Belly of the Whale

A very recent addition, one that I'm glad I added. I was looking for something a little aquatic but also a bit different. I found it, although Initially I didn't realise. On first wearing, I was hit with an amber that reminded me of a harshly spiced cola, not unpleasant but not what I was looking for or expecting. Within minutes though, the spices died back a little, just enough to reveal an amber no longer reminiscent of cola but a smooth golden version with a beautiful side serving of sea salt. Over the next several hours it evolved a little more aquatically but always with a rich amber accompanied by a constant background of ambergris and a very gentle touch of vanilla, only adding to the beautiful saltiness. Magic. It never dominates but you'll know it's there, as will anyone within a metre or two for 3-4 hours, then it comes in a little closer. So not a total beast but not a million miles away either. I'm glad it's not on this occasion as it's beauty lies in its smooth profile, but it'll stand it's ground against most other fragrances....and then some! It's not my favourite genre, to be fair it straddles a few of them and would be unfair to label it in any particular one. It's amber, it's aquatic and also aromatic. I don't really know where it belongs! Actually, I don't think it matters! It just does what it does in a compelling way. It's just lovely, well crafted with a story to tell. It's not there to compete with Megamare or Black sea, it just does it's own thing and offers a more gentle approach rather than other a hardcore seafaring experience with waves smashing you into oblivion and seaweed hitting you full on the nose. I generally love and look for that feeling with the above mentioned titans! There are many days when that's what I'm looking for, others I want to take a step back but still enjoy something with an oceanic vibe, this is it! All bases covered. Beautifully distinctive.

⚜️Belly of the Whale is a deep, atmospheric fragrance inspired by the silent weight of the ocean depths and the strange warmth that exists where light barely reaches. The opening is crisp and saline, like a breath of air taken on the deck of a drifting ship. Salt, marine notes, watery accords and ozone create a clean, mineral freshness, slightly metallic, while mandarin adds a brief spark of brightness — like sunlight flashing on waves just before the descent. At the heart, the fragrance grows darker and more sensual. Ambergris and amber blend with salty, aquatic notes, revealing a warm, slightly animalic character with a mineral, ocean-worn feel. Dry woods add structure and depth, evoking old shipwrecks shaped by time, water, and silence. The base is rich, smooth, and long-lasting. Ambergris returns with greater intensity, joined by vanilla, musk, and subtle animalic notes that give the scent a raw, instinctive sensuality. Benzoin resin brings a soft balsamic sweetness, while sandalwood wraps everything in a creamy, calming warmth — like stillness at the bottom of the sea.

Anomalous Parfum’s Belly of the Whale bears a striking resemblance to Rania J’s Ambre Loup - both centered around a gorgeous, resinous amber. This has a subtle marine undercurrent. It’s absolutely addictive; I genuinely can’t stop smelling it. The composition opens a touch salty and settles into a warm base of vanilla and ambergris. There is less of a marine touch than anticipated; it's more of a 'salt' smell, but I love the amber so very much that I cannot allow that to undermine the fragrance. 10/10.

Incredibly pleasant and comfortable grey amber. The scent is strongly marine and enjoyable — definitely salty and ambery ! But what captivated me the most is that driftwood accord. A fantastic fragrance. One of those I’ll be using often. I’ve purchased the bottle, and I’m sure that once I use it up, I’ll buy another one if it’s still available.

they finally added it! I have a full bottle of this and I can easily say this is a 10/10. Im not super knowledgeable on animalics, but this is one of the most warm and inviting scents I own. It’s very smooth on the nose and extremely easy to wear, along with being long lasting. So glad I blind bought this!

An expedition through the warm embrace of a whales belly, engulfed in salty ambergris and the edges rounded with woods and warm benzoins. Superbe!

Agree with the other reviews regarding the profile, don't get much saltiness but the amber dry down is beautiful. Well priced also.

Whoever says it’s similar to in the belly of the beast hasn’t smelt neither lol

Very good fragrance in my opinion. At the start it comes off a bit harsh. I don’t exactly know what ambergris smells of but in this it reminds me a lot of oud when mixed with the woody and salty notes, not my go to but I like it. Where it shines however in my opinion is with the vanilla that blends in and compliments the rest of the notes nicely. As it dries down the vanilla becomes more prominent which is nice. Overall I do like it but it would only work in the colder seasons. I’d give it a 7.5 and would recommend if you are into ambergris / oud

this is a nice warm ambery scent, i dont understand where the whole belly of the whale came from, i expected an ambergris fragrance, the price is okay but im disappointed about it not being marine/salty at all !

I am begging for the marine and animalic notes I was anticipating, but my cries are answered by a warm, resinous vanilla. I tried letting my bottle macerate, but the performance is still the same. If you’re looking for a powerful amber fragrance with great longevity and projection, Belly of the Whale is a slam dunk. If you’re expecting anything oceanic, you’ll be disappointed. The perfumer might want to consider thinking of a new title for this creation. The name is extremely misleading.

I had really high hopes for this fragrance through all the hype but when recieved my 5ml decant i was dissapointed sadly. It smells like olives or olive water and its probably coming from the marine salty notes and the ambergris. The opening is too harsh for me and it makes my stomach turn slighty. I also made sure to test it with someone else just to see if it was my nose but they said it didnt smell good. this is for the first 30 minutes of wearing it. After the fragrance has fully dried down in the hour and a half mark its less of the olive smell but still there and not sure which note it is but i can pick up on the vanilla and amber very slighty but atp the fragrance is almost gone from my wirst. Ill give it more test tries see if my nose develops to it but so far not something i would wear. Decant is legit since it has the floating musk you useally see with Anomalous perfumes inside floating in the juice.

Not smelling good. Not wearable.

At first, the smell hits me with a damp, musty, unpleasant note. But before I can even react, it pulls me into a pirate’s world. I’m on an old ship, drifting in the wild sea. The salty air mixes with metallic and wet wood scents, like a ship long past its prime. Suddenly, the waves grow stronger... and stronger still. Chaos erupts around me — wine barrels spill, fruits ferment, people panic and rush in confusion. The noisy breathing, the clattering steps, the rising tension — all uncontrollable. The scent of sour wine and fermented fruit floats around, pressing down on my chest like a wave of anxiety. Then... “Vwing.” Everything suddenly falls silent. The chaos softens, like a fleeting pause in a storm. Though my senses slowly return, my nerves aren’t fully awake yet. Only a faint animalic, salty, and slightly fishy note lingers — not heavy or overwhelming, but clear enough to know something big is near. I turn toward the back of the ship. A massive whale’s mouth opens wide, ready to swallow the whole vessel. Its breath is wet, salty, and unmistakably animalic, with a hint of ambergris that’s hard to describe. It’s not nausea or sickness — it’s the raw presence of a gigantic creature. My head spins from how fast everything unfolded. I grab my grandmother’s smelling salts, take a deep breath... and the story ends.

thought i was ready to smell something like this, but nah can really appreciate it for what it is though. very unique, and i can definitely see the Ani statement made below but i mean this is like a 7th cousin to Ani that one you only see every few years. a little too much for me personally. i also just am not a fan of amber whatsoever so that mixed with the the ambergris is kinda throwing me into overdrive lmao. it's a heavy fragrance for sure if that makes sense. doesnt really have a lightness to it at all, but i'd go to say this is absolutely nothing like what you think it smells like. heavy ambergris/amber into a vanilla, hard wear but if you like amber this is spot on.

This scent will vary based on its age , my older bottle has a greenish hue after a while very salty very pungent but not in an off putting way. My newer bottle is airier , more ozonic. Not aquatic and not supposed to be , this evokes the sensation of being trapped inside a whale. Slight ozonic freshness for the first 30-45 minutes then a salty sweet warmth takes over almost like salted caramel, a unique driftwood accord accompanies it which is phenomenal the Animalics are faint and not off putting this is a very good perfume

On paper this really reminds me of Nishane's Ani. Yes.. I know it's crazy. But on paper its like 90% Ani, just less repugnantly sweet and also lacks the elderly-feel of Ani. Over time on the paper it starter to smell more crisp; like harsh wind while standing on a beach staring into a stormy ocecan.

This is beautiful. I have owned 2 Anomalous perfumes before and while they were beautiful and unique they just weren't me. I passed them on knowing there are many people wanting these rare little cubes of art. This one is for sure a keeper.

Salty, aquatic, ambery, juice looks on point 👌 so does the smell, if you wanna smell like a beach day trip this is the one, creativity on its finest. Never go wrong with zakariya🥇

For me, Old carpet/Rug shop mixed with delicate vanilla. Nice but not at all what I was expecting even remotely and I wouldn’t purchase

Not really getting this marine ambergris vibe that others seem to be suggesting. This to me is very similar to TF's Amber Absolute.