Epic Woman
Eau de Parfum, Amouage (2009)

Amouage's perfume names can be funny sometimes. Epic, either in grandeur or as a long saga, this perfume is not - though this is not a comment on its longevity, which is substantial. For as big and tenacious as it is, it's actually very demur for the majority of its long life. The opening is certainly not demur with its massive dose of fruity, waxy, and very piquant peppercorns, a string of woody cumin, and parched cinnamon. This wallflower has a moment of being quite bold before you begin to see its true nature with these spices overlaying a very beautiful, pink, powdery, and woody rose. This quietly pretty rose, for a good moment, is given a big boost of confidence and an outgoing personality. Hours later when the rose departs, a powdery orris takes over and is accented by amberic and soft vanillic woods and wisps of smokey frankincense.

I've heard it said, and it seems highly likely, that Epic Woman has changed quite a bit since 2009. This new formulation I am wearing doesn't seem to jive with the reviews that others have provided; the spiciness is less so, the geranium and jasmine less so, the tea is a lot more woody than fermented smokey greenery, and the powderiness throughout the heart and base layers is a lot more so. This could be a difference of me wearing it on skin versus others' experience on blotters in some (or all) cases, or perhaps it has truly changed and this is why Epic Woman feels less than epic to me. But, regardless, it is beautiful. The perfume feels like it is shrouding me with a very comfortable blanket, a soft yet protective layer that is impossible to not want to snuggle into. I have blanket on my couch that I absolutely love, and I could describe that blanket as epic - so, there you go, I guess.

This is another win in the women’s line—perfectly unisex, and I wish it didn’t have to be gendered. It’s a smooth blend of resins, amber, and maybe a hint of oud, but nothing challenging or animalic. There’s rose as well, but it’s balanced by tea, so it never overpowers the fragrance.

As it dries down, it becomes more ambery and a bit familiar, though nowhere in this fragrance feels rough or synthetic. I get subtle reminders of some Comme des Garçons incense notes in the drydown—maybe Kyoto or another amber-forward scent—but I could be overthinking it. Performance is solid, and this works well for cooler months. While I enjoy the scent profile, the price makes it a bit of a hard sell. Still, I recommend sampling it—definitely a stronger release than its male counterpart, which I wasn’t a fan of.

Thank you to Pep from the Scentinel on youtube for the introduction. Honestly, this is another they could have marketed as Epic Man and done justice. Honestly, I found the rose to not be too prominent as I would like. I get a powerful Frankincense, Cedar, Patchouli on the dry down. Just wish there were more rose involved. A hard like, but not enough to get a full bottle.

As others have said, this is a rose-pepper-patchouli-oud. It is STRONG! It lasts for hours, and hours, and hours on skin (basically until I shower it off) and leaves a really nice rose after-scent on any clothes I've worn while wearing it. It is manageable in winter, but I wouldn't go near this in summer. It would be too much in the heat. There is definitely a cumin/BO/something going on in the beginning, but that softens out after a few minutes. It's a lovely scent. But you can probably find something along the same lines for substantially less money. I enjoyed my decant fully, but now that it is gone, I do not imagine I will replace it in a hurry.

This is an interesting one. It's built on a core of rose/sandalwood/patchouli, so it's in the same basic family as Feminite du Bois or Malle's Noir Epices. But there's a thick, overwhelming layer of black pepper on top, which gives it a butch character usually missing from the genre. Eventually, the pepper dissipates enough for a mix of masculine herbs to peek through (I can pick out basil, oregano, and something piney which I assume is juniper berry).

Given time, a rich base of frankincense and forest floor woods comes in underneath the dark masculine herbs, juxtaposed against the sweet, jammy rose/patchouli mix.

I think this is quite well done. This is sub-genre of jammy-rose-attar-meets-herbs was a niche trend on the 00's and this is one of the best, because it really gets the juxtaposition right. Some of these go too heavy on the rose/patch and end up edging into fruitchouli territory. Others go hard on the herbs and smell more like spaghetti sauce than perfume. But Epic Woman hits a perfect stride where it's simultaneously masculine and pretty, dank and luminous. Thumbs way up!

Epic Woman

Powerful spicy rose/incense/oud. This is a style that is endlessly explored; often copied. Once you have it on a blotter, it's really all you will smell. Very high-quality. Very strong. The Oud here is subtle, but nothing else is. If you love Rose and incense, or rose and Oud, but are repelled by the woody aromachemicals overused in most of them, you will enjoy this. Especially if you aren't shy. Me personally, I think I'd feel as if my perfume were wearing me, and not the other way around, so I'd be hesitant to wear this one; Especially indoors. It eventually dries down into something wearable, fluffing itself up with a bit of powder. Perhaps just apply an hour before going anywhere.