Amber Cologne

Amber Cologne vs Musk Cologne. Amber Cologne has a fresher tinge of citrusy from grapefruits. It is brighter and lighter than Musk Cologne. On the quick opening, I can detect some indolic quality and stinkiness that could be from the oud or jasmine. But it goes away quickly, and the freshness comes. It is a different kind of citrus from what you usually smell in European perfumery (mainly bergamot). The citrus here could be perceived as a cheap concentrated juice at first, but it stands out, it differentiates, and I do not get bored of it, I keep coming back to it. And in the air too, it is addictive. Despite the name, the ambergris here is only a supporting actor. It gives a quality saltiness, it is easily missed or overshadowed by the citrus and the sandalwood, but that slightly saltiness is what makes Amber Cologne interesting and addictive. Amber Cologne is a blessing during the opening and the heart, but it dissipates quickly about 2-3 hours into a skin scent that gives almost nothing except a good floral-y sandalwood skin scent, which I have to literally breath in and out directly on the skin to smell. Musk Cologne has a sweeter citrus opening with a kick of RICH green but slightly indolic floral concoction. The florals are so well-blended, there are creamy quality of tuberose, and custardy ylang-ylang, but you can't tell which is which. They are just PERFECTLY-blended to dance around the citrus opening. The citrusy here can be perceived as the way I said above for Amber Cologne, but yes, here is also addictive and distinctive. Musk Cologne continue to GIVE even in the drydown. You will smell the sexy muskiness of the Siberian musk with a fainted citrus. It lasts longer, and easier to detect from your skin than Amber Cologne. You can choose between the two. Amber is light and floral-y refreshing with a more discreet performance. Musk is a bit of a better performer, with tinge of pissy dirtiness from the musk. If you are in for the material, the musk in Musk Cologne is definitely worth it, since it will eventually be a main thing in the dry down. Whereas the ambergris in Amber Cologne is a subtle player/ like Lana Del Rey back up vocal in Taylor Swift's "Snow on the beaches", it could feel like you pay for a grain of salt to put on your citrus juice. Also there is Escale En Indonesie from Les Indemodables which acutally amp up the highest quality of ambergris in cologne concentration that you would be sure to smell. I am nitpicking here but you cannot go wrong with either one. The floral game by Bortnikoff is SUPERIOR. Both Musk and Amber are top tier citrus cologne.

What a fantastic perfumer Bortnikoff is! I generally prefer niche brands that utilize a higher percentage of naturals over synthetic chemicals, but Bortnikoff stands above just about anything that I have tried (Areej Le Dore, Sultan Pasha, and Roja excluded).The overall smell of not just this but most of his works are fantastic. It really does feel like this is how perfume is supposed to be, but for obvious cost effective reasons it is easier to rely on synthetics as with most perfumery nowadays. The opening is simply exquisite with a wonderful trademark Bortnikoff frangipani, orange, and bergamot. The citrus elements here start with a bang but fade into a more floral nuanced middle. The frangipani here is quite heavily used as it carries along well into the middle before taking a backseat in the end. (1.5/2 hours before the middle clearly gives way) The middle is my favourite part because it has two transition points for me. The immediate middle has a wonderful combination of jasmine and frangipani that smells like you're walking through a floral patch on a hot day after it rained. This initial middle gives way for a heavier and thicker later middle, as the woods start to take shape with a wonderful sweet ambergris in the base. The later middle is very "comfortable" if that makes any sense. The woodiness just radiates warmth for me for a couple hours before we get to the base. (A solid 3-4 hours in this transitional middle). The base is clearly crafted and blended to perfection, as it probably has one of the mildest natural oud smells that I have ever smelt. The oud here is very clean which is not something I'm accustomed to. Although, the oud plays a very mild role as I get more of a wonderful sweet vanilla and salty ambergris, which gives me a very sensuous beach vibe. (This portion of the fragrance gives me a good 4-5 hours even in the heat). All in all, for a highly concentrated natural based perfume the experience is around 10 hours of wear. It may not appear like Bortnikoff is really anything fantastic, as most people like to hype brands, but this house is really something special. This is easily in my top 3 favourite spring/summer wear for just about any occasion. Fantastic creation from an interesting house! 10/10 I could not be more pleased😁

OK so I am a fanatical Bortnikoff groupie. Bortnikoff amazes me with their deep understanding of fragrance and essence. How can a fragrance be so light and delicate but have a full, gratifying, voluminous quality? How can a fragrance be so fresh yet have a real, full, snootful of just... plain... joy. I bet you didn't know that turned you on did ya? Wow, wow, wow This fragrance has a richness to it. Not exactly cheap but so fairly priced for what you are getting. What you get: an exclusive multi-dimensional journey to the deft, sensuous, deep breathing world of Bortnikoff. Your body scent is really factored in here making Bortnikoff a natural, sensous, and pure joy. Not that many houses can do that in my arrogant, megalomanical, evangelical, full-of-crap opinion. (That was just for fun--sorry.) Bortnikoff product line is broad and brilliant. The lights are playful, the animalics are dark, stormy and not for the faint of heart. Can you find your way back? Do you want to?! That is Bortnikoff. Mere mortals can buy in through Scent Split. Go 15 mil cos you're probably gonna like the whole line up. Quality and depth of knowledge is here at Bortnikoff. You see. . . you are going to the mountain with this house. I am building steadily. Bortnikoff is not kid stuff. Oh the fragrance--yeah. For how sophisticated Bortnikoff is, this one is just plain, good fun. The Jasmine Sumbac is unrivaled, and the Oud Sri Lanka will not pound you. A fresh open of Sweet Orange, Frangiapani, Virginia Cedarwood draws in the uninitiated. This parfum is accessible, it is a hit designed to delight people. Considering the darkness, and richness Bortnikoff can cast, what gorgeous shimmering light comes from this one. ( I must admit. . . I do have several of the heavy Bortnikoff. If you're gonna get heavy show some taste with Bortnikoff. Just pay.) Bortnikoff is not the diet food of fragrance. Hell no. It is full, fearless and way ahead. However, this Cologne is a light, not-too-sweet lemon tarte. The crust is not overworked. The point: the details. THAT is Bortnikoff.

I don't know a lot about Frangipani other than that they are used in Lei's, they look fruity and exotic as if the petals were fashioned from wax and probably smell delightful. This perfume is a shocker for me in the best kind of way. It's very much all of the sweet white floral bouquet from what I perceive as jasmine, with nothing impacting, overly heavy and certainly little indole to speak of. Right off the bat there's citrus with an orange/Mandarin biased accord which lasts throughout. It's juicy and vivid and coupled with the jasmine (Frangipani too evidently) it smells like a recreation of orange blossom...but in truth, Amber Cologne is much more appealing to my nose. I love this fragrance and I didn't want to because it's been hyped by at least one real arsehole in the 'community' and loads of legit folks too but it seems to be flavour of the month and although I try to say I'm above all the hype n such, I'm one of the worst for it and seek out every hype job going hoping I can bash them! :) I'm a sad man. Usually to no end though, as the initial hype is real (from legit sources) then some of the secondary hype is from the followers who look at trends and buy (or scavenge) perfume after seeing it being talked about. Bortnikov seem to have fallen victim to that (only in my judgemental eyes) and I was like 'yeah yeah...finest oud, Russian Adam, re branding etc... but the two I've tried (both very floral) have completely redefined what I think about 'that' kind of fragrance. Amber Cologne is delightful though really, stunning in fact, I can't smell the ambergris as such but the fixative quality bind everything together and there's a vaguely aquatic seabreeze smell and 'island' effect produced, with maybe some creaminess from sandalwood in the base? I loved it.

Thankful I came upon this without reading or hearing any hype about the brand. The dauber I’m sampling came with another order from Lucky Scent. The name, Amber Cologne, is too generic and does not match the incredible scent coming out of this bottle. I’m not sure where to begin, but this is f*ing gorgeous. Amber Cologne opens bright with citrus notes — orange, grapefruit, bergamot, lemon — all taking the drivers seat. I’d have to wear it again to get any further detail about which citrus note is dominant but the citrus stays through the drydown. Then the heart of the scent; a walk through a tropical, lush, wet garden with a pair of lovely flowers, jasmine and frangipani. Real ambergris brings the ocean salt and marine air with just a fraction of a drop. Dry down notes includes vanilla and sandalwood. And I had a revelation. I guess I do like real oud, because it’s used here. Not sure I’ve ever smelled oud from Thailand (or Vietnam?) It’s probably a tiny amount as I can’t fully detect it. Arms length projection with above average longevity, probably thanks to the light oud note (it’s very light, mixed in with other woods) Amber Cologne is an easy to wear, warm weather masterpiece. EDIT: less than 24 hours after my initial wearing, I bought a bottle. I was prompted to do so when I read that this scent was from a small batch, and when it’s gone there’s no guarantee it will be back. Now I’m the proud owner of one 50 ml bottle. I will treasure it for many years. EDIT: 8.10.19 I’m wearing this with two full sprays, love it more than I can say in words. One of my all time favorites. EDIT: 6.29.22 The scent has, somehow, gotten deeper and more long lasting. I believe this might be due to maceration.

My rating was 8.5/10, I think of my 700 reviews I have maybe 15 fragrances that have 10/10. This is 10/10. It's even better than I first thought. The Ambergris is the star. It's a very unique note. It's a musky Ambergris with oud accord. The lemon and citruses are great, florals are elegantly blended. The whole composition is very well crafted, many great fragrance accords. A long lasting freshly, with great depth. Very nice and unique. I have 150 mostly niche fragrances. So I appreciat how difference this is. YSL M-7 Fresh, really got me collecting hard 7 years ago. It was the original great fresh Oud fragrance. It had oud, ginger and mandarin orange basically. I will give a short first impression: The amber is not labdanum like in so many amber fragrances. This is a spicy, musky Ambergris. Creed uses it a lot. It was originally a wale vommit. But now synthetically made. I just heard from YouTube Mr smelly, that the Ambergris used here is natural, not t synthetic. A first for me in fragrance. In the first hour, the Oud and Ambergris are the main accord, very nice and different. Then you have a strong lemon citrus. The florals are in the background smoothing out the whole. After the first hour, it changes quite a bit. The fragipani really comes to the fore, and is very tropical. The sharpness of the musky Ambergris fade some to let the fragipani become the star in the mid to dry down. Rating: 10/10 God bless. John 3:16

This may be the easiest to love fragrance I've ever owned. I have noticed batch differences, although they don't actual piss me off for once. They do seem to be batch variations rather than a reformulation, if that makes sense. All of the same notes are there, they are just balanced differently. So the batch that you prefer will just come down to personal preference, but there are different aspects that I enjoy in both the old and new. I'd also like to add my two (s)cents to the performance debate. This is named "cologne" although it's an EDP. To me, that's Bortnikoff suggesting to you the nature of the fragrance. Like people have mentioned, this fragrance has a fantastic first half that will dissipate a little faster than its peers. The real meat of Amber Cologne is the opening and all of its top notes, so like it's namesake it's not meant to stick around, and nor would I expect it to with the amount of natural ingredients used. But what I love about what Bortnikoff did with this scent is that instead of letting it vanish entirely like 4711, he gives it a solid base of ambergris and jasmine that will stick around for a day, albeit softly, to remind you of how fantastic that opening was. That just might give you the encouragement you need to spray it once more, so you can experience it all over again. Unisex with a slight feminine lean but it's so good I couldn't care less, no matter the situation. 10/10

Maybe I'm crazy but this smells extremely similar to Musk Khabib for me - maybe slightly less musky/mossy - but other than that the tropical "ylang ylang" vibe smell is pretty much the same. I thought this was to have way more pronounced ambergris but I guess either that's not the case or my nose is not trained enough to sense it yet. I don't think I can say i get a "citrus" vibe from it at all, maybe a light tang. Either way it's a fantastic fragrance, very unisex, floral, tropical, but has that familiar bortnikoff animalic DNA it's the "lightest" (as opposed to "heavy") one I smelled so far from the house, and still is heavier than most summer fragrances I suppose. I don't know if I'd call it fresh per se, but it's definitely bright. Thus my ranking so far for Bortnikoff: 1. Chypre Du Nord (heavenly) 2. Musk Khabib 3. Amber Cologne (extremely similar to Khabib, but I think Khabib is more complex and thus more unique. the Amber is probably more office friendly) 4. Moss Cologne (kind of a mossier version of Nord, interesting take, somewhat sour but musky) 5. Musk Cologne (way too sour/pungent, but still not bad) Since I got this sample along with a purchase of a full bottle of Khabib, i don't think i could ever justify having both of them at the same time due to the similarity. I was hoping for something more different.

This is my favorite of the entire Bortnikoff Cologne series... Oud Cologne was nice, really good citrus but not for me.... Musk Cologne had an amazing musk but was a little lacking on the brighter citrus I was looking for so I passed on that one. Amber cologne on the other hand has an amazing citrus blend, along with the natural ambergris and the tropical florals make this just magical. When I wear this I feel like I'm on vacation. I had to buy a full bottle of this and I don't regret it one bit. The longevity is slightly less on this versus the Musk Cologne but I still get 6-7 hours with this and I can't complain at all given how amazing the scent profile is. I also own Ambre Supreme by Les Indemodables and the ambergris in both are almost identical, very natural smelling and long lasting. I have a strong dislike for ambroxen and this for me is magical... it's the real deal. I would wear this daily if I could afford to, but to be honest even if I could it's so special I would rather save for a special occasion. I'll probably keep this one for vacation or daytime summer events. Scent: 11/10 Longevity: 7.5/10 Overall: 9.5/10 Edit: I loved this so much I bought a second bottle, I can't imagine not ever having this fragrance in my life.

Gold Rush Imagine walking down a beautiful sea shoreline and hearing the waves crash and seeing the glow of the sun on a bright blue canvas. There is a sweet, marine like slightly tangy animalic smell in the air from the abundance of marine life. Then suddenly, you realize there is a golden, creamy rock-like structure that just washed to shore. You wonder, could this be real ambergris that is $10,000 an oz? Quick math says that this finding, in this quantity - is seven figures. So, this really just happened in Thailand (which is also ironically where Bortnikoff now lives) and some fortunate fisherman had their lives change this faithful day. This scent, capitulates this experience. You will see how real amegris is used in Dimitri's Amber Cologne to bring out other notes like bright citrus, flowers, even oud while keepy a tangy animalic base that is very smooth and a truly exceptional fragrance from a master perfumer. It is light, great for spring and summer and slightly juicy and certainly interesting. May fortune favour the bold. 4.5/5

Amber Cologne is quite possibly the best fragrance I've smelled in my entire life. It has effervescent + realistic citrus, a bubblegum floral undertone, and a marine freshness from the ambergis that compliments everything so well. The bit of vanilla at the end softens and rounds the fragrance, while also keeping it from being an exclusively summer scent. The tragedy comes with the longevity and performance. To be completely honest, it's abysmal. The scent projects about a foot, and that's with 8-10 sprays from a pressurized atomizer. The worst part is, that projection lasts about an hour, and then the fragrance becomes a skin scent. This is unfortunately the nature of fresh, citrus fragrances, even moreso when those fragrances are natural, but it's tragic nonetheless. That being said, I think it speaks to the quality of the fragrance that I'd justify purchasing the full 50ml bottle knowing this. It's a 10/10 fragrance that leaves before you even get to understand it.

I don't think one should spend so much on colognes, even if the concentration is EDP. I 100% agree this is long lasting versus say 4711, giving different notes for a similar booster and refresher. But I hate traditional colognes during summer. Rochas de Rochas for women original formula is my favorite to reinvigorate during sweaty seasons. I can't stand citruses. I am so limited because I LOVE darker, heavier scents but you ain't gonna put that on me during summer because I SWEAT. Amber Cologne enters and this season I hate for my perfumista ass gets more interesting and enticing. Because of my difficult nose to please during summer, I would pay the price for this. It's citrus, gourmand, floral, without being cloying. More effervescent than Oud Sinharaj, which AC often gets compared to in this house.

A day in Destin This starts out on my skin with a burst of citrus cocktail, which within minutes goes from a 10 to a 5 in intensity, giving way to a beautiful, fruity frangipani. Far in the background is the blue-green vibe of Ceylon Oud, but closer is the fine, salty musk of the ambergris that lasts till the end. As time goes on, a warm creaminess starts to join the frangipani in the form of jasmine and sandalwood. The jasmine eventually overtakes the frangipani and the sandal sweetens with a soft vanilla. The wear ends with lingering florals, sweet woodiness, and the gentle sea-breeze. This fragrance reminded me so much of going to the beach on a hot summer day in Florida...sipping on a cocktail as mist from the waves mix with the heavy scent of tanning lotions and weathered wooden boardwalk.

One of the best citrus-floral based fragrances out there! AC is really amazing guys, believe the hype/reviews out there. The jasmine & frangipani combination in this is INSANELY good! Beware though, the jasmine in this fragrance smells really indolic and can come across as a piss-y smell for some people, but I personally love it & everything in this fragrance is so well blended and smells really natural. I mainly get frangipani, grapefruit, sweet orange, abit of lemon, A LOT of jasmine sambac, ambergris & vanilla. The oud is there but in the far back, you need to have a good nose or try really hard to sniff it out. Perfomance is average, I get around 4-5 hours. Projection is ahove average & sillage is average. Overall, summer & spring banger, really shines in the heat. 10/10

Spectacular. I'm surprised, having read the reviews here, by the strength of the ambergris. On me it's massive, alongside the citrus and florals. Bortnikoff does not disappoint as far as I'm concerned! It's similar in construction to Silver Man, in that it's a deep, rich take on the traditional cologne formula, and it also shares a lot in common with Reflection Man, in that it has a mid phase where the jasmine is booming out, with neroli/orange blossom playing second fiddle. Side note: if like me you found Amouage Ashore to be a good idea horribly executed, this is doing the same thing (jasmine and ambergris) without the horrible aggressive synthetic side that ruins Ashore.

This fragrance starts off beautifully with citrus notes. The opening is almost like a freshly squeezed orange juice. You then notice some sourness from the grapefruit after a few seconds. The citrus notes seem to disappear very briefly and the jasmine and the frangipani come into the stage. The woody notes are hardly perceptible to my nose. The mix of flowers and citrus make this scent incredible but the main player here is the Ambergris which brings some saltiness and aquatic vibes. Nonetheless, it is not an aquatic scent per se. It remains a true cologne scent with some edge. A marvelous creation by Bortnikoff!

Once again subjugated by Dmitry's art... I wasn't planning on buying this one, I thought it would be a big oceanic floral perfume, and I'm more of a dark mysterious fragrance lover, but wow, totally blown away by Amber Cologne. This is what demarcates Artisanal from Designer & niche perfumery. A deep and creamy freshy that I will wear all year around. The ambergris emphasizes on amplifying top and heart notes, I don't get any oud, just citruses, and tropical florals so juicy that you want to bite. Hats off once again to Bortnikoff, I had to wait for years to try his perfumes, I'm not disappointed at all. 10/10.

This was almost my perfect scent as it had everything that pleases me - unisex, fresh, tropical, salty, savoury (not too sweet) woody with a white/yellow floral. And although it’s absolutely beautiful, it just doesn’t last. I spray it liberally (with an official bottle) and my skin must drink it up, as I only get a few (low silage) hours. No matter how good a scent, short longevity is a deal breaker for me. My alternative scent of preference over this is Dusita’s ‘Moonlight In Chiangmai’ for a juicy, tropical, yellow floral woody, unisex extravaganza.

Ohhhh this is gorgeous. I smelled this when I was a bit "newer" with fragrances and didn't understand it - didn't know how to let it unfold and pick out the amber (this is NOT an amber solinote, by any means. No playdough here), the citruses, and the gorgeous pairing of frangipani with ambergris. All supported by warm sandalwood and cardamom. And while I do love it now (and I do mean love), that says to me that this is obviously not for everyone. It is "a lot". If you love your niche, especially amber bases and yellow florals... This is for you.

I love citrus colognes, and I used to wear a lot of Roja’s Oceania—but since I got Amber cologne it’s easily the only hot weather citrus fragrance I truly crave. It’s so smooth that it’s very hard to smell in the cold. Almost strictly a hot weather scent for the best wearing experience. Plumeria is easily the best smelling floral. I can’t stress how much more lush and thick this smells in warm and humid weather. It smells like you’re next to the Pacific in the best way possible, slightly sweet and salty