Ambre Gris (2008)
by Pierre Balmain

You're getting the Fine Gray Amber. Nothing like the wishful thinkers who thought they were going to get the full blast of ambergris (maybe never having smelled the real deal raw--YAW!).

But Oh, THIS is a CLASSY scent! I can't hide my exitement, having worn it on special occasions for the last few years where I know I will be RECOGNIZED but not separated...

The House of Balmain has done well. Sweet but aristocratic, woody yet balanced, LONG lasting and claaaa-ssssy! Women think they have smelled it before but can't remember when (HOW). Men just want to know what it is so they can buy it for their wives.

I get something unique here, and thank goodness it isn't unrefined Ambergris--a fine job has been done here, which might take our generation a bit of time and humbling to recognize. This laaaaasts into the day and evening... a lovely smoking bit of light as the nose listens...

9th January, 2012.

Starts out very sweet, very tasty, with a cinnamon note mixed with a very light myrrh. Over time the fragrance will gain a dominance of amber with an aroma followed by Musk.
A very good fragrance, definitely geared for cold climates. Makes a good gift for a girlfriend.

21st August, 2011.

I'm really sad about this one. I have many Balmain that I adore and thought this would better the best. I've been waiting and waiting for a bottle for ages. I've finally got it and..... oh dear... I shouldn't have expected so much. It's missed the mark entirely in my humble opinion.
The opening was much sweeter than I was expecting it to be. It has a citrus/pepper note that seemed very air freshener-esque like one of those little trees hanging in the car. This developed into a greeny galbanum, herbesque note. I say esques because they don't seem quite true to the things they feel like they smell like. Then the whole thing mellows and morphs into an overpowering false powdery amberish note, that to me bears no resemblance at all to ambergris or even amber. I think it smells like a reed diffuser air freshener bought from an incense shop. I feel the whole thing smells totally artificial and I would be surprised if there was anything natural at all in this. I would love to stand corrected.
It dries down to something pleasant enough if you like gentle ambery powdery things. I just expected too much with that name from that maker.

12nd July, 2011.

A lovely friend of mine has this fragrance as her signature, so almost two weeks ago when I went to visit her, she sprayed me with this divine fragrance and a little of the scent got on my jacket. I picked up that same jacket today and noticed how well this fragrance had lasted and how elegant Ambre Gris smells.

I remember thinking when my friend first sprayed Ambre Gris how spicy and sweet it was. It had an almost gourmand feel to it with the cinnamon and vanilla creating a warm and delicious olfactory experience.

While I delighted in the spiciness of Ambre Gris, I didn't quite agree with the sweetness. I concluded that it was my own personal tastes coming into play rather than the composition of the scent itself.

I must admit however, that once Ambre Gris fully develops on the skin, there is a certain sense of magic in the air. I cannot detect any hint of pink pepper in this fragrance, yet there is beautiful, resinous myrrh, soft white flowers and edible cinnamon sitting on a musky and almost smokey, incense base.

I can certainly see why previous reviewers refer to Ambre Gris as being a 'snuggly, sensual, cozy and extravagant' fragrance. Ambre Gris is all that has been already mentioned.

Burying my nose into my jacket at this present time almost sends me into a state of euphoria. I love rich, spicy and smokey fragrances, so the moment this fragrance reached the drydown I was completely and utterly hooked. I don't believe that I will be able to wash my jacket ever again.

30th June, 2011.

I don't get any ambergris with this scent either -- more of a 'grey amber', which I like very much. Some of the time, it reminds me of a softer version of 'Cavali Black', so it's ergo very sexy imo. It has a powerful projection and the lasting power is amazing. The so called 'immortelle' in this is minimal and just acts as an edge to the woods in the base. If you throw the glitter ball stopper away, you would never guess it was made for women.

23rd February, 2011.

Very generic, boring "amber scent", making use of loads of synthetic aroma-chemicals. Neither unpleasant nor fascinating, it doesn't contain any new ideas or new combinations - it's a tune heard so often before, and performed in a better way by others ("Ambre Russe" for example).

2nd July, 2010.