Black Amber

Someone sent me a sample of this months ago in a swap and am I surprised! This IS the amber/incense that I've been looking for for sometime now. Its dark; sweet, incense laden and resinous, all at the same time, while being slightly powder, But not too powdery. I'm not sure what gives it that powder. Maybe the styrax/benzoin? Which I've read gives off a sweet " rich, balsamic-sweet, floral and somewhat spicy, reminiscent of lilac, hyacinth". So this very possible that this is the source!. But IDC,whatever it is. This scent keeps you leaning in to sniff yourself again and again. Breathing deeply and imagining yourself in time's gone by. Visiting the mystical pagan queen and her people in their candlelit throne room, with it's huge fire in the hearth behind her, womenfolk clad in fur and ornate head jewellery and nose rings and the smell of incense burning in the laterns adorning the room, to honour the long, cold nights, in this far away, snowy, hard as iron, land. My nose takes in that the women swaying and moving around me, have bathed and anointed their skins with essences and oils from the holy land, and the far east, and the smell of their sweet perfume mingles with the amber incense in the air around you. Sweetly tantilising my senses. As I breathe it deeply in. As oriental spicy perfumes go, I can smell a distinct resemble, more then a passing nod to Molinards Habinita. As it shares the: ceder, amber, patchouli, sandalwood and madagascan vanilla notes. But unlike Habinta, Black Amber lingers around me so beautifully, without being thick and cloying on a humid day, gently wafting from my warm, bare skin. I don't get the salty, aquatic notes other members have mentioned and I do find that it stays quite linear, which is a real shame as it does start out medicina BUT it is so well balanced and pleasure to wear all day. This is a scent I can appreciate it but the price tag is hefty. So I'll be on the lookout for a bottle or large decant on the grey market, as I couldn't justify a full bottle at this time in my life. But one can always hope right?

أحد عطور العنبر المتفردة على الاطلاق عبير مميز قلما تجدة في عطور اخرى العطر سيأخذك الى داخل هذه القنينه لاكتشاف علم الترف.... لن يعجب الا القليل فقط عشاق التفرد . بعد تجربة متأنيه! عطر عنبري، سموكي، عشبي، ارضي بلمسي سويتي ...... من مكوناته العنبر والتبع والباتشول والساندل واللابنديوم والبخور والفانيلا امور كثير اخرى كتبت قصة هذا العطر، لو كان بيدي اختيار اسم العطر لاختر له السحر الاسود . عطر ياخذك لعالم اخر لرحلة للوارء حتما زمن قديم .لن احلله كثيرا عبيره صعب ان توصلة كما هو . لا استطيع ان اشبهه باي عطر . سواء نفسة! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- عطر شرقي بامتياز مناسب لمن هم فوق 24و الامر راجع لك العطر باختصار يبدأ بافتتاحية عنبرية متمثلة في العنبر واللابنديوم الذي ينصف من ضمن الروائح التي تعطي رائحة العنبر ومايؤكد ذلك تواجدة في التوب نوت تلك الرائحة امتزجت واختلطت مع رائحة البخوروالباتشولي ومع روائح الاعشاب الاخرى مما يجعله اكثر رطوبة مثل رائحة التربة او الارضية الطيينية وكذلك اختلطت مع شيء حلو اعتقد اما انه بسبب العنبر او الفانيلا مع احساسي بوجود الفرنفل او المسمار ربما بسبب احد المكونات الكيميائية الاخرى اذا كنت تحب رائحة العنبر ورائحة الترية والفانيلا والبخور والعطور الشرقية ربما يكون هذا العطر له شأن معك يذكرني العطر باحد محلات العطارة (بسب القرنفل او اللليمون الاسود او الديرمة او الدريرم) بمعنى العطر سيأخذك قليلا للوراء لايام حتما جميلة لايعني ذكري محل عطارة انه سيئ بل بالعكس مميز العطر وستعشقة عند تجربة واختباره اكثر من مره . العطر مميز وغامض اجده افضل عطور التي حوت العنبر الحيواني على الاطلاق. جمال الرائحة 10/10 الفوحان /7.10 الثبات/ لم اختبر الثبات ما شد انتباهي في هذا العطر هو انك تستطيع ان تميز بعض النوتات بعكس العطور الاخرى التي قد تجد بعض النوتات ولت هاربه ولم تعد هنا الجميع يتراقص امامك ينصح بتجربة عينه من العطر قبل الشراء لا ادري في هذا العطر شي غريب يجلعني اتذكر ايام وزمن لم اواكبة واشعر معه باجواء خاصة .

Two scents in (Hope and this one) and it's becoming clear that Agonist and I are very much on the same wavelength. Dark, arty, moody, modern, totally non-headachey amber - a minimalist but still exciting treatment of an accord which can very easily go anonymous or over-sugary. It manages it by layering in all sorts of more aromatic, un-sweet, even bitter-herbal notes and accents to dirty the whole effect up and drag you into the woods and wild nature instead of to some suffocating cake shop or fake-femme boudoir. Miles and miles off from the thick vanilla custard fug of many so-called ambers, this is an airy, sinewey, outdoorsy kind, with a distinctively rugged character. It is never ever too sweet, and becomes even woodier and drier in its later hours, say 4-8h, when the patchouli and styrax rise a little, making for an even darker accord yet. (Still not acrid or bitter, like many patchouli/styrax-heavy mixes can be on my skin, though.) So the overall effect is complex and sophisticated, yet not opulent - more introverted and thoughtful. Could easily be worn by any gender or age; projection is medium (solid but not choking) and longevity just fine, though not outstanding. It's pretty linear but with a character and centre this firmly established, that's no bad thing. If you want a truly niche, un-cliched, streamlined amber that's much tougher than average, this might very well the one you'll warm to.

#1312 in my "Tour de Fragrance" Got this as a decant. Very similar to Nobile 1942 "MALVS", and Boadicea's "Complex." Which are two of my all time favorites, but different enough that I've ordered a full bottle. There's a hint of chewing gum going on here that I am really enjoying. I prefer Orientals like this that don't go off track by adding citrus notes. Green, woodsy and churchy is how I'd describe this. Long lasting, good projection. Got immediate notice and compliments. Unisex, but leans masculine. Fairly priced. Really glad it now comes in a straight rectangular bottle, not the art museum bottle shown above that would just look weird in a man's fragrance collection. Like most incense scents you'd want to spare the car pool. I wouldn't wear it in a formal business setting unless it's open plan or you have the corner office. I think it's a great date scent, but it's definitely not for the club, and I don't think the blue freshie crowd will enjoy it. It actually reminds me of a cathedral in Barcelona that definitely was burning incense that smelled like this during the festival of Saint Eulalia (Maybe a cultural holdover from the Muslim conquest of Iberia). Cool weather wear for sure. Not something I imagine the twenty-something guys wearing. Like all very incense-forward scents going for $100+, I wouldn't blind buy this. You should should definitely get a decant first.

My oh my I've fallen hard for this fragrance. The opening is like a turbo charged, sweet candied cherry and cinnamon which is absolutely to die for. Then it hits you with the sharpness of resins, some fresh olibanum type then my beloved labdanum being prominent. The drydown is expected due to the name but the top notes hide the amber accord to come very well. That drydown consists of a complex sweet, amber accord of styrax, maybe a hint of vanilla and tobacco? This fragrance is wonderful...such a great opening so sweet and then a very nice incense and amber smell in the drydown. I need this in my life...I absolutely love it! Update: The amber accord goes on strong after the top and mid notes have faded away it's cozy and long lasting. I'm so glad that one of these fragrances is a winner because the flacons from this Swedish house are magnificent and I will definitely be getting this.

Black Amber is a true piece of contemporary art hence it's either a love it or hate it fragrance! I found it to be repugnant at Selfridges but for some unknown reason, it always remained on my mind for a good part of two years before I eventually bought a bottle. IMO, the scent is a depiction of a person having a hot sauna bath in the middle of a Nordic forest with a newly found piece of ambergris from beside the shore of a fjord. The ambergris is mildly sweet but moist and laced with seaweed, and it is carrying with it the smell of the cold sea. As it should be, Black Amber is not a beast performer otherwise it would've been just too much. I thoroughly enjoy it hence Black Amber is my SOTD. The juxtaposition between the warmth and cold and the sweet and bitter aspects is what makes Black Amber such a piece of art. Well crafted piece of perfumery, 8.5/10!

An Ambergris masterclass - salty, dark, smokey, resinous and a little sweet. Gothic in nature (thinking dark flame lit cathedrals or fog induced fishing village on the coast where the locals worship Cthulhu). This fragrance in a word could be described as bittersweet and is a work of art. If you like incense amber based fragrances then you should really try this one. This is a really high quality scent and feels very natural. The performance is not the best (I usually apply very little - 2 sprays): Projects - 2/3 hrs Silage - 3-4 hrs My opinion is that this is one of the best amber/incense fragrances available. I highly recommend this one, but be sure to sample before buying as Niche fragrances can be polarizing. Score 9/10

This is an interesting take on an amber based scent. The whole scent isn’t overtly sweet and cloying like most ambers, but instead it has an subtle ozonic/marine quality to it. It opens up a tad on the cherry cough syrup side, but thankfully that aspect goes away rather quickly. The sweetness settles down into a wonderful dry, ashy vanilla that’s as if you’re smelling a piece of vanilla amber resin as the wind blew across a smoldering fire next to the ocean. It’s a dry and subtly sweet vanilla amber with a peppery/earthy backbone that stays at about arms length for sillage and also has good longevity.

Setting the opening aside, once Black Amber settles this is the smell that greets you when you push open the doors of an old Catholic church on a windy Baltic seashore after Sunday Mass. A very peppery incense perfume — perhaps should have been called Black Pepper — on a subtle, distinctive base of remote amber with a lick of seawater. The incense is smoky, very churchy. And yet it's much more wearable than I've probably made it sound. A real joy in cooler, fresher weather that I return to again and again.

I agree with other reviewers, Black Amber opens with a licorice note before transitioning beautifully into a spicy, incense laden amber perfume. I find Black Amber to be complex and full of contradictions—like salty but sweet and quiet but strong. Maybe more importantly, I find Black Amber to be comforting and easy to wear. All this with very good performance. Absolutely I love it. EDIT: for clarification, my in-store decant came from the newer packaging (different from the bottle featured on this page).

It's a really pretty perfume.. more playful than I thought it would be because it reminded me of a candy I loved as a kid called Bottle Caps (I think).. specifically the root beer one. I remember the scent because I didn't like that flavour, so the box would smell like when I finish the rest of the candy and leave the root beer ones in Also, it's kind of similar to Arz el-rab by Berdoue, but the last one is more citrusy

"Black Amber" is a midnight herb garden, rich with smoky tobacco and incense. There are so many notes here that flicker on an off, it's hard to pin down anything specific. I mostly get a resinous -almost liturgical- incense, but overall it is earthy, spicy and sweet, while not being overbearingly heavy. If you're looking for a scent that conjures a sombre and haunting atmosphere, this is a good choice.

Incredibly dark scent. I mostly feel amber and incense. Churchy is absolutely how I would describe it! I don't feel much of the tobacco unlike other reviewers. It's just a beautiful dark and intense fragrance. To me the projection is wonderful, and I don't feel the medicinal notes at all!

@rossyegio5 this brand made perfumes for our noses!!! not for gender then if you like it wear it :) i hope my english well :)

My favorite modern "cool" amber with the perfect amount of sweetness, which is rarely done well compared to "warm" ambers

Traditional chinese herbal medicine!!! it is so good!

Agonist Black Amber looks great on paper--that is, the note breakdown is very interesting. To put it mildly, though, the fragrance is a bit all over the place, the lengthy list of main notes being some indication of the chaos in the juice. That said, though, chaos isn't always a bad thing, and I like a lot of what's going on in Black Amber, my first try from the Agonist line. Included in the note breakdown and perceivable in the blend are incense, amber, labdanum, sandalwood, cedar, vanilla, and patchouli. It's mainly a resinous, woody, spicy, incense-laden blend that starts out with some bite but ends up being a little sweeter and more resinous in the dry down. And there are a number of notes listed that I'm unfamiliar with, like davana, red seaweed, and thornbush flower, specifically in the top, but since the fragrance starts out a bit sharper and ends up a bit smoother, as happens more often than not. Overall this is a nice fragrance, perhaps a little pricey for what it is, at $195 for 50ml (Luckyscent, Neiman Marcus, etc.) but still an intriguing entry that could be a cold weather winner for men or women alike, though it leans masculine to me. 7 out of 10

IT. C'è poco da dire riguarda questo profumo. In partenza: l'incenso con le note di mentolo, che poi circa dopo un'ora diventa l'incenso con le note ambrate di ambergris (comunque, sintetico). Secondo me non c'è alcun collegamento tra la lista degli ingredienti, rigorosamente stampata sulla bottiglia, e quelli che Agonist veramente abbia messo dentro la bottiglia, cioè - 3 ingredienti sintetici: l'incenso, mentolo e ambergris. Peccato, che per questa miscela da un soldo ti fanno sborsare €140 per una bottiglia di 50ml. EN. There is not much to say about this perfume. It starts with the incense and notes of menthol, then about an hour later becomes the incense with notes of amber (ambergris, however, synthetic). I'm sure, that there is no connection between the list of ingredients, carefully printed on the bottle, and those, which Agonist really put in the bottle - 3 synthetic ingredients: the incense, menthol and ambergris. Too bad that for this poor mixture you have to pay $190 for a bottle of 50ml.

Amber has never been done like this. This haunting beauty combines amber with some very eclectic and dark notes such as Thornbush, Seaweed, Davana, Labdanum, Vetiver, Tobacco, Incense, Cedarwood, Cypriol, Patchouli, Vanilla, Styrax and Sandalwood for a dark, austere and utterly unique fragrance. Perfectly unisex with moderate sillage and projection, this is for adventurous perfume lovers who are not expecting the usual bright floral ambers that predominate the market. Agonist is the Swedish answer to CDG, and their scents are somewhat off kilter, edgy and modern, but showcase traditional and not so traditional elements of perfumery. This one is no different; a modern, edgy and dark amber with a slight offbeat kick to its sweetness.

Mmmm good .. This smoke is elegant. The first 5 minutes I have an alcoholic aroma reminiscent of "Fabbri" sour cherries in syrup. In the following minutes I recognize whiffs of Nagarmotha, vetiver, labdano, styrax, oliban and vanilla. The sillage is lowered rapidly and blends harmoniously. The impression I have is that of a bonfire just turned off with the wet woods that smoke. In the style of Bois d'ascese and Route de vetiver with bitterness replaced by the sweetness of sour cherries. It remains like this until the end wiping a little on a mat of powder and patchouli. This is simple, well done, never offensive, pleasant to wear, mature and elegant (not screaming at all). VERY VERSATILE!!!