Amouage Lustre

The Bottle

Lustre belongs to Amouage’s newer Essences family, replacing the more theatrical cap shapes with a large plain cylinder. The warm ivory body has rounded shoulders and vertical detailing along the lower sides, while a narrow gold-toned band and centred pale plaque identify the front. The monochrome treatment feels calm and polished, although the oversized cap makes the proportions look slightly top-heavy. There’s less old-fashioned Amouage drama here, but the soft body and clear plaque give Lustre a quiet, modern appeal. Its simplicity is deliberate rather than anonymous.

Original or Clone

Lustre’s amber, warm-spicy and woody profile has clearly attracted attempts to reproduce it, giving the original genuine standing. We see four interpretations from three houses, each defined by that attempt. The credited perfumers, Julien Rasquinet and Paul Guerlain, add a specific authorship an interpretation cannot share. On the evidence available, the original is the more defensible buy for readers who want Lustre itself.