Reviews of Blue Amber
by Montale

Very much liked this one . . . it is the perfect blend . . . harmoney - ying and yang

There is something about the Montale fragrances that I simply can't deny. My brain processes these fragrances, especially the non-aoud ones, in big chunky pieces at the beginning as though looking at a perspective piece of art up close, something you need to see from a distance in order for it to make sense. They seem almost, dare I say, clumsy, brutish and unrefined for the first part of their evolutions. Blue Amber has a little of that, too, and I was actually quick to dismiss this fragrance, not entirely of course, but just as not something I'd consider purchasing. I'm glad I didn't because after giving it a full day's wearing, with full application instead of just little sniffs here and there, I'm a big fan.

Blue Amber starts with something that turned me off (and still sort of does) which teeters between astringent and chemical. I read a review at MUA and a reviewer mentioned glue... I can't say glue exactly but it's something in that direction. With reviews mentioning plastic, chemical, and glue, there must be something going on, and having read other's thoughts on that sensation, I felt less insane in having experienced that myself. Thankfully, for me personally, that little phase doesn't last too long. And furthermore, it's only experienced up close: Blue Amber, without my nose glued to my wrist, starts billowing golden curling tendrils of itself immediately which are devoid of this astringency I mentioned.

I'm thankful I allowed this to really develop because after the first couple of hourse, this continues to develop, become more exquisitely rich yet dry until it reposes in it's golden brown phase. After that, it continues to works its golden ambery magic, but without changing too much. And herein lies the beauty of Blue Amber, my friends. The golden cloud of amber that floats around you throughout the day, that which about others have written here and elsewhere, is an undeniable feature of this gorgeous fragrance. It is an envelopingly warm, light golden brown amber, whose vanillic, warm, dry sugaryness intensifies as it develops while never becoming syrupy or heavy. For texture purposes only, think perhaps of warm, slightly crisp sugar cookies.

I sincerely encourage anyone who tries Blue Amber to give it several hours on skin before making a judgment. Any discord you may experience at the opening, I assure you, will dissipate and you'll be left with an amber, though simple and uncomplicated, to die for. I'd like to add that on me, this was extremely powerful and tenacious. I could imagine a 50 mL lasting forever. I am aware of it all day. A tad tricky up front, with a gorgeous dry down which is well worth the wait. I can't recommend this more to those looking for a warm, uncomplicated, enveloping high quality amber.

Wow, I really love this one!

I’ve tried many dominant amber scents, in the past, but have always found them to be too resinous and harsh (Ambre Sultan being the worse offender). However, Blue Amber isn’t like that at all (much to my relief). The opening blast is intoxicating and it only gets better. The drydown is creamy and extremely sexy, and it didn’t take me long to deem it as bottle worthy. Sillage and longevity is superb, and I’m now completely in awe with this house. This has to be one of the best releases in recent years.

Two thumbs up!

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[Original submission date: 10 April 2008]

Powdery, vanillic opening, with a rubber that manifests as an artificial sweetness - like a warm, heavily iced lemon and raisin bun; grows a little drier and saltier - an uncomplicated but rich amber.

My journey of amber exploration is over!

I have found my holy-grail amber in Blue Amber. I've sourced the parfum concentration which might differ from the "eau du parfum" as it is more concentrated. The development is linear but in the nicest possible way; from start to end the wearer is enveloped in a beautiful rich amber. The warmth that this fragrance radiates is appreciated by all. I've received compliments from both sexes, and what's even more notable is that Blue Amber is worn by my wife making it the first fragrance we've shared. Longevity is just outstanding, I can still detect it on my skin 24 hours after application.

This fragrance is just divine and Montale deserves all kudos.

Amber plus citrus plus salt equals solid gold. Think Sel de Vetiver when I say salt. Anyway, this is a very well composed amber in which the amber is dominant and yet not overbearing. Also, the whole citrusy-salty thing keeps this from retreading the whole desserty-vanilla thing. If you're not a big fan of amber this could change your mind.

Enveloping amber note that's a deep blue and blooms into a light blue. Basically a perfect, linear drydown. A great scent but not one I'd wear.

as the name suggest! this one has a note which is quite linear and evokes different shades of Blue. it's has a very use of bourbon the way its used in By Kilian..this ones smooth (like Iris) to the extent of being very fluid in its sillage. it's only in the midnotes that the Patchouli and vetiver adds a sexy bite to the top notes on a base of one of the most beautiful Amber accords ever. this ones easily one of the best amber scents around. only word of caution is that, this may smell pretty linear till midnotes and only during close inspection would one realise the action thats actually taking place. 50 ml would be the best buy so that you dont get bored of it and come back to it in time..

Montale's Blue Amber is beautiful and rich amber scent. The opening starts out very powdery with a hint of citrus, but soon turns into a rich creamy amber with maybe just the slightest hint of vetiver. The dry down gets a little more vetiverine giving the scent a deeper more earthy character but the amber remains in the forefront.

This is powerful stuff. A little dab on my inner elbow that I put on before bed to test Blue Amber's longevity lasted well over 24 hours and before I fell asleep I felt enveloped by the scent, not in an overpowering way but like a cloud of spicy, vanillic goodness surrounded my body. I gave this a full wearing on a cooler evening and it was sublime. I couldn't image wearing this in hot and humid weather; it could very easily become overpowering. However, I think that this will become an integral part of my scent wardrobe come fall and winter.

So I open the envelope were my fragrance was scent... it smelled, well, like amber. Old, aged, vintage amber. Innocently I smell the atomizer, ah! there you are vanilla! Should I? should I spray it on my wrist? So I do. A mushroom cloud is formed where my house used to be. Some people reported that on a radius of 20 km, 60 year old women cried remembering their first love, 40 year old women had mild orgasms. 30 yo were droped to their knees on spasmic nirvana, and the 20 yo gagged and threw up. Some other people said the warm brezee that followed made the man feel more manly and the women more luxurious.

But I wouldn´t know. All I saw and smelled was an old tree rip itself in half and suddenly ignite. Maybe in a gesture of melacholy, maybe in an effort of liberation.

oh my. oh my. on a strip, Blue Amber isn't really that exciting, but once it's on my skin i can't get my nose off my wrist. like other reviewers, i can see the similarity between this and the amber L'Artisans. i'm a fan of them as well. however, since many bergamot accords/oils contort on my skin and end up smelling like something is burning, Blue Amber quickly develops an intriguing, subtly fiery base note which lingers underneath the amber and renders the whole concoction terribly sexual. i'm glad i was asked to try it, since it's now as close to a Holy Grail fragrance as i've ever discovered.

One word: lush. Absolutely lush. Hands down, far and away the best amber frag I've ever sampled.

Imagine the Montale amber of Patchouli Leaves, but without the vanilla and patchouli of PL competing against it. No, just enough sweet vanilla to balance it out and bergamot to cut the vanilla a tad.

Marvelous longevity and top drawer sillage. Four words to close: must get a bottle!

A very beautiful skin scent and an excellent amber fragrance. Warm, sweet, vanillic, woody and resinous, it clings for hours. On par with one of my other favorites L'Artisan Parfumeur Ambre Extreme. Blue Amber reminds me of the best part of Chanel No. 5, the lovely drydown. It is uncomplicated but deep, soft but strong, and entirely comforting. If at first it does not appeal to you straight out of the bottle, do not dispair but wear it on your skin. Check back later and enjoy the melding of the golden fragrance to your body warmth. Exceptional lasting power, longer than Ambre Extreme. I give Blue Amber high marks.

Excellent scent: I like amber fragrances but I don’t really love them. This is one of the better ones I’ve tried, and I don’t really understand why I think that way because Blue Amber seems so simple and uncomplicated. I can catch the bergamot and I get a strong aromatic element that I assume is the geranium. I don’t get the coriander, and I’m unsure of the patchouli. Yes, there’s vanilla and a bit of vetiver. But essentially this is a very simple amber fragrance, almost entirely dependent on the amber, and all the more impressive because of its simplicity. The quality of the amber and the way it is used are extraordinary: The amber is rich, not too sweet, a bit animalic, has excellent sillage, and has extraordinary longevity. Truly wonderful.

I really like this, but in all honesty, as it opens, it just reminds me of a warmer Shalimar. Although Shalimar lingers in its floral notes; Blue Amber seems to linger in a soft and powdery amber and possibly some vanilla and/or bergamot notes and as it dries down this becomes more pronounced. This is most assuredly a unisex fragrance. Someone made a "sea" reference and for some reason, my dad came to mind, as it smells like something he used to wear... something in Blue Amber shares a note or two with an old favorite, not sure which one. All in all, I think, in some aspects, this is more of a masculine scent and a very nice one, indeed. Won't stop me from wearing it, though....

Blue Amber--Another one I changed my mind about. I like the simplicity here. A sweetness from the amber tempered with depth. It has to cook on you for the full effect. A gourmand but not the annoying salivating kind.

My sample of Blue Amber finally arrived! I put 2 droplets on my wrist and observe the changes. I notice the prominent amber note and a bit of incense smoke coming out from this scent. I have cross checked with other websites and no one has talked about the smokey note with Blue Amber. The scent gets smoother after an hour. It smells like dried vanilla pods ready to be stirred into your dough or creme brulee. I drool over this scent as it is extremely delicious and somewhat gourmandy. I think Blue Amber could be a cross over of the L'Occitane - Amber's perfume oil and Creed's Angelique Encens. I love Blue Amber, it serves like one big warm blanket when you are down and miserable.

So, Montale says this is for the ladies. I think in this case Basenotes gets it right - this is clearly unisex, and for amber (a note that to my nose naturally smells more "feminine"), possibly even leaning to the masculine side. The opening is pretty intense - the amber in the top smells a bit salty and sea like, making me think this is ambergris and not tree resin amber. The bergamot is also playing a role here, adding a hesperidic sharpness. The dry down lasts forever, and like most Montales I've tested, takes forever to occur. By the base, it seems to have lots of amber and maybe some patchouli - warm, smooth, slightly powdery (less so than Amber Sultan or maybe even Ambre Precieux, IMO), and subtly animalic, it's a wonderful thing. This is one of my favorites so far from the line. If you like amber, and you want one with a little bit of an edge, a little less of the round, comfort scent thing, you have to check this out.

A very very warm, intoxicating, heady, thick, and musky amber. I suppose "blue" implies the fragrance is not at all bright and maybe even a little melancholy; both true, but I find it very comforting all the same. The sillage is more sweeter and more pleasant than the smell on the skin, but the overall effect is magic!