Reviews of Ambre Sultan (1993)
by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

Notes: coriander, amber, oregano, bay leaf, myrtle, angelica root, sandalwood, patchouli, benzoin, vanilla

Ambre Sultan (AS) is probably one of the most hyped Lutens juices (even the SA at Bergdorfs in NYC was pandering it around like holy water) but I find it appealing not because its an amber powerhouse (its not) but because of it being the "definitive" Lutens (with no overdose of candied-this or honeyed-that).

AS first ten minutes are its best. Behaving like a top-loaded designer fragrance, AS blows its load in the opening exchanges. Theres a burst of smooth ambery softness with simmering but understated spicy-herbal supporting notes, all uplifted by a cool mentholated note of green myrtle (not the red variety). Freeze this accord in time and its the definitive "arabian" amber. Unfortunately, AS degenerates (imo) into a very coarse and dry middle heart notes phase (the oregano overdose being responsible for the dryness) before slowly crashing into a base of benzoin and vanilla (more vanilla than amber). The amber pretty much disappears after the first hour max. Longevity is around 8-9 hours, but unlike other syrupy spicy Lutens concoctions like the garish Arabie, AS doesn't scream "in yo face, sucka!!" but rather somewhat stays close to the skin.

Judging AS as a definitive amber fragrance, its not even close to amber powerhouses like Ambre Precieux, Ambre Russe, Blue Amber, and others. There's just not enough substantial resinous sweet-earth amber aroma in AS to qualify it as an amber fragrance plus the note lacks the richness and depth that one expects from a quality amber "oil". With that said, AS is coherently put together and if I wanted to pick the "definitive" Lutens, a juice which most perfectly encompasses the inherent structure of Lutens fragrances and presents them in a most approachable manner, AS is it. You get the dry-spicy-herbal-sweet drama of Lutens fragrances filtered through a FDA fragrance censor. Make it your first Lutens if you yearn for the magic carpet ride of Palais Royale but can't bear the overly saccharine drag queen atmosphere.

Rating: 8.0/10.0

Now this is a true amber!
I am not sure that is a good thing, but it is definitelly natural and very reminicent of Southamerican copal. It is dry, sticky and sirupy. It smells like a forest during a dry winter: dead leaves and resin.

Easily the best offering from Lutens and Sheldrake; this is one of the finest amber fragrances in the niche market. Most of their creations can get very cloying and sweet, particularly in the drydown (even the much-vaunted Fumerie Turque). Somehow, this is avoided in Ambre Sultan. It is a very exotic intermingling of spices, with a sensuous woody heart and a delightfully seductive amber-vanillic base. Longevity is excellent; two sprays last well over 12 hours. It is probably more appropriate for a fine and classy evening, but occasionally if I am feeling brash I will wear it out in the daytime. It is also more suited to fall and winter climates, when it will really envelop you with its warmth. Curiously, I find it somewhat similar to Creed's Acier Aluminium, although Acier is probably more bombastic and over-the-top, while Ambre Sultan is slightly spicier.

Jaded as their view of ambers is, even Sanchez/Turin can't help but give Ambre Sultan 4 stars, despite putting it down as a scent for those who prefer "folk-naivité to the artfulness of Shalimar." Well, I'll take a good Berber tune anyday over Berlioz, so perhaps that explains why I find this to be most accomplishec Lutens/Sheldrake composition of the 20-odd I've tried, most of all because the tendency towards syrupy sweetness of ocassionally headache-inducing intensity is controlled here. Indeed, Ambre Sultan is a perfect perfume in that it achieves a wonderful interplay - harmony and tension - between bitter, dry, dark herbal yin and sweet, resinous, glowing yang, that adds up to much more than the sum of its parts. Ambre Sultan's quality lies precisely in taking things above 'merely' dressed up amber, it is a multidimensional scent, which becomes obvious by the multiple perceptions of it in the reviews - sweet, dry, dark, relaxing, stark, erotic... But for all its intricate twists and turns it also just simply smells wonderful and effortlessly perfect and that's what defines a true masterpiece. I find AS to be extremely powerful both in terms of longevity and sillage and prefer wearing the Eau Fraiche Parfumée, which in any other perfume line would qualify as an Eau de Parfum.

Ambre Sultan is a very good fragrance. Amber features dominantly from beginning to end, as one would expect, but it sweetness is cut by the use of dry herbs and a touch of cedar that provide a nice balance. This is a very powerful scent; one spray is often enough (and a reason I'm thinking of decanting some into a small roll-on vial).

Sultan - means supreme, the king of desert, a ruler.

..Amber Sultan opens with a "sharp" balm like spicy herbal opening, with a mint like coolness to it reminding one of tiger balm for an instance. Amber in a way embraces this sharp herbal/medicinal notes along with benzoin giving this scent an resinous depth like no other. the intial sweetness and intensity of herbs is beyond words...it's almost fluid and consistent in its sillage exuding smoky bittersweet incense..the mids is where this scent begins to unfold its charisma, where the medicinal(herbal) notes tone down its presense to reveal one of best amber notes that have come across along with hints of vanilla pods and hint of patchouli..which gives off a dusty dry feel..this scent evokes true smoke..not the way i experienced with declaration...this ones real...the basenotes is where the woods show up...true Amber..with the gentlest touch of green on the outside along with sandalwood..evoking thoughts of this resins being freshly extracted...one could almost feel true structure of Amber

Amber sultan is one of the most comforting scents out there which has a healing touch, almost like a therapy. the potions that everyone keeps talkin about? the long lost ones? well, this could very well be one of them. this ones herbal, warm, smoky, animalic & rugged. thumbs way up..

From what I remember, this is heavily medicinal at first but it settles down oh so nicely. At first I didn't like it but when I left others smell it on me.... man did I receive compliments. Try before you buy on this one!

Cheap bathroom deodorizer. ARG!

I waited, alternately gasping for air and heaving with nausea, hoping it would get better.
The dry down was something out of Glade or Wizard!

Took hot bath immediately and scrubbed till it was gone.

P-U

Not for me. Amber with herbs? Orientals are my favorite category, but I have to pass on this one. Mix Prada with Aramis, add a dash of Avignon and sprinkle heavily with Piper Nigrum. Forget it, we're getting silly here.
What! A Serge Lutens fragance silly??
I should be arrested by the niche police as a thought criminal . . .

This review is under revision.

Ambre Sultan goes onto my skin as a chaotic miasma that manages to be excessively sour, sickly sweet, and bitter, all at the same time. I attribute this assault on the nostrils to the confluence of sharp, bitter oregano and the trademark Sheldrake/Lutens sweet amber accord. The two come at each other as mighty waves and collide with a titanic crash.

The first few times I tried Ambre Sultan I was unable to endure this cacophony. Over the next few I persevered long enough to enjoy the dusky, lascivious spiced amber accord at Ambre Sultan’s heart and the luscious sweet amber drydown, but wasn’t convinced that they were worth waiting for. It took several more widely spaced attempts before I decided that they were. My final appreciation of Ambre Sultan is based on my understanding of why that unsympathetic opening may be necessary.

For what it’s worth, here’s my theory: Like so many of the Serge Lutens oriental fragrances, Ambre Sultan flirts with being insufferably sweet. Unlike some of the others, it avoids plunging into a powdery-syrupy quagmire. How? I attribute Ambre Sultan’s success to the balancing influence of its sharp herbal and spice components. These hard-edged savory notes offset the amber’s potential to cloy at the nostrils. However, in order to endure and yield this effect at the heart of the scent, the relatively volatile sharp notes must be used in great concentration. The end result is a unique and beautifully balanced heart accord, but at the price of a sharp and confrontational opening. Given Serge Lutens’s penchant for provocative openings, this price seems very much in line.

Patience with Ambre Sultan yields exceptional rewards because of its enormous tenacity. For that first half an hour of confusion, I get as much as twelve hours of libido enhancing ambery goodness. The dry amber skin scent persists for even longer. It’s no surprise that such a long lasting fragrance is also very potent. I find Ambre Sultan overbearing and difficult to wear in high temperatures, and prefer to use it in controlled doses in any case. Besides strong projection, Ambre Sultan leaves a trail of abundant sillage, establishing an olfactory aura around its wearer.

Is it challenging? Yes. But Ambre Sultan is also a giant among amber scents. The only amber I’ve found that can hope to rival it is the very different, and less confrontational Ambre Precieux from Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier.

Upon inital application this smells like straight labdanum to my nose. Then it is remarkably like Eden Botanicals amber. However the drydown is much more complex and deep. A bit woody, musky and sweet.

Finally -- a Lutens Orientalist frag without the cloying miasma of treacle and the overwrought loukhum notes. No dates, no raisins, no sugar-crusted schmutzies to get in the way of the amber here.

A sexy, dry and vibrant amber -- not sweet like Montale's Blue Amber, and without the medicinal aoud notes in many of Montale's other ambers.

MPerez is right is his assessment -- this hyah is some sexy-assed stuff.

Ambre Sultan blasts you away with the initial top notes;, spices, pepper, and some sourness (herbs). Then the drydown develops into warm vanilla and woods which lasts forever. The sillage is quite good too. I've had different reactions from people; some say it smells like playdogh, some vanilla, some just "warmth". Sadly, my partner hates it!. Oh well, I still adore it, it is a masterfully structured creation.

Maybe I should wait to review this as I have only worn it twice but all I get is powder and play dough. For the money one has to pay for this, I don't think so.

Beyond amber! Lutens has given us the most resinous, spicy and aromatic amber known to man...Magnificent! I have intentionally waited for my nose to become a little bit more experienced before sampling this re-known creation, and it's paid off. I'm completely appreciative of the intensity that is Ambre Sultan. There is not a single weakness evident...the spices smolder, the resins are earthy, the woods dark, the musk deep, it's so warm to my senses I must describe it as steamy hot! As with most of my favorite's, there are mixed reviews. I adore this one ~ completely!

No no no. This is vile. This conjures up a combination of tandoori and bonfire. Why would I want to smell anything like this?

The heavenly opening reminds me *alot* of Opium Pour Homme EDP, even if it dries into something more civilized and refined, and amber oriented of course.

Like many Lutens, is dries down into lovely spices, but just too dry and powdery for my taste.

It seems like it somewhere in between Opium EDP and Lutens' Arabie.

Very nice, but with Arabie and Opium EDP I've already got what I need!

this oriental is nothing to play with. can easily be overpowering with just 1 spray. applied from a distance is the only way i can pull this off but i simply cant wear it. pungent. a very toned down version would be by man d&g

Too over-the-top for me. It actually gives me a headache and makes me feel sick.

An idea for a cheaper alternative to this expensive, pungent scent: buy a tub of ground black pepper, pour it into a fragrance bottle and fill it up with black pepper essential oil.

That's what i call distinction, sumptous and untypical. ( Over-) long lasting power and a stunning variety of deep, truly classy and high quality fragrance notes. The perfect choice- tough it's almost needless to mention- for the truly distinguished evening fragrance.

When I was younger, sandalwood, to me, was the smell of Cussons Imperial Leather soap. Then, in my late 20s, I bought a sandalwood candal from Selfridges that smelled divine. It wasn't the soapy smell I was used to, but a fantastic church incense aroma that I just couldn't get enough of.
Ambre Sultan reminds me of that candal. The sandalwood is rich, warm, woody and spicy. As soon as I tried this on, I had to have it. This really seems to work well with my chemistry and gets better the longer it stays on.
I understand what Mike Perez means about Youth Dew, but this doesn't have the unpleasant citrus topnotes and works a lot better for me.
I love love love this.

Instantly liked this when I tested it - it's background note reminds me of Youth Dew by Estee Lauder (haven't read anyone else review that mentions this...) but Youth Dew is feminine and a little cloying while Ambre Sultan is VERY sexy, spicy and warm.

One of my top 10 fragrances of all time & now I am really interested in trying/sampling the rest of the SL line.

Also must say, even though this has longevity on my skin, it does not have much sillage on me (unlike other reviewers who've mentioned this is a sillage monster...?) - maybe just my skin chemistry?

Incense in a cathedral for High Mass and Benediction, then 12-15 hours through the wedding reception and the first night. Omnes angeli et archangeli, orate pro nobis.

This is my favorite Amber, edging ahead of Donna Karan's Black Cashmere.

Terrific in every way, it's a warm envelope of gently shimmering browns and muted reds, like a sunset in Key West in a deserted Mallory square. Perfect!

I took one sniff of this and immediately got out my ‘To Buy’ list and placed Ambre Sultan right at the top. What a remarkable fragrance! This is not simply an amber fragrance, it is an amber dream: amber, incense, floral, spice, herbal, and wood…rich…rich…rich. The accords are deep, ambry, smoky, and resinous. Ambre Sultan has strong movements ranging from its initial heady blast of amber, smoke, and resin to its middle of rich velvety dark amber and finally to its rich and subtle wood dry down. It is a powerhouse of the dark, the sensual, and the mysterious. And yet…as IpaidForThisName points out, it seems to be more versatile than one would think. I can see wearing this often and for many different occasions. This is simply great—a powerhouse of a fragrance: creative, intelligent, masculine, elegant, rich, sensuous, and yet one that I can feel comfortable in wearing for diverse occasions.

An intoxicating and seductive amber liquid. Spices and warmth covered by a smoky (not tobacco) haze. Very nice throughout its' levels. This is not an everday fragrance, but one if you let it, that can transport you to exotic places.

There is a nice amber note in here, but it's overwhelmed by a synthetic, headache inducing scent-something approximating burnt rubber or latex. I much prefer ambre precieux and ambre extreme.

Ughh! My least favourite SL creation. Too sharp, pungent and dark for my skin.
Even Arabie's better!

Deep, sweet, creamy, spices and amber, smooth and gourmand. (I smell dates.) Good from start to finish; no bad moments. Smoke notes usually make me run away, but they blend seamlessly here. Nothing is odd or out of place. The notes work together to create a fragrance that is bold yet pleasing, unusual yet acceptable. As a woman, I find it perfectly wearable. However, I can wear heavy, sweet, spicy scents. Gorgeous Oriental.

I love amber, and this is a lovely, dry, sun-scorched, desert hot amber. It reminds me quite a lot of Ambre russe, which I absolutely adore, but less sweet, with a sharper, drier note. Initially I found it almost too sharp, almost soapy or herbal, which gives it a slight vintage-y twist, but it mellows in the drydown.

Lusicious Ambre Sultan changed my feelings about amber in a whiplash turn. To be honest, I have a hard time picking up individual notes here. Oregano, bay leaf, coreander, patchouli, amber, vanilla and benzoin are some I´ve seen listed, ans yes it has both a herbal piquancy and some lush creamyness. But above all, it´s a distinct and beautiful fusion of a scent, if also with amber as main theme. It´s very rich; You need just a few drops for it to make presence, and if you go to bed in it you will still smell it when you wake up. Another thing: it changes caracter with the weather: while cosy and comforting in the winter, summer and sun warm skin brings out its sensuality.

this is the only Serge Lutens scent that i have become attached to. always a pleasure to wear in the autumnal and winter evenings. doesn't evolve much - what you get after 15 minutes is there after an hour or so, slightly softer and warmer. it's dark, dignified, somewhat melancholy, though the vanilla sweetens the bitter tang of the amber. press you nose to an antique varnished bookcase in some historic library and you'll get the picture.

So here I am wearing this for the first time and suddenly I feel like I should be in a harem, one of many of maharajas women... eating exotic fruit... listening to beautiful, longing music, warm night air brushing my long black curls of my face. LOL I know that may sound bad, but that is the first thing that came to my mind when I smelled it on myself. I really like this, even though I have to be honest that this would not be something I would wear often enough to grant a purchase of a full bottle. I’ll stick with my sample for now and when I run out I’ll probably buy another one :) ADDITIONAL NOTE: This somewhat reminds me of Black Cashmere by Donna Karen

Based on all the good reviews, I'm thinking it might be a skin thing, but this is god-awful on me! Horribly bitter and medicinal. I dunno if this makes any sense, but it smells like the taste of novacaine at the dentist's office.

Don't get me wrong - I love this stuff, but by god it stinks! When I first put this on, it's way too stinky and intenses, but give it some time and it dries down deliciously and lasts all day. You need to be ultra careful how much you use though, one tiny spray of this is all I need, otherwise I get very self-conscious of stinking to high heaven.

i found this one to be soft and delicate, incense like spices merge with a purring amber base. i purchased it in a romantic alley one night venezia, and it has the qualities of a dark venetian night, stars reflecting on water, sensuality and seduction peering from behind masks...

I just read this was made to smell like a woman, which is really ironic, because as I was smelling the dried down scent on my skin, I was strongly reminded of tanning bed smell. Not suntan lotion, but rather the sultry, salty, hot, sweaty, burnt smell of having been laying on a tanning bed getting fried. I'd imagine this would be pretty similar to a woman coming from the beach, so I can agree with the assessment. Overall, a dark, warm, burnt-creamy sort of scent. I like it, but won't be buying a bottle or wearing it myself.

It took a while for me to warm to this one. It starts out very strong, but the drydown is great- the smell of skin warmed by the sun. Like most Lutens scents, it doesn't have heavy sillage, so you won't be blasting people with your scent.

this amber is not sweet,no way,this baby is dark and dirty. Think hot sweaty sex,pure animal lust dirty. The AMBER of all ambers. Sex in a bottle.

A very dark fragrance. Spicy, sensual, sexual. Audacious and shocking in the Lutens manner. Once you acquire the taste, you're hooked.

I bought a bottle of this on-line after reading all the great reviews on here. Big mistake. On me it smells just like Pine-Sol. It's very sharp and bitter. I much prefer some of the other amber fragrances out there that add more sweetness, like Etro's Ambre.

This is a good fragrance. Not a 5* must own for me, but it's solid. It starts out with a strong top note that reminds me of burning wood with a slight hint of a fruit note. As it dries down though a sweet note emerges from the amber and it produces a very cool yet classy note. It has a good scent. This one you have to try on your skin because the top note will turn many people off, but the mid and base notes are worth it.

Some Serge Lutens fragrances I like, some I actively dislike. But a few remind me of Chevy Chase's character in "Caddyshack" when he says, "There's a subtle perfection in everything I do." Serge Lutens and Co., you've done just such a subtly perfect job with Ambre Sultan. Now, I love amber in all its incarnations; I've never met one I didn't like, in fact. But this one is special - endlessly resinous, palpably viscous, almost binding in its beauty. It's got to be one of the best quality ambers available anywhere; it just smells expensive. And unlike some of Lutens' other "weirdly clever" topnote juxtapositions - which can at times seem like they're just trying way too hard to be strange - I love the spicy-savory arrangement of herbals here, the oregano, bay leaf, coriander and myrtle. They evoke the souk with its overflowing, fragrant spice stalls and that just adds to the whole experience of wearing this fragrance. I daresay this probably is and will be one of my favorite, most prized ambers. C'est parfait.

Ambre Sultan is the best Amber fragrance. Most Amber based fragrances can be pretty linear and sweet. Ambre Sultan, however, has a very spicy counterpart, which gives it many more dimensions. It’s also one of the more animalic Amber fragrances out there. This is a very elegant and seductive fragrance that is surprisingly versatile for a Lutens. A must own for any Amber lover.

I really like it, however I can't detect so many other notes beside the amber. It 's just basically a quite dark amber scent that sweetens up with time. Compared to L'artisans Ambre Extreme (which is THEE amber for me) I'd say AS is a little more mature, dark, less sweet and with better staying power. A Lutens classic!

I bought this after a marathon testing spree in Andorra.This was the one that stood out after a long but happy day.I love it.Each time it is worn it seems to reveal another even deeper layer,sometimes sweet always spiced and creamy.My only criticism is the slightly messy start which however soon sorts itself out!!

Very pleasant and smooth oriental amber scent. Also reveals delicate notes of woods and dried fruit. Very good evening informal or casual for colder days.

Amber, amber and more amber. If you like to smell like amber and nothing else, feel free to splurge on this. Or you could simply buy some amber scented perfume oil, save the money and smell the same. Amber overdose.