Amouage – Boundless – I rarely enjoy the men’s Amouage releases more than the women’s. Yet, that’s precisely the position I found myself in after sampling Boundless. Amouage released the fragrance simultaneously in 2021 with the women’s marketed, Material.
Boundless is an easy scent to like, with a hard price tag to take. The opening is spicy and resinous. The quartet of cardamom, ginger, elemi, and blood orange make their presence felt in the opening. And, all the notes are discernable. Perhaps this opening differentiates Boundless from other scents of its ilk.
The mid and base notes of Boundless follow a familiar Oriental theme. Tobacco, vanilla, smoky myrrh, and incense notes begin to take charge after about 30 minutes. Interestingly, I detect a medicinal aspect, maybe from cloves. However, that is not a listed note. Possibly this medicinal effect may be from the interaction of benzoin and myrrh. The inclusion of a cacao note adds a further gourmand facet to the vanilla. The tobacco used in Boundless is dry and herbal rather than overly sweet.
Material fell flat on my skin, but in comparison, Boundless is multi-layered and much more nuanced. Still, it doesn’t shout, choosing to go about its business quietly. Given the heavy-hitting note list of vanilla, tobacco, and incense, this restraint is surprising. And even more so as I detect the usually aggressive woody amber materials in the dry down. Fortunately, Karine Vinchon Spehner uses them in a less heavy-handed manner in Boundless.
Boundless is comfortably the best of the recent Amouage scents that I’ve tried. The bar was low, though. Material and the 4 x Renaissance scents all failed to impress me. In contrast, Boundless is well-composed, with a clearly defined top, middle, and base. But, the price tag of $499AUD is problematic, especially when one considers the quiet, subdued nature of the composition. Though, I must lament that it is neither particularly original nor groundbreaking. For sure, it pales in comparison to the Amouage releases of old.
Are you like me and prefer the Amouage of old? What’s your favourite from the recent releases?