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Merge 104.8 | 16 July 2025
Making the past ever-present
Although all forms of perfumery are special in their own right – offering very particular riches and rewards – it could be argued that none is as romantic as the attar. The most ancient example of scent-creation, it has travelled from one century to the next, accumulating layer upon layer of cultural wisdom. Although it has always maintained its connection with history, it has also succeeded in remaining relevant at all times, adapting to the needs and tastes of each passing generation.
“I find attars absolutely fascinating,” says Amouage’s Chief Creative Officer, Renaud Salmon. “On the one hand, they come to us as very ancient constructions, and so they possess some of the simplicity that we associate with the past. But on the other, they are incredibly complex, and they require very precise skills and technical know-how if they are to be created properly and beautifully. It’s this extreme contrast that makes them so enjoyable and satisfying to work on.”
In 2021, Amouage revisited this age-old practice of fragrance composition by releasing an entirely original collection of resplendent attars. Since then, the range has evolved, delving into unexplored landscapes of creativity. Now, in 2025, it goes through yet another shift, appropriating a revitalised, more contemporary aesthetic and welcoming an extraordinary new scent, Luban Al Akhdar. In addition, Leather Sadah, which had until recently been an exclusive release, is being placed in the main collection with the remaining attars, enabling its sensual charms to be enjoyed by an even wider audience.
The unique nature of attars
The main point of difference between attars and nearly all other types of perfume is that they contain no unscented material. Most fragrances are composed of a fragrance concentrate – made of a combination of natural and synthetic ingredients – which is then diluted in an appropriate, scent-free solvent. However, attars do not go through this final dilution phase. Every single one of their components possesses an odour, which means that, to a greater or lesser extent, it contributes to the overall fragrance of the attar.
Balancing the scents of these different elements is no easy feat. Only perfumers with a profound understanding of the materials in their palette are capable of working in this most challenging of forms. Not only do they have to ensure that the components they put together combine in a pleasing and harmonious fashion, but they also have to strive to innovate and to express novel ideas within their creations. Many perfumers who have made attars claim that these are some of the most difficult perfumes they have composed, while also being amongst the most rewarding.
Luban Al Akhdar
For the newest addition to the attars collection, Renaud Salmon decided to take inspiration not from a specific location in Oman, but from a conceptual contemplation of one of the country’s most treasured resources: Frankincense. The particular variety of this prized resin that grows in Oman has long been considered one of the finest on earth, a sought-after commodity along the ancient world’s east-to-west trade routes. With their characteristic green hue, the resin tears of this quality of Frankincense display a strikingly multi-faceted scent profile, from bright-citrusy, to woody-smoky.
“Frankincense has featured in several creations at Amouage,” explains Salmon, “but this time, I wanted it to be handled in a totally novel way, as though it was being experienced for the first time by someone who has never encountered it before.”
Always keen to discover unknown facets of familiar materials, perfumer Quentin Bisch took Salmon’s idea of reimagining frankincense to heart. Instead of approaching it in a prosaic, literal fashion, he decided to explore the conceptual idea of a resin, examining it layer by layer, using complementary ingredients to construct what could be called the notion of frankincense. Named after the Arabic words for ‘frankincense’ and ‘green’, Luban Al Akhdar uses the mineralic, subtly resinous aspects of citrus and aldehydic materials for ethereal translucency, lifting the composition to the skies, while myrrh and labdanum – important resins in their own right – reflect the chief ingredient’s unflinching connection to the earth. Abstract, indescribable and constantly surprising, Luban Al Akhdar is flinty, green, spirited, floral and dazzling: a true frankincense of the imagination.
Leather Sadah
The near-mythical substance known as oud is at the core of Leather Sadah. Secreted by the Aquilaria tree in response to a fungal infection, it possesses a unique scent profile, ranging from the animalic to the leathery and the floral. The Assam variety of oud is especially carnal, displaying stronger facets of leather and spice than other qualities of the substance.
“Inspired partly by the Omani city of Sadah, which played an important role in the country’s leather industry, Leather Sadah was conceived as a way of showcasing all of the most powerful, most memorable aspects of oud Assam,” says Salmon. “The intention was to show that although oud has tremendous presence, it can also be tender and heartfelt.”
Highly skilled at dealing with uncompromising ingredients, perfumer Cecile Zarokian chose to structure Leather Sadah around a contrast between oud Assam and another, almost equally grandiose material: vanilla absolute. From the moment the attar is applied to skin, both ingredients engage in a hypnotic exchange with each other. The oud is tempestuous, impassioned and unyielding, whereas the vanilla is softer, calmer and more introspective. Bridging the two is a leather note. It teases out the more sensuous aspects of the vanilla as well as the more floral elements of the oud and brings them together, allowing them to exist alongside each other with astonishing equilibrium.
Packaging & presentation
In their new guise, the Amouage Attar flacons sport an improved cap and applicator, created to provide an even more intimate, more satisfying wearing experience. Designed in response to suggestions from Amouage’s loyal devotees, the custom-made applicator – part of the innovative screw opening system – now allows each precious drop of the Attars to be enjoyed to the full, while lending the flacon a more contemporary appearance.
The outer packaging has also been revitalised. With its stylish, new, horizontal gold band, it strikes an elegant balance between the classic and the modern. Finally, the new visual campaign was directed by Azadeh Zoraghi Founder and Creative Director of Paris-based Narcisse Agency, with images and videos shot by Film Director, Piotr Stoklosa.
The set design for the Amouage Attars collection was inspired by the raw textures and natural clay tones found in Omani villages. The stacked earth forms reflect the handcrafted feel of traditional architecture across the region, where mud and stone were used to build homes that blend into the landscape. The palette—ranging from deep terracotta to muted sand and stone—echoes the natural colours of Oman’s terrain.
