Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.
Parfumerie Générale Aomassaï is a scent of an antique spice box—an oily film on the wood, a scattering of pepper and pimento berries, a mélange of sweetness and muskiness. This unexpected twist arrives after the initial toffee effect, which further accents the opulence of Aomassaï. The ambery resinous richness of the composition makes for a potent woody oriental, which does not speak in half tones. …
Its heft and darkness are intriguing, and as many other fragrances from Parfumerie Générale, it has an exotic quality that serves as one of the main attraction points for this and many other niche perfume brands. The strangeness of Aomassaï makes it interesting; however, its lack of subtlety is what I find a bit tiresome. For this reason, I much prefer using it in the room fragrance form, rather than for scenting my skin. It is a very atmospheric fragrance, and whenever I leave it on the blotter in my office, I return to discover the room filled with its caramelized wood aroma.
Aomassaï includes notes of caramel, hazelnut, spices, vetiver, bitter orange, balsam wood, incense, licorice, wenge wood, resins. It is available directly from Parfumerie Générale.
16 Comments
Cait: This one really smells too much like the dreaded scented coffees that non coffee lovers drink. June 21, 2006 at 12:52am
Judith: Really, I do love this. I didn’t care for it in the bottle–too sweet! And indeed, when I put it on, the caramel-sweet top was not to my taste, and even after that, it was too sweet for me for a brief while. But then in morphed into a wonderful, leathery wood (or woody leather–I really get lots of leather here)that I adored! It’s one of those scents that cause me to wonder periodically what smells so good, and then to realize that it’s me! June 21, 2006 at 8:37am
Laura: V, I can’t get this scent out of my mind, after sampling it with you. Someday I’ll try it on my skin to see what happens. The day I sniffed it, I was not compelled to wear it at all, but was so intrigued by it nevertheless. I think it is actually brilliantly made, whatever it is. To me it doesn’t smell at all like scented coffee, which I, along with Cait, dislike intensely ;D. June 21, 2006 at 5:31am
violetnoir: Perhaps it would smell better and less intensely sweet in the colder months, V?
Hugs! June 21, 2006 at 11:45am
BoisdeJasmin: Cait, I did not have that association, it was definitely more interesting than that overall. However, if you do not like sweet woods, this shall not do it for you. June 21, 2006 at 12:03pm
BoisdeJasmin: L, yes, it was just fascinating how the moment I smelled it, I had the picture of a wooden spice box in my mind, like ones used for spices in India (round, with several compartments inside, covered with an ornate lid.) June 21, 2006 at 12:07pm
BoisdeJasmin: Judith, yes, it is definitely one of those fragrances that seems to lose sweetness as it dries down, however I was looking for something with a bit more nuance, perhaps. Nevertheless, it is very atmospheric and unusual. June 21, 2006 at 12:14pm
BoisdeJasmin: Marina, dachas in some exotic locations–a very nice image! June 21, 2006 at 12:15pm
BoisdeJasmin: R, it is not the most pleasant thing to wear in the 95F heat, but then again for me, there are few fragrances that are. If you like its dark woodiness, then yes, I would save it for the colder months. For me, it just feels too blunt, too much of a good thing for a personal fragrance. However, I love to smell it around me, since it is very unusual. June 21, 2006 at 12:22pm
Marina: I love this one so much. Like Judith, I was a little scared by the sweet opening, but then…I adore that woody note. It makes me think of newly built wooden dachas…only those dachas are built in some exotic location 🙂 June 21, 2006 at 9:23am
Robin: This one is waiting for a second try. I found it intriguing but whether it is wearable or not, I don’t know…sounds like maybe not. June 21, 2006 at 2:06pm
Ina: I mostly got condensed milk and tree bark. I too think it’ll be perfect in colder weather. June 21, 2006 at 12:26pm
BoisdeJasmin: Ina, on another topic, my mother recently mailed me a can of Russian condensed milk and I was indulging in it straight from the can. It is actually made in the traditional manner, rather than using thickeners and caramel flavour, therefore the effect is unlike anything else commercially available in the States (well, confiture de lait by Fauchon comes close). June 21, 2006 at 6:17pm
BoisdeJasmin: R, somehow, I think that it would not be you, but I may be wrong. I do not find it particularly wearable, but it is an intriguing fragrance. June 21, 2006 at 6:17pm
Tigs: I think I must have stumped the PG people – I filled out the questionnaire and they never answered! This sounds wonderful, but I found all my samples from the original single-digit batch to be overly sweet. Coze kind of grew on me, but not enough to inspire a purchase. June 21, 2006 at 10:56pm
BoisdeJasmin: Tigs, I find the fragrances on the sweet side given my tastes, however I agree with Judith and Marina that Aomassai loses some of the intial candied quality. I am sorry to hear that you have not received a response. So far, from what I heard and experienced, they have been very good about that. June 22, 2006 at 1:04am