Ambre Nuit

I’m going to have to chime in here with my penny’s-worth of opinion on the “reformulation’” of Dior Ambre Nuit and before everyone starts shouting at me, I’m going to post this on both listings for Ambre Nuit, as my review relates to both, so forgive me! First off........ this absolutely stunning work of art has been my signature Autumn-Winter fragrance since I first discovered it back in 2012 and if I’m perfectly honest, I’ll often wear it on and off in spring and summer too, just because I can’t get enough of it and miss it like mad when I don’t wear it for a while! Beautiful warm, honeyed ambergris accompanied by rose blended with delicate pink pepper and muted citruses........ it’s just so bloody amazing! Sensual, sumptuous and enveloping, it’s no wonder that Ambre Nuit is held in such high esteem within our community and clearly, it sells well enough for Dior for them to keep it within the Privee/Maison Dior line since 2009, while many of its contemporaries have been discontinued. I’ve always stood back in wonder and watched while the Creed crowd work themselves into a frenzy over Aventus individual batch codes and which code and year is the best and worst, which is fine if that floats your boat and good luck to you but I’ll steer well clear of all that malarkey thanks. But....... that being said, I do think that, whilst not necessarily individual batch codes but more the year the batches are produced or rather the year that the natural elements in the higher-end fragrances are harvested and the environmental conditions they were grown in, have a huge bearing on the finished fragrance. Not unlike wine, where the grape harvest quality can vary greatly depending on the weather and soil conditions, the same applies to most naturally grown ingredients, so let’s not lose sight of that fact when we’re discussing the “reformulation” conundrum. As I’ve been informed, Dior produce/grow the majority of their own natural components for their Dior Privèe/Maison Christian Dior line, one would assume that they have very tight quality control over these elements, so that shouldn’t be a factor but nonetheless, it must be a variable. In my many experiences of Ambre Nuit production from the 4 different bottles that I own, with production dates from 3 different years; 2012, two from 2016 and 2019, I can say categorically that yes, yes indeed there is a big difference between 2019 and the other ‘vintages’, primarily in the longevity but also in the projection to a lesser degree. The question is though ...... is that because the older versions have ‘steeped’ in the bottles over the years, enhancing the efficacy of the components or is it because of replacement or reformulation of ingredients, EU and/or IFRA regulations or something else? We may never know the answer to this question but like the review from @darKSaga below, I have had conversations with the fantastic sales associates & regional managers for Dior at Selfridges & Harrods here in London and Dior boutiques in Paris but ultimately, no sales associate working for a brand like Dior or most others come to that, would tell you even if it were reformulated because if you’re an existing user of the fragrance in question, they run the risk of you not buying it again and if the fragrance is new to you, that information is irrelevant anyway. Also, bear in mind that the sales staff wouldn’t necessarily be told themselves by the regional managers or head office, so they may not necessarily be aware if that were the case and so their default position, should the question be asked is ..... ‘no, there’s been no reformulation as far as I’m aware.’ All of my rambling aside though and in my own very personal opinion, Ambre Nuit (pre 2018) is an absolute stunning fragrance and deserves to be on its pedestal; sensual, comforting & warm whilst oozing class, elegance and sophistication. If I was forced to only own three fragrances for the rest of my life, this would be one of them without question. The post 2018 version less so unfortunately as the 250ml bottle I have is distinctly weaker in longevity, projection and sillage & whilst it retains the obvious Ambre Nuit DNA, it is somewhat lacking for me in comparison I’m afraid but I still wear it on occasion regardless.

Ambre Nuit from La Collection Privée by Christian Dior is blended with memories of love and its loss. It is a sweet remembrance of things that may never have been real but were none the less as tangible as a kiss in the rain, a look from a passing stranger who has the answer to unanswered prayers. It is a dream wrapped in smoky images and misty forms that make one never want to awaken to the dawn. This is Dior’s Amber star. It is from beginning to end a lush romantic embrace of the most lustrous amber of the very best quality. Rich and full bodied like a great golden cognac. Even more so it is musical and holds this note as a beautiful deep tone from a great old cello played by a master. It is not the whole orchestra booming majestically but a beautiful solo in Amber. There is in the opening spray a sparkle of bergamot and a twist of grapefruit that shimmers like champagne for a few minutes. Pink pepper is the pop of the champagne cork. The Amber is the goblet these citrus and pepper are pored into. As they settle down but never quite abandon the mix a gorgeous Turkish rose is added to the perfume. Like petals tossed in lazy abandoned onto a midnight pool this rose swirls in the center of the perfume to give it an oriental resonance of such splendor the senses are left reeling. It opens boldly but never goes wild; it has restraint and an elegant dignity that never flags. It is beautiful on a man of great personal charisma and just as beautiful on a woman of magisterial mystery. As with all the perfumes in La Collection Privée, Ambre Nuit is outstanding in its unique signature. Nothing else smells like it in the line. It lasts for a good eight to ten hours on my skin. The projection is very good and never fails to get a complement or two. Ambre Nuit is a sensuous silken experience that most certainly is for those with an understanding of and a desire for something rich but not overpowering. Of old world elegance and sophistication, it is a supper at ten and a ball that begins at midnight and ends in a barefoot walk along the Seine at sunrise. AMBRE NUIT FIVE GOLD STARS ***** (FOR THE STORY THAT GOES WITH THIS REVIEW CHECK OUT MY BLOG SCENTS MEMORY)

Ambre Nuit, as the name implies that this perfume is more suitable for the night, I think I would love to wear this more during the day. And how I love that beautiful fizzy opening. With bright and light grapefruit and bergamot, it feels like the soft morning sunbeam touches your skin at the beginning of the spring season. Right after that, the rose and spices start to become visible. I know I said I'm not a rose person but this is certainly a rose-done-right in my opinion. I can definitely pick up the pink pepper, I think if anything has pink pepper in it, there's a high it will go well with my skin. And I love it when small or hardly noticeable things could give such an impact. It's just lovely, really. Then comes along Amber, our protagonist here. I love cozy amber and this one is just warm, sweet, round, and sensual with a little boozy hint in it. I also get a bit of cinnamon in here, which acts as another supporting role to the amber. The notes construction here is beyond what I expected. At first, I thought this would be another heavy scent (and I don't mind that actually) however, it comes out more on the lighter/ brighter side, almost has an ethereal quality to it. The scent also smells very natural to me, you can tell it's high quality and well blended. Wearing it feels like you're wearing a beautiful luxury scarf that is sheer but yet keeps you warm if you need it to. Ambre Nuit's sillage is also nice, it's not a beast mode and I like that about it. I'm glad that I can just overspray this one without feeling guilty or choking people who ride the same lift with me like I usually do. The only one thing I wish it could give me more is longevity though, 4 hours on my skin doesn't match the price tag, to be honest. The presentation and the bottle itself, however, are impeccable. It's simple, it's chic and classy. And if I could pick my signature scent out of all the perfume I have, I think this is gonna be the one. ;)

For context, I am a young man and I'm very active, and I do enjoy rose fragrances on my skin as long as they're not too sweet or otherwise overly feminine. To me, this is very unisex, on me it smells perfectly masculine, but on a woman it would smell beautiful as well. I also don't get a ton on amber on this one, it's a strong supporting note, but in my opinion it's not the center of the attention. Rather, it helps to smooth out the rose. Additionally, nobody really talks about how wearable this stuff is. While I wouldn't be able to pull out the exact citruses just from my nose, they definitely add a level of freshness, as does the cedar in the base. For me, this is such a beautifully blended rose fragrance, and currently it's my signature. I have been wearing it all the time, including to work, dates, and even the gym (I don't apply it before going to the gym, but if that's what I'm wearing at the time already, I just rock it). I don't get a ton of compliments, but the girl I'm seeing really (really) loves it, and I get whiffs throughout the day that really just smell phenomenal and addictive. Now performance isn't strong, but I would say it's almost perfect for me. It's still noticeable around 8 hrs in on my skin, and while the projection is mediocre in the opening and mid, the sillage is fairly strong and absolutely gorgeous. Overall, I absolutely love this scent. It's only the third that I've reviewed because not many scents really inspire me, but this one does. And if you are comfortable wearing a scent that isn't the typical men's designer, you will find this fantastic, and actually really amazing on a guy, but you HAVE to be confident! If I was trying to be objective, I might say 9/10, but for me it's truly a perfect 10, and its versatility is massively underrated.

I want to dispel a few myths about this before my review. First, I'm looking at my own package of Ambre Nuit that I purchased a month ago. It is NOT a cologne, this is an Eau De Parfum, so that should be corrected in both the description and picture. The second is the picture, the label no longer says cologne. That out of the way, I'll put the lead up front. My wife originally bought this because she loves amber scents with some depth and finds them calming. This was quickly her favorite, and it's fast becoming mine as well. It does have a touch of rose and definitely a hint of pink pepper for some intrigue. I find that it dries down very nicely, has excellent longevity, and (for me) the right amount of projection. @Sherapop pointed out that there seems to be a tinge of incense, and that seems to pop for me when the woods are more present in the heart and dry-down stages. The rose becomes apparent about mid-way through. There isn't much to complain about in this fragrance. It stays true to its amber roots, it's versatile enough for unisex wear, it's soft yet deep and very warming. However, I would never compare it Tobacco Vanille since it lacks either element, and comes across as more well-composed and defined versus synthetic and a confection. And at $150 for 125ml ($225 for 250ml), pricing is very reasonable, dare I say bargain (especially when compared to a Tom Ford). Highly recommend!