Amouage introduces new perfumes to its acclaimed Essences Collection - three remarkable expressions of the geometry of time

In search of the shape of time

Time is central to Amouage’s Essences Collection. When he conceived it, Renaud Salmon, Chief Creative Officer at the esteemed Omani High Perfumery House, decided that every aspect of the range – from the narratives behind the perfumes, to their formulation and visual representation – would reflect the paramount importance of time. “For the second trilogy of Essences,” says Salmon, “I wanted to consider time in an even deeper way – to think about how it is part of the very fabric of everything around us.”

Salmon’s musings led him to the fields of physics and geometry. In these areas of thought, time is far more than a mere measure of one minute leading to the next. It is, in fact, a force that is directly linked to the physicality of the objects that make up our existence – a boundary between the world with which we are familiar, and others the reality of which we can only dimly observe. “If we accept that time is a genuine feature of the structure of everything,” says Salmon, “then it becomes relatively easy to see that it can be represented in terms of geometry – which is precisely what I wanted to express with the next three Essences. My decision was to focus on three geometric concepts: , a straight line, a dot, and a circle.”

Line 618 – reaching towards the infinite

The line is perhaps the most hopeful of geometric shapes. It moves from one point to another. It evokes travel and journeys. It is a channel to eternity, unaffected by bends or deviations. The extraordinary technical skills of Nathalie Lorson were called upon to provide an olfactory representation of a single, clear-sighted form which progresses to infinity. The fruit of her labours is ‘Line 618’, named after the numbers in the Golden Ratio, the concept that plays a crucial role in geometry and contributes to pleasing proportions in art and design.

Using the principle of endless equilibrium as her guide, Lorson begins ‘Line 618’ with a striking combination of Black Pepper and Pineapple. The fruity facet of the latter forms an intriguing counterpoint to the more explosive character of the former – two diverse players walking along a delicate tightrope. The next step is marked by Heliotrope and Pine. With their mix of almond-like, floral, green-citrusy notes, they continue the contrasts of the opening and extend them across a longer scale. In the final stage, as the impeccable balancing act continues into the distance, Sandalwood, Patchouli and Leather pull the line closer towards a perpetually unreachable olfactory horizon. Surprising, grand and yet entirely harmonious, ‘Line 618’ is a perfectly-proportioned essay on the inevitability of progression.

Remain – beginning from a single moment

The dot, or the point, is the smallest of all geometric representations, and yet in many ways it is also the most powerful. A beginning and an origin, it is the basic building block of all other forms: every shape and curve that could ever be imagined is essentially made up of a series of precisely aligned dots. To convey this idea of a single moment that exists within the entirety of all the other moments that come after it, Salmon enlisted the skills of Pierre Negrin. The result of their efforts is ‘Remain’, a singular study in the notion of singularity itself.

The perfume begins, appropriately enough, with a flash of intensity. The pepperiness of Pimento Berry and the brightness of Mandarin make a decisive statement with their lucid assertiveness. The appearance of Frankincense then moves proceedings into more complex realms, connecting the sparkle of a single moment to the structures of the past. Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Lily and Vanilla broaden the scope of the moment, causing its reach and impact to become more expansive and all-enveloping. Finally, Ambergris, Guaiacwood, Patchouli and Castoreum, with their profound, partly animalic personalities, root the whole within the primeval: the place from which all time originates. Dazzling, complex and sensual, ‘Remain’ is an unforgettable statement on the point in time from which all others are measured.

Sequence – the cycle of endlessness

The circle is a shape with profound resonance. In addition to existing in countless natural forms around us, it has been employed for millennia in all manner of artworks as a way of making statements on cyclical patterns. No stranger to conveying grand messages, Julien Rasquinet was tasked with giving the circle olfactory form. His talents led to the composition of ‘Sequence’ – a statement on the power of every dusk to turn into a dawn.

As all beginnings should, Sequence takes flight with a sparkle of brightness. Lychee and Raspberry present a crimson-hued optimism, daring all around to quell their thirst for life. A note of Saffron enters proceedings, introducing a leatheriness that will become crucial as the perfume progresses. The circle then spins to reveal Rose and Tonka Bean: two luxurious materials that add a sense of both romance and gravitas. The inclusion of Osmanthus – an ingredient with a marked leather facet – connects to the Saffron in the opening. As the inevitable ending approaches, Oud and Ambery Woods compel ‘Sequence’ into even more profound depths, transforming the insouciant qualities of the opening into an expression of authoritative sagacity. Finally, a suave Leather echoes the Osmanthus and the Saffron from the start to form an ingenious leitmotif coursing through the scent as a whole – a reflection of the cycle running from commencement to conclusion and back again. Sparkling, luxurious and full of vitality, ‘Sequence’ moves to the eternal rhythm of endings turning into beginnings.

The Essences – marking the contours of time

Amouage’s Essences represent true innovation in the field of perfumery. All the perfume concentrates in the range are infused for six months with an exceptional quality of aged, Australian sandalwood chips. Meanwhile, the alcohol which is used to dilute the concentrates is infused for a similar period of time in hand-made oakwood barrels, produced in France by the artisans at Allary. In the same way that an understanding of time reveals previously unseen facets of the physical world, the time allowed for this highly complicated double-infusion process brings out aspects of the three perfumes that would otherwise have remained concealed – an indescribable patina of sophistication, wrapping itself around each scent. An effect that is intangible while being unquestionably real – much like time itself.

Packaging & presentation

Remain, Line 618 and Sequence are presented in the bespoke Essences flacon. When viewed from the front, the bottle’s vertical ridges call to mind the desert dunes of the Omani landscape, while from above, they adopt the shape of the instantly-recognisable, twelve-pointed Amouage emblem. Beneath each flacon is the Essences medal, a gleaming, hand-made object which displays the perfumes’ key information as well as a stylised, graphical representation of the fragrance within it.

On each perfume’s box, the hourglass image serves as a reminder of the importance of time to the entirety of the Essences collection. Artist Louise Mertens’ eye-catching compositions on the outer sleeve provide a moving visual evocation of the concepts encapsulated by the perfumes.

The Essences visual campaign, photographed by Louise Mertens, brings the abstract language of time to life through stark, brutalist compositions. Each image features sculptural bronze-toned monoliths dot, line, and circle that mirror the geometric identity of the fragrances and serve as physical expressions of time’s structure.