Hazelnut in the opening is an uncommon starting material: Amouage's Guidance pairs it with pear and frankincense before saffron, osmanthus, and jasmine sambac build a layered floral heart over cistus and sandalwood, for women.
Guidance, released in 2023, is built around specific material choices rather than familiar categories. Hazelnut in the opening provides a nutty-fatty quality distinct from vanilla sweetness; pear adds bright, slightly green fruitiness; frankincense gives the resinous anchor that appears throughout the Amouage catalog. Together the opening is warm, slightly earthy, and immediately distinctive.
The heart is expansive: saffron, rose, jasmine sambac, and osmanthus. Jasmine sambac is more indolic than standard jasmine, adding depth and a slightly creamy quality; osmanthus carries a stone-fruit and leather facet that complements the pear in the opening. Cistus in the base provides resinous warmth without sweetness; akigalawood adds a woody-patchouli structure; ambergris and vanilla soften the drydown. Eight to ten hours on skin.
Guidance suits autumn and winter from late afternoon through evening. The hazelnut and saffron character is most distinct in cooler temperatures. A fragrance suited to formal occasions and evening wear.
