Amouage Interlude Man vs Xerjoff Alexandria II

Both fragrances are known for not being for everyone. Interlude Man is built around incense and oregano, Alexandria II around wormwood, cumin and civet. Anyone looking for crowd-pleasing will be disappointed by both — and that's exactly their point.

Property	Amouage Interlude	Alexandria II Anniversary
Profile	Spices, incense, resin, leathery smoke	bulgarian rose, cumin, cardamom, lavender · wormwood, clary sage, orris, mint, Nagarmotha (cypriol), civet, oud, amber · sandalwood, musk, madagascar vanilla
Gender	Masculine / unisex	Unisex
Longevity (community rating)	12–16 hours	12–16 hours
Sillage (community rating)	Very strong	Very strong
Occasion	Evening, special occasions	Evening, special occasions
Season	Autumn, winter	Autumn, winter
Our decants	not in our range	5 ml – €35, 10 ml – €62

Alexandria II is in our range: Bulgarian rose, cumin and cardamom up top, wormwood, clary sage, mint, civet and oud in the heart, sandalwood, musk and vanilla in the base. The first hour is herbal and cool; the warmth only comes later. Interlude Man is denser and smokier — incense, oregano and opoponax form a dense resinous core that earned it the nickname 'organised chaos'. Alexandria II has a 5 ml decant for €35. We don't carry Interlude. If you're choosing between them as your first demanding fragrance, Alexandria II is the easier way in, because it settles after the first hour; Interlude stays dense the whole time.

Do you carry Amouage Interlude?

No. In our range, the closest on the smoky-resinous side is Electimuss Puritas, which has incense as its first accord.

Which is more demanding?

Interlude Man, because it's dense from start to finish. Alexandria II is demanding mainly in the first hour, then becomes more classically warm.

Are they suitable for the office?

Neither. Both are too pronounced for an enclosed space with several people.

Which is the better investment?

It depends on taste, not price. With both, a decant is a must — these are fragrances where a blind buy is the riskiest.

Why does Alexandria II smell unusual in the first hour?

Because of the cumin, which on some skins has a sharp, almost salty character. After the first hour it gives way to sandalwood and vanilla.