softer, and lighter, a hazy blur of roses blanketed by dryness, abstract woodiness, and cleanness. An occasional wisp of jasmine streaks by, but it is usually minor and muffled amidst the heavy swirls of silver incense. The oud is even more nebulous. Homage turned into a skin scent on me about 6.5 hours into its development, though it remained easy to detect up close for a while to come. It only became a truly gauzy wisp at the start of the 9th hour, sometimes leading me to think that it was close to fading away as a vestige of floral cleanness, but Homage clung on tenaciously. It finally died away just under 14 hours from the start.
Rainbow Rose wallpaper by “eliseenchanted,” via visuallogs.com
Some of the words commonly used to describe Homage on various sites are “purity,” “clarity,” and “masterpiece.” Again and again, people rave about the singular depth and “purity” of the rose, as well as how radiantly the flower has been presented. Homage has unisex appeal, probably because it balances masculine and feminine elements so well, but a few women think it feels overly masculine on their skin. Interestingly, I haven’t come across any comments from men who think Homage skews feminine and, in fact, most of the people I know who love the scent passionately are men. A rare handful from both genders don’t understand the fuss, but the general consensus across the board seems to be that Homage is one of the best rose fragrances ever made.
Source: 123rf.com
On Fragrantica, one person calls it “sublime … [a] sunbeam made of scent,” while another says it is “Rose-neroli-incense heaven” with such “depth and purity” that “[d]eep is the dominant adjective for this.” One detailed review comes from “Yourfoxiness” who writes, in relevant part, as follows:
Something about this combination is simply divine. It is light. It’s not heavy, smokey incense laden, syrupy, dirty, or screechy oud. It’s the concept of golden light made perfume. That golden light that filters through just the right windows & shades, at only the moments caught unaware. It seems shameful to pick it apart, but it has very beautiful orange & lemon at first, and the accompanying jasmine is crystal clear and soprano. Similar to that in Alien, but without the sweetness. Next we have perfect rose. She could stand alone, but not here, sweetened just a bit, smartened up by the citrus which thankfully does not overpower, & backlit by amber resins, smooth incense & woods. It’s too well blended to pick anything else out. Gorgeous florals, honeyed light center & warmth. Suitable for a grand affair, and somehow light enough for summer wear. Old art, the stuff of dreams. Divine.
Source: hdwpapers.com
No-one talks about the soapiness or clean musk. No-one at all. Clearly, it’s merely my wonky skin and mine alone — which makes me feel rather like a crazy person. However, a good number of people experienced the same powerful lemon note that I did, to the point that one person describes Homage as a “citrus rose.” Another wrote that the “roses are beautiful but adorned with slightly too much citrus for my taste. The aoud note is so faint that I would not have noticed it if I did not know it was there.” A third classifies Homage as a rare “exception” to his general dislike of “citrus scents.” There are more comments in that vein, all referencing the lemon’s strength. One poster even went so far as to say that Homage was “first of all [a] citrusy scent.” I think that Homage is a rose fragrance above all, as do others, but there is no denying the flower is drenched in lemon on some people’s’ skin.
Hubble Space Telescope image of a nebula. Source: gde-fon.com
Homage may not work on me or be my personal cup of tea, but Luca Turin adores it. He gave it Five Stars in Perfumes: The A-Z Guide, calling it an “incense rose,” and describing it in transcendental terms that are often used for meteorites or astral events. He called it “breathtakingly beautiful: at once lofty, tremendously radiant, and dizzyingly rich,” and a stunning “apparition” whose incense fills it “with stratospheric light and ice.” The overall “irresistible” result seems to have knocked him completely for a loop and filled him with awe.
My love is for Tribute, not Homage, but I understand Luca Turin’s reaction completely. Parts of Homage’s opening truly were dizzyingly narcotic, stupefyingly pure, densely opulent, but also loftily radiant and airy. It is one of those fragrances that is worth sniffing out just once in one’s life, if only to know.
All of this makes it even sadder that Amouage had to cease production of its attars. I’ve found places that sell samples of Homage if you’re interested, and a few sites that still have a rare bottle or two, but I feel like a bit of a sadist in reviewing the scent. I would completely understand if some of you find this to be an exercise in futility. It may be even more pointless to cover the lesser-known attars in the weeks to come, the ones not widely sold in the West like Al Shomoukh, Molook, Basmah, Mawaddah, Badr Al Badour, Rayaheen, and some others. Yet, the way that their names trip off my tongue like a melody makes me smile and, at times, I feel a little defiant about their loss. I want to remember their unique opulence, depth, and majesty. I want to wear (and talk about) fragrances that actually move me, impress me, or simply feel like the ultimate decadent indulgence, even if they don’t suit me in the final tally. Most of all, though, I think I want to mourn their loss by celebrating the grandeur that once was. I want to pay homage.
My dearest Kafka, I tried both Homage Attar and Tribute Attar at MiN with Daisy way back in November / December 2013. We were intent on splitting one of them but could not decide which one so we each did an unscientific side x side comparison. While I don’t have Homage Attar as a reference point, I seem to recall the lemon and the soapiness (although not overpoweringly so) but what captured mine and Daisy’s interest was Tribute Attar. I don’t trot it out much because for one thing, the box it came in has a tight seal and I live in fear that I am clumsy enough to pop it open and have the bottle fly out, break and spill everywhere AND it is powerful stuff and not appropriate for the office; however, since life is short, I really ought to find a way to wear it and still be on speaking terms with my co-workers…it smells a whole lot better than overapplied Tom Ford Black Orchid which is a co-worker’s scent all day every day.
Getting you to try Tribute is one of my proudest accomplishments when it comes to you, and it never fails to give me great joy at how you fell for it and bought a bottle! The Hajusuuri that I first met in early 2013 (or late 2012?) with her love of Guerlain gourmands (that Coquin thing you raved about to me so much!), iris, and soft florals, as well as her dislike of heavily smoky, dark, slightly animalic fragrances would never have even CONSIDERED testing Tribute! (Do you realise how your tastes have changed over the years, my dear?) Anyway, you’ve given me a few lemming badges and full-bottle pins over the years, but Tribute remains my proudest one!
And you have an actual bottle (or more than a mere few drops), so I beg of you, WEAR IT! Use kid gloves and surgical precision if you must, but decant some into an atomiser that is safer to handle and use, though I think spraying is much too costly for such a precious, rare thing and you should stick to a single drop or two for work. Does your co-worker really wear nothing but Black Orchid ever day? Wow. I like the scent, but I wear it so infrequently that the thought of nothing but Black Orchid, all day, every day, has me blinking a little.
BTW, it gives me endless relief to hear that you thought Homage was soapy too, even if it wasn’t as soapy on you as it was on me. Batch variations, no doubt, but YAY, you got soap!
Hello dearest…our dear Daisy was very enabling 🙂
I actually found a .25mL dab vial of Homage attar in my neglected samples pile so I can actually experience it again.
As to my co-worker, it is Black Orchid all day every day at nuclear levels. Another one wears Coco (and she only has one bottle of perfume so it is also all day every day but at a softer level). And finally, one who sits far from me but I encounter her in the hallways is in Poison practically every day. I have a lot of “work” to do to extricate them from their boring perfume life.
Be well 🙂
P.S. I still have to respond to your Top 30 Personal Favorities (I know I’m behind) and you will probably fall off your chair. Well, maybe not as you know me as someone who buys 100 mL “samples” to avoid that blind-buy label. And no, it’s not Bogue Profumo Maai as just thinking about it is making me shudder.
Okay, it was Daisy.
I look forward to hearing about your latest.
I have once bought 1ml of Homage on Ebay and reading your review I have doubts concerning its authenticity, it was a nice scent, but I aldo remember citrus too prominent for my taste ?¿ I tought attars not being my cup of tea (I have smelled 3 attars)
But I,m still curious about Tribute, and I,ll try to smell it before it’s too late.
What makes you wonder about the authenticity of your sample, Merlinasil? I mean, how was the scent on your skin and how much did it vary from what I describe? The citrus is definitely VERY prominent, in my opinion, so you’re not alone there. Which Amouage attars did you try, and why do you think they’re not your cup of tea? I’m trying to get to know you and your tastes better. 🙂 I realise English may not be the easiest language for you to write, and I don’t speak Italian, so I hope you’ll forgive the questions. I’m just trying to understand better what you like, what you don’t like, and what your skin does to certain fragrances. 🙂
That’s excellent you decided to review these rare beauties – it always makes me sad, when pieces of art disappear, and exactly that’s what happened with the attars. Such a shame. I was lucky enough to sample most of them at the Amouage boutique and if I would have known they’re going to be discontinued I would have bought the one right away. I went back few months later, but there were non to buy anymore and I’m extremely thankful to the lovely lady at the shop for giving me the rest from their sample vial … Asrar (I think to get that orange blossom note, what you were so looking for
I can’t recall, is orange blossom one of your Verboten floral notes, or not? I know tuberose is, but I can’t recall the situation regarding orange blossom. I have to say, I didn’t expect Asrar to be your choice out of the lot. I’ve reviewed it and it was very foody on me, much more so than I would have thought would be your cup of tea. Is it not on you? And was Asrar your favorite out of the ones that you tried?
With regard to issue of reviewing the attars, you know, disappearing art is EXACTLY what I thought of. The analogy wasn’t perfect enough to use in the review because, well, there is only individual, specific painting by Monet or Degas, only one single item, while there used to be multiple bottle of a particular attar, as well as a complete collection, but it certainly FEELS like one is writing about lost art of some kind.
The thing is, with Homage, at least one can still sample it. With something more obscure like Rayaheen or Molook, that’s completely impossible. Will anyone beyond a handful of readers really care? It becomes something that is almost purely an academic exercise. I don’t know, I’ve mulled over this for months, and I’ll probably write a few more reviews spaced out over time (even if I don’t do all the attars that I have samples of), but I do keep wondering if the average reader will think there is much point to reading them. :\
Please, please review them, the lost ones, so there is a trace they leave behind themselves – believe me there are lots of us who are curious and thankful.
As of Asrar : I re-read your review yesterday and put a drop of that precious oil on my wrist – and it quite copies a development on me as you reviewed it. I have that sharp saffron at the start – but I like that a lot, it’s a statement. And then that medicinal oud scent (yes, even mentholated) – I have to admit that I’ve always liked that aspect of oud (or of some ouds). Then the rose, fruity jammy – and that’s were I think to get soft flickers of orange blossom, after ca 2 hours into wearing the scent. Indeed, you remember it well, Orange Blossom can be my Nemesis note, but I’m happy with it when it remains in the background. Asrar was love for the first sight – and I appreciate it more and more with every application. It’s a no-nonsense scent, rather masculine – makes me feel strong and clear headed.
The heavier attars I tried (those “more masculine” ones – and unaffordable for me) felt truly meditative, but not a scent to wear for everyday purposes. To me they appeared to be an advanced level of parfumery and I’m utterly happy that I was able to try them before they disappeared.
You are wicked. LOL. I have not had much luck with Amouage which makes me feel out-of-step, but that’s ok. I am planning on trying Sunshine. I had not realized there were two parts to Amouage. You have made Homage sound wonderful, so thank you for the links! I will definitely try Homage and perhaps even a few other attars, if available. Even if discontinued, it’s worth it to me to get to know them.
Heh, I live to tempt. 😉 Maya, if I recall correctly from your very first post here last year, you liked Arabian Oud or some Middle Eastern oud scents, right? (Am I confusing you with another reader? I don’t think so. You talked back then about the scent of home, as well as how you bought a full bottle of a Kilian and regretted it, I think?) Anyway, if I’m not confusing you with someone else, I would have thought Amouage’s quasi-Middle Eastern orientalism might have suited you. What about them doesn’t work on your skin?
In terms of the attars, you can still get samples of a few of them from Surrender to Chance, though they’re not cheap. But many of them truly are considered to be works of art or amongst the best attars ever made, so I definitely think they would be worth sniffing out for someone who loves rich perfumes — just once, if only to know.
K my dearest friend
Thank you for at last shedding some light in to this incredibly murky subject as to why the attars were sadly discontinued. Theories and myths about their abrupt discontinuation have been rife and really tiresome to say the least.
Anyway with regards to Homage it certainly is one of the finest rose fragrances ever and Even more so as it’s so complex. However due to the use of natural Taifi rose and the blend containing 3 binary parts i.e the taifi, oud and frankincense are its main components and two other blends Taiba and Al Andalus being used; it has been subject to batch variations.
It seems from your description your batch contained a lot more of the Al Andalus component thus giving you that sheer musk and soapiness as al Andalus’s main components are citrus, Orange blossom and musk, whilst Taiba is a beautiful jasmine white floral with a Muguet base. When one possesses all three i.e Al Andalus, Taibah and Homage one can grasp how the first two are the complicated pieces of a puzzle to complete the later i.e Homage.
Personally out of all the 30 or so Amouage attars i own I’ve a dislike of Al Andalus as i find it to soapy and cloying……and too bloody long lasting even after a good warm shower 🙁
No, thank YOU for the information on the Al Andalus, not to mention the fact that Taiba is included as well. Even more so, thank you for letting me know I’m not mad in thinking Homage was terribly soapy! (Remind me not to try Al Andalus should the option ever present itself. lol) You know, I saw the reference to Al Andalus on Fragrantica, but I couldn’t understand what it meant, particularly as I couldn’t fathom that Amouage would actually use part of another scent in this one. I thought it might perhaps be a reference to some flower or fruit from the Al Andalus region in Spain, but Googling didn’t turn up anything, so I just left it. I will amend/edit the review to include Al Andaulus (with an explanation) in the note list. So Amouage used 2 other attars as part of its blend for Homage?! Wow. That’s… unexpected.
Taiba sounds much more like my thing. Al Andalus’ white musk and the soap…. My GOD, there was so much of it in Homage. The white musk totally pulverized my head, and I couldn’t understand why it was there at all, given that attars are usually all-natural. But there was no doubt in my mind at all that there was man-made clean musk. Ghastly. I wish companies would stop heaping it on in droves. Anyway, I really appreciate your explanation as to the mysterious musk and soap, Sultan Pasha. I’m very grateful.
As for batch formulations, I know it’s a common issue with the attars, but how come no-one else seems to get all that soap from Homage? Well, one other reader noted it, Hajusuuri, but it’s never mentioned in any of the comments on Fragrantica or other sites. Surely someone experienced MY batch? LOL 😀 😉
You are more than welcome matey! Well Homage is the only one that has been designed this way, i.e using two different compositions to create one complex blend. Al Andalus definitely has some industrial strength laundry musk/chem in there although most of the others seem naturally composed.
Interms of the soapiness you experienced i havr experienced thr same in several crappy batches and it has been mentioned couple of times in Amouage attars threads on Basenotes.
I forgot to mention if anyone is interested in sampling 30 of these rare beauties please look up an ebay shop called scents-rarity 😉
When I update the review in a minute to include the Al Andalus stuff, I’ll include a link to your eBay shop. I only see Tribute on there now, not the others, and no individual samples of the attars, only the massive 84 collection from all the brands. Will you ever offer individual Amouage attar samples, my dear?
I’d sampled the Homage attar a few years ago when I was just starting my perfume journey, loved it (I love rose, a lot, and this is a very good one). I’d thought to buy it but at the time I couldn’t imagine spending $350+ for 12 ml of anything. Well, I got over that eventually and finally decided to buy it…only to find that it was no longer available. That was when I learned that I regret those things I missed more than the ones I got but ended up not loving so much.
🙁 Situations like that are SO frustrating! I’m so sorry. I would feel the same regret that you do. For what it’s worth, I feel that exact way about the Tribute attar. I’m so genuinely sad over it, and would love to have even a tiny 3 ml bottle of it. 🙁
Wonderful review, very revealing.
Seems like everything I have wanted to try recently has been either reformulated or is being discontinued. ” Late to dinner” so to speak. I must be picking up bits of your psychic residue in the ethers because I was looking at Homage at STC. If I want to try one of/both attars, time is of the essence since they’ll be snatched up after your article. 😀
Tomorrow I will explain how I apply my samples(Cuir Cuba) in the other thread. Thanks K. 🙂
As you’re a rose guy, I definitely think Homage is worth your time testing, if only just to know. It is such a significant scent on so many levels that I would recommend any real rose lover trying it just once, while they’re still able. 🙂
Hey Kafka. You have confused me with someone else. The first time I commented was recently after you took your break. I am a floral person – lilacs, narcissus, roses, jasmine, lily of the valley, hyacinth, plumeria, honeysuckle, gardenia, and on and on and on. I decided a while ago to sample more non-floral scents and fell in love with some leathers. I have a problem with ouds and incense. I don’t know why yet. I’ve tried about five Amouage perfumes and they’re all just ok. They seem to be somehow sharp on my skin and *bite* at me. I know that’s a poor explanation. Maybe it’s genetics? My adult daughter actively dislikes Amouage. The attars (oils) sound like they are different from the perfumes. Magic can be waiting right around the corner and I have to peek and see.
I’d swear I hit “reply” under your answer to me. Sorry for the confusion.
Ah, it must have been a different “Maya,” or someone with a very similar name. My apologies. But thank you for letting me know your perfume tastes, and the notes you love. If you have issues with incense, then Amouage is probably not going to be for you — at least, not the older fragrances which often had a common theme of incense or oud. That said, have you tried Ubar? I think you might love the beautiful florals in that one. Little to no incense (and no oud) that I can recall, though it has been a while since I’ve worn it. Women I know who don’t like hardcore orientals, incense fragrances or ouds often point to Ubar as a favorite from the brand, so maybe it will work for you as well.
No apology necessary. I’m not sure if I tried Ubar. It was about 3-4 years ago that I tried Memoir Woman, Dia Woman, and one other. It might have been Ubar. More recently, I tried Jubilation XXV and didn’t like it and Opus III which I’m still not sure about. I do like some orientals. Two of my favorite perfumes are vintage Shalimar and vintage Bal a Versailles.
Hi Kafka, red box Homage smells like Mr. Bubble on me. Extremely expensive version in very classy raw materials, that is. The old version in the white box (I tried at The Perfume House in Portland Oregon) was a gorgeous complex shifting green taif rose with glorious incense and I guess oud creating a sense of earth beneath the flower. Another lost masterpiece.
Hi Danica, do you mean soapy by your comment regarding Mr. Bubbles? If so, then welcome to my club. LOL. One of the other readers, Sultan Pasha, explained that the soapiness and clean musk in Homage come from the inclusion of some of Amouage’s Al Andalus attar within Homage. Obviously, you and I got a batch of the perfume that had a lot of the Al Andalus in it. (Amouage attars have batch variations even within the Red or the White Box versions, and sometimes differences from one production cycle to the next.)
Everyone always says the White Box Amouages are the best ones, whether for regular perfumes or attars, but the Homage White Box version you describe from The Perfume House sounds particularly beautiful!! I love your description of “a sense of earth beneath the flower.” LOVELY! (And so much better than the “Mr. Bubbles” soap bath version that you and I experienced with the newer Homage. I’m not a fan of soapiness at all! In anything.)
Yes very soapy. I actually considered buying it to simulate a scrubbed clean feeling, but thought it was expensive for that effect and also didn’t love the dry down enough to make it worth it. Homage gets very soft on me, without the projection and mystery of some of the other Amouage dry downs (Jubilation 25, even Journey which has a lot of tree moss on my skin). Al Andalus! There must have been a lot of it in the US batches fall 2013 which is when I was trying them in Oregon and in LA! I even got a sample from Parfum1.com that smelled the same.
I do prefer the old Homage but it’s a different animal. I’m not as heartbroken over its loss as I am over other perfume losses. I do love Tribute, although the attar has a smoky quality that sits a little heavy on my skin. Its so long lasting and evocative.
Here’s an odd thing: the lack of these attars makes me consider purchasing them from a collecting point of view. When I don’t have something I always think I’ll wear it more than when I do. Do you ever collect perfume? I’d love it if you wrote a little about your thoughts on collecting. If you already have done I’d love to be pointed to the link!
I think collecting the attars makes sense, and it’s certainly no different than collecting any rare piece of art, wine, first edition books, etc. There will be a historical value to these things one day, in addition to an olfactory one. If you have the money and interest to do it, then I think you should. As for myself, I don’t collect but that is only because I don’t have the financial means to buy without regard to price and purely for the sake of acquisition. If I could, I would. 🙂
With regard to posts on this subject, I haven’t written about it because I don’t think the average reader is in a position to collect either and, ultimately, it comes down to a question of personal, individual means. As I said at the start, though, the principle behind it is no different than the principle behind collecting anything rare in general. If you can do it, I think it’s great!
Hi Kafka,
That is a terrific response. I have been torn on this issue for a while. The first perfume that really caught me was Sage Amber fifteen years ago and since then Anubis (your recommendation) and Scherrer Les Indiennes, esp EDP (haven’t tried parfum). I really enjoy a lot of fragrances however especially as creations and art forms, and find that their personalities give me great relief from the vagaries of human behavior. It’s been hard to define my preferences, and hard to accept the losses (Portrait of a Lady). I’m searching for a way to draw a line as to what I buy versus what I sample versus what I’d like to collect and preserve. I’m not of unlimited means but I can purchase a bottle a month of something rare and good. It’s hard to choose when there’s a classic available e.g. a Sous le Vent, versus something I might wear more often–a comfort scent such as Musc Ravageur. I’m so interested in how passion for fragrance is formed, how to make choices, and and I love your recent post on likes. I’m still working on my version, as I haven’t thought through all these notes yet; you helped me realize rose is a problematic note! And tuberose, civet, jasmine, labdanum, opoponax and benzoin rarely are. I guess I still need to explore but any guidance from you is welcome as I think I’m 85% intersecting around what you appreciate.
Hope that was clear, I still think I need to develop my thoughts around this, I guess the subject is developing a serious palette of fragrances when you can appreciate almost anything.
THanks!
I encourage you to go ahead and review other Amouge attars, even though they may become mystical in the future. I know there are many people with bottles or at least decants that would love to read your impressions of them. After reading this review and rereading others, I found my decant of Al Mas (from Dubaiscents) and tried it again. Your blog will leave a record and scent memory for all of us.
Thank you, Nancy. I appreciate hearing your thoughts, and knowing that you think people might find reviews to be useful.
I am the lucky owner of both Homage and Tribute, 12ml of each from a white box bottle. Homage is not soapy or musky on me, just a gorgeous rosy orange blossom incense scent. I love both of them and am hoarding them, which I need to not do! I have put the bottles in the fridge and decanted 2ml of each into a tiny vial for application purposes. Need to put some on asap!
Lucky devil to have the White Box version of both scents! From what another poster said, Homage was gorgeous in that formulation. Well, assuming one got a good batch, but still, it sounds really lovely from all account. I suspect the soapiness and musk were an issue not only of batch variations, but also stemming from the Red Box version (and a heightened amount of the Al Andalus attar being included). I know I sampled the modern, recent version of Homage. Another reader called the Red Box version “Mr. Bubbles” from all the soapiness, while raving about the White Box one, so you’re definitely lucky to have the best possible one.
I’m a perfume hoarder, too, for the rarities, but I think it’s a great idea that you’ve decanted your bottle into tiny vials for easier, more frequent application. It would be a shame to have a White Box attar and not wear it. What I really, REALLLLLLLLLLLY envy is you having the White Box Tribute. My God, I’m jealous! 😀 Enjoy, my dear Tara, enjoy and WEAR IT!!! 😀
It’s funny you posted this because I just re-discovered my Amouage attar samples I bought literally days or two before all the news of the ceased production/hard to find nature came out. I wore tribute and it’s so glorious and I got a compliment on how lovely it smelled. The attars are really something special, and it’s such a shame they are becoming difficult/impossible to find. The ones I’ve tried smell nothing like current offerings, so it really does leave a void in perfumery. I need to see if I have a sample of Homage – I think I might! If so, I’ll give it a try tonight!
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Sorry if I have missed this but I cannot find a review for the Amouage amber attar on your site. Did you get to try this?
Which amber one in specific? I haven’t reviewed a number of the Amouage attars that I have samples of because, as I said in another comment, all the attars were discontinued in 2014. The extreme difficulty of readers obtaining them means there isn’t a lot of point to my reviewing them. Many now amount to unicorns unless you can find a rare bottle on eBay. After I announced the cessation of the attars and their production, most remaining stock sold out quickly in Oman, the UAE, and elsewhere.
You’d have an easier time of things if you tried the Sultan Pasha Attars, many of which make the Amouage ones look like water.
I meant this one as I have the chance to buy a small decant….http://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Amouage/Amber-20489.html
Yes, I’ve tried it in passing, but haven’t reviewed it. Strongly synthetic, and quite unimpressive as a whole.
good to know, thank you for your help, as you can see the jury was pretty mixed on this one on fragrantica. I have really enjoyed all your reviews and descriptions of how these attars were discontinued. Reading reviews in general on these attars suggests quality control seems to have been a real issue for them, I am now looking forward to immersing myself in all your reviews of the Sultan Pasha line.
I love your writing and your choice of photographs is often utterly inspired. I am thinking of the wonderful descriptions of the hyperreal rose elements in the reviews of homage and tribute attars in particular – with your point totally backed up by the most amazing photos….
I am now tempted to try both homage and tribute now (small decant), although I fear that the tribute might be too much for me based on your review. You make it sound both exhilarating and pretty scary and I also worry about the possibility of getting a decant from a bad tobacco and ash batch….
Sultan Pasha’s Ame Sombre G1 attar is a tribute to Tribute, but far better done, imo, and significantly richer.
Almost all the attars have real Mysore, real ambergris, or both. I can’t say the same for Amouage at all. Many of the SPA attars have rich floral absolutes, the rose one of which often bears far greater depth, 3D naturalism, opulence, and complexity than anything in Homage.
With all the SP attars, you should apply the least amount possible, ideally less than a drop applied by way of a pin or the tip of an unfurled paper clip. They are far, far, far richer than most Amouage attars. As Luca Turin said in his 4 Star review of SP’s Tabac Grande Attar, 1 ml may last you “a lifetime.” His words. So, they may not be cheap, but you get a lot of bang for your buck. The key is not to apply more than a drop. In many cases, a few specks from the paper clip tip will suffice. Much better to opt for something like this than the synthetic Amouage ones with their fake sandalwood or fake “amber,” especially given the often sky high prices that people charge post-discontinuation.
If you want to go ahead with Homage and Tribute, you should do so because they’re good introductions to the genre. Amouage has other ones worth trying as well, like Al Mas, Bard al Badour, Molook, Basmah, Shomoukh, etc., but I wouldn’t opt for the single-note attars because I think their quality, materials, and complexity are disappointing in comparison and not worth the cost.
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