Ambre D'Alexandrie

Liquid Resins traded with Ambergris from the beaches of Alexandria... Sprayed this on and I was completely bewitched. The amber is very liquid-y and vanillic (after the initial phase that's powdery resinous) with a touch of grittiness in the base from tobacco and ambergris. As the base notes build to a crescendo, it takes on more fruity raisin-like nuances from tobacco for a dry leaf tobacco accord. Just mesmerizing. Love it. Overall it's a liquid'y amber-benzoin-ambergris scent with near-raisin & tobacco nuances that read like incense in some facets. There's very little tree-bark for resin in the desert, but the write-up states this scent is meant to evoke trading of resins, spices & ambergris (which was often collected from the beaches of Alexandria after sun-aging to acquire its sweet, earthy, marine, animalic, tobacco, fruity & radiant scent). Opens with a burst of vanilla, tobacco and benzoin. Tobacco here has the dried fruity nuances of a dried tobacco leaf, and the effect is near raisin, more of a raisin pie filling really, that deepens into a gorgeous, rich & multi-faceted amber-labdanum heart, resting on an ambergris & musk base. There's a nice mix of traditional amber and the fruitier benzoin-tobacco blend, and alongside there's a faintly salty facet. Overall I get an raisin-tobacco ambergris scent, with the other notes recognizable but serving to enhance and support the ambergris accord. This has amazing performance, but the warmer scent profile wears especially well in cooler weather, and with aging it gets better and better if that were possible Overall: gorgeous unisex liquid-y ambergris scent with excellent performance. It's a love for me. 10/10. Enjoy! Contrast to Angels' Share By Kilian: These are different, but there are similarities with the liquid-amber-benzoin & apple/raisin-pie facets. This has a more powdery, soft overlay with more hints of incense-y tobacco throughout, but both have excellent performance. (For comparison to Angels' Share dupes, please see my reviews for Fire Your Desire Paris Corner & Inner Angel Bath & Body Works). Contrast to Khaltat Night Attar Collection: These are different, but there are striking similarities with fruity, resinous amber. Khaltat Night is leans more cherry-cinnamon, while Ambre d'Alexandrie is more near-raisin & tobacco. Both have excellent performance. Contrast to Amber Rag & Bone: These are different, but there are similarities with the liquid-y & vanillic amber that leans boozy. Amber Rag & Bone leans more vanillic & boozy, while Ambre d'Alexandrie leans near-raisin pie & tobacco. Ambre d'Alexandrie has stronger performance, but love them both for different reasons.

Resins traded with Ambergris from the beaches of Alexandria... Beautiful amber-benzoin-ambergris scent with near-raisin & tobacco nuances. There's very little tree-bark for resin in the desert, but the write-up states this scent is meant to evoke trading of resins, spices & ambergris (which was often collected from the beaches of Alexandria after sun-ageing to acquire its sweet, earthy, marine, animalic, tobacco, fruity & radiant scent). Opens with a burst of vanilla, tobacco and benzoin. Tobacco here has the dried fruity nuances of a dried tobacco leaf, and the effect is near raisin, more of a raisin pie filling really, that deepens into a gorgeous, rich & multi-faceted amber-labdanum heart, resting on an ambergris & musk base. There's a nice mix of traditional amber and the fruitier benzoin-tobacco blend, and alongside there's a faintly salty facet. Overall I get an raisin-tobacco ambergris scent, with the other notes recognizable but serving to enhance and support the ambergris accord. This has amazing performance, but the warmer scent profile wears expecially well in cooler weather. Overall: gorgeous unisex ambergris scent with excellent performance. It's a love for me. 10/10. Enjoy! Contrast to Khaltat Night Attar Collection: These are different, but there are striking similarities with fruity, resinous amber. Khaltat Night is leans more cherry-cinnamon, while Ambre d'Alexandrie is more near-raisin & tobacco. Both have excellent performance. Contrast to Angels' Share By Kilian: These are different, but there are similarities with the benzoin apple/raisin-pie facets. This has a more powdery, soft overlay with more hints of incense-y tobacco throughout. Both have good performance. Update 10/27/24: Sprayed this on today and was completely bewitched. I had forgotten how gorgeous this was. Powdery & resinous at the start with a touch of tobacco that reads like incense to my nose at first. As the base notes build to a crescendo, it takes on more fruity raisin-like nuances from tobacco for a dry leaf tobacco accord. Just mesmerizing. Update 03/22/25: Wearing this today, as it turned cold again. The vanilla is aging and it just keeps getting better & better, including performance-wise. One and a half sprays (how did I manage that? not sure I could repeat the half spray) to the back of my hand created a nice scent bubble around me that's still going strong after a few hours. I suspect there's liquidamber in here, and the amber is very liquid-y and vanillic with a touch of grittiness in the base from tobacco and ambergris. Love it.

Ambre d'Alexandrie pays homage to Alexandria, which was one of the most important cities in the world in ancient times. Inside the Boucheron La Collection represents the importance of the city that houses the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the Seven Wonders) and which flourished in the commercial part, through the distribution of products (mineral and spices) that came from the East, attracting the stone hunters. The amber represented mystery and it was used to improve jewelry. Its warm color served as inspiration for this fragrance, which was created by Jean-Christophe Héraut and composed through the union of benzoin and vanilla, as well as a narguile accord (obtained through tobacco), at the top of the olfactory pyramid, making way for labdanum and amber notes, in the heart, towards the base of ambergris and musk. On the skin, Ambre d'Alexandrie is the most powerful within the six fragrances of the collection. With just a few sprays, the fragrance exudes majestically and can even bother if applied in excess (or in hotter days). It carries the DNA of Arabian fragrances, uniting the style of the East with the West in a very sensual way. It has one of the most effective combinations in perfumery, when the intention is to portray the Middle East: amber, tobacco, vanilla and resins (myrrh, frankincense, etc.). Another example would be the use of roses, saffron and incense. But that’s not the case. Ambre d'Alexandrie is, at the same time, sweet and dry, seductive and aggressive, feminine and masculine. Sometimes the vanilla dominates, but in seconds the tobacco note appears. Then, a light facet of leather emerges, but the musk comes and confers lightness and a silky content. According to the company, the olfactory competitions would be Ambre Orient (Armani Privé) and Tobacco Vanille (Tom Ford). Ambre d'Alexandrie is that kind of fragrance that transports you to a movie in the desert, riding on an Arab horse, wearing the turban and the clothes of the region, having a warm landscape with golden hues as a backdrop. In my opinion, a great hit that delivers what promises.

Boucheron Ambre D'Alexandrie is a sophisticated and timeless fragrance that showcases a beautifully realistic pipe tobacco note at its opening. This tobacco is rich and reminiscent of unlit pipe tobacco—think of that satisfying aroma when you open a fresh tin, with subtle hints of vanilla, apple, and raisins. The opening is both warm and nostalgic, offering a sense of classic refinement. As the fragrance begins to settle, a delicate salty undertone, courtesy of the ambergris, emerges in the background. This saltiness adds a layer of complexity to the fragrance, complementing the tobacco beautifully. The transition is smooth and deliberate, giving the scent an added dimension of warmth and intrigue. Gradually, the amber takes center stage, with the pipe tobacco lingering in the background, adding depth and character to the overall composition. Eventually, Ambre D'Alexandrie evolves into a rich, salty amber skin scent, which retains its warmth and longevity for hours. This final stage is soft, comforting, and incredibly appealing for those who enjoy ambery fragrances with a subtle hint of tobacco. In terms of quality, Ambre D'Alexandrie excels. The materials used are of high caliber, and the fragrance is well-balanced, making it both wearable and versatile. It is perfectly unisex and ideal for both casual and formal occasions. While the style of a tobacco-amber fragrance is not groundbreaking, Ambre D'Alexandrie executes it exceptionally well, offering a classic yet luxurious experience. For those who enjoy amber and tobacco notes, this fragrance is an excellent choice, especially considering it can often be found at a discounted price. It offers outstanding value for money and is highly recommended for those seeking a refined, elegant, and comforting fragrance.

I like this a lot! And if one doesn’t own or hasn’t tried a lot of amber-vanilla fragrances, this one might be a great addition to their collection. Unfortunately, as much as I like it, I don’t feel like I need a full bottle. I’m hoping to find something a little more unique and with a slightly better performance, as this one is a little too close to the skin for my taste. But that’s probably intentional, since a sweet fragrance like that might end up being a little cloying if it’s too loud. Other than that, great blend, all notes are there, you can definitely feel some sweet tobacco and a faint animalic aspect coming from the Amber gris as well, specially in the opening, but although this isn’t my favorite note, I definitely don’t mind it here. It’s warm, sweet, and kind of syrupy, leans a little feminine, but I wouldn’t mind smelling it on both genders. I can definitely see where people are coming from with the honey note, I don’t know if it’s the amber-vanilla-tobacco mix that creates this effect or if there actually is an unlisted honey note, but I can definitely feel it, hence I’d recommend this fragrance to everyone who appreciates that particular note as well. UPDATE 10/10/21: Forget about what I said, this juice is addictive. Like @Madyana said above, if you let it “ripen” for a few months, this transforms into something else, way deeper and richer, and even performance is better. Tested my decant on different occasions and the more time passes, the better it gets. I am obsessed and I even slightly prefer this to my beloved Angel’s Share - it’s more versatile as it is less spicy (no cinnamon), and I find it to be warmer and easier to wear. Give it some time and you’re gonna love it.

I'm surprised that nobody sees the resemblance with the long discontinued Initial de Boucheron. At first, I didn't see it either, but I felt it was very familiar. Opening the drawer of my discontinued fragrances collection - including Initial - and seeing the bottle, it finally hit me. My Initial is very old (about 24 years old), but still, I can manage to compare these two fragrances. Of course they are not identical, but I can remember the vibe of Initial. I am very happy to have found a fragrances that resembles it, because I regreted very much its discontinuing. Ambre d'Alexandrie is a very warm, alluring fragrance. I only resent the benzoin notes, but on my skin they are fading. I can understand why some see it as "gourmand", but I consider it a simplistic view. With some imagination, I can understand their point of view, but Ambre d'Alexandrie is much more than the sweet, over-riped, baked apples notes at the top. This is a fragrance for mature women. It evokes feminine warmth and comfort. I sense it more like an autumn vibe. A truely oriental. It has a remarkable silage and longevity on my skin. I sometimes use it for layering. It is, surprisingly, overpowered by the fragrances I add with it, but it always tames them into creamy, misterious notes. The bottle is gigantic and I guess it will take me my whole life to finish it, as I spray it in very little doses, so that it wouldn't overpower people around me with its sillage. Love it! I'm gratefull it exists!

Sweet and beautiful. There's something ever so slightly spicy going on here like cinnamon or even allspice, just enough to keep the fragrance bright and crisp. I own a dupe of Ambre Narguile and said that on first sniff it reminded me of an upscale rum and coke and this has a similar carbonated sparkle, without the citrus zest aspect. I own a few of the popular AS dupes as well but imo its not as similar to that DNA despite the cinnamon note my nose picks up. I love this like I love my Hermes dupe, but perhaps I didn't need both and I definitely don't need the OG anymore. This one is less sweet and leans slightly more unisex/masculine in my opinion, especially before it dries down. I may have to come back and edit this review though as I have one of the sweetest fragrances I own on the other arm and its probably skewing my perception of what sweet even is lol. Edit 5/16: this is just as sweet as the other dupe and this is noticeably better blended, a truly beautiful fragrance. Smelling this and Amberlicious together side by side really highlights the difference in designer vs clone houses. The difference is night and day. I’d wear Amberlicious almost anywhere, but Ambre feels like a nice dinner date, a dark stroll through a park in click clacky heels. Its refined and makes me feel gorgeous and wealthy.

I have a lot of ambers in my collection but Ambre d'Alexandrie is, quite possibly, the best one. The blend of notes is exquisite and immediately brings to mind the smell of warm, gooey, apple pie fresh out of the oven floating in the air. I also get cinnamon even though it is not mentioned in the note breakdown. The tobacco here is smooth and chewy rather than loose or pipe tobacco to me, in more of a supporting role, bolstering what I would definitely consider amber and vanilla centric fragrance. That being said this is not a very heavy or resinous and I believe the musk and ambergris work quietly in the background, preventing it from going there. To me, there is nothing animalic about this, just warm ambery goodness that is very addictive and is an instant mood lifter. Performance is average is all departments - longevity, sillage and projection but the good news is that it comes in a gorgeous 125ml bottle, so you can go ham with the sprays if you want to, without getting overwhelmed. Ps. I've smelled Oajan sometime ago and tested Angel's Share quite a bit and while there a lot of similarities along with some differences, this remains my favorite of from amongst these apple pie scents.

A masterclass in gourmand scents. Nothing groundbreaking, but if this was a food recipe it would be called a classic. The opening has a slight note reminding me of nosing a quality single malt scotch while its still in the glass, immediately giving way to the dark, sweet resinous amber and vanilla. Resinous balsamic notes come in to balance out the sweetness. The tobacco is neither dry and ashy, nor fresh and vegetable - it is at that perfect "freshly opened cigar" state, where it makes itself known, but it doesn't punch above the amber and vanilla, and it blends well with the balsamic notes in the dry down. I don't often pay mind to the presentation, as the juice is where it's at, but the house of Boucheron here has obviously put some thought in it, despite the price point even at retail being below the so called "high end designer scents". Stylish and pretty distinct glass bottle, solid, heavy caps, classy and solid cardboard box with "drawer type" opening with a fabric latch to pull on. One of the few presentations i will keep instead of immediately throwing it away. Overall a very good start for me with that specific line, and it will stay on my priority list for a while.

This is a rich, slightly gourmand amber that makes me think of Kilian Apple Brandy mixed with Kilian Angel's Share and MFK Grand Soir... With some tobacco thrown in for good measure. Totally unisex. Anyone that tells you otherwise is probably incapable of enjoying "true unisex" fragrances. There is nothing in this composition that pulls it too masculine or too feminine, it's straight down the middle. It's sweet, but not to the point where it's an obviously feminine fragrance. It's got some spicy and earthy facets from the tobacco, but not to the point of being an obviously masculine fragrance. There's something in here for everyone to enjoy. I don't find this scent especially challenging, it conjures the image of an apple pie with a glass of brandy and maybe a lit pipe somewhere off in the distance. Intoxicating, playful, and maybe a smidge mature. If you like Kilian Angel's Share, or Kilian Apple Brandy, or MFK Grand Soir, or just amber in general you owe it to yourself to get this. I'm gonna need a full bottle. This will be a cold weather powerhouse.

Truly Beautiful! I love Amber, I'm from Alexandria and this was on sale, so reading the reviews, this was a no brainier for me. I never had an emotional reaction to a perfume before, but literally this brought me back to when I was a little girl on my grandfather's lap while he's smoking his pipe. It brought tears to my eyes. For the scent itself, it's very wellmade, no synthetic feeling in it whatsoever. The most prominent notes for me are the Amber and Tobacco, then the Vanilla makes an appearance, but it not the prominent note for me as the notes suggest. Benzoin, Ambergris and Labdanum are back stage giving more depth to the composition. It is slightly smoky. The dry down is delicious, but I wouldn't call it a gourmand and it slightly reminds me of Jaipur Homme dry down, which is Vanilla and Amber minus the Tobacco. It is an Excellent scent in my book, rich, warm, deep and for me very nostalgic. Totally Unisex, but for the ladies, the Tobacco is strong, so you must like it to enjoy this.

A honeyed, stereotypical amber which is supremely wearable and mass-appealing. Think of it as Grand Soir sans the spiciness, it is Grand Soir's slightly flabbier, more approachable sibling. It is gourmand and vaguely boozy, with heavy vanilla and tonka elements lending themselves to the breath of somebody who has drank an old-fashioned, and had a thick French style hot chocolate with tonka, vanilla, and even a touch of poivre long to spice it up. It has a Gatsbyish party vibe, also similar to Grand Soir, but it is not so intimidating or self-aware. It's like an inebriated version, more prone to laugh, slightly less sophisticated yet equally rich and decadent. Open: Amber exclamation mark, slight bourbon element. Mid: Amber, vanilla, with the vanilla doing strange things around 5h in, becoming ever more syrupy and ''ripe''. Decadently gourmand. Close: A perfectly appealing amber, tobacco, honeyed skin scent. Again, MFK Grand Soir sans spice.

The quintessential fall fragrance in my opinion! My assessment it's certainly subjective but for me every note in this is played perfectly, that's why I love it so much. If you love moderately sweet and gourmand ambery fragrances, you must try it. It smells divine. Beautiful tobacco with rich, decadent vanilla. Warm, sweet, tobacco-vanilla, ambery juice. It’s really cozy. The opening is a great blend of spicy tobacco, rich amber and semisweet vanilla with some benzoin. It’s a linear fragrance and doesn’t change much from the very few minutes until it fades completely. Perfectly unisex in my opinion and works great in the colder months. Moderate performance. On clothes does better though! Beautiful presentation, packaging looks quite luxurious and elegant, minimalist with white and gold all over, bottle and cap feels heavy. As many others mentioned, a very good and very, very affordable alternative for Kilian’s Angels Share.

Love it! This was more of what I imagined SL Chergui to smell like but Chergui turns to spiced toilet wipes on my skin. This, however, is sweet and musky tobacco that is present but deliciously light. Wearing today ~60F day and it is perfect. I get the apple pie vibe that others mention but is not literal apple pie, per se. It's well-described below so I'll not belabor with my take but the tobacco-vanilla sweetness with the amber and musk certainly evokes a comforting feeling--a hug in a bottle. It is wonderful quality and doesn't project past my nose--that is, the sillage is sweet and the projection isn't far but I can smell it consistently for hours. I see this being super versatile too. Classy, sweet but not vulgar, elegant...could be a signature scent, for sure. Edit: this stayed with me through a 12 hour work day! On skin! So happy to have this!

Wonderful scent. Transcends boundaries. The ambergris accord in here is fantastic. Like a tinture with resins. Not just some pop hug accord of benzoin and vanillin. It has that too. It has some sweetness that is a little fruity. It's pretty much the definition of an Oriental Amber. Calling things gourmand these days scares me. It's pretty sweet but it's done perfectly here, it doesn't have that nagging overly sweet aroma chemical haze I get from many modern scents. I get the antiseptic clinical smell from the wonderful ambergris accord. Also hints of animalistics from the amber and labdanum. The labdanum and vanilla may be the real star in this giving it that fruity tobacco smell that melts into the skin. As I'm getting more familiar with it i get wafts of a mixed drink smell. Like a dark myers rum and coke. Great work. Good job Boucheron

Boucheron turned apple pie into a liquid. This sweet, boozy fragrance is perfect for winter or any night-time occasion. The notes listed here don’t include cinnamon and I wonder why. As soon as this hits your skin, cinnamon is all over the place (love it though). Like I said, this smells like a freshly baked apple pie you’re (grand)mother used to make. It’s comforting and feels like home. I’ve been wanting to purchase Angel’s Share for a long time, but after smelling this and adding it to my collection, I actually don’t feel the need to buy AS anymore. AdA seems to be a little less boozy and I’m totally fine with that. I might even like this one better, besides the fact that this fragrance is way more affordable than AS is. It doesn’t last a very long time though, max. 4-5 hrs, but AS doesn’t either. At least not on my skin.

Classy, warm, adorable. It is a gourmand fragrance indeed, perfectly put together. Opening for me was liquor-like, this turned to a wonderful vanilla-amber-tobacco scent, constantly changing in dominance. Vanilla is not sweet-syrupy, but true bourbon vanilla. It’s true unisex, when vanilla is dominant, rather feminin, when tobacco it is rather masculine. The only thing why I rather bought the other Vanilla scent from this line was that tobacco on my skin was too dry, not that sweet pipe-tobacco like in Tobacco Vanille, but more dry, natural, cigar type tobacco, that made this too masculine on me (oh, you skin chemistry.....). Besides that it is really a masterpiece, and surely you’ll not be unnoticed wearing it. Super long lasting, I tested it around 11:00 AM and still could smell it at 11:00 PM after the evening shower.

Bought this one blindly after reading notes and I’m glad I did, it’s a stunning scent. It’s a perfect dupe for Bronze Tonka! Opening is the same. The dry down is a bit sweeter but considering Carolina Herrera’s lack of representation in Europe (can’t find the scent anywhere!) and how Boucheron is even more affordable and of prime quality I won’t bother trying to acquire Bronze Tonka at all. Such scent composition is rare and I love it. I wouldn’t consider it a dupe for Grand Soir nor Angel’s share, no way. Both can’t be duped. These two are too complex fragrances, Master works. If you ever tried GS or AS and want them just buy them. Ambre D’Alexandrie is worth the purchase and won’t fail in surprising you with its warmth and spicy opening and it’s lovely sweet “tonkay” Impression in the background.

Huge crush! A soft, warm amber. A sensual vanilla and dense cinnamon. A shisha tobacco, subtle and fruity. This fruity facet, very delicately sweet and associated with cinnamon, creates the illusion of an apple pie but here, it is a suggested treat rather than an imposed one. I also find it has a very noticeable 'rum' side on fabric, much less on my skin. If you liked Ambre Narguilé but found it too 'dry', if you liked Angels' Share but on the contrary, found it too sweet and too 'apple pie', there is a good chance for you to love this one which is a masterpiece of balance. It connects the two in an extremely elegant way, I'm won over! Ambre d'Alexandrie is a captivating, intoxicating fragrance, a true olfactory tribute to an ancient city. A jewel of perfumery.

Absolutely intoxicating. I originally purchased this as a less expensive alternative to Angels Share. I've only tested AS in-store, but I wasn't nearly as head over heels as I am with this. Despite having fantastic longevity, all I want to do is reapply because I feel like I want to bathe in this - weird??? I'm not the best at describing notes, but I definitely get the apple - it's very bright initially. Much more so than AS. I get no tobacco at all, which is just fine with me. The dry down is an ambery musk with some toned-down apple. This scent is just perfect for fall, but know I'll yearn for this all year long. I'm now on the hunt for the same scent profile but with a bit more spice for the depths of winter. But this is a lifer for me for sure.