Ambre de Coco

Isn't it sweet, when your favorite perfumer returns to form? Russian Adam has had more misses than hits in past year. Atleast for me and my taste, all his offerings after Classic Collection I were, disappointing. In came, History of Attar Collection with highest number of fragrances in a single collection to date. To be honest, i was quite skeptical about it as most of these fragrances are based on Indian Attars that i have been using or atleast sniffing since childhood. And i was right, as none attracted my taste enough to warrant a full bottle. Then i tried, Ambre de Coco and ordered a bottle right away. In my humble opinion, Ambre de Coco is a return of Russian Genius. It has that classical Adam DNA that is found in many of his fragrances. And truth be told, i'm sucker for that signature DNA. Ambre de Coco is supposed to be based on a very popular Indian Attar, Shamama tul Amber but it is blended in such a way that you will not be able to tell, if you didn't know. My nose picks up cardamom right in the start along with animalic (for some people, pissy) musc. Musc remains ever so present even when the main player Cacao enters the game. Now Cacao in combination with Peach creates a chypre like effect but cacao overpowers everything in this concoction. Having said that, the scents never turns into overly sweet or gourdmanish at any stage and cacao doesn't behave like dark brooding chocolate but has powdery tone to it. Now either "oud" has been blended extremely well or the quantity is quite less because my nose, could not pick any prominent woody element. Overall tonality of this fragrance is vintage-esque and may remind you of Adam's past fragrances like Russian Oud (Cacao, Musc) and Antiquity (Peach, Amber) but it carries enough weight of its own and doesn't feel redundant. I don't like to talk about Performance when juice is that fresh but your will be glad to know that it is as good as any extrait from previous collections. It lasts on skin for over 8 hours while on clothes, you may get whiffs musky cacao even after 24 hours. Projection is quite low and stays in a close bubble. Ambre de Coco might not be my top Areej le Dore fragrance of all time but it doesn't change the fact that it gives us chance to experience next best thing to his discontinued masterpieces. I'm actually surprised that this one is still not sold out on his website. Yes, price is quite high for 48 ml bottle but i would still recommend it not only to regular ALD's fans but also to those are into unique, high quality indie fragrances.

My first Areej Le Dore along with Russian Oud II, which I haven't tested as much. I have about 80 niche fragrances mostly from the likes of Xerjofff, Kilian, Roja, Fragrance du Bois etc. But no Bortnikoffs or other 'artisanal houses' until this. My first impression is a blast of peach along with something animal, antique feeling, but also obviously bright. This then falls into focus with a fresh peach accord surrounded in a bed of cacao and creamy sandalwood, yet the feel is that of a classic chypre with gourmand touches. It is uplifting, sparkling even, yet hints at a deeper side from the start. It evolves to reveal the Indian spices, apparently distilled in the most traditional way possible, and gradually reveals oud, amber and oak moss at the core. It evolves slowly but always seems uplifting and complex, with peach and chocolate driving the core of the narrative. I absolutely love this. It is nothing like Russian Oud 2, which is less chocolatey, more salty and with more oud, darker and more incensy. Russian Oud is a serious complex and multidimensional scent, almost gourmand, but also a little churchy, while Ambre Coco is sexier and more versatile to the point I could wear it in the summer (not the hottest days), albeit a little less complex. Comparing the two is like comparing a Chambolle Musigny to a Gevry Chambertin - two different footprints altogether. This is also an EDP and projects more, while Russian Oud in an Extrait and is denser, but sits closer to the skin. Closest comparisons in my collection would be Xerjoff Via Cavour (peaches, chocolate and oud, but without the florals and Indian spices instead) and Roja Kuwait (dirty peach candy with oud and florals but no chocolate). In the end I think I like it more than Via Cavour or Kuwait - something magical and old school about it, but also sexy and modern. As a final note I spend a lot of time in Brazil and this last few months we had the worst heat wave in almost a decade and temperatures were 33-38 C with 50-70% humidity, yet my wife and I often wore Xerjoff gourmands like Via Cavour and La Capital without them ever feeling cloying. I get bored of too many freshies and so welcome a fragrance like Coco Amber that can give me something stunning and unique in any season of the year. Would easily have been able to pull this off in these conditions as it is less sweet and heavy than either Xerjoff.

I purchased a bottle from Areej Web site, after trying it. Areej has a distribution center in USA, so it came in a few days with good tracking info. I am rewriting my review after wearing it again this morning... At first I thought it was a lightweight Russian Adam oud fragrance. But this morning I'm understanding the brilliance of his perfumery skills in this masterful composition. Chocolate is said to have floral tones. Adam, as a gifted perfumer understands the essence of what pure chocolate smells like, and seamlessly blends it into a beutifull and deep spice and dark cacao fragrance accord! The cacao is replacing what florals normally add to a fragrance. This interplay of notes and accords are subtle and takes some time to see and appreciate. That's what makes this kind of fragrance art! It is one of the most wearable and approachable Russian Adam oud fragrances. Yet the oud is still more cheesy than any Bortnikoff oud I believe. - Even Lao Oud. The peach is subtle, and took a couple wearings to really see it. As you are enjoying the herbs and spices with dark chocolate; You begin to notice a pleasant bright fruity sweetness come in. It's the peach. The peach and light oakmoss give it that classic vintage chypre vibe. The base notes of amber, oud and Mysore sandalwood give it a creamy warm woody base accord. PS: After a few days, second wearing... Wow, it even got better. It breathed or maserated maybe? The oud is smooth and more intense with the dark cacao. It feels better blended now. I can't stop smelling my hand, and enjoying Ambre de Coco and watching and concentrating for changes and nuances. Way better than Lao Oud or Monarch. $100 more than those Bortnikoffs, it's worth it. After my bottle sat for a couple weeks, the peach note seems to pop more bright and fruity than before. This is like a vintage chypre with oud; Like Mitsouko with oud. Rating: 9.25/10 God bless you. John 3:16

Okay, perspective from a western nose. Firstly I thought I was ready for anything but this would be the first fragrance that I will not spray more than once while I am wearing it. Two test sprays at the shop, shout out to oligarch in Melbourne Australia and I felt like I had gone 10 rounds with a heavy weight, it actually bored into my brain, I had smelt nothing this complex and strong before. The peach and sandalwood dominate for a while then the full range of spices weave through it all. I sprayed it on a family member days later when I had recovered and the smell instantly filled the house. This is ridiculously powerful and will dominate due the foreign combo of notes. You cannot ignore this and I might save it for winter just so it tones down. This lasts easily a whole day and don’t get it on clothes, you have been warned. I am still trying to get my head around the scent profile, this is a welcome challenging fragrance. I do not think many western noises will have ever smelt something like this. Edit.. This is AWESOME

Man this one is special. I get a blast of peach and one of the most realistic non synthetic chocolates. The overall vibe reminds me of Ottoman Empire 3 without the rose, musk. Dark oudy chocolatey goodness with the spices keeping it warm and interesting. The oud in here reminds me of older style Areej Le Dore releases I love. This one, Mysore Incenza, La MItte are my fave from the collection so far.

What an absolute gem of a perfume this is. i have owned a bottle since it came out & lately i have been really enjoying it in the breezy nights. its an oudy, gourmandy, smoky heavenly perfume, comforting & seductive. has some animalic undertones probably from the peach & oud which makes it alluring unless your nose is not used to such materials. will def get a backup soon. imo this is a 9.99/10

Everything about this perfume is beautiful,except the horrible sprayer(especially for its quality)

this is incredible 100% worth it for the price IMO anybody intrested in selling PM please

This functions in the same way as Kiste -- you CANNOT smell your wrist (or wherever you sprayed) as it's just too sickly sweet at the spray source. You have to live off whatever wafts into your smell-zone (patent pending), or else you will just NOT like it. It does come off a little synth and over-processed peach, much like Kiste, and I would go as far as saying ONE SPRAY is all you need -- too much more, and, well, you'll find it asphyxiating. I do get a few traces of Russian Oud (as Kafkaesque kinda hinted at), but these are only ever brief and fleeting. There is the spice melange, but that too isn't anywhere near as strong as I hoped it would be. The chocolate is there, but it's not a dry, dusty type. It's quite dairy-milk heavy, but I feel like I may need to return to this a little later as I'm not sure. Definitely worth a second try, but I don't know how far we'll go after that...

I owned a bottle of this, enjoyed the actual smell and experience of testing it on skin, the quality was definietly there. Unfortunately, the actual wearing experience dissatisfied me, not because it smelt bad, it was just way too much for young me to handle. I had a walk in the forest and the projection would not leave my nose alone, I could not stop smelling it and even the flowers I found on the way all smelt Ambre de Coco. That left me with an ick of some sort. To the actual scent, A lot more oud is to be found from what nose comparatively to what I excpected. It is really dry with this cacao, not chocolate, cacao, as the name suggests. I would have liked it more if it was not as powedery and dry.

Interesting fermented peach or maybe peach liqueur opening. Spices lend a sort of cold feel at first. This is the fragrance from the collection og fans of areej will probably appreciate the most. I enjoy the use of oud here much more than in beauty and the beast. I detect a large dose of sandalwood here too. This is much more the classic Russian Adam we are used to. This to me is like a blend of 4 previous areej fragrances in one. Like ottoman empire, Antiquity, oud zhen, and Russian oud combined in some fashion or another. I like it more than oud zhen and ottoman empire. But not as much as Russian oud or Antiquity.

Skanky dark chocolate. Not something I would wear out but artistically very interesting. The dry bitterness of chocolate is highlighted along with pungent of Indian spice and a hint of that intensity from the oud. Reminds me of the traditional chocolate drink taken with hot pepper and no sweetness.

Smells kind of like dusty, slightly herbal peach candy. The kind thats been lying around your grandparents place for decades. Not necessarily a bad thing i suppose, maybe it will grow on me. Oud is there, but very much in the background, no rough edges to it either. In terms of mood i'd say it pretty cozy, not elegant or formal. The most 'vintage' smelling out of this collection of scents.

Yes this is Russian Adam but for me none of these scents of the new release will be in history. I don't like anyone to say "WOW". Even the original bottles were more beautiful, everything seemed truly handcrafted and unique, inside to, now not. If this is the new Russian Adam, it's not for me.

This perfume is way overpriced. It's interesting but very vintage, instantly transforms you into an old man. And I mean 80+ kind of senior citizen.

Q1: Do you like stale piss??? A1: Yes??? -AWESOME!!! (go to the next question...) A2: No??? -Then pass on this one!!! (no need to go on...) - Q2: Do you want to smell like stale piss??? A1: Yes??? -AWESOME!!! (go to the next question...) A2: No??? -Then pass on this one!!! (no need to go on...) - Q3: What about Grandma - Do you like her??? A1: Yes??? -AWESOME!!! (go to the next question...) A2: No??? -WTF??? That's Grandma... You don't like her??? (go to the next question...) - Q4: Do you like how she smells??? A1: Yes??? -AWESOME!!! (go to the next question...) A2: No??? -Then pass on this one!!! (no need to go on...) - Ok... Final question now... - Q5: Do you like how Grandma smells when she is covered in piss??? A1: YES!!! -OMFG!!! YES!!! AWESOME!!! A2: No??? -How did you make it this far only to fail on the last question??? It's a pass... - If you followed the flowchart to the bottom by answering yes to all of the questions then I think THIS is the fragrance you have always been looking for and could never find... However if you answered 'No' to any of these questions (Except the question about just liking Grandma - A "No" to that question just meant you are heartless and you have some serious soul searching to do... What do you think about late a night when you are all alone??? Wait... Actually... Don't tell me... I don't want to know what someone like you thinks about when it's just you and the Grandma hating voices in your head... All alone... Stop... I said don't tell me...) then PASS on this one because you are NOT going to like it... Just... Just don't do it... ALSO!!! Anyone that said this smells like ALD's "Antiquity" should go back to sleep... Forever...

i was really excited to try this but it became a huge scrubber for me (and boy is it hard to scrub off even one tester spray...). I can usually handle skanky fragrances like MAII or Oudh Infini even when they're not favourites don't know why this was so stomach turning. It's an interesting complex fragrance though, and as mentioned a little goes a LONG way. I would have still liked to try Antiquity - I wonder if the cacao is part of why I found this so rough.

AdC on my skin opens with an interesting musky, honeyed chocolate accord. The musk note in particular is synthetic and can be found across various ALD’s including Cuir de Russie, Oud Zhen, Antiquity, War and Peace, Civet de Nuit, Malik Al Motia and essentially any composition of Adam’s with that prominent “ old lady” vibe that some seem to comment on. AdC is essentially a combination of various accords found in every amber composition from Russian Adam. The peach is deep, slightly fermented with a tinge of urine sprinkled in the mix. It takes about 15 minutes for the peach to sparkle and become present but essentially AdC could be considered a chocolate covered peach incense composition. The Shamama isn’t really noticeable and if that aspect was left out of the marketing I don’t feel that anyone would say they smell it. This is tenacious for a few hours but remains persistent on skin for 24 hours due to the rather synthetic nature of the entire collection. This fragrance has been done better by Russian Adam in past releases namely Oud Zhen and Antiquity.

A classic chypre with an Indian twist. There are many things going on in the opening of Amber de Coco, I first get a smoky balsamic accord that reminds of a similar accord present in Oud Zhen, then there is a chocolatey resinous amber accord that’s present in Ottomon Empire with more emphasis on the chocolatey nuances due to the addition of cacao. There is a prominent sweet creamy peach aldehyde note. I also get some herbal sharpness coming from the Shammama attar. After a few minutes, the Shammama attar starts revealing its complexity, I get a dark dry spicy saffron-heavy notes combined with herbal and slightly anisic notes with hints of ambergris. The drydown is more of an oakmoss-heavy classic chypre with noticeable sandalwood and hints of oud. It’s very complex but sometimes I feel that the peach aldehyde is too prominent and it makes the scent too sweet.

Sweet but not too sweet, creamy slightly fermented peach , powdery cacao with Oud & amber with musk in the background creamy sandalwood & spices with earthy mossy undertone Chypre with Oud & spices with modern twist I think this one is the sweet spot for Adam’s work & his signature DNA is at the core of this fragrance. It’s complex & rich yet has a bit of an appealing tendency; not too heavy so you don’t need to have a veteran nose to accept it, nor generic & it’s unique enough to attract experienced noses as well. I believe this one should be added to his underrated list of creations & a perfect introduction to someone who wants to try Adam’s work for the 1st time. It’s vintage , classy, cozy & very comforting Performance here is remarkable & the ingredients used can’t get any better than this. A True class IG sir.fragrances