Amouage presents the final chapter of the Odyssey Collection with two new perfumes: Decision and Existence. Inspired by a spiritual journey to the summit of Jebel Shams in Oman, these creations capture the power of choice and the serenity of the infinite. Together, they conclude a fragrance narrative that has, since 2020, explored both the landscapes of Oman and the inner journey of transformation.
Renaud Salmon, chief creative officer at the House of Amouage, is no stranger to travel. “Exploring the world is one of life’s greatest joys,” he says. “But I often find my most cherished journeys are to remote, quiet places. That’s why, as soon as I moved to Oman—with its stunning, richly diverse landscape—I knew that one day I had to journey to its highest peak.” That summit is Jebel Shams, Arabic for “mountain of the sun.” Rising nearly 3,000 meters above sea level, it is the tallest point in Oman. To reach it, one must first navigate a rugged off-road trail by car, followed by a challenging four-hour trek on foot. “When I began the climb,” Salmon recalls, “something unusual caught my eye. At first glance, I thought I saw conifers. But as I got closer, I realized they were juniper trees, their branches twisted into otherworldly shapes.” That moment marked the first turning point of the journey. Junipers are ancient and revered in this part of Oman. Some are survivors of the region’s frequent electrical storms. When struck by lightning, the heat within the tree causes the sap to turn to steam, splitting and fossilising the bark. Many don’t survive—but a few do, scarred yet still alive. Locals believe such trees possess mystical properties, and their wood is sometimes burned like frankincense. As Salmon climbed higher, the clouds grew denser, eventually enveloping the land below. This became the second pivotal moment of the ascent.
“All I could see was sky above, a sea of clouds below, and a few jagged outcrops around me”, Salmon recalls. “It was like floating between worlds. It was deeply disorienting—yet serene and liberating. Eventually, it was time to return to everyday life. But as I began the descent, I felt a clear, undeniable urge: this experience needed to be expressed through perfume.” Salmon shared the story with perfumer Quentin Bisch, and together they began crafting a scent that could capture the essence of Jebel Shams. After months of creative exchange and trials, they arrived at a majestic duo of perfumes: Decision and Existence.
“A good perfume is a perfume you wear and people associate with you.”
The expression of a transformative moment
In their attempt to translate the profound impact of conscious choice, Salmon and Bisch open Decision with an arresting jolt—an olfactory lightning strike dispelling the fog of doubt. This electrifying effect is created through a vivid blend of bergamot, juniper berries, frankincense and myrrh. The juniper and frankincense bring a mineralic, citrus-tinged brightness, reminiscent of ancient, weathered bark and crackling skies. The intensity commands attention. As the scent evolves, atlas cedarwood radiates a smooth, polished warmth, enhanced by a grounding base of vanilla. This contrast evokes the sense of liberation that comes with true acceptance—an embrace of life in all its layered complexity. Unapologetically bold and luminous, Decision embodies the paradox of powerful decisions: laser-focused and deliberate, yet open to infinite outcomes.
Decision – technical details
Perfumer: Quentin Bisch
Concentration: eau de parfum, 33% pure perfume
Ageing: maturation 2 weeks, maceration 3 weeks
Top notes: pink pepper, bergamot, cardamom
Heart notes: frankincense, juniper, myrrh
Base notes: patchouli, cedarwood, vanilla
“You smell frankincense everywhere in Oman.”
The serenity of endlessness
If Decision is a jolt of clarity, Existence is its meditative counterpoint—quiet, reflective, infinite. The fragrance opens with a whisper of pristine purity. A gentle rose facet introduces a tender, human dimension, a reminder of the living, breathing world. At the base, benzoin roots the scent in earthy complexity, grounding it in tactile reality. Inspired by Caspar David Friedrich’s painting Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, Salmon envisioned a perfume that suspends us between time and timelessness—between sky and ground. Existence captures this liminal space with sincerity and grace. Emotive and uplifting, it celebrates the infinite, and the quiet power found in simply being.
Existence – technical details
Perfumer: Quentin Bisch
Concentration: eau de parfum, 20% pure perfume
Ageing: maturation 2 weeks, maceration 2 weeks
Completion
The release of Decision and Existence marks the conclusion of the Odyssey Collection, which began in 2020 with Meander, Ashore, Crimson Rocks and Enclave. These early scents explored Oman’s physical terrain, while later additions—Boundless and Material in 2021, followed by Lineage, Search, Guidance and Purpose in 2023—ventured into more philosophical reflections on travel and transformation. Now, with Decision and Existence, the story reaches its final chapter, while quietly suggesting that more journeys are yet to come.
Packaging
As always, Amouage presents its perfumes in iconic flacons inspired by the culture of Oman. The flacon for Decision appears in a seagull-grey shade, symbolising its clarity and intensity. Existence, on the other hand, is housed in a soft celadon bottle, reflecting its calm, ethereal character. The packaging features artwork by Belgian artist Louise Mertens. For Decision, she created a striking design inspired by the cross-section of juniper bark, reinforcing the perfume’s connection to nature and resilience. For Existence, her abstract visual evokes a dreamy skyscape or an endless sea—mirroring the scent’s theme of timelessness. The accompanying campaign also uses incense smoke as a visual metaphor, transforming it into flowing cloudscapes. The bottles rise through the mist like summits reaching skyward—symbols of transcendence, surrounded by the undeniable presence of the eternal.
