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# Amouage Guidance sample: a 3ml wear test and 3 originals to try next

An Amouage Guidance sample in 3ml gives you around 60 sprays to judge its pear, hazelnut, saffron and vanilla on skin. Follow a five-day test, then try three more originals.

By [Victoria Frolova](https://10ml.com/authors/victoria-frolova) · 6 November 2026 · 8 min read

<https://10ml.com/guides/amouage-guidance-sample>

You can get an Amouage Guidance sample from 10ML: [Guidance](https://10ml.com/perfumes/amouage-guidance), the 2023 Eau de Parfum, is poured from its original bottle as a 3ml decant at €15.12, which gives about 60 sprays, or a 10ml decant at €42.93, which gives about 200. Wearing it for a few days shows you how the pear, hazelnut, saffron and vanilla behave on your own skin before you commit to a full bottle. Below you will find the notes, the community votes, a short Guidance 46 table, a five-day plan and three originals from other houses to try after it.

## What does Amouage Guidance smell like?

Guidance is an Eau de Parfum launched in 2023 and credited to Quentin Bisch, listed for women. Its opening combines [pear](https://10ml.com/notes/pear), hazelnut and olibanum. That puts a juicy fruit and a nutty, resinous note side by side from the first spray, rather than leaving the sweetness to arrive later.

The heart lists osmanthus, rose, [saffron](https://10ml.com/notes/saffron) and jasmine sambac. Osmanthus, rose and jasmine sambac bring the floral side, while saffron adds a warm spicy thread through the middle of the perfume. This is the stage where the fruit of the opening gives way to something more floral and more golden.

Sandalwood, [vanilla](https://10ml.com/notes/vanilla), akigalawood, ambergris and labdanum make up the base. Sandalwood and akigalawood give the finish its woody backbone, vanilla and labdanum add sweetness and amber warmth, and ambergris completes the list. The listed accords summarise the whole perfume as woody, amber, warm spicy, fruity and nutty, with sweet, powdery, vanilla, floral and balsamic facets also listed.

A single spray on paper tells you very little about that journey. Follow it on skin instead: first the pear and hazelnut, then the saffron-and-rose heart, then the sandalwood and vanilla that stay. Our [Amouage page](https://10ml.com/brands/amouage) lists the rest of the house's range when you want to see where Guidance sits among its siblings.

## Guidance, its 2024 sibling and three originals to sample next

Guidance comes first, followed by its 2024 sibling and three originals from other houses chosen for fruit, rose or saffron.

| # | Perfume | Main notes | 3 ml | 10 ml |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Amouage Guidance](https://10ml.com/perfumes/amouage-guidance) | Pear, hazelnut and olibanum over osmanthus, rose, saffron and jasmine sambac, with sandalwood, vanilla, akigalawood, ambergris and labdanum. | €15.12 (€5.04/ml) | €42.93 (€4.29/ml) |
| 2 | [Amouage Guidance 46](https://10ml.com/perfumes/amouage-guidance-46) | Rose water, pear, hazelnut and bitter almond over osmanthus, rose, saffron and jasmine sambac, with sandalwood, vanilla, ambrette and cypriol. | €19.17 (€6.39/ml) | €56.43 (€5.64/ml) |
| 3 | [Tom Ford Bitter Peach](https://10ml.com/perfumes/tom-ford-bitter-peach) | Peach, blood orange and cardamom over jasmine, rum and cognac, with vanilla, patchouli leaf, tonka bean and sandalwood. | €24.03 (€8.01/ml) | €67.50 (€6.75/ml) |
| 4 | [Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady](https://10ml.com/perfumes/frederic-malle-portrait-of-a-lady) | Clove, raspberry and black currant over Turkish rose, incense and patchouli, with musk, benzoin, amber and vanilla. | €16.74 (€5.58/ml) | €42.21 (€4.22/ml) |
| 5 | [Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540](https://10ml.com/perfumes/maison-francis-kurkdjian-baccarat-rouge-540) | Saffron and jasmine over amberwood, ambergris and hedione, with cedar, sugar, ambroxan and oakmoss. | €16.11 (€5.37/ml) | €40.32 (€4.03/ml) |

## What the community votes say

Most community voters rate Guidance's longevity eternal. Community votes on its sillage lean strong, with enormous next. Those are the voters' reports, so treat them as a guide rather than a guarantee of what happens on your skin.

Voters most often choose autumn and winter for it. They also choose it for night and evening wear, and the catalogue lists going out as its occasion. In other words, the votes point towards cooler weather and after-dark plans.

That does not mean you must wait for November. Skin, temperature and the amount you apply all change what you notice, so a 3ml decant is a good way to find out how Guidance behaves in your own routine. Treat the votes as a starting point for where to try it first, not as a rule for when you are allowed to wear it.

## Guidance and Guidance 46 side by side

Amouage also makes [Guidance 46](https://10ml.com/perfumes/amouage-guidance-46), launched in 2024 and credited to the same perfumer, Quentin Bisch. If you are not sure which of the two to sample, this short table sets out what each one lists. For a longer comparison, read [Guidance vs Guidance 46](https://10ml.com/guides/guidance-vs-guidance-46).

**Guidance and Guidance 46 by catalogue notes and community votes**

| Version | Launch year | Top notes | Base notes | Votes on seasons and time |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Guidance | 2023 | Pear, hazelnut and olibanum | Sandalwood, vanilla, akigalawood, ambergris and labdanum | Autumn and winter; night and evening |
| Guidance 46 | 2024 | Rose water, pear, hazelnut, bitter almond, frankincense and pink pepper | Sandalwood, akigalawood, vanilla, ambrette, georgywood, ambergris, labdanum and cypriol | Autumn and winter; evening and night |

Both share the same heart of osmanthus, rose, saffron and jasmine sambac. The difference sits in the opening and the base: Guidance 46 adds rose water, bitter almond and pink pepper at the top, and ambrette, georgywood and cypriol underneath. Most community voters rate the longevity of both eternal. Community votes on sillage lean strong for both.

Start with the 2023 Guidance if pear, hazelnut and olibanum are the notes that caught your eye. Choose the 2024 version if a longer note list with rose water and bitter almond sounds more appealing. A 3ml decant of each is the fairest way to settle it.

## A five-day wear test with a 3ml Guidance sample

A 3ml decant carries around 60 sprays, which is plenty for wearing Guidance on several separate days and noticing something new each time. Give each application an hour before you judge it, so the opening has moved on, and come back to the base later in the day.

1. **Day one: Guidance alone.** Spray clean, dry skin and do not rub the wrists together. Write down the pear and hazelnut at the start, give it an hour, then record the heart and what is left later on.
2. **Day two: the same again.** Use the same spot and a similar time of day. Compare today's notes with yesterday's and ask whether the saffron and rose feel balanced to you.
3. **Day three: Guidance against a second original.** Wear Guidance on one arm and Bitter Peach or Portrait of a Lady on the other, applied in the same way. Check both after an hour and again in the evening, and note which one you would rather keep smelling.
4. **Day four: swap arms.** Repeat day three with the two perfumes on opposite arms, so skin differences between your arms cannot decide the result for you.
5. **Day five: wear your favourite for real.** Choose the one that won, wear it through an ordinary day or an evening out, and read your notes back. The answer to whether you want a full bottle usually shows up here.

Our guide to [what a perfume decant is](https://10ml.com/guides/what-is-a-perfume-decant) explains how the format works if you are new to it.

## What a 3ml and a 10ml decant each give you

Think of 3ml as the size for deciding. About 60 sprays comfortably cover the five days above and leave a few spare for a second look, and by the end you know whether pear, saffron and vanilla belong on you.

Choose a 10ml decant, with around 200 sprays, when you already know Guidance suits you and want it in rotation for weeks. You do not need that size to find out whether you like the perfume.

Our [perfume samples page](https://10ml.com/perfume-samples) explains the sizes, and [perfume sample prices](https://10ml.com/guides/perfume-sample-prices) shows how decant prices compare. If you like warm spice, our guide to [saffron perfumes](https://10ml.com/guides/saffron-perfumes) maps more options by how each one uses the note.

## Three originals to sample after Guidance

Pick the next decant by the direction you want to explore: peach with rum and vanilla, rose with spice and incense, or saffron with amberwood. Each is a separate original with its own published note list.

### Bitter Peach by Tom Ford

[Bitter Peach](https://10ml.com/perfumes/tom-ford-bitter-peach) is a 2020 Eau de Parfum listed for women. Peach, blood orange, cardamom and heliotrope open it, putting fruit and spice together at the top. Jasmine, rum, cognac and davana form the heart, which adds a boozy facet that Guidance does not list.

The base is long: vanilla, Indonesian patchouli leaf, tonka bean, sandalwood, benzoin, cashmeran, styrax, labdanum and vetiver. Its accords are woody, warm spicy, fruity, vanilla and amber, with sweet, powdery, citrus, balsamic and aromatic facets. Voters lean towards moderate for its longevity, with long lasting second. Most voters rate its sillage moderate. The season votes go to autumn and winter, and the time-of-day votes to evening and night. Try it when fruit and vanilla appeal to you but you want rum and cognac in the middle.

### Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle

[Portrait of a Lady](https://10ml.com/perfumes/frederic-malle-portrait-of-a-lady) is a 2010 Eau de Parfum credited to Dominique Ropion and listed for women. Clove, raspberry, black currant, cinnamon, red berries and rose open it. Turkish rose, incense, patchouli, sandalwood and ylang-ylang form the heart.

Musk, benzoin, amber, cedar, ambergris and vanilla close it. Its accords start with warm spicy, amber and rose, with woody, patchouli, balsamic, fruity, smoky, floral and powdery facets also listed. On longevity, community votes lean eternal, with long lasting next. Community votes on its sillage lean strong, then enormous. Winter is the season voters pick, and night and evening are the time-of-day choices. Sample it when the rose in Guidance's heart is the part you want more of.

### Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

[Baccarat Rouge 540](https://10ml.com/perfumes/maison-francis-kurkdjian-baccarat-rouge-540) is a 2015 Eau de Parfum credited to Francis Kurkdjian and listed as unisex. It opens with saffron and jasmine only. Amberwood, ambergris and hedione form the heart, and the base lists, among others, cedar, sugar, ambroxan and oakmoss.

Its accords are woody, amber, warm spicy, metallic and fresh spicy, with aromatic, white floral, animalic and fresh facets. On longevity, community votes lean eternal, with long lasting next. Community votes on its sillage lean strong, then moderate. Autumn, winter and spring are the seasons voters pick most often, and night and evening are the time-of-day choices. It is the one to try when saffron is the note you enjoyed most in Guidance.

## Which decant should you choose?

Stay with Guidance if its combination of pear, hazelnut, saffron, vanilla and sandalwood is what you came to explore. Add Guidance 46 for a longer note list, Bitter Peach for peach and rum, Portrait of a Lady for rose, spice and incense, or Baccarat Rouge 540 for saffron with amberwood.

**Live 3ml and 10ml decant prices for Guidance and the next originals**

| Perfume | 3ml decant | 10ml decant |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Guidance | €15.12 | €42.93 |
| Guidance 46 | €19.17 | €56.43 |
| Bitter Peach | €24.03 | €67.50 |
| Portrait of a Lady | €16.74 | €42.21 |
| Baccarat Rouge 540 | €16.11 | €40.32 |

Order the 3ml (around 60 sprays) of each perfume you are curious about, wear them against one another, then take your winner as a 10ml decant (around 200 sprays) for regular use. For the wider Amouage range, read [best Amouage perfumes](https://10ml.com/guides/best-amouage-perfumes).

Shoppers who want to weigh Guidance against lower-priced bottles from other houses will find that in the [Amouage Guidance Dupes 2026: 6 Clones vs the Original](https://10ml.com/guides/amouage-guidance-dupes), while this page sticks to originals you can decant. 10ML is not affiliated with or endorsed by Amouage, Tom Ford, Frederic Malle or Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

## Frequently asked questions

### Where can I get an Amouage Guidance sample?

10ML sells Guidance filled from the original bottle as a 3ml decant for €15.12 or a 10ml decant for €42.93. The 3ml gives around 60 sprays for discovery, while the 10ml decant gives around 200 sprays for weeks of wear.

### What does Amouage Guidance smell like?

Guidance opens with pear, hazelnut and olibanum, moves through osmanthus, rose, saffron and jasmine sambac, and settles on sandalwood, vanilla, akigalawood, ambergris and labdanum. Its accords are woody, amber, warm spicy, fruity and nutty.

### How is Guidance different from Guidance 46?

Both list the same heart of osmanthus, rose, saffron and jasmine sambac. Guidance 46 adds rose water, bitter almond and pink pepper at the top, and ambrette, georgywood and cypriol in the base. A 3ml decant of each lets you compare them on your own skin.

### Is a 3ml decant enough to judge Guidance?

Yes. A 3ml decant holds around 60 sprays, so you can wear Guidance across several days and judge each wear after an hour. Move up to a 10ml decant, around 200 sprays, once you know you want it in regular rotation.

### Is Amouage Guidance a winter perfume?

Community voters most often pick autumn and winter for Guidance, and night and evening for wear. These are votes rather than rules, so try a 3ml decant in your own routine before deciding when to wear it.