FRAGRANCE | Beloved Man EDP by Amouage: An Amouage that doesn't feel like one

I finally got to wear Amouage Beloved Man, a 2013 release from the Omani house. It's a shame that my bottle has been sitting unopened since before the pandemic but I guess, better late than never. I won't talk about the presentation, as it's standard Amouage anyway, so I'll dive right into the scent.

I'm greeted with an aromatic, lemony opening that's beautifully infused with a warm, rounded spiciness and a feathery, incense-like smokiness. Unlike most Amouages that I've tried, it doesn't announce its presence loudly, which I find rather unusual for the brand. The citruses are bereft of any nostril-piercing sharpness (think how rounded the citruses are in Succus by Liquides Imaginaires) while the smokiness is even lighter than the wispy incense in Serge Noir by Serge Lutens. Already at the onset, this is shaping up to be different from the house's usual heavy-hitters.

Anyway, in a few short minutes, the warmth of the spices morph into something fresh, slowly revealing a gentle, prickly quality (emphasis on gentle). The scent is light overall, with the perfect balance of sweet and bitter, neither of which attempts to outdo the other. There's also a mild, powdery hum when smelled up close and isn't particularly noticeable in the air.

Later, a woody base slowly appears, infused with all the flavors and aromas from earlier. It never fully rises to the surface, however. Nevertheless, I love how the shy smokiness continues to discreetly swirl around playfully with all the citric and spicy accords. Eventually, the scent becomes a little warmer and sweeter as the spices begin to soften (although some sharpness occasionally pops up) and the resins reveal a tiny bit more of their own brand of sweetness. The woodiness also becomes much more apparent over time. The scent carries on like this until everything becomes a warm and pleasant blur.

Elemi is listed as a note in this fragrance and appears to be quite prominent, according to some reviewers. I personally have not smelled either elemi oil or elemi resins, so I can't say I pick its essence up. All I know is that it's a resin extracted from the sap of pili trees in the Bicol region of the Philippines, that it has a lemony facet, a fresh and peppery character, and can also be woody and smoky like frankincense. Having said that, however, it appears that elemi's characteristics are manifested in the composition after all. Lovely!

While pretty good in terms of longevity, Beloved Man is uncharacteristically Amouage in terms of projection—and even in terms of scent profile. It kind of reminds me of how Nautica's Latitude Longitude (now discontinued) doesn't seem like a Nautica at all. Make no mistake, though, because Beloved Man is a nice scent and I really like it. It smells refined and very gentlemanly even if it errs on the side of restraint when presenting itself. 

Now since it doesn't wear its manliness on its sleeve, the fragrance can easily be worn by the opposite sex. For me, that's a good thing. Also, its general pleasantness makes it a good wear for practically any occasion and weather. The downside, of course, is the price, and it will definitely weigh on your opinion as to whether it's worth buying or not.