All Invited! ♥ ♥ ♥ Sniff 'n' Speak Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010 ★★★ AMBER

Yay, you remembered! Miss you, (((Q))). ♥ I know you're busy, but looking forward to see you around when you catch a breather.

Hmm...amber...it usually overwhelms me as a dominant note, but I have several fragrances that use amber in a way I can enjoy. Not sure what yet.

How exciting, l've been enjoying an "amberfest" over the last couple of weeks sampling lots of different ambers, so l'm fully tooled up! Which will be the lucky favourites to bring to this party?? l've got a pretty good idea but l'll let you know! l'm working on saturday & out in the evening, but l'll definitely check in when l can. Thanks for this, it couldn't have come at a better time!

Some information about amber :
http://www.fragrantica.com/news/What...way--1704.html

yum yum yum I love amber scents in the Fall

I have more scents with amber in my collection than I thought: Ambre narguile, Ferre, AP Strip, Robe D'un soir, Ambre by Molinard, Lady Stetson, Rumba, Dune and DK Gold are all list.

Right now I'm leaning towards Strip

Yippity-dippity! I do love to join in a SnS. I have learned a lot from these days over the years.

I am in Youth Dew Amber Nude today and I have to tell you it's a difficult 'fume to wear over breakfast. All those big rough topnotes banging at your head when you've barely got coffee in your system? Not great. I think this is probably best kept for late afternoon cocktails/evening spritzing, or maybe for colder weather.

Anyway, now I'm into the heart it's dandy. I like that this is a very unsweet amber and that it has that herbal/awkward aspect to it, and I also like that it is evidently designed to unfold slowly and last for a long time, like an old-school fragrance. (Well, like the original Youth Dew, from which I think it gets those 'awkward' and 'challenging' notes.) This is a flanker that works: it takes the original Youth Dew and gives it a firm twist, taking it far enough away to attract a different audience who like me found the original too challenging, yet it is recognisably related. That is a very fine and difficult balancing act and Tom Ford pulled it off admirably. Small wonder he has gone on to such scentual success.

I am looking forward to the base of this. If I remember rightly it's a very sexy skin amber. I haven't worn YDAN since last winter and I think it might be time to reinstate this bottle in my current rotation.

I went with Ambra del Nepal by i Profumi di Firenze. It's a lovely amber that skews toward the dry side, despite its vanilla note. The vanilla here adds richness rather than sweetness, while a cardamom note adds an appealingly medicinal, spiky edge.

Went with Ambre Sultan cuz it's my favorite, but I do feel like it was a lazy choice. I have so many ambers, I would like to have given them a boost. Maybe wear Ambre Precieux later as well.

Baaah, I forgot about this, but I'm in a gourmand that does have distinct amber-leanings: New Haarlem by Bond No9. This is just such a bizarre fragrance; I imagine it'd be almost as love-or-hate as Angel. I happen to hate Angel on me, but do like this one.

If you like how it smells in Starbucks on the days they haven't let the milk go sour, if you can tolerate what feels like burnt caramel (they must have gone crazy with ethyl maltol and coumarin) and a cinnamon-hit that I swear is there even though it's not listed... this might be the frag for you!

Speaking of amber-gourmand crossovers, I really feel like the EL Amber Ylang-Ylang is more 'subtle cookie dough' than 'oriental.

O.K. - I am not a fan of "amber-prominant fragrances" in general...they tend to become suffocating on me instead of warm and sexy as everyone else experiences them I've tried many and while they start off beautiful, after about 20 minutes they are disasterous!

However, I do love and wear Prada (the original version). It's the only amber scent I've worn that doesn't turn on me...it starts and finishes with a clarity - never becomes complicated with heaviness and camphorous notes. The amber is sweet, but has an incredibly lovely "dark dirt" earth note mixed with it, which keeps it rich and intersting, but never heavy.

Today, thankfully, the oppressively humid weather we've been having in Boston the past few days...has blown off, and now it's cool, dry and sunny - perfect amber scent weather. So, I'm testing Prada on the left arm vs. Coromandel (from a sample) on the right arm. I'm 10 minutes in. Coromandel is sweet, more so than Prada at this point, and more complex. I detect that lovely dirt note, and some powder, and cardamom-like spiciness. 30 mniutes in: Coromandel is very potent! Prada I admit is somewhat linear...it's settled into it's "being" on my skin. Coromandel is still dancing around, pushing notes forward and backward, keeping me guessing as to where it's going next. There's a tiny sour herbally note coming out. More later.

Pomander, that does sound gorgeous on you!

Wearing Hermessence Ambre Narguile by Hermes today. A very comforting amber, warm and spicy but
not overwhelming, with good sillage and longevity.

Yay - I remembered the SnS!

So I'm in my latest ambery favorite, Oro by Roberto Cavalli, a warm and opulent ambery oriental. It starts off bright and luminous with fresh bergamot and just a touch of pepper and coriander, then the dreamy iris and magnolia come through, along with soft touches of cedar, cinnamon and patchouli over smooth sandalwood, creamy vanilla and the most radiant amber....smoldery and sexy and so very luscious!




I think of Heartwood every time I wear this, and it wouldn't feel right not to thank her again for introducing me to this beauty, so thanks again Heartwood - I love it a lot!

Starting out with a second wearing of my tester of JHAG Calamity J.

Notes: Patchouli, Amber, Iris, Musk

It doesn't seem to get a lot of love here on Basenotes, but I think it's my favourite of the original four. Amber accords can be hit and miss for me. Some I find too gourmand, like chocolate left in a hot car.

I think I read that the amber in this is Firmenich's Ambrox, possibly with benzoin and vanilla. That would make sense, linking the woody patchouli wth the powdery iris. The amber in this seems oriental today, perhaps sparked by a 'eureka' moment when I first applied. It's very much akin to Champney's Oriental bath range (ylang, patchouli, sandalwood), especially the body cream. I'd actually bought the spritz from the line because I thought it was a lovely warm skin scent, but the spritz lacks the creamyness. Calamity J has the creaminess, plus a little not too fem powder from the iris.

Wow, Evangeline, you've made me want to try Oro!

Do it Nukapai - it's very special! (It's also affordable and available, more pluses!)

Hi all! l'm wearing Ambra Nera by Farmacia SS. Annunziata (which doesn't seem to get many mentions here) on the left wrist, for comparison with Ambra Aurea by Profumum on the right wrist. Ambra Nera starts off with a blast of eucalyptus, patchouli & vetiver, then after 15 minutes becomes a sweet, woody amber that lasts & lasts... lt's powerful, elegant & refined, & IMO deserves a lot more love. Ambra Aurea also begins with a slightly medicinal note, but it feels much more of a deep, resinous, raw amber. 30 minutes in it sweetens, but remains rich, never powdery. lt's really hard to choose a favourite out of these two, it may take a few more wearings before l make up my mind! l would say both of these are unisex, & very good quality, highly recommended! Hope everyone is enjoying basking in ambery goodness together!

Me too, & that bottle looks amazing!

For S'n'S:


I didn't want to wear a dominating amber today, so steered clear of anything with Ambre in the title. I could so easily have gone with the glorious Ambre Sultan, or Ambre Russe/Precieux, etc. And I would have loved them, of course.

But S'n'S for me is about learning something new, so I'm wearing a less familiar scent (to me) with amber as a more subtle basenote, and a Guerlain at that. I'm not the greatest Guerlain wearer but today I'm in the legendary

Yeah - you should try it too, teardrop (really, everyone should try it!) I can't imagine why I didn't recommend it to you in your amber thread...maybe I figured you were going for more straight-forward ambers. I like mine with some flowers (the iris here is prominent on me, with a whisper of magnolia) and maybe something creamy and just slighty sweet thrown in, and that's what Oro is.

Ooooh! Aaaah! l love flowers too so l've been wondering about frags which might combine the two, now l've got to try this, thanks Evangeline!

Speaking of which, l've now sprayed on Stella Rose Absolute for going out tonight, & it layers beautifully with the other ambers l put on earlier. Wow, l smell goooooood!

Wearing Ex Voto Eau de Luxe Ambre Profond. It's rather understated and simple, a comfortable easy-to-wear amber scent, soft and cosy. I don't know if it's discontinued or renamed. http://www.exvotoparis.com/

Chocolate left in a hot car - I can relate to this. Many ambers I associate to melted toffebar on my skin.

My amber-test today came from an unexpected sample I got with a swap - Christiane Celle Calypso Ambre. An earthy uni amber, official notes: jasmine, geranium, patchouli, virginia cedar, amber, vanilla and bergamot. I could clearly sense patchouly and geranium giving the raw earthly quality. It reminds me of Montales Patchouly Leaves. I was really enjoying it! No toffe-cloying whatsoever. A linear experience, fairly strong with moderate very nice sillage. Unfortunately it had a Cinderella-effect on my skin - it didnt fade out, it just left. After 4,5 hours it was gone without a trace.

My amber of this evening - Manoumalia.
Also first sent to me as an extra treat in a swap, bought by me later. Im so grateful to my swap-friends! I didnt have imagination enough to put anything even remotedly tropical on me, and here it is - totally beautiful, easy to breathe, fragrea, ylang-ylang, freedom, vetiver, sawdust, tiare, happy bare feet and amber of course.

Wearing Ambre Rousse today, thank you Asha!

My SotD is Yves Rocher's Voile d'Ambre, a subtly elegant oriental blend that I think would be appropriate in any setting. This is a great spring and fall fragrance, because it's only moderately rich. The green mandarin in the opening adds a welcome freshness, and the lasting power is impressive. This fragrance is a great value, too! Smells expensive, but isn't.



Head Notes: Italian Green Mandarin, Cardamom
Heart Notes: Myrrh, Incense, Opoponax
Base Notes: Madagascar Vanilla, Australian Sandalwood, Patchouli

Highly recommended!

Hi, All.

I'm a complete novice, so please correct me if I went the wrong way here.

Initially I didn't think I had much amber in my perfume drawer, but it looks like I was wrong. Opium? Obsession? Since I couldn't stomach either of those this morning, I went with Chanel Coco from a sample. Not sure if it counts as an amber (ambrette seed?), but for me it has the same big sweet qualities as those others. And just like them, I think it would have been more comfortable for evening. Is this the nature of amber scents? Or is there another world of amber out there I haven't sniffed yet?

Oooh-oooh-oooh! I didn't think I had anything that qualified as amber but thanks to Quarry's kind referral to previous amber SnS's I found that Chanel 31 Rue Cambon qualifies as amber. Yay! So, the gorgeous, chameleonic, and ambery 31 Rue Cambon it is!

For October's Amber Sniff & Speak, I'm wearing Prada's L'Eau Ambrée. Fragrance notes listed on the box include: Mandarin, Cedrat, Rose de Mai, Gardenia Jasminoide, Somalian Oppoponax, Indonesian Patchouli. Hmmm...no amber listed, which is probably why I like it. Anyway, it does, somehow, evoke a sense of faint sweet briny ambergris to my nose. I often reach for this fragrance before going to church. One reason is because it is so unobjectionable, the other is because I get little whiffs of it now and then that remind me of incense. This fragrance has a purity that pleases me. I like the above ad for this particular fragrance, too. L'Eau Ambrée smells like what Greek Nereids must smell like on the seashore, and the ad looks a bit like that.

I'm in the uncreative Ambre Sultan, but it's kind of a big deal for me because I really don't like it (hides...) and this seemed like a perfect excuse to force myself to wear it and get to know it better...

Oh, and welcome to suz894!

Ambre Sultan for me, too. Damn I love it. Especially after it dries down, about an hour into it. THAT is when it gets good.

Fourth scent for me today; I just found today's sniff & speak thread. Glad I did. Ambers are always among my favorites.

The very nice Private Collection Amber Ylang-Ylang for my SnS scent. It is indeed a great balanced amber, vanilla, and sandalwood and wonderful for the cool evening. It is a not-too-strong but classy amber scent. Got the spritz sample from a generous basenoter.

(My E M Rajasthan from earlier in the day is a slightly spicier, slightly sweeter oriental with a slight traditional Indian perfume feel to it... with amber as well... so it's my secondary SnS scent.)

My first encounter with amber was about twenty years ago, when my boyfriend of the time gave me a little golden chest for my birthday. Inside was a little lump of something (it looks like a rock but is much softer) that he brought from Morocco - turns it was drenched in amber. I still have and it still gives off a very strong smell!

I am a lover of light and airy, citrusy scents, so I had feared this month's SNS would turn out to be a chore - it wasn't at all. I wore "L'Eau d'Ambre" by L'Artisan Parfumeur and it was really nice to have a more sensual and earthy feel to my scent for a change. That said, amber does feel a bit too oriental to me, and for some reason too 80ies. I can't help it, it reminds me of women like Joan Collins, wearing way too much makeup, with helmet hair and so on...

I was twin scented with Haunani yesterday evening

Voile d'Ambre by Yves Rocher's is a nice sweet ,oriental ambery !Fine aroma with wonderful notes !Lasting power is great

Well I went with my beloved Ambre Sultan. Strange but true, I even received two compliments on it in different stores. One total stranger ask who is wearing something lovely. It was me. Asked me what it was etc. The other was a sa who I know casually.

I hate the sweet sugary amber which many houses bring out. But AS is dark and dirty.

Amber Of The Evening was Slava Zaitsev's Maroussia, thanks to the timely Mme. D B.

Top Notes: aldehydes, bergamot, orange blossom, peach
Mid Notes: heliotrope, jasmine, rose, lily-of-the-valley, orchid, iris, tuberose, ylang-ylang
Base Notes: amber, benzoin, cedar, civet, musk, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla

Sounds like a huuuge floral, doesn't it, but on me those basenotes come out to play pretty fast. Think baltic amber. A velvet bag of weighty amber beads, stuffed into the pocket of a fur coat. This is definately not a puffy fluffy warm comfy amber, it has a dryness and austerity under all those plush ingredients that I find fascinating as the weather starts to cool.

Yesterday I wore Neil Morris' Burnt Amber for the SnS....I sniffed, but never spoke, so here I am today!

The listed notes for this wonderfully rich and smokey amber are:

Plum Blossom
Black Pepper
Amber
Smoke
Oud
Castoreum
Oak

A highly unlikely choice, considering my usual tendencies, but this one is superb! According to Neil, our own Ida Meister (chayaruchama) is credited with the addition of Plum Blossom - and truthfully, I think THAT's what makes Burnt Amber so friendly for me. BA starts off without a hint of sweetness, then as it wears and develops, a slight sweetness appears - like a wonderful suprise! It is smokey, and burnt smelling. The animalic castoreum plays an important role here as well...and I love that the wooded base is Oak! If you like your amber steamy, smokey, rich and not gourmand-y (like Amber Sultan) you would do well to give Burnt Amber a test run! Perfect for Autumn and Winter.

Just sampled "Geste" by Humiecki + Graf which also has amber in it and I have to say it is amazing! It dances between sultry and fresh, warm and clean. Very beautiful!

Hi Quarry, welcome to the party! Today l'm comparing Ambra Aurea on the right wrist, with Tom Ford's Amber Absolute on the left. l had a feeling when l first tested them individually that they were quite similar, & indeed they are! They have a similar woody opening, & are both thick, rich & resinous ambers, although l would say the TF has a touch more smoke & incense. These two are edging into the lead on my list of ambers, & l'm looking forward to some more layering experiments too.

l have a sample of Manoumalia l haven't tested yet, must admit l didn't notice it had an amber note, l got it because l love tropical flowers! Might give that a go later this evening.

l compared Ambre Precieux with Note Ambree a couple of days ago; they too have a similar opening, but AP is softer & creamier, while NA is more floral/woody. AP for me is a lovely comfort scent, while NA is more suitable for going out, & has the edge in terms of FBW-ness.

Getting here a day late, but I love this thread. All's I have is Patchouli leaves (montale) that fits the amber bill, unless vintage L"origin (coty) does. Does it? I just couldn't wear Patchouli Leaves today, but I did try to spray my husband with it when he went out the door for National Guard weekend. He really protested, yet I got a little on him. Just picture a guy in his army suit, new haircut (almost bald from it) running from me!

I'm wearing:
Imperial Opoponax
Notes: opoponax (sweet myrrh), amber, vanilla, sandalwood, benzoin, citrus

(les Nerdises) just hoping this fits the Amber category. Sent a sample last year to my mom and she really liked it, which surprised me because she is a committed vintage Shalimar fan.

thank you Teardrop. I looked this up on lucky scent- Ambra Nera by Farmacia SS and I'm very interested in it. Thank you for trying it out. I like the fact that it gets powdery. I love Powder aromas.

spraying army husband update- I just got a call from my army husband and he said I upset some people at the armory by spraying some perfume on him. (He doesn't know it was Patchouli leaves). One lady asked if it was "ACts" that he was wearing. Maybe I heard it wrong over the phone?? Acts ?? Guess I embarrassed him pretty good, sure didn't mean too, but if a man can't wear Patchouli Leaves (montale) to the armory, where can he wear it?

Quarry, I noticed you are a fan of Jo Malone overall - as am I! Wearable, good quality, nice variety & interesting! This range of frags is underrated - IMO.

I've enjoyed all the posts. For Sunday, I'm going with MPG Ambre Precieux, my all-time favorite amber. It is everything I want an amber to be. I especially love the way the lavender, herb and spice elements add interest and balance. Notes (from Luckyscent) include myrtle, lavender, amber, vanilla, nutmeg, ambergris, peru balsam, and tolu. Picture is of the older-style bottle, the one I have:

I'm making an entire weekend of amber! Or so I thought ... more on that later.

The weather here has been like the perfect fall weather. Cooler temperatures with bright sunshine. Perfect to wear some amber frags! On Friday, I wore Ambre Sultan, the ultimate kick-ass amber! Many of you know it and love it too. It was just a pleasure to sniff it all day long ... and it does last all day long.

Saturday I wore Ambre Russe, another favorite here on Basenotes. Ambre Russe is a boozy, incense-y amber scent with hints of tea and leather. Sounds weird, but it works and it's amazing!

Sunday, I found a sample deep down in the sample box labeled Ambre Cannelle. I don't remember wearing this before, so I thought it would be perfect to sample today. Hmmmm .... color me confused! It's a blast of cinnamon and I think that cinnamon singed my smell receptors, because that is all I can smell! Burried underneath the cinnamon is a hint of amber ... but wait! Is it really amber or something else? Off to read the reviews here on Basenotes ... Even more confusion, because about half the reviewers smell amber, the other half smell ambergris. The notes pyramid isn't really any help either, a few sources say amber in the basenotes, a few say ambergris. An hour later, still strongly cinnamon, but I'm beginning to side with the ambergris reviewers. There is the hint of the saltiness that I associate with ambergris. Ambre Cannelle is very pleasant even if it isn't exactly an amber fragrance. Just be sure you like cinnamon!

Oh dear Eliza,
The brand you mis-heard was "Axe", a line of drugstore body sprays. Some scents really project on fabric. I can envision the armory scene- Next time, try to get him coming out of the shower (averts eyes, after all he is YOUR husband)

I totally missed participating in the Amber Fest this weekend

((hanging head in shame))

I promise tomorrow, if the weather cooperates, it'll be Youth Dew Amber Nude by Lauder and/or Amber Absolute by Tom Ford.

Since I used up my bottle of Ambre Sultan, and haven't replaced it, Mr. Fords amber prominent scents have filled it's shoes nicely.

Wore Manoumalia last night; l got lots of tiare & coconut with a whisper of creme de bananes, the vetiver was very subtle on me. lt's creamy & smooth with a soft sillage, but l didn't really detect any amber, just a touch of smoke in the base after 5-6 hours. lt's a lovely tropical frag, but l prefer lntense Tiare over this, it's richer with much more sillage & longevity. l'll save the rest of my sample to try in warmer weather, it might "bloom" more in summer l think.

Since it was me who brought Manoumalia into this event I just want to confirm that teardrop is of course right - this is absolutely a floral scent, creamy and tropical for sure. Expectations of amber should be low. Even if that base comes out pretty strong on me, its generally not a dominant characteristic on this one.