Prelude

Prelude opens spicy and warm, a flurry of cumin, saffron, cardamom and ginger over a glint of grapefruit, that acrid-yet-rich entrance Overture Man is known for. The heart turns dense and resinous as myrrh, labdanum and benzoin pour in, threaded with cinnamon, patchouli and a green touch of geranium, syrupy and dark. The drydown is smoky and leathery, incense curling around leather, sandalwood and a whisper of clary sage. Against Amouage's Overture Man, this clone keeps the smoky-spicy-resinous skeleton intact but renders the animalic cumin and the heavy resins less dense and three-dimensional, so it reads smoother and a step more linear, losing some of the original's challenging, smouldering character. Overture is a strong scent; the dupe steps down to moderate projection and a few hours of smoky resin before settling skin-close. As an affordable route into a bold, mysterious cold-weather statement, it carries the mood well.