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Ambre Gris by Pierre Balmain, 2008

Ambre Gris by Pierre Balmain, 2008 + add a photo
15 reviews
93% Positive Reviews
Rated #2378 in Fragrances
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By perfumebox
I bought this blind because I love pretty much EVERY note listed in it. Pink pepper, Cinnamon, Tuberose, Immortelle, Myrrh, Smoky gaïac wood, Benzoin, White musks, Ambergris Strangely, this soft, savory scent fell short of expectations. I still dont quite understand how something with notes like cinnamon, myrrh and tuberose can smell so light and watered-down. The scent does smell complex and redolent of salt-water and powdery, unlit incense, but I was expecting an oil painting and got watercolor instead. Maybe it just doesn't suit my skin. Definitely try first before buying!
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By jtd
In its favor, Ambre Gris tells you all about itself up front. It's plainspoken, there are no surprises and it doesn't take much concentration. Against it, AG has the feel not so much of synthetic perfumery as fake food. It's a twinkie instead of shortcake. It's margarine and cornstarch syrup on your pancakes. That said, I kind of like it. There's something about it that's just off, not quite right. It's like the background hum of industrial fluorescent lighting that recedes in your mind to a dull hum until you turn it off and realize that what you perceived as a quiet hum or buzz was in fact low-volume disharmony. In filtering it you had just unconsciously redefined it so as to tolerate it. Honestly though, I do like AG a bit. But here's how: one spritz. One spritz is comfortable. Two is queasy. Three is so far over the line that, in the manner of the instant conditioning that you experience vomiting a particular food that you then never want to eat again, you'll never want to smell it again.
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By Blue Coyote
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...
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By Notreveh
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.
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By mumsy
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.
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By blood-orange
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.
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By N_Tesla
Beautiful, simply a beautiful niche quality fragrance by Pierre Balmain. For me, this was an instant love affair and is a fragrance, which will always be part of my wardrobe.
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By Kaern
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.
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By Doctor Mod
The LuckyScent blurb for this fragrance says, "The elements are so smoothly blended that its difficult to pick out notes. . . . This isnt a fragrance that is going to jump out at you and say wear me to a gala! This is an everyday sort of scent."

Indeed, these statements are accurate, damningly so. It isn't easy to pick out the notes: there's something floral, something woody, and something else. For the life of me, I couldn't detect the ambergris that gives this fragrance its name. I suppose I was expecting something more interesting--but no. The sillage is negligent, even from the beginning. It's pleasant enough, a clean-smelling skin scent but not much more than that. Beyond that, it's difficult to say more. As Gertrude Stein said, "There's no there there."

I would give it a "thumbs-down" for lack of interest--but it's not interesting enough to inspire that sort of malice.

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By Black lily
This is one perfume that should be a must in anyone's scent collection. A completely unique unisex scent which opens with a zing of pink pepper only to be sweetened by the cinnamon and lulled into a soft sensuality by the tuberose and imortelle. All this merges seamlessly with the smokiness of the gaiac and myrrh leaving a sillage of musky softness by the white musk and ambergris. A true masterpiece in the world of fragrance.
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Facts and Details

Ambre Gris by Pierre Balmain, 2008
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Description:

Details:
DetailValue
Launched Date2008
GenderWomen
PerfumerGuillaume Flavigny
AvailabilityIn Production
ByPierre Balmain
Notespink pepper, cinnamon, tuberose, immortelle, myrrh, smoky gaïac wood, benzoin, white musks, ambergris
Base Notes
Bottle Designer
Middle Notes
Top Notes
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