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!

Anyone who says it's not been reformulated, apparently is going by their scent memory and not a side by side comparison. I first fell in love with this perfume in 2014 but didn't have the finances to acquire it specially since the only available size was 250 ml bottle. Fast forward to 2017 I came across 3 bottles of this perfume in a store in 125 ml and I decided to make a purchase. The sales rep was known to me because I was a regular so he open up a bottle and let me have a sniff. I thought something was wrong with my nose or memory because it didn't smell like how I remembered because there was too much soapy cheap rose smell in it. I checked the batch code and it was 7xxx something. One out of the three bottles was 5N01, the last bottle was 6xxx something. I asked the sales rep to let me try the 2015 (5N01) bottle and he opened it for me. The first sniff from it's spray on my wrist and I instantly remembered the first time I had tried it, syrupy(amber) rose lightened with spiciness and a tiny tinge of citrus (this thing is not heavy at all). Personally I think this is a truly unisex fragrance because it's neither too masculine or feminine. So yes there has been a reformulation that Dior are notorious for, and I have yet to try the newer batches to see how they fare against the older version.

There's no amber in this folks; it was designed to be an amberGRIS and rose scent. A peppery opening with bergamot that pops. The rose starts off a little soapy and the ambergris a bit musty, but give this about half an hour to settle down. The rose becomes more delicate, the pepper lighter, and the ambergris warmer. What you're left with is a gorgeous, sensationally smooth rose, ambergris & bergamot blend with a pinch of pink pepper. It's highly reminiscent of YSL La nuit de l'homme's drydown. Scent: (4.5 / 5) Whilst the opening is weak, the drydown is right up there. * Performance: (2 / 5) On my skin it's detectable within a foot for about 2 hours, will linger on the skin for about 7 hours. Have to spray a lot of this. Versatility: (4 / 5) Imo this can be worn in the day in the cooler months, and all year around at night. Completely unisex, classy or casual, and very seductive. Overall: (4 / 5) Performance is just too weak for me to wear this, scent is heavenly though. Edit: * Have tried 3 batches, huge variation in batches imo. Newer batches are more soapy and less smooth.

I sampled this on paper in Dior’s store, I was like “Hm, it does smell like Grand Soir a bit but with some spiciness which makes it more interesting”. Then I kept sniffing the paper over and over, gave it to my friends to try it and they love it, after some poiny I decided that I gotta have a full bottle. But the newer batch sucks in terms of performance, so I held my hope down because it doesn’t deserve a full bottle if the performance is shit, so I only bought a 10ml decant just to satisfy my nose at home. After a few weeks I saw someone sell a 2015 batch with 105/125ml left. That’s when I grab the bottle in a blink of an eye lol. Now I just sit here and wait for my baby to arrive, my patient finally paid off in the end. TRY IT GUYS, IT’S VERY GOOD. Update: Nvm the old batch’s performance is still shit, sold my bottle right after, this is more like a body mist than a perfume, do not buy if you want a good performance fragrance. Longevity 2hrs max, project for like 15mins, no sillage at all. What a shame since the smell is so addicting.

I have to rewrite me review, as I like much more now and ordered a small 40 ml spray from Dior, only $100. I thought it was too safe and a little boring at first. I poured my 7 ml into an automizer spray, and it smelled much better when the spray put out a nice mist on my hand. I am able to pick out the really nice soft and fresh spices now, along with the subtle citruses. It is so refined, smooth, and highest quality notes and brilliant blending. Yes Amber and rose are the main players, but the supporting notes and blending make it a great fragrance. In a church setting, I try to wear something conservative, like Dior Granville. This has a balance of being safe and exciting in a beautiful way; It is so smooth, and would be mass apealing. I 🤔 I could wear it at church or conservative settings. PS: I'm picking up a touch of unlisted Oud, giving a nice exotic nuance; Mostly labdanum/ rose/ pink pepper. There is a bit of soft spiciness coming from a touch of cinnamon. Ratting: 9.25/10 You are loved by God. John 3:16

This reviews is for the 2009 version (my bottle is from 2015). It’s beautifulness lies on its simplicity: dry amber, fresh/airy rose, pink pepper and cedar on the base and that’s what adds this super dry aspect to a slightly balsamic/benjoim type of amber, with not too much vaniline (and that’s exactly what’s the biggest difference from the current version!!!) I would say that 2018 version still has the same dna but sadly it’s not as dry and balsamic as the older version, and what really spoils the whole experience for me it’s that they made it more sweeter by adding an overdose of vanilla (modern perfumery). It still a great fragrance but the 2009 is WAY better and unique. All that comes from a guy who considers this fragrance his undisputed top 1 from all the fragrances that have/had till now. The most beautiful fragrance in the whole world, a true masterpiece and sadly discontinued. A fragrance for special occasions! Ps.: this and 40 knots has absolutely NOTHING to do one to each other...

To my nose Ambre Nuit smells like Amber drizzled over a fresh bed of extremely fragrant Pink Roses, & dusted with Cinnamon & Nutmeg. It not only has the Sweetness warmth & Spice of the Fall & Winter. But it also has the Floral Freshness & Musky undertones of the Spring & Summer. Which makes Ambre Nuit the perfect year round fragrance. Ambre Nuit isnt a heavy fragrance, but its by no means a light fragrance either. Its very aromatic, & it projects & leaves a very nice sillage trail in the right temperatures & environments. Its a fragrance that can be worn dressed up or dressed down. Its a Unisex fragrance that smells extremely sexy on both men & women. It's fresh/spicy, but its also warm/spicy. Its not a dark fragrance per se. Its more of an Overcast fragrance that will cast a shaddow of mystery over its wearer. Ambre Nuit is a perfect Date Night fragrance, & it works very well on a sweater as a cuddle scent.

This scent was a love at first sight for me. A beautiful dance between contrasting notes that complement each other so well... The opening notes are captivating and mysterious. Right after spraying you’re taken by a very potent, yet elegant, note of ambergris that is beautifully contrasting with the top citrusy notes. A couple of minutes later the Turkish rose and pink pepper start to shine and they’re absolutely gorgeous alongside the ambergris. Sweet and involving without being too overpowering. The first 2/3h of Ambre Nuit are the best in my opinion. After that the rose blends a bit more with the ambergris and woody base notes and it becomes a very pleasant sweet ambery/rose scent. No issues with performance... for me it still projects relatively well for about 7h if I apply it to well moisturised skin. Recommend to anyone looking for a scent that is androgynous, powerful but yet very elegant.

Probably one of the few fragrances that I’ll be repurchasing for the rest of my life. Even though some might say that this fragrance leans more on the masculine side i think it’s totally unisex. As a woman this has became my signature scent. It smells rich and I literally can’t stop smelling myself when i wear this. I personally don’t like fragrances that have rose but this is such a perfect blend with the amber. If you like amber then you should definitely give it a sniff. Longevity might be the most important factor for me when it comes to a good perfume, this will last all day and even sometimes stay on my clothes for a few days. The only con is its price, it is expensive for these notes.To be transparent, I do think that there are more sophisticated scents out there that’s cheaper or maybe better.

Warm/bright(from citrus I’m assuming), spicy ambery, rosey. All blended together very well. To me it gives black outfit vibes. Performs decently. Nice sillage. Great quality. It is definitely worthy of being a private blend. My favorite I’ve tried from the Dior private line. The only one I have TRIED that I feel like I could wear as a male (I haven’t tried things like tobacolor yet though, I’m not saying it’s the only one in their private line a male can pull off) I don’t know if it got reformulated or not, but even if it did, it still has depth. Don’t let people that always complain about reformulation stop you from trying this. I’ve been familiar with this fragrance for a year plus at this point and I think it’s safe to say I love it.

Ambre Nuit is sophisticated, sensual and perfectly unisex. While they're definitely different, it reminds me of Parfums de Marly Carlisle. Both have a slightly tart opening - apple in Carlisle, and citruses in Ambre Nuit. Both have a slight spiciness - nutmeg in Carlisle, and pink pepper in Ambre Nuit. Both have a powdery sweetness surrounding the smooth, warm amber and floral rose. The main difference to me is that Ambre Nuit lacks that slight dirty edginess that Carlisle has, and for that reason is more unisex. Absolutely beautiful fragrance, with performance to match. This would be perfect for evening wear, especially if you're dressed up.

This is beautiful, I love it on me but feel like it would smells so amazing on my man. Definitely a very neutral fragrance for winter/fall and oh so warm and cozy. Aaah, I just might get a full bottle. I can smell rose, a dark syrupy rose, some spice I think it’s probably pink pepper, the Amber makes so cozy feeling and the citrus is so mice here to make the fragrance smell not too overwhelming. It’s gorgeous. And one spritz is going a long way I have it on my one wrist and I can smell it pretty strongly farther way, so silage is amazing. I feel like if you used more than 2 sprays you might choke a few people 😅

Effervescent, uplifting and energizing fragrance smelling of ambergris and ambroxan with a dose of amber. This is a fragrance that grows on me with every wear. Would make for somebody’s perfect signature. Moderate arms length projection lasts for 3 hours before settling into a skin scent for me. Smells like a sea breeze. Between this and 40 knots this is the more wearable and light scent whereas 40 knots is a bit more adventurous and the salt makes it harder to wear for all occasions. That fragrance projects longer and further versus this however scent alone I prefer Ambre Nuit. Absolutely a beautiful scent.

Seriously, how could anyone not like this? Goodness what beauty. The La Collection Privee line is all about refined elegance. Understatement. Quality. Taste. I know all of these things are subjective but I am talking in general terms. I am completely blown away by this line and I am not a Dior fan normally. This is on a whole different level. Great, now another phenomenal line to empty my bank account. Ambre Nuit is rose/amber heaven. Wow. Perfectly balanced and so well crafted I don't see how anyone could deny its excellence, even if it isn't a scent for you. Masterful. Beyond gorgeous....10/10.

Magnificent scent, to me, I cannot smell much citrus from my bottle, but I can definitlely get a sense of freshness of first spray. The amber and rose certainly dominate the olfactory profile of the scent, and they do it beautifully. I can never get tired of the scent. My only complaint is the fact that the performance is rather poor for the price point, I can get decent projection for around 3-4 hrs, with the scent lasting around 5hrs total. But I do think that the tradeoff for performance and scent is worthwhile. This is easily a 9.5/10 scent, but performance drops it down to an overall 9/10.

Fantastic. Absolutely love it, combines warmth with cleanness. Simple, linear scent but so good man... Definitely can pick up every note, but I cant yet wrap my head around the different facades of this. Sometimes the rose peaks out more and this has a clean, almost soapy scent. But on other days i can smell the amber a lot more and it becomes some spicy warm scent with a tiny animalic edge, almost cinnamony to me. Will get this for sure, super versatile but fancy and sexy at the same time. As unisex as it gets!