Amber Mystique

A vibrant scene unfolds before you - the Garden of Eden is radiating with a million jasmine flowers in full bloom, lush raspberries and black currants are brimming with their succulent juices, ylang-ylang and roses of countless variety lend their crisp and dewy presence to cut through the sweet amber pouring from the lips of your eternal lover. You revel in the endless majesties this land holds for just you and your lover. The days are endless and the nights eternal - there is no sense of time for the first of mankind as the world revolves around you. Somewhere, deep in the night, you hear the whispers of forbidden knowledge and the betrayal of your lover. Day broke with the succulent kiss of your true love - in her eye was an unrelenting twinkle and, in her hand, she held the most beautiful fruit. It radiated the scent of a world on fire - the everlasting char of ancient oud, scorched earth, blackened leather, and the pain of a trillion souls. She took the first bite, you followed without hesitation - the universe irrevocably shifted in an instant and Paradise was lost forever. The two souls found themselves submerged in pain and shame...they sought refuge in their supple golden flesh. In a bed of iris and rose, they forged a bond that would carry all humankind toward the end - there musky bodies and labdanum tears set the tone for an eternity of heartaches and jilted love. For now, they had each other and the white noise of a new dawn... Day 78 - Toward the End Listening to: Wilson - Centipede Notes: I have to say that I got this for a song and expected quite little...it was surely one of the best surprises I have had in quite some time! The opening is brilliantly complex as it pits ripe raspberries and currants against a lush floralscape of jasmine and rose with the sharp undercurrent of ylang-ylang. Buried just beneath the surface is a fiery oud, incense, and leather accord that is paired with a succulent amber and sandalwood. This fume switches partners often in its graceful dance - the florals peek out from time to time, but the main players are the smoked wood accord and the opulent amber accord. Somewhere in the depths is a gorgeous soda pop myrrh note that keeps me wanting more! These notes play out again and again until the pair slowly winds down to a gentle sweet and woody musk some 10 hours after it began. Perfect for man or woman and surely something to be tried as it is a gorgeous experience to behold!

I haven't worn this for a while, so am approaching it with a fresh nose. Amber Mystique is a long, looooooooooonnnng way from being unique or innovative, but it's a bloody excellent quality scent, nonetheless. It was released six or so years ago; given the success and influence of the Arabic market by 2012/13, AM's lack of originality (particularly its use of the rose/oud combo) is forgivable. Does anyone know the identity of the perfumer? In my opinion, Amber Mystique is beautifully well-balanced, and I'd like to test some of their other compositions. It's early autumn here in the UK, so whilst it was about 17C during daylight, the temperature this evening has dropped considerably,so Amber Mystique seems to be an excellent choice of perfume, as it smells warm and comforting. On my skin (and to my nose) there's a powerful raspberry/floral/smokey incense on first spraying. I own - and love - a number of fragrances from Middle Eastern houses, so generally speaking, I don't find oud intense or intrusive; this may be why, as AM dries down, leather and incense seem to dominate the base on me. Amber Mystique is NOT an overwhelming or animalic perfume; it's enchanting and rather sexy, drawing you in for a closer sniff. A reviewer below (AMV10) says Amber Mystique is "like Youth Dew Amber Nude married with Bel Ami in a light cloud of incense and oud". As a result of his/her comments, I decided to spritz a little YDAN (which I also love, although not as much as the original YD) on the back of my left hand to compare and contrast it with AM. Unfortunately this has - right now - had the undesirable result of making YDAM smell rather like fly spray in comparison. Amber Mystique is NOT a safe blind buy, unless you are a fan of the genre; it is, however, 100% unisex (in my opinion). Longevity is well over eight hours on my skin, far longer on clothing, and sillage is somewhat beyond arms-length. It's definitely worth testing if you are a fan of high quality perfumes with a "Middle-Eastern" influence. I'm now in search of a back up bottle, as AM seems to be discontinued. If anyone in the UK is seeking to dispose of theirs, please let me know. Bee x ETA: I was wearing 4160 Tuesdays Amberama yesterday - there are definite similarities to ELAM, but the sillage and longevity of this one are outstanding in comparison.

NOW I get what people are talking about!! I love this - it reminds me of the powerhouse oriental scents of the 80s - especially Opium and Cinnabar. I get a deep and fragrant myrrh and incense, that avoids that medicinal edge I sometimes get with that myrrh.. Of course, the amber is bold as well. The oud (definitely Western style) adds body, and I get the barest trace of taif rose. This was a very successful blind buy - it has enormous presence and must not be over sprayed. I spray to the top of my hand it the aroma is surrounding me!! Scrummy!! EDIT - This has definitely grown to be one of my favorite oriental fragrances of all time. It just hits all the right notes on my skin - pun intended! I have tried quite a few new (for me) incense/resinous scents over the past couple of months, along with some vintage old faves such as Opium, and I love many of them, but this may be THE one. I sniff and my eyes roll back into my head! I think I may like it even more than Opium (vintage only), which has been a love since I was a teenager. Of course, that's just how I feel at this moment, but I know that this is one that will require backup bottles, because I don't ever want to be without it. Thinking about the wood one next... ADDITIONAL EDIT 5/7/21 - This has been replaced by TF Sahara Noir as my favorite Oriental scent. It's a pretty close second! However, given that a bottle of the discontinued SN now commands hundreds of dollars on Ebay while the discontinued AM can still be found for under $50, I think that I'll stock up on a bottle or 2 of AM, at least until the universe rewards me with a bottle of SN at the "bargain" price of, say, $150 or less!

As the winter wanes, I am wearing some of my more rich and opulent fragrances while they still seem most appropriate. We've reached the end of February, and the temps are entering the 40s, so I think I can swing Amber Mystique, the best kept 'secret' (or is it?) from Estee Lauder. This one has a potency and quality that matches that of higher end frags with much higher price points: your Tom Ford Private Blends, Frederic Malles, and the like. Curiously enough, both are owned by none other than...Estee Lauder. Well then, the myths melt and the prestige is demystified! Heaven forfend we believe that a fragrance that can be had for under 40 buckaroos could actually be of premium quality... Amber Mystique is a take-no-prisoners kind of scent, with rich florals and jammy fruits colliding with mildly animalic amber and a Western-nose friendly oud simmering in a cauldron of incense, and it is magnificent. Undulating wafts greet my nose with a turn of my neck or a turn to my step, its as if I am in an olfactory force field, protected in this rosy, woody bubble of bliss. The dry down reveals what seems to be a myrrh note, at once bitter, but also sweet, maybe even umami (is there a smell equivalent to that? savory?), and there is a lingering dry pepperiness. The base, several hours in, is only rivaled by the likes of Annick Goutal Ambre Fetiche in terms of substantivity. I want to thank the Aetherialist (YT reviewer) for clueing me in to this affordable (at least for now) treasure.

Amber Mystique reminds me somewhat of Perles de Lalique, even though that one has a woodier, less ambery base. I never would have guessed that this was an Estée Lauder fragrance in a blind sniff test. It reminds me of some of my Middle Eastern rose fragrances, too, like Infini Rose. If I had known it would be quite so similar to some of the other fragrances in my collection, I might not have bought a full bottle, but it's discontinued now, and I'm guessing it will just become harder to find over time. I do find this on par with Desert Eden, from the newer "Luxury" line--now, ironically, the bargain choice, at least relative to the "Legacy" line--and I'm pretty sure they could have just re-released this one and its sister, Wood Mystique (which I don't own and have never smelled) along with the rest of them. I think the bottle is beautiful, far better than the elegant but ordinary look of the Legacy and Luxury lines, and probably better than the Aerin bottles, which just look like Tom Ford rip-off bottles to me, with all the pseudo-minimalist pretensions. Update nearly two years later: I'm really starting to appreciate this more--figures it would be discontinued. It's especially good in the cold weather. I'm not sure I could bear it if it were even slightly warm. It has some slight PoaL vibes, but Amber Mystique has far less patchouli and a smidge more oud in the base. Smoky incense and jammy rose give it a churchy feel, but it's a little bit dirty, too.

I just got this one today on a blind buy and would like to thank the Fragrantica community for guiding me in my purchases. As I smelled the spritzer, this is what I got: Amber, pepper, a tiny hint of deep floral. Then I sprayed it on myself and was worried. For a few minutes, it had a sharp scent like I had walked into a clean chemical toilet and someone had thrown finely ground pepper in my face. This died off shortly, and in about 10 minutes I had the most incredible medium sillage amber woody scent with just a hint of deep floral to balance it out- and I mean just the faintest hint. This reminds me of a very wealthy and sophisticated woman in Dubai boarding a Gulfstream at sunset, jetting off to parts unknown. I can't believe what this can be purchased for; it is an absolute bargain and I will be buying a backup bottle. There is nothing in this that smells cheap or synthetic to me- it comes across as a $200+ fragrance. There is something about it that is a tiny bit earthy that makes you want to inhale and get closer to inhale again...and then never leave. I asked my neighbor (a 47 yo European man) what he thought and he said "shag city" and I must agree. Naughty shag city. To my nose, if you like deep scents like Bandit and Cabochard, this one is in the same category. Where the former are a robust gut punch, this is a sexy bite on the lower lip.

Finally secured a 100ml bottle of this top 5 fave after having subsisted for years on a large cache of samples. This is potent stuff! Worn on its own with a moderate application (4-6 sprays) Amber Mystique is heady and heavy, giving no effs for politesse or western tastes for 'clean' smelling perfume. The raspberry/apricot/jasmine sweetness of the top notes are grounded by saffron/incense tinged woods and a healthy whiff of horse barn. I can see how some would find this challenging, but I rarely want to wear this perfume as a singular full application. Mere sprinkles - not even one full spray - applied alone or atop other fragrances, give it a unique, elusive quality that lives up to the name Mystique, wafting for up to 8 hours (on me) as a diaphanous veil of tangy aromatic spice. It takes so little of this strong perfume to create this delightful ambient effect that a 1.5ml sample is good for 3-4 applications! Pairs amazingly well with D&G Intenso, TF Tuscan Leather, Atelier Tobacco Nuit, and Givenchy Patchouli de Minuit. Disounters have good prices on this discontinued gem (with coupon codes) while they last, making this a great value for the quality and uniqueness. This scent is too tiring to work as a signature scent for me, but on the special occasions I wear it, I can't get enough.

Estee Lauder Corp has produced four relatively similar fragrances in this Arab-influenced mold: Aramis Perfume Calligraphy Rose, Clinique Beyond Rose, and Estee Lauder Amber Mystique / Wood Mystique. Of the four, I like the Amber Mystique best. It's consistently delightful from the first spray through the very long drydown, in a way the first two can't match (Wood Mystique is wonderful as well, it would be my favorite if not for the amber sibling). Beyond Rose has a sort of 'bug-spray' feel in the top, and Perfume Calligraphy Rose is more rose than I feel I can handle. The amber, spices, and florals in Mystique (ok, the name is pretty bonkers) feel perfectly balanced to my taste, and smell fabulous on a man or a woman. (edit) I'm very impressed by Lauder's treatment of the sandalwood note. It's a soft, round, natural feeling scent with excellent legibility even after 6-8 hours. Natural Sandalwood lasts *forever* on a scent strip (something like 4000 hours) but I'm often slightly anosmic to it - not so much here, where it's clear as crystal. I've read there are some true Santalum Album trees being grown outside the Mysore region (the wood is protected in India after hundreds of years of over-farming) but I suspect it's been enhanced with Sandalore or Polysantal to give it some projection.

Ooo..la.la! This is really, really nice. I was afraid of the 'OUD' & leather notes listed. Oud, to me, tends to go a few ways when dominant. Examples: Rotting, damp, woods & raisins; Armour-all polish and bitter raisins, or a combo of the two. The OUD in this is 'the combo' smell. Mostly SWEET raisins, which I think I am attributing to the addition of the VERY noticeable Black currents, raspberries, and PLUMS. Yeah, plums are in here! Even if the perfumer didn't intend to do it 'on purpose'. I smell an overlap of the following perfumes: Tom Ford's A.d'O Plum Japonais(patchouli turned downed), AVON's Bon Jovi 'Unplugged'(Super Sweet, amber-ish, nighttime, PLUM-Hussy*LUV IT*), and Kenzo's MADLY Oud (sweet-Armour all polish,Oud,and incense). Yep, a triple layer. Reviewer StellaXYZ, nailed that on the head(also convinced me to buy;-) ) . As it dries down, it switches between the 3 perfumes above. What stays is the sweet plum/berry aroma, and a oud-incense smell, and an amber base that makes it 'prickly. Amber tends to dry-out fragrances, especially with incense..sometimes. Tho the berry notes here keep it damp. Great longevity, super nice alternative to the expensive/DC'd smells above. Get it while you can. Makes for a great winter, Holiday-event scent.

Wow. Well....wow. So I blind bought a sealed nib 50ml off the bay for $17 shipped. Price is phenominal and I am on a "I'll find out for myself" Amber binge every since I bought Ambre russe and tom fords Amber absolute. I am finding out real fast that this is an accord or mythical note that is done in so many ways. This isn't a biased first impression. I like some things and dislike some things about it. Though for the money Im really enjoying this. There is a bug spray note I get in the opening, but it doesn't last too long. It's actually a very well blended fragrance that has good longevity and projection. I like the 50ml bottle too, looks great in my collection. I do feel the boozy oud mixed with Rose is very nice and the incense keeps the composition going. Overall I find it completely unisex and can see this coming off a little different on certain body chemistries. Defiantly sets up different on skin so if hour testing first be sure to apply on skin to get your final thought on it. Overall it's about as good as I expected and I'm not let down with my blind buy. If I paid more than $75 or something I think I would be but $17, no problem at all placing this on my shelf. Scent 7/10 Longevity 8.5/10 Projection 8/10 Quality 7/10 Overall 7.5/10

From a very cheap-looking bottle comes a very good fragrance. Amber Mystique (AM) is certainly different from the type of fragrance (that I) expected from Estee Lauder. Initial burst seems quite cheap and synthetic. This quickly fades - mild oud and incense notes immediately become apparent, softened by rose and fruity nuances. (I assume the berry notes.) First testing of AM made me think of incense notes found in Tom Ford's Sahara Noir or Bois 1920's Vento Nel Vento only slightly sweetened. Recent wearings, however, have made me think otherwise...? Anyhow, as some other reviewers have mentioned, the amber note shines a bit later on. Well, perhaps 'shines' is not the right word - it seems somewhat 'cheap-smelling' amber to my nose and I would much prefer it not to be there in all honesty! All-in-all, for the price (and perhaps the relatively low-ish expectations!) AM is a very solid fragrance with all the middle-eastern feel to it that many collectors love so much. Performance is very good - I have a slightly older bottle dated early-2012, whether or not that makes any difference. Final note: my wife said that it smells like Turkish Delight... Not necessarily a bad thing as I love Turkish Delight!

Really like this but I think it may be too much to be a crowd pleaser here in the U.S. This is one that I would wear for myself year round minus the hottest days when the temp hits 95 or above. This is Tom Ford's Black orchid finally done right--- no longer simply a cavalcade of inky moist base notes--one right after the other with no relief in sight, but the addition of a stunning dry incense rose middle, and the lightest bit of fresh citrus rind for a top note all of which create a decadent well rounded perfume experience along the theme of Aramis Calligraphy Rose. This does NOT smell like ACR, there's no real sweetness, but it's in the same genre. I can see why this was one of the EL's that boasted some popularity in the middle east. I would invest in a back up bottle now if I happened across a good deal simply because this will likely be discontinued at a certain point. The oud fervor is dying down these days in the states so even if not discontinued entirely, but just in the U.S., it might become much harder to locate. The sillage is appropriate considering the theme of this perfume (Arabian/oud/incense). I would certainly spritz lightly. Longevity is around the 6-8 hour mark.

This is weird in a good way...opening is exactly like another Estée Lauder discontinued gem, Sensuous Noir ( first 10-20 seconds), then the rose ( especially the Taif one) and the berries start to kick in. Amber is present but more in the background. The heart notes become more and more about rose/Oud combo the likes of Oud Satin Mood, with that sharp metallic note ( like blood smell) , until the amber is fighting for the main star of the show spot. Dry down becomes more masculine, yet still keeps some sweetness from the labdanum and sandalwood, there’s definitely leather and powdery musk and a hint of patchouli. Interesting I don’t sense any ylang ylang or jasmine at all throughout entire performance. It’s an interesting fragrance and was ahead of its time when was released back in 2013, because has niche qualities. If I’d have to pick between this one the the Wood Mystique I’d go for that one, I like it a bit better. It’s a shame that EL ( more likely L’Oréal) got rid of all the nice fragrances the brand came out with and kept the generic ones.

This has a mystique about it, just like the name says. Oud comes through strong but not overpowering it is sweetened by red raspberry and rose. Black currant keeps it a little tart, pink pepper adds spice to a smoky and leathery incense cloud that envelops you in an alluring haze. This reads feminine to me but a man could wear it as well. This is strong perfume so my large bottle will last me forever and that makes it a good value. It's a shame this has been discontinued. So many of the new EL fragrances are just dull compared to this, Youth Dew, and Sensuous. I bought the reformulations of Cinnabar and Spellbound and while ok they did disappoint. I sampled others years ago like Beautiful, Pleasures etc.. and they never were never my cup of tea and I like floral perfumes. EL works best for me when I sample and then buy their deeper and richer offerings because that is where this house really shines. This is a beautiful, alluring, and captivating perfume. Worn by a woman who wants to add a little mystery to her aura.

Amber landmark Mystic is an adjective well applied to this perfume. It's intoxicating in a good way, dazzling as a goblet of good liqueur (or many goblets) and, with an above-average performance, grants many hours of pleasure to its wearer. Although I consider it a unisex perfume, its masculine side is bigger than the feminine one. The existing initial sweetness is mostly fruity and comes from the raspberry and blackcurrant existing notes. The rose note it's not strong but is very alluring and pleasant. The overall scent is intense and seductive, with a strong chord of amber and incense. The oud, without being intense, makes itself noted with a good dosis of smoke. It behaves like an ember. No flame, but always on fire. The presentation is very beautiful and worthy of being in the front row of any shelf. Estée Lauder can only be congratulated on this perfume and it has completely awakened me to try the Wood Mystique as well. Keep your scent high!

This was totally a blind purchase....this juice has a real woodsy-spicy-oriental vib. The two main notes from amber and argarwood with definite smokey incense aroma makes this juice ABOUSOTLEY SEXY. Both red pepper and Bulgarian rose is the final notes to bring this juice to a niche quality. After this juice settles, I'm still able to enjoy the warm spicy aroma for several hours without it being cloying. Both Longevity and Silage is very high lasting 6-8hrs before it starts to lose any staying power. Finally, This is very much a TRUE unisex fragrance...it's not too sweet nor too woodsy or spicy either. I must admit...before receiving this fragrance, I thought that it might be more of a woodsy /powdery vib with a floral blend. Instead this juice is a real mysterious, dark and sensual juice...excellent during the fall and winter months. The warmth from skin will turn your partner hormones into first gear....9.5/10

Tried this today by chance in a 'famous' London department store. Initially I did not want to try it for I am not the biggest Estee Lauder fan, but I must admit I was very pleasantly surprised. Good ingredients promise a very nice blended concotion: sensual, warm, slightly on the sweet side (2 different roses plus 2 berries: especially the raspberry I guess). Initially very strong, pungent and potent but drying down nicely after 30 minutes plus. Price point £95 is not bad for a limited edition and exclusive range of that quality (of course its not Amouage or Tom Ford). I love Ambers especially complex and interesting ones like this for autumn, so that might make it on my shopping list for this fall season! Ambers to me are like the ripe Indian Summer days when the sun has turned the earth and vegetation "ripe". Given the competitive price, I'd give it an 8/10!

Very different from other scents I've tried. Darker, but with minty top notes I cannot identify in the list. The oud is just perfectly balanced for me who don't like when it gets too strong. Great blend, nothing sticks out, not too sweet, not too oud-y, not too rose-y. And none of that Estee Lauder signature mystery compund that nauseates me in all their regular scents. Warm and comforting, without being too linear or smelled 100 times before in other bottles. Works well for cold weather, will se how it behaves when summer comes. And, as many have said before, very reasonably priced on ebay! April 7, 2016 When the weather got a little bit warmer, suddenly the rose blossomed in full force. Love it even more, but feel lonely in my love: partner dislikes it and son closes the door to his room as "it smells like flowers that have taken a s**t".

I have a small vial of this so my test is unfortunately not a nice spray. Anyhow, I do like this scent, I don’t think it’s your everyday easy scent though. It reminds me of Revlon Unforgettable with the beeswax feel, A.Mystique is lighter though. The amber lends a depth and powderyness, but I wouldn’t call this powdery. Balsamic I still think that means vinegar so that note confuses me. I don’t get rose not the fresh sort anyway, perhaps it’s more the woody bark, no fruit noticeable perhaps this is a touch of huneyed fruit?? Oud, not sure, it might lend woody tones. This isn not Smokey ... really.. I guess it’s super well blended. Honey, beeswaxy but with woody overtones... Quite interesting, I wonder if you could share this with a man in your life. It’s not like a super feminine scent.

After taking the advice of online fragrance friends, I finally blind bought this and it is love at first spray. Remember the original Shiseido Feminite du Bois? Amber Mystique contains a good deal, to my nose, of its DNA. Right away, one gets a blast of oud, pink pepper, and amber. Yet, rose still pushes through along with the incense and berries and it all blends seamlessly. After an hour the rose settles, the fruit seems to ripen, and the amber wafts fully. Amber Mystique is not gentle yet it's not harsh. There's a modicum of sweetness that smells natural, even rather like a tobacco note, making it entirely unisex especially in today's climate of sweeter men's scents and woodier women's options. If you like sweet woods and spices with a touch of rose I'd say this is a safe blind buy.