Velvet Amber Sun

I bought velvet amber sun blind, based on reviews since I’ve been going through an amber vanilla phase as of late. This is it. This is the one. When I got my bottle it was very incensey to begin with. Today as I write this review something really strange has happpend. I currently have Amber Absolute on one wrist, Velvet amber sun on the other. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been smelling both or my juice has started to oxidise. Today the oud has really come out. It is that resinous, syrupy medicinal type oud that I love, it’s very similar to the oud accord in M7. Anyway, out of all the popular ambers I rate this the best. Better than Amber Absolute and Ambre Sultan which are very incensey, powdery and dusty. Better than Grand Soire which can get overly gourmand and sweet in the base. Velvet amber sun has the perfect balance of incense and sweetness. Maybe testing AA and amber sun together has thrown my nose off but it’s really highlighted the oud in here. The other resins such as frankincense are there too. The opening is spicy but not overpowering. The dry down has the vanilla coming through in enough amounts to sweeten the other notes but not to the point where it becomes the main star like in grand soire. It remains resinous throughout but gets smoother as time goes on. I think if you layered Grand Soire with Amber Absolute you’d get something close to Velvet Amber. I’m not one to say stupid things about perfume, but this stuff is actually spiritual. Out of my vast collection, during this winter, this is the scent I want on my wrist just to sniff even just at home. It’s so comforting. But it has a so much complexity, and goes through so many stages that I never get bored of it. Once my 150ml bottle arrived I instantly ordered another one. I want this juice for a lifetime. It’s that good. If you can get your hands on it, you like amber vanilla and oud, get it. You will not be disappointed.

My god. I am truly in love. It's like old books and pudding and sprinkles of amber resin. On initial spray it feels rather masculine, a dry woodiness.... But after 30 seconds or so it's true beauty unfurls! It becomes increasingly warm, cosy and inviting. And as time goes on, it becomes sweeter, creamier and gourmand. The incense is devine and mixed with the creamy vanilla is just pure harmony. This perfume creates the most intoxicating, delicate and beautiful amber I have ever smelt to this day. It lasts 12 hours and just makes me melt! I think there is some interesting pheromones or some magical nonsense in here because it honestly drives me crazy (in the best way possible), but also and VERY weirdly.... Drives my cat mad for it too LOL! I had sprayed my shirt with this and later when I went home, my cat (who is usually VERY sensitive to any smells and hates them at that) was all over me, he's usually incredibly shy and doesn't show any physical affection, but he would not leave me alone- headbutting me and dribbling all over my sleeves where I had sprayed! It happens every time too. I once found him rolling all over a blouse on the floor that had been sprayed previously. Anyways, I'm sure I'm smelling the same thing he's smelling. Divinity in a bottle. Also makes you attractive to some cats apparently. EDIT: Okay guys!!! For those who adore this fragrance but can't afford to shell out the £260 for 50mls, I have discovered an ALMOST exact replica!!!!! 100mls will set you back about £160!!!! So you're getting double the amount of perfume for just over half the cost. Found it last month in Venice airport by- The Merchant of Venice; Ottoman Amber. I own this D&G already but as soon as it runs out I'm going to buy Ottoman Amber instead, the dry down is literally the same. Thank me later. ;)

Absolutely love this one, on my top 5 amber fragrances of all time, up there with Amber absolute, Ambre Nuit, Grand Soir and Ambre Nobile. This has to be one of the most richest smelling fragrances I've ever tried, it's so deep and light at the same time. It exudes quality, in fact it is so rich and natural you will find insects attracted to you and other creatures. Best not to wear this in the Jungle lol. Whatever they are putting in this fragrance, it has significant pulling power. This is stated as pour homme by D&G, you can see this on the packaging. Amber Skin on the other hand is pour femme, so I'm thinking the colour of the bottle caps signify the gender (I could be wrong). Honestly though I think this can be worn by all genders, the opening is very masculine (sharp and smoky, almost makes me sneeze lol) and the dry down is this creamy smooth silky vanilla/Cadbury chocolate gourmand dream. The opposite sex absolutely loves this scent, so if you're a guy looking for attention you should pick this up. Performance wise this is beast mode and then some, no more than 1 or 2 sprays required. Lasts 24 hrs on me and I can smell it on me the next day. However projection goes down after the 8 hr mark and after that it stays within 5/6 inches from the skin. Price is very expensive, but I believe in this case you get what you pay for. I got myself the 150 ml which will last me forever and comes in this wonderful velvet box - presentation is amazing. This is a 10/10 fragrance, but please sample before you splash the cash ;)

@SmellMyCheese Pegged it perfectly... You spray this on and like when you spray on Amber Absolute you are like "Ok here we go!!! THIS IS WHAT WE TRAIN FOR!!!" and with Amber Absolute that is exactly what you get... BANG BANG BANG!!! In your face and brash... And I LOVE it... But... With this you think you will but you don't... I mean it seems like it is going to be that way at first spray and a minute later there is a shift... It's not soft but it's not angry and trying to beat the hell out of you like Amber Absolute anymore... This is WONDERFUL juice... I am an amber lover through and through and own a lot of amber fragrances and I didn't own one that fit this spot until getting this bottle... After that first minute it is a softer and MUCH smoother version of Amber Absolute while not smelling exactly like it either... I mean it is that type of amber scent but it has this lovely airy quality to it... It's... It's mysterious... I just can't explain what I mean... It begs to be experienced... Get yourself a sample if you can and put a spray on the back of your hand... I think you'll understand what I am talking about while I can't quite say it... I am very happy to have it in my collection and the presentation (bottle and box) are to die for... Perfectly unisex...

First wearing of Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Amber Sun, part of the higher-end Velvet collection, not sold too many places. It’s a robust amber vanilla blend with a very sensible mix of sweet, smoky, balsamic, and even a little bit of animalic vibes. It’s quite deep and rich with a good amount of complexity and nuance, so I do not regard it as a great introductory amber-centric fragrance. I get the sense that great care was taken in its creation so it’s immediately one of my favorites in the genre. I place it somewhere between the sweeter Tom Ford Amber Absolute, one of my absolute favorites, and Profumum Roma Ambra Aurea, more to the smoky/animalic side and also excellent, albeit not as great as Amber Absolute, at least to me. But the quality is great, right up there with others like MFK Grand Soir and Absolue Pour le Soi, Rania J Ambre Loup, among others. Again, the line seems difficult to find and the only point of sale I found (for the US) is via the Dolce & Gabbana website at $310 for 100ml, in EDP Concentration, so not terribly high at just over $3 per ml, but a 100ml size only is a rather limiting option. Overall, I love it and wish it were more accessible but am happy with a decant for now. 8 out of 10