Amsterdam

The fragrance of Amsterdam depicts, through its creative concept, the change of seasons in the most populous city of Holland, when autumn turns into winter. The freedom of cycling through the famous canals, flowers in the windows, the smell of warm cake and furniture made of wood make up this scenario. Just like the dark tones inside the houses, imagining the smell of a black tulip was the starting point for the creation of this fragrance, which is classified as floral, spicy and woody. Amsterdam has notes of elemi, pink pepper, Sichuan pepper, and saffron on the top of the composition. Then, tulip and rose notes were combined, creating a floral heart. The base brings notes of cedar, amber, musk, and sandalwood. On my skin, Amsterdam’s fragrance reveals itself as a floral-musky with a huge personality, which presents a new approach to the term genderless. This is because, in general, it is much easier to create a unisex fragrance of citric or aromatic style. But when it comes to florals, the boundary between the shareable and the true unisex (for both genders) will depend, directly, on the taste of the wearer. And here, the fragrance shows up much more unlabeled than anything else. It plays between femininity and masculinity, that is, it is almost genderfluid. It is difficult to recognize the presence of rose or saffron in this perfume. The floral aspect gained a more resinous tone, because of the elemi and the extraction of the pink pepper that, in this fragrance, was through the CO2 (called soft extraction). Apart from that, there is much presence of the musk - with its sensual facets - and of the sandalwood - extremely creamy at the base. And the final result ends up being a milky floral and slightly woody, that claims for the touch of the skin, behaving of linear and very comfortable form. Amsterdam is a perfume that symbolizes coziness on colder days but has a certain versatility in its use. It is that type of fragrance with body moisturizer's feeling, which does not bother third parties and makes the person enjoy wearing more and more. It combines with formal environments and even with the most relaxed, exuding significantly in the first hour, and becoming more subtle with the passage of time, remaining for about five hours on the skin. Gallivant Lesson: If you thought that Amsterdam only smelled of marijuana, you made a mistake!

I'm reviewing this on a cold, dry winter day. This fragrance starts out with an addictive burst of bright rose, saffron, and pink pepper (the S. molle in Gallivant's notes, not yet listed in Fragrantica's voting scheme), all grounded by the very well-blended base notes. About an hour in, that floral effervescence gives way to a powdery sandalwood, sharpened by a touch of cedar and pepper; at this point the balsamic warmth becomes elusive and, to be honest, the composition feels unbalanced and reminds me of a less spicy Ormonde Jayne Orris Noir (about which my main complaint is that it's aggressively dry and spicy). But four hours in, the sandalwood loses some of its dryness and the composition starts to warm up again as a vanillic amber really takes over. On me this really is a skin scent after the first hour, and five hours in it's mostly faded away, although wisps of woodsy sweetness still remain. I tend to prefer frags with greater projection and staying power, but this is pretty average, and at $95 for 30ml it's really not a bad bargain.

Opens up peppery and floral, I get carnation then a some oriental spiciness that pricks my nose a little. Finally a mellowing out of various woods and musks, which creates a beautiful base for the other notes. I think this is a relatively wearable perfume. Easy to imagine it transitioning from day to night. I tend to think of spicy perfumes as wintery but there are no rules. And I think this would be wearable most of the year really. Not a ton of projection but it LASTS. Overall would recommend for anyone over the age of 30. Younger than that I think it depends on the personality donning it.

Reviewing without first checking the perfume pyramid. My first thought is the scent of the pollen stamens in Madonna lilies. Heady but not sweet. As the perfume is called Amsterdam I am reminded of flower markets. Then I catch a smokier aroma. Reminds me of pipe tobacco before it is burnt. But spicier. The overall effect is green, fresh and also spicy, smoky which is unusual. I really like it. My daughter who is into white floral scents does not. I will happily wear this scent but as it is not sweet I think it would work on a man too. I feel it is a daytime scent.

I love this fragrance so much. And it embraces well the multiple facets of this city. A sweet smell of freedom on a classic background, portable in all circumstances and yet original. The dominant smell of the tulip gives it a unique color, but these spices also evoke the cozy side of Dutch houses as well as the audacity and sensuality when the smell and the evening arise. Very nice tribute to this very special city!

A favourite for me. Flower market mixed with pipe smoke. I am not usually into heavy florals but with the spice and smoke it’s a winner for me. Initially I thought if was more on the feminine side but it will depend how it works with your personal chemistry. Sadly not in production at the moment.

I would never have thought that tulips could smell good in a fragrance. I mean, they are beautiful, colourful, and stubborn and they always tend to grow out of their vase so you end up with a beautiful messy bunch of flowers sticking their heads wherever they feel like. And here in The Netherlands they are very cheap so you can buy arms full of them to bring spring inside your entire house. But they do not really smell nice. So I was a bit hesitant to try Amsterdam. No need. Gallivant not only managed to create a dark, cozy, spicy scent that is reminiscent of tulips, but moreover, truly brings back memories of gloomy, windy, wet autumns in Amsterdam, where I lived for years. The kind of days when you feel instant happiness once you step inside a nice, warm, cozy house, restaurant or cafe, take off your rain coat and warm up by the fireside. The spices work really well (I get a hint of cinnamon which is not listed in the notes) and the tulip note is a bit green, soft, dusty and peppery. Not an easy perfume to wear but I really do like it.

For me, Gallivant Amsterdam is, most of all, resinous, followed by floral and spicy accords that accent the amber at the center. Sichuan pepper, saffron, rose, cedar, sandalwood, and musk all round out the experience, the pepper and saffron unsurprisingly taking lead. It hits the sweet spot between sweet and spicy, fresh and dense, summer and winter. A year-round winner, for sure. Undoubtedly it'll strike some as odd, but for those that have smelled niche stuff, this will feel familiar, not too daring, but pushing the envelope just enough to be interesting.. Amsterdam's performance is good, on par with most of the line and perhaps even slightly better than most, more suited for cold weather with a certain density, though not the density I'm accustomed to experiencing in amber-centric fragrances. I quite like this one--still going with Berlin as my favorite, by Amsterdam is another solid offering from this line that merits smelling. 7 out of 10

Another intriguing scent. Never smelt any fragrance amongst the tulips I grow. I can only recognise the tulip note because I smelt it in MH Tender. It is indeed quite distinctive. A cool, sappy note. The overall impression is a warm musky rosy scent. The saffron and pepper is quite evident. Elemis is a sort of a slightly fruity musky resin that is perhaps bolstering the musk. I admit it does remind me of MH Tenderbut of course no ink. This is warmer with a good dose of rose. It doesn't evolve much. I'm surprised it's not more peppery really considering two different ones are listed. They do provide a necessary bit of edge accenting a musky rose scent. I get above average longevity and good sillage. If you don't like the rose or saffron note much then maybe test with caution. If you like a very modern, warm, musky fragrance that is pretty unique. This is for you! I get average moderate and sillage.

I thought I knew a lot about perfume, but then I tried Gallivant Amsterdam and I realize I don’t have the vocabulary or nose to describe what I’m smelling.....and that’s equal parts humbling, intriguing and frustrating. I’m on my second wearing, Amsterdam is kind of powdery and kind of spicy, and a bunch of other things. It’s odd, but not in an unnatural or ugly way. And it’s not a boring ride. But I’m thinking this is not something I would want to own because I don’t understand it. I bought Gallivant’s sampler set, Nomad. I’ll come back to this one on another day and try again.

My experience with this fragrance was interesting. It started on my skin straight to the mid notes, I got none of the spicy top notes. The heart notes are very intense and natural, like fresh cut flowers. Points for the authenticity but a bit too floral to call this unisex. (I can do a well-mannered rose in perfumes but this goes beyond that.) This phase lasted for about 4 hours and then settled to a pleasant but nondescript woody melange. Well created but not for me, test before buying.

A medicinal opening that stimulates my nostrils which dries down to an exquisite blend of saffron, pink pepper, and what I've always imagined a tulip to smell like. Slightly reminds me of that whiff you get when there are lilies around. This one familiarized me with the note of elemi, which is what makes this stand out from anything else in my collection. Cold and warm at the same time. Lasts incredibly long if worn on cool spring or cool fall days. 10/10

softly spicy but more vintage inspired like a floral aldehyde with some salty, aquatic quality underlying; rose, saffron, sandalwood and musk; very soft and close to the skin, warm and intimate

Why is this discontinued? Such an amazing and unique scent.

This one's been a strange one and I've been sitting with it all morning trying to figure out what my thoughts around it are. Usually fragrances evoke some or the other emotion in me - warmth, joy, nostalgia, disgust - something, anything. With this one, my brain went "yup, this is a perfume" and hit a wall. The note breakdown is exciting but the actual end result - umm... I think there are a few things going in. Firstly, it's quite synthetic - gives it this plasticky sharpness that I'm not a fan of (and that's not just in the opening). It lasts pretty much until the time it settles into a skin scent. Second, is that it's got no depth or nuance. It feels like all the notes have been dumped in there together. It smells nice because the individual elements are all good smelling but beyond that the blending means that there is no individual note character left - it's just a gooey stew of all of it. I will give it this, in the deep dry down the mix of sandal, wood, amber and musk is really nice. Gallivant has good ideas - but they're not executed with the finesse of a niche brand. (this is my third after London and Tokyo)

I 100% agree with @labeatz's review, and couldn't put it any better. I will reiterate the "peppery and floral"...but (alas!) not an actual 'tulip' scent. It smells like various early spring flowers, maybe in a florist's shop. Nice, but nfb-worthy to me.

50s Femme fatal, the tulup is both waxy and powdery, rosey and peppery. Evocative of iris but unique in its own right. Nice aromatic spicy feel and feels better executed than the rest of the line. Feels as if this is for a very specific kind of person. Dresses vintage, classic sense of style, mature or at least an old soul. Very classic, very feminine and points for uniqueness on this one. Sample before blind buying, I had throat issues with some of the aroma chemicals in the rest of the line but not with this one. Light thumbs up from first impressions.

Hmmmmmmmm if I didn't read the notes I would say this smells like sarsaparilla or a homemade brown sugar soda. This scent is unisex but it leans masculine to me. It's sweet but the spiciness is thick like unfiltered maple syrup that has been left outside. Oh and it's strong. Two sprays lit up the whole room. I am not sure what kind of man would wear this but I wouldn't be shocked if he was highly intelligent and of an independent mind. For lady she would be a Mrs. Robinson. Looks good but her perfume tells her age.

This kind of smells like cat pee. It's just way too eccentric for me at this point in my perfume adventures. It calms down on it's dry down, but the unpleasantness it starts with really just gave me a bad impression. 3/10

Have you ever been on a first date but feels like you've known this person your whole life? Amsterdam is that person for me. I know describing fragrances is nowhere near easy but I've never felt like I don't know what to write at all about one perfume. I can't seem to find out what's inside this magical juice, is it floral? Spicy? Aromatic? It's just a whole 'nother level of comfort for me. I knew when I'm feeling anxious or uneasy, I can go back home to someone/something safe and Amsterdam is that safe spot for me...and all this comfort comes in the first full wear. Like I said, this might be my first date.. I may know nothing about you but at the same time somehow I'm sure we both know each other. And I can't get past the stinkiness..theres something stinky here but still comforting as hell. Confusing, I know. Don't let me talk anymore, get yourself Amsterdam and enjoy the journey 😉❤️

This fragrance did not resonate for me. First impression was the smell my mother used to spray in the bathroom to cover other unpleasant odors. It had a medicinal quality that didnt strike me as something I would want to wear fragrance -wise...I have had tulips in the house and find they have an astringent quality? So this scent just didnt land for me in the usual floral way that I prefer. Fortunately there are other Gallivant's and I will keep sniffing to find one that I can adore.

Gallivant is an interesting range with some beautiful, well-crafted, unusual perfumes. Amsterdam is unusual, probably well-crafted and the freshness of the cut tulips in the top notes is lovely but I get a suggestion of sweat in the dry-down and that puts me off .

Amsterdam is a musky elemi and amber style fragrance with some light florals, which has average longevity on me, but sits quite close to the skin. Gentle and very unisex. Pleasant and easy to wear, but not the greatest performer at its price point.

definitely get sweet, fragrant floral, but moreso a white floral. a bit shocked to see saffron and rose in the mix. there's a metallic note hovering menacingly in the background. not sure just yet, may need to let it sit for a bit...

A photo realistic Tulip planted in a spicy and fragrant soil which is them illuminating by Rose, Saffron, and Amber.