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!!!

I got a sample of this from the very kind SA at the Babaloo store at South Beach yesterday. Usually amber fragrances are not my thing, but was out on a sniffing expedition and asked for ANY samples and this was one of them. Lucky me... My first impression was of anise (I wonder if anyone else will pick up this same vibe?). I can add too that there is a subtle sweetness, and an ethereal smokey vibe also. It is a beautiful fragrance. This is unlike any amber scent I have yet encountered. I love the smell of black licorice and incense and I just seem to get that impression here! So, for those reasons I am a fan of this very appealing "amber" scent.

Brought this from NK Stockholm, great customer service I received. Now for the Fragrance, I agree with the hinting smell of liquorice which a few reviewers have mentioned, this is a challenging fragrance which pulled of well, meaning dress smart casually, will make other smell the fragrance wearer has confident dark and different. I love the scent but this isn't the one for those whom like the norm.

This gives me sophisticated cola cube mixed with church incense - there is something medicinal about it too - I know that sounds strange but I do like it quite a lot, to me it's an intriguing combination. Certainly sweeter than I was expecting from reading about it but the sweetness settles down. For me not one to wear on the day-to-day but for sophisticated evenings.

I don't know if it's a combination of my skin chemistry and nose, but the tobacco in this hit me like a ton of bricks and then faded away into nothing. I tried it a second time and did pick up on the notes other reviews have highlighted - liquorice, incense, pepper - but it's just too aggressive for me. The more traditionally pleasant notes aren't given enough room to balance out the darker, muddier notes, so you're really kinda left with a fragrance that challenges you without any payoff.

Upon first spray, you immediately get a trio of beautiful scents tickling your nostrils. Incense, soft sandalwood, and amber. This stuff doesn't project very well, which is probably for the best. Because after about 20 minutes, all you will smell is Incense. Church Incense. Which is great if you love that. But otherwise, it leaves you pretty unfulfilled, as it is VERY long lasting. So you will smell like Incense for a long, long time. After the initial 20 minutes, this smells identical to Montale Full Incense. So to be honest, if Incense is what you're after, you might as well go for the Montale. So much more bang for your buck.

I can't get over the opening. It's like a blast of cough syrup, or like the smell of anesthetized mint that smacks you in the face when you plop into the dentist's chair. Then it morphs into a stuffy mix of incense and earth. It's the kind of warm headiness you get a vintage record store where you know the employees not-so-secretly smoke pot. I wish I actually detected a trace of amber in this. My nose isn't skilled enough to pick up or appreciate the ambergris in this. I love incense, but this is unrelenting. Black Incense would be a better name.

I usually work well with this type of perfume, but after 15 minutes I smell like a lamb steak. Rosemary, some thyme and garlic - and lamb. I love a good lamb steak, but not sure I need to smell like one :)

عجيب هو ذلك الرابط بين الأنف و المخ :) ... كنت في وقت مضى أطالع علي الشبكة العنكبوتية مواضيع تتحدث عن البخور كمكون يدخل في صناعة العطور، و كذلك أثره في ممارسة كثير من الطقوس سوى كانت تعبدية باطنية صوفية أو جنائزية يرافق الموتى في بعض الحضارات للعالم الآخر ... قادني هذا البحث إلي ثراء الحضارة الفرعونية بكل ما يتعلق بالروائح من عطور أو بخور و إهتماهم بهذا الجانب. و أكثر ما لفت إنتباهي هو نوع مشهور من أنواع البخور، رغم قدمه لكن ما زال يعاد صناعته حسب مكونات المخطوطات، و هو بخور يسمى Kyphi ... هذا الخور "Kyphi" إضافة إلى كونه أشهر أنواع بخور المعابد، كان يستخدم كعلاج لعدد من الأمراض. و مصطلح Kyphi هو النسخة اللأتينية للترجمة اليونانية لكلمة Kapet المصرية و التي يعتقد أنها كانت تشير لأي مادة تستخدم لتنظيف و تعطير الهواء قبل أن يتم تطويرها و إستخدامها لنوع معين من البخور ... رغم أن النصوص الهرمية التي وجدت لم تؤكد الوصفة الفعلية و لا كل المكونات لكنها أشارت إلى كونه أحد الكماليات الفاخرة التي يتمنى كل فرعون في ذلك الوقت أن ترافقه للعالم الآخر ... و أشهر أنواع هذا البخور هو Edfu Kayphi الذي صنع خصيصا لمعبد حورس Horus و الذي وجدت مكوناته الأكثر تفصيلا منقوشة علي الحجارة الرملية للحائط العظيم داخل ما يعرف بالغرفة المكتبية للمعبد ... مكونات هذا البخور حسب الترجمات هي: المستكة، العنبر الراتنجي، عشبة الليمون، الأسبالاتوس "و هو مكون محل خلاف هل هي نبته أم غار صمغي"، رايزومات قصب الذريرة، النعناع، القرفة، النبيذ"للنقع"، الراتنجات، لبان البخور، العسل، المر ... أما ألية صنع هذا البخور فتقوم علي المزج بترتيب معين و التشريب و الغليان و التبخير لتعطي منتوج نهائي تصنع منه كريات بخور صغيرة ... حديثا و بعد إعادة تصنيع هذا البخور وجد أنه يعطي رائحة بخورية دخانية بلسمية حلوة مع وجود لمحات عشبية حمضية ... مزيج بهذه المكونات كفيل بأن ينقلك لذلك الزمان، بحيث تتخيل نفسك داخل ذلك المعبد و الأضواء الخافته و الأعمدة الشاهقة و التماثيل علي جانبي السرداب. و ذلك الجو الرطوبي المشبع برائحة ذلك البخور الذي يجمع بين الإحساس الطقوسي الصوفي التعبدي و ذلك الإحساس الجنائزي المقلق و تخيل تلك الهمهمات صادرة من تلك التماثيل ... - حسنا". لكن لماذا أتحدث عن البخور و العطر إسمه Black Amber ؟!! نعم. لكن لا أدري لماذا عندما تنشقت عبير هذا العطر قفز لذاكرتي ذلك الموضوع. أحسست أن هنالك رابط بينهما ... رابط قوي ... كما أني تخيلت دار Agonist إستخدمت حيلة Dan Brown التي يستخدمها في كتاباته و المعروفة ب "العبارات المتلبسة" في تسمية هذا العطر :) ... كان حري بها تسميته Dark Incense أو Dark Ceremonial ... فهنالك أوجه عدة تسبق العنبر في توصيف العطر، فهو في رأيي المتواضع عطر بخوري راتنجي عنبري خشبي ... يبداء العطر بإفتتاحية من البخور المدعم بشيئ، لا أدري ما هو،و الذي يجعلها أسيرية لكنها تتضخم مع مرور الوقت. كما أن هنالك لمحات دخانية خشبية و رائحة تشبه القرنفل ... تظهر بين الفينة و الأخرى لمحات لرائحة القرفة الباردة الحلوة تتخلل تلك الإفتتاحية ينتقل بعدها العطر لمرحلة تظهر رائحة العنبر و المعبر عنه هنا بمركب Ambroxan ذو الرائحة العنبرية الخشبية المسكية التابلية معززا بتوليفة حلوة سبايسية كأنها شراب كولا، ربما هي نتاج وجود الفانيلا و زهرة التبغ و العبهر في محاولة لتلطيف المكون الجاف ... الشيح رغم أنه من نوت الإفتتاحية لكنه يظهر متأخرا مع التوليفة السابقة بشكله العشبي اللاذع المر. كما و أنه في ظل تقهقر تلك التوليفة بمرور الوقت تظهر سيطرة البخور أكثر مع ظهور للباتشول الترابي و بشكل غير مريح، يكاد يصيبك بالعطاس :) ... رغم ظهور و إختفاء النوت في العطر بشكل منفرد أو شكل توليفات، لكن يظل جوهر العطر الأساسي هو البخور و ليس العنبر ... في رأيي المتواضع وجود هذا الكم من البخور و مولداته مع وجود نوت ذات ملامح خشبية، طغت علي الجانب العنبري للعطر مما جعله عطر روحاني طقسي لدرجة عكسية ... كما أن العطر رغم كل ذلك المكون لا يتمتع بدرجة فوحان عالية ... بصورة عامة و رغم عشقي لنوت العنبر لكن العطر و حتي بعد تكرار التجربة بدا لي محير باهت غريب، تحس معه بعنصر مفقود ... نفس الإحساس عندما تنظر إلي رواية ذات غلاف و عنوان واعد، لكن مجرد أن تبداء القراءة تصاب بخيبة أمل جراء الطرح الممل ... لا أنصح به حواء بأي حال ... و دمتم بود :) ...

A dry earthy and peppery amber, with smoky and salty facets which give it a subtle leathery undertone. The slight saltiness lent by the seaweed absolute certainly imbues this amber with interesting "touch-of-the-sea" nuances ,which one could argue lends it a more accurate true 'ambergris' approximation which other ambers tend to lack. So an ingenious and original choice of note which gives this amber it's own unique character. (And don't let said seaweed notes put you off, for whilst certainly present, it's use is subtle enough as could be easily missed unless focused on.) The 'earthiness' and ever-present 'smokiness' I imagine is mostly due to the cypriol/cyperus (nagarmotha) which usually tends to be so. Tho' it could also perhaps be from the amalgamation of the baser notes (perhaps even a particularly smoky vetiver variety, as some tend to be ?) It is however a rather different kind of 'smokiness' particular to the more usual cade or birch-tar, for example. It's difficult to explain exactly, but it's far less "bonfire" and more subtle peppery/earthy in quality. Here it reads more as a particularly smoky frankincense. Like one's smelling the burnt incense tears, smoke and all, from a lit censer (as opposed to just frankincense oil). ... There is also a subdued herbal presence in the background. But it's more like an indistinct melange of dusty dried herbs rather than freshly-picked 'green'. (Is that oregano I smell back there ??). And hiding beneath all this, the expected vanilla (for a typical 'amber-accord') is actually rather unexpected, for being surprisingly subtle and suppressed, used with such restraint that I'd say it's probably the perfect amber for a 'vanilla-o-phobic'. (Tho' personally I'd have preferred more vanilla with all that lovely smokiness. (Two notes I find most complimentary.) Another thing that's kept in check is the sweetness, it's overall a far more dry than sweet amber. And tho' I personally don't mind sweet balsamic ambers, I'd actually say that Black Ambers' dry resinous aspect is probably it's most alluring quality. And whilst this amber is certainly dark and intriguing, there's also something lacking for me that I can't quite put my finger on. Being a big amber luver a good 'amber' frag practically leaves me weak at the knees, Black Amber unfortunately, for whatever reason, just doesn't. Bottom line - there are just better, more captivating ambers & for a better price. (Tho' the newer 'non-sculpture' flacons certainly make these far more affordable.

Black Amber Agonist for women and men العنبر الأسود للرجال والنساء من شركة أجونيست موعدنا مع أول عطور هذه الشركة السويدية الحديثة حيث أنها أطلقت أول عطورها العشرة سنة 2008م وآخرها سنة 2013م. تعتمد شركة أجونيست على أمرين في إصدار عطورها: (الخامات الطبيعية - الزجاجات الكريستالية يدوية الصنع) مما قد يجعل عطور هذه الدار مرتفعة القيمة. غير أنها تقوم بتعبئة عطورها في زجاجات عطرية غير كرستالية مما يخفض كثيرا من التكلفة الإجمالية. وإن كانت عطورها في جميع الأحوال من عطور النيش المرتفعة القيمة. سأكتب مكونات العطر دفعة واحدة على غير العادة وهي: الافتتاحية: البخور - الشيح - الأعشاب البحرية - بلسم الراتينج القلب: الفيتيفر - خشب الأرز - اللبان العطري - أزهار التبغ - زيت نبات السُعدة (ريحان القصاري) القاعدة: عنبر الحوت - الباتشولي - أخشاب الصندل - فانيليا مدغشقر - اللبان الجاوي. عطر العنبر الأسود قد تكون نسبة إلى لون العنبر الذي يلفظه حوت العنبر والذي أحيانا يكون أبيضا أو أسودا أو يميل للحمرة. ولكني أيضا أعتقد أنه ربما يكون رمزا لشيء غامض يضمه هذا العطر. (عنبر الحوت - البخور - الشيح - اللبان والراتينج العطري) هذه هي جوهر العطر والعطر كما هو واضح من مكوناته ذاخر بكافة أنواع اللبان والراتينج العطري وهي مولدات قوية لمادة البخور. فما هو البخور الموجود في افتتاحية العطر ولم يفصح عن تكوينه بشكل صريح. أكاد أجزم أنه تفوح منه رائحة راتينج المستكة المصرية الذي كان يستخدمه قدماء المصريين في المعابد كبخور وكانوا يسمونه "عطر ارضاء الألهة" مع انطلاق العطر ستجد أن المكان من حولك يموج بكافة أنواع الأبخرة الفاخرة الروحانية الشرقية والغربية معا من أخشاب العود والمستكة واللبان الصومالي المر والجاوي شديد الفوحان والقوة بل وألمح بين الحين والآخر وجودا للزعفران الجاف المضاف لهذا الخليط الرائع. وسرعان ما تنطلق الرائحة العشبية القوية ذات الطابع المر لنبات الشيح لتكون أفضل تمهيد لدخول عنبر الحوت شديد القوة الذي يختلف كثيرا عن عنبر الكهرمان النباتي ذا الطابع السويتي الآن يمكنك أن تعلن عن اكتمال العناصر الأساسية لهذا العطر الغير معقد. هذا الخليط هو الذي سيصحبك من أول العطر لآخره وجميع ما هو مكتوب من مكونات بنوتات العطر فهي ستكون وقودا مكملا لمادة العطر الأساسية. فستزيد الأخشاب العطرية والفيتيفر من قوته. والفانيليا ستلطف من أجواء العطر حتى لا تنزعج من مرارة المكونات الأساسية له. وأما زهرة التبغ وزيت الريحان فسيصعدان من فوحان العطر بشكل مثير. العطر يمثل ملحمة روحانية رائعة. إذا كنت من محبي هذه الأجواء ذات الآفاق اللانهائية فلا تتردد في اقتناء العطر، وأعدك أنك ما أن تجربه حتى يصيبك الخوف من نفاده قبل الحصول على واحدة أخرى. يصدر العطر على عيئة ماء عطر في عبوات سعة 50 مل كرستالية باهظة التكلفة، وأخرى عادية في حدود 140$

This fragrance is built around sweet licorice, coriander and almond. It actually smells like Scandinavian salty licorice candies. It starts with a burst of fresh aromatic herbs and settles into campfire embers. No ambergris detected. Reminds me of Kerosene's Black Vines because of this overabundance of licorice. Licorice is such a strong note that it overshadows all other notes that otherwise could be quite interesting, so it needs to be added into perfume very carefully. Both fragrances would benefit from toning down licorice a bit. Interesting - I'm reading about licorice now, and it turns out that love or hate of licorice is genetic, unlike other smell preferences that are mostly learned. And this could be due to our associations with its slightly sweet taste that many people genetically dislike. Hmm... Black amber is quite interesting and pleasant if you sniff it close from the skin after 2 hours, but not so interesting in the opening in projection. So yes, it's very versatile, it evolves over time, but I personally would prefer more consistency between the opening and the drydown.

I got my hands on this scent when I bought Agonist sample box. I have tried all the fragrances, and are writing reviews and my opinions on their works. So what do I get out of this fragrance? It's a really earthy spicy scent with a wierd composition of smokey whiskey and smokey amber. It reminds me almost of Patchouli 24 by Le Labo which I find really unpleasant. It's not a sweet Amber and really has no clear notes of amber. It is said to smell like wet forest ground, but I do not share this view, instead I'm thinking camping in the wilderness or boy scout camps. It has a almost unappealing scent of fake smoke bbq sauce or seared meat at a campfire. It's not at all a feminine scent and I really find it quite unpleasant, so I'll hurry to the bathroom to wash this one off.. Anyway it is a NOIR/dark/black scent so it is entitled to its name. I really think that it is a love or hate frag. Overall rating: 3/10

A pleasing, semi-sweet incense that hovers somewhere between dramatic and conventional. There’s an herbal quality, sweetened by a meek candied note that’s merged with bitter facets of cypriol and algae (although both are dialed way back). Individual notes are hard to isolate as the scent unifies into a linear swirl of purple and gray shades. The texture is plush velvet, and the sound is the harmonic drone of a singing bowl. It acts sultry and enigmatic without straining a muscle, and, name aside, it has affinities to Matriarch’s Blackbird, Puredistance’s Black, and Nasomatto’s Black Afgano. Minimal and transparent it’s not, but weak and overly diluted it is. It’s nothing special, but it certainly could have been. Although projection and longevity aren't important to me, this only lasts about an hour or so.

This is my first approach to Agonist perfumes and the one I was more eager to try along with Hope. The pyramid is promising since it has a bunch of notes I am recently interested in (incense, olibanum, papyrus, seaweed, artemisia...) and I am not disappointed, it's a nice perfume, true reminiscent to the amber family with an evocative and unexpected freshness. However I think it lacks going a step further, it's a bit less I was hoping all over pitch: less edgy, less arty, less daring and defying and it has less projection and longevity than I imagined as well, specially considering the entire line is also available in truly amazing artisanal crystal vessels that deserve being in a museum. Hope I can try 'Hope' pretty soon, because I am always willing to be coaxed out by a cypress.

If you love black pepper and amber then this is right up your nose when you first smell it! However, it does dry down to a gentler black pepper with amber - almost into a pink pepper as well? Overall, for me and in my opinion there is a little too much pepper in this and I think it overpowers the amber! Not long lasting unfortunately :( Someone compared this to Avignon - I disagree I just smell too much pepper to even mention frankincense !!! It does, however become insensy after a time. Sadly, that lasts about as long as a piece of bread slathered in molten melted cheese - about 10 mins! As an Amber perfume I am at a loss as to where the Amber really is combined with the pepper it is overwhelmed - and I love Amber - sorry not good enough for the price on this one!

This is a prime example of never judge a fragrance unless you have worn it on skin. The smell of this fragrance on a sample vial stick vs. the dry down on skin are night and day. I get a wonderful woody incense with a soft smoky velvet Amber on the dry down on my skin. I do believe there are other options out there that will perminate the same scent, however I could say that about every scent I suppose. This is definitely worth putting on your skin and waiting at least a hour before you judge it. I'm glad I did because after smelling it off the stick in the vial tube, I almost passed. I had no idea this fragrance was about to literally bloom before me on my skin. Amazed :) 8.5/10 overall

if there is an incense flavored gum drop, this is it. nothing really "black" unless one counts the similarity to black liquorice candy. something very tailored, black and white. "smartly" turned out. spring on fifth avenue by the park maybe going to the metropolitan to see a clothing designer retrospective. sunny cool something floral in the air. nice juxtaposition of the incense and sweet. 11/07/20: 2nd wearing. seems less sweet and more incense. cedarlike. being inside an old cedar wardrobe. enveloping. 1/21/21: 3rd wearing. my bottle is running out. oh no!. it has been discontinued. agonist website: "we have moved on." double oh no? ebay found a bottle. oh yes!

A sweetish incense-centered concoction which I find both interesting and disappointing at the same time. Pros: The quality of the incense is great. More leaning towards the one in L'Eau Trois and Messe De Minuit than to, say, Avignon or Preludio D'Oriente. Botloads of other resins and woods such as styrax, cypriol, cedarwood and sandalwood enhance the dry character while vanilla provides a sweetish facet to slightly smooth the fragrance. Cons: Not as potent as I expected, somewhat short-lived and a tad too linear...The seaweed note in the opening is meh. Fortunately it recedes very quickly... Rating: 6.5-7/10

Phwoar! Smouldering, smokey awesomeness. Black Amber kicks off with what I'd describe as a concentrated cherry cola vibe, suspended within a thick fog of amber-infused smoke. The cherry overtones all but vanish after about fifteen minutes, leaving a hint of sweetness in its wake. Thereafter, you're left with a dense, complex amalgam of resins and incense. The normal retail price for this niche scent in my country is the equivalent of $US180.00. I scored it on sale for $US85.00. What a steal for this stunning creation. Potent staying power and presence, administer with care. Wickedly good.

Very smokey and bitter. Although it becomes more rounded after a few hours, it never becomes anything like some of the more conventionally sweet amber fragrances I've come across such as Ambre Sultan. The bitter blackness lasts hours and hours on my skin. Although innovative and unique, I personally find it too dark and medicinal to be appealing for everyday wear. Though if you find most amber fragrances out there too syrupy, this may be a good one.

Oh man, I'm super-high right now, rollin' on mahjoun. I've just applied this hedonistic Agonist creation - resinous, sensuous, exotic stuff. And I'm listening to 'Bitches Brew' - Miles Davis at his free-form best. It's a perfect storm. PS: I love the way they've listed incense twice in the ingredients printed on the bottle. Is it a mistake, or does it signify that this scent is not messing about when it comes to deep, rich smokiness?

I agree very much with the review below! only difference is that I like the opening most :D just the few first minutes. There's something fruity maybe black currant or cassis which fades away quite instantly and leaves room to a lot of olibanum and vanilla. Some very faint green notes and salty ones. too strong on incense and olibanum for me, but a great fragrance if these notes are down your alley!

earthy spicy incense with dark tobacco Ambergris accompanies a hint of sweet. the cedar & patchouli are detected in the dry down. the Styrax is harsh in here mixed with the incense. this fragrance is too strong and dark, quite offensive and very powerful as it hits hard a bit & sometimes i feel like it's missing something i really wonder what! a creamy dry down as well! why??

the opening is salty like a single malt, smokey, wet, a bit mentholic- and sweet. later it actually smells like the mixture of the above pyramid listed notes, warm incensy, herbal, more sweet than before, resinous. lot's of beautiful calm olibanum in the drydown. no breaking news, but nice and I guess comfortable on a cold winter's day.

Extremely similar to La Habana from 19-69. Performs maybe just a smidge worse - neither of them perform especially well on me. Smokey, incensey and somewhat herbacious amber scent with maybe 45 minutes of projection where I can smell it on myself without trying. Only barely hanging on as a skin scent after about 5 hours.

Dark amber. Very cool and modern. I smell a lot of black pepper here and it's not even listed. It literally made me sneeze. Aside from that I think it's very well made fragrance.

an excellenty blended dark, woody incense fragrance. Resinous woods, light, bright edges and a smoky feeling without smelling like cigarettes or campfires. Very nice.

Beatiful and long lasting perfume, reminds a lot of Tom Ford Amber Absolute