Ambush original

ETA - Many reviews describe an “aftershave” or fougère opening. I experienced this only briefly upon first opening a long-sealed vintage bottle; after airing the bottle a few times and wearing on skin those volatile aldehydic/fougère notes disappeared, revealing Ambush’s true identity as a creamy ylang and spiced carnation amber. Judging this perfume by a single cold sniff or a single wear would be misleading, I would encourage people to wear it several times before reviewing. Both of my bottles behaved the same way, I don’t have an outlier. That being said, here is an actual note pyramid of Ambush - Top • Aldehydic lift • Ylang-ylang (creamy, floral, banana-vanilla leaning) Heart • Carnation (peppery, clove-spiced) • Soft floral haze (rose/heliotrope effect, not syrup) • Fougère freshness (not citrus) Base • Amber • Benzoin • Musk • Coumarin • Subtle licorice/anise nuance from spice + coumarin interplay I was curious about any reformulations! So I did a simultaneous wrist comparison of a 1956 original release Ambush (white label, heavy glass rectangle ribbed bottle with a light gold flared cap), and a late 60’s/early 70’s hot-pink label version with a hot pink rectangle cap (guessing first or second reformulation). They were worn side-by-side on each wrist from opening through deep drydown. Here’s the short takeaway that should please collectors: Ambush’s core DNA is absolutely intact across both of these eras. Opening (both): Ylang dominates early, with a creamy, slightly sweet profile. The hot pink label presents the ylang brighter and sweeter at first; the original is softer and airier. There’s a slight aldehydic lift that’s mostly evaporated with age. Mid evolution: Both move into a spiced floral heart where carnation (clove/pepper) and a light fougère backbone emerge. On the hot pink, carnation appears earlier and more clearly. On the original, carnation arrives later and more integrated. Drydown: Both converge into the true Ambush signature: amber, musk, carnation spice, ylang cream, and a subtle licorice/anise nuance (from eugenol + coumarin interplay). These are the main differences I’ve noted: •Original formula (white label): lighter, airier, and more luminous, yet paradoxically more intense and longer-lasting. The ylang becomes a gorgeous banana-cream note that lingers well into the skin-scent phase. •Hot Pink label: denser and more compact, but fades faster. Still very pleasant and unmistakably Ambush, just with less projection and stamina. Longevity test (30+ minutes): The vintage retained a distinct licorice-ylang “banana cream pie” aura, while the pink had already softened to a subtle sweet-spicy skin scent. Bottom line: This is a rare case where a reformulation preserved the soul of the fragrance, even if time made the original quietly superior. Early Ambush edges out the later version in radiance, complexity, and longevity. HOWEVER, the hot pink label is faithful enough that I would happily buy it as a wear bottle, especially at a good price. They’re both such an interesting fragrance, I’m not sure if a modern equivalent exists! Ambush is a must in any vintage perfume collection.

I just received a bottle of Ambush Eau de Cologne. This is a description of the bottle. The bottle is the short, three lobed one. The bottle is 5 cm high at the shoulder and 7 cm wide. Back to front is about 30 mm. The cap is 17 mm tall. The cap appears brown with just a bit of gold remaining. (I thought it was dirt at first.) The rectangular label fits 2/3 of the middle lobe with a metallic border and text. “Ambush (in script)|EAU DE COLOGNE|Dana (in script)|2FL OZ.” The back of the label reads “DANA PERFUME CORP.|NEW YORK, N.Y. (and an illegible zip code).” The underside of the bottle has moulded “Dana” in script and the number 5 at a right angle to the D. There are imperfections in the glass on the back and base that look like white marks. They are smooth so they must be on the inner surface of the glass. This is a splash bottle. Based on an image search, I believe this bottle dates to about 1964. The liquid is golden, amber brown. It smells fantastic, although I have not yet given it a full wear. Edit: In the air Ambush has a slightly sour smell on top of the herbs. Since this is a smell I remember from childhood, I am pretty sure that this is not because of damage. On skin this is definitely a smell I remember from childhood and I love it!! It is almost completely different on skin. On me the notes are completely blended and I cannot pick them out; I cannot even identify them really. This could be because the scent exists powerfully in memory. I can sort of identify the resemblance to Canoe, but if I did not know the relationship I would not have suspected it, apart from the scents being from the same era. The base notes, even though I cannot pick them out, are definitely softer and warmer than the sharper base in Canoe.

I do not know what it is about this combination that makes me feel butterflies in my tummy, and makes me totally giddy and happy. It`s quite like falling in a new love for me, and always has been for... hmmm... I have to say 30+ years? Boy, that really dates me ! I had received miniature bottles of Ambush, Chantilly, and Anais Anais ( all still loves of mine ) as a gift when I was about 14 years old - and back then,I thought Ambush to be a grown up version of Loves Baby Soft and akin to Chantilly. There seems to be so many twists in this juice... cool minty lavender combined with those florals and oakmoss , to me, is to die for ! Very retro, yet fresh, and nothing else like it that is being produced that I can find. Yes, Canoe by Dana for Men is similar. But it does not have the punch. It was always on my Christmas Wish List, and back in the middle `90`s, my mother presented me with a bottle. To my horror, it was not the same scent, and I thought it had been from a bad batch. When I went to exchange it for a 'fresh' bottle, I had found it had been reformulated. I resorted to scouring through catalogs and clearance counters for testers and discounted bottles( the old days before internet online shopping ). How can Dana call it Ambush without any of the former attributes? I am awaiting the day that Dana reissues the Real Ambush.

This was one of the fragrances I wore in high school in the early '80s; I couldn't remember the name at first, only that it was made by Dana, but I eventually found it online on Ebay. I have 2 bottles of the vintage formulation, and they do smell exactly as I remember. I get a bit of a fennel-like blast when I first spray one of the bottles on (the other bottle doesn't have this reaction), and then it softens down to a comforting, powdery blend of lavender, heliotrope, carnation, rose, vanilla, and woods. It's not a sweet fragrance at all, but there's an appealing warmth and innocence to it. It reminds me a bit of the original Love's Baby Soft. It definitely lasts - I'll put it on before bed and I can still smell it in the morning. I remember my mom suggesting it when I bought it as a teenager; she graduated in 1961, so it makes sense that this fragrance would have smelled familiar to her.

If there's any perfume I mourn the discontinuation of, this is it. I've loved Ambush since I was a toddler and my mom had a large colored bottle of this on her dresser. This was one of her date night perfumes, so I got to watch as she spritzed it on after she'd gotten all dressed up. It was probably the first perfume I ever smelled and loved. It was the only perfume I had during my first year of college and I had no idea then how much I'd love it today. Now I have my own vintage bottle because I never want to be without it. It's one of my very favorite perfumes I've ever worn, very few smell better on me than this. It's like a slightly spicy and more floral version of Canoe, which I also have and make comparisons with from time to time. I miss perfumes like this that were simple, yet beautiful and could make a statement without being overbearing.