Dia Man suffers from being the odd one out in the Amouage line – but mind you, that isn’t entirely bad.

Photo by Amouage

Dia Man stands torn between some punchy fragrances in the Amouage line. We have the flagship Gold Man, the incredibly heterodox Ciel Man and the sweet and succulent Jubilation XXV (to name a few). Dia Man is the quiet and sombre one; it is, by no means as bashful, as dominant or as penetrating as the other siblings in Amouage’s quirky family.

Gazing over the family, you might see Gold Man as the oldest child, the elder son; pretty much a full blown male with a fierce body to match. Silver Cologne might be the eccentric child; bright, sparkly and sharp with a wandering imagination, and the youngest child, Jubilation XXV, the cherub with his rosy complexion, honey coloured hair, plump figure and immediately attention grabbing; after all, he is the youngest child.

And then we have Dia Man. The middle child. No longer the youngest and yet is still told that he is too young to bare any responsibility – that’s reserved for Gold Man, the eldest. Dia has black hair and brown eyes, whereas the family has dazzling blue eyes and flaxen blonde hair – but Dia Man, well he is reliable and resilient. He is used to not being the centre of attention.

Dia Man is a juicy, spicy, woody, amber-y fragrance, but is never, ever too obnoxious or overpowering. Dia Man isn’t the bold standout – it’s the safe player. The gloriousness does’t need to be proclaimed loudly with an overabundance of incense, agarwood or myrrh, but just a beautiful blend of notes that deliver confidence and no consternation to the wearer. What I mean is, how could you wear Gold Man everyday? Gold Man is the densest fragrance I have ever smelt. The sillage is omnipresent – it radiates and pulses with an immense half-life. Dia Man is smooth and jammy. It’s subtle and kind with just enough kick to make it exciting.

If, for example, the world was left to choose one safe, universally pleasing scent in this family – it would be Dia. The middle child is not only used to, but also detests boisterousness. It thrives for propriety, it is incredibly versatile.

The opening welcomes Amouage’s flagstaff note, frankincense, tweaked with the commonness of bitter orange (bigarde), rough and worn leathery labdanum and the resinous spice of cardamon.

The grounding of vetiver and the floral musk of peony gives bouncy freshness. Combine the rosy aspects of peony with the fragrant rosewood – contrapuntal, amplifying, clean and masculine. The soapy scent appears, homogenised with certain radiance of grassy vetiver and linear floral-esque rosewood, with the friendliest twist of juicy plum and an ethereal flicker of some well known Amouage exotica. Incense, orris root, patchouli and leather nod to the heavy Middle Eastern heritage of the fragrance (Oman to be exact) and it’s never too much; but questionably, too linear.

Amouage creates the perfect business day scent for the man who wants luxury without the pretentiousness or the unnecessary broadcasting. A linear scent that is never cacophonous; but just a little too linear. The drydown, you learn, is the most exciting thing! Like patina, I will reiterate. There’s no unexpected notes or warmth delivered – just a jammy musk with light density.

Tasteful Subtlety

Alternatives: Oud Wood by Tom Ford; and La Nuit de l’Homme by Yves Saint Laurent

Reliably linear. Relaxed luxury. Perfect for the formal business crowd. 

Subjective rating : 3/5

Objective rating: 3/5