Les Absolus d'Orient Ambre Eternel

REVIEW - GUERLAIN AMBRE ÉTERNEL PERFUMER - Thierry Wasser (In-house perfumer for Guerlain) Release Year - January 2016 What does it smell like?All thing's posh. A rich and regal smelling concoction,with Iris, Leather and Ambergris,from the perfuming greats of Guerlain. Reminiscent of a much richer and exotic Dior Homme Parfum. TOP - Ambre Éternel starts off with a huge blast of Iris. Almost lipsticky kind of a vibe but toned down by plethora of some beautiful spices and leather. Off the top you get a blanket of Iris covered in Cinnamon, Coriander and some zesty fresh Peach. The opening on this is seductive, sultry and extremely extremely posh. MIDDLE - As the scent starts to develop,and boy does it develop,you start to get a lot more Leather. A concoction that started out with rather a funk to it is eye to eye to you in all its seriousness. The Iris is tones down. So is the fruitiness. All you get is some seriously sexy Leather backed by some woods and some Coriander. All in all the heart of this perfume feels very straight forward, very rich and alluring all the while maintaining the posh nature of this beautiful Theirry Wasser creation. DRYDOWN - Now more often than not these kind of oriental esque creations end up with a woody or rather musky sandalwood base but this one takes a slight turn here. It surely retains the leather which provides a smooth texture to this perfume,but with airy Ambergris and a very soft to Orange Blossom note. The Ambergris no doubt the star of the show at this point. And it gives this creation beautiful richness and depth, adding an airy touch to the whole composition which envelopes the whole story of this perfume into it. And thus a playful tale that started with Iris and a melange of playful feeling fruits,with a serious and straight forward heart,finds its ending in a calming airy Ambergris. In the very deepest drydowns however, I'm talking 6-7 hours after the initial spray, you're left with a beautiful ashy leather and Iris that is in perfect symphony with upcoming Autumn. PERFORMANCE - 8-10 Hours Longevity on skin. Initial Siliage and Projection is very very High. Almost beast mode. Projects heavily for upto 2 hours before resting and maintaining a decent and very noticeable scent cloud around you. Since this is a regal smelling juice one to two sprays before an important event would make you smell posher than everyone else out there! EMOTIONS and USAGE - Unisex. But above 25. Would be too mature for someone below 25. Best for upscale,formal events and parties. This feels dark, mysterious and sexy. Imagine the most mysteriously beautiful man/woman in one of those regal palace halls. This is how this smells like. VERDICT - Another top Guerlain creation. Guerlain is one of those house that means Perfumes from the get go. If you need to connect to the root of perfumery I think this is the house to begin with. And their creations don't dissapoint either. It's hard to find such well rounded,well crafted balanced,complete smelling fragrances without breaking your buck. This one is discontinued so sample it and try to get a bottle of it to rock in upcoming fall and winter.

This was not an instant love.... I blind traded for it based on its crazy popularity and instantly regretted it... Weird and almost kinda.. nauseating. Am I the only one thinking this smells like pure caramel?? Weeks go by and I figured I'd give it another go... It didn't make me sick but couldn't quite wrap my head (or nose) around it either... I did get a nice leather later that I really didn't notice the first time... Still a bit sweet for my taste, but more layers this time around.... TWO months go by and I'm going to an event... Ok I'm going to try this again. Oh...! It's nice... I smell cardamom! I swear I didn't get that before... And ambergris on suede... Wow! Classy.... People commented on my scent and asked what i was wearing.. honestly that RARELY happens to me.. this stuff is still weird but I like it more every time I try it again... It's a work of art. A bit out of place in its own space... Confrontational but in a necessary way... Assertive but still classy.. I TOTALLY get why it's discontinued... There's no way this sold well, especially in the beginning or at point of sale... I suspect the most common reaction in the first seconds after sniffing the blotter was "eww"... Or "oh! Gosh..." And quickly moving on to the tragically boring and synthetic Santal Royal (one of the worst Guerlains in YEARS)... Yet that one is likely LOVED and it's STILL in the lineup... Disheartening really. I can't tell you to run out and get this cuz a) it's $400 a bottle IF you can find it and b) it's... off-putting at first.... But if you can get your nose on it... PLEASE give it a second (or third) chance...

Symptuous leather and ylang ylang. I managed to find a box set with two 15ml bottles, and it's a bittersweet victory, as I immediately love it, and I know I probably won't be able to find any more (for a price I'm willing to pay). The peach and ylang-ylang are very complimentary, and I think this combination, plus the cardamom, prevents the tropical, banana-like side of the ylang from coming through (I like that but there's a time and a place, plus it makes this perfume more unique). The rich warmth of the amber base boosts the fruit into opulence rather than gourmandise, and there's the playful neroli peeping over the top to give it a charming flourish that makes me thing it's gonna be great for spring and possibly even cooler summer days. The ambergris isn't strong but it is there, hinting at the open sea. And, oh!... as it develops, the strong leather comes in. It's almost chocolatey somehow, like maybe a gourmand leather feel, wow. There's a lot to take in here, but it's incredible and inspired. Update: In hot weather, the heady white/yellow florals come to the fore, almost pissy, but compelling and lovely, kind of like Carnal Flower, but with the leather undercurrent. After several wears in various weather conditions, to me this isn't amber, it's leather floral. It's pretty dense and loud, but it's unique and still has the little bit of Guerlain magic. By the way, the mid smells very similar to The Lover's Tale. This is the Francesca Bianchi orris sludge before she did it. So uncanny.

Deep, sensual, exotic, and completely unisex. I wore it for the second time today and just upgraded it to a love. The ambergris adds a slight salty. There is also a bit of an antiseptic vibe, which I am not crazy about, but it's only apparent when I sniff my wrist directly. I don't know what's causing it, but I could swear it's from myrrh, which isn't listed as a note. To my nose, it's such a well blended perfume that I really struggle to identify any notes. It's as if they add qualities rather than individual aromas, if that makes sense. Longevity, projection, and silage are wonderful. For the price, I would expect that to be a given, but it's to often the opposite in many niche and high quality designer lines. I need to see how this works outdoors and in the cold air, and will probably update this review. Let me add that I recently purchased EA's 5th Avenue Royale based off great reviews. It does smell similar to this, but only superficially. The quality and expert blending of Amber Eternel is miles away in superiority, though Royale is certainly worth owning if you enjoy oriental scents as much as I do.

Cuir Intense + Ambre Eternel For people to understand Intensely Animalic fragrances like these two, something must be understood, you have got to wait for at least 2 minutes before even thinking of smelling them if you are testing (assuming of course that you have enough intelligence not to buy them blind). The animalic note is right in front of everything you are going to smell, and I think that was a smart move by Thierry Wasser, instead of ending up smelling like chewed up shoe after 8-9 hours, the animalic note is right at the beginning, intense and unapologetic, naturally as time goes by it starts to fade away slowly and in the process covering everything else in a layer of class and sophistication that stays until everything dries down completely. The fruitiness of Ambre Eternel makes it a bit more tolerable for ladies than Cuir Intense, both perform admirably, smell divine and would challenge even the most seasoned fragrance collectors. Well Done Guerlain, well done.

Ambre Eternal is a really good ambery scent. Whether it actually contains real ambergris is up for debate, but AE features one of the best modern amber accords I have smelled. AE opens with leathery, almost oud-like animalic notes, salty, resinous and labdanum-like, making for a wonderful amber accord. This is bolstered by cardamom, giving a lovely peppery hint of spiciness, and other soft spices. The peach note and sweet white florals emerge as it develops, making for a wonderfully balsamic accord. The amber accord remains king, and it becomes woody as it dries down, with a hint of sweet cinnamon. Well-blended and made of high-quality ingredients, AE is interesting but not too complex, allowing the amber to shine throughout. With strong sillage and day-long longevity, as is often the case with spicy-amber scents, AE is perfectly unisex - it can be worn comfortably by all amber lovers. A rich, warm scent for autumn/winter. Beautiful. 4/5.

I'm a little embarrassed to say that I really REALLY like this.. I've always thought Guerlain's strong suits were gourmands and florals; to me they just don't [usually] do western orientals justice (aside from the vintage stuff). This opens VERY dusty (in a woody powdery way, so I agree with the comment below about iris & violet being used), as if the ingredients they used had been sitting around for a hundred years (really suits the name ETERNAL), almost the same feeling I got when I first tried Annick Goutal's Ambre Fetiche, but MUCH more pleasant :) Then the dust goes away and a sweet (fruity?) gooey "goodness" leaks out and eventually envelopes the whole scent. I can't say it's leather or ambergris (I've never smelled an actual one, but I'd imagine this is not it); all I know is that it's oriental, ambery, and yuuumy!

Ah I adore this one. I have a few samples but really wanted a full bottle. I finally found someone who sold me their new unused back up bottle for $160. I couldn’t believe my luck. Now I’m so afraid of using it and that it will finish and I can’t get more so I never use it. I need a back up bottle, or two. Something about this perfume that I just love so much, I can’t stop smelling my hand where I sprayed. Oh I wish they never discontinued this one. I love Guerlain, one of my favorite houses but they always discontinue their best fragrances. I don’t get it. Did Amber Eternel not sell well? How can that be? I’d buy 100 of these if I could afford it. I also love Santal Royal. I got back ups of it, just in case. I need to go search for a bottle of Ambre Eternel. Maybe I’ll get lucky

From a sample provided by a kind fragrance friend... This is really quite captivating! At first, I thought there was too much leather for my taste, but as the scent evolved, I discovered it is just right. Ambre Eternel sure does have a nice bit of ambergris, and it is sensual and draws you 'into' the scent. I notice Iris/Orris along with the Ylang-Ylang and Neroli, and these notes appear after a few minutes on the skin. Semi-sweet and a little dusty/powdery. This is not (as I had feared) an overwhelming, powerful Arabic type of fragrance geared more to men. I'm enjoying my sample very much, and will think about a FB for late Summer and Autumn. I suppose skin chemistry really plays a role in how this develops, and sampling is surely the first step. Very, very nice fragrance!

This reminds me a great deal of the Satyr oil a friend had mixed for my late husband. That contained cinnamon, musk, patchouly, vanilla and carnation and was delicious-smelling. Unfortunately, that was 30 years ago, and the tiny bit left in the bottle has soured. I blind-bought Ambre Eternel based on the reviews, and because it didn't have any notes I dislike. It's a Christmas present to myself for getting through this horrible year. I love it. It smells like my husband when he was young and strong, and doesn't smell bad on me, either, though it leans more towards the masculine. It certainly is 'eternel', staying on my skin until the next shower, and clinging to my clothes. When I found out it had been discontinued, I bought a second bottle, as I hope to never run out.

Finally today I got some samples of this new product of Guerlain. I have to say that it is really a FANTASTIC perfume with beautiful notes and accords. It is an animalic fragrance with great blends of woody and spicy notes as well as leather accords. Ambergris is the first note that caught my attention which is mixed meticulously with leather and some woody notes. I also can smell a bit peach after one hour among those notes. Both projection and longevity are great. It is a superb perfume for Winter and after that Fall. I don't recommend it in Summer and Spring when the weather is getting warm.

Incredible power and intensity but still smooth ! But don't try to taste a great bottle of Burgundy or Bordeaux while wearing this parfume: you won't be able to smell its nose. I'm afraid this one will not be in store for long, as ambre gris is very hard to find on the market for producers and about as expensive as gold per unit of weight. I secured 500 cc in 2 bee bottles in Paris boutiques (not available anywhere else in France). Never had an ambre gris flagrance like this - a true masterpiece ! To be used only once or twice a week to keep its irresistible magnetism.

Does anyone know what happened to Ambre Eternel? I can't buy it anywhere and it has disappeared from the Guerlain website. I hope it's not discontinued... It was the best fragrance of the Orient line and it was exceptional. An iris oriental done right. Like La Vie est Belle but without the things that made it awful. AE smells slightly vanillic, slightly anisic and it has that cherry-flavored-candy note that makes it irresistible. More masculin than other anisic Guerlains (L'Heure Bleue and Insolence) but still very feminine. Great! I hope i will be able to buy soon.

First impression is almost like gramma's lipstick, sweet, chalky and powdery. Then the leather kicks in and it becomes dry and soft and masculine. I really like this once I got past the initial spray. It reminds me of Donna Karen Unleaded for Men back in 90's. Its not an in your face fragrance, but a soft evasive whisper, which is way sexier in my book, but I do wish it packed a little more punch. But, a guy on a first date would probably score with this on.

Love this fragrance. The amount of leather is just right and the ambery dry down simply to die for. I find it very similar to Ambre Eccentrico. The Armani fragrance is more focused on oud, where Ambre Eternel on peach. I am disappointed by the longevity and projection. For such a rich scent the juice is pretty weak. It does not cost a fortune, but still too much for a scent that does not last longer than 5h. I did expect similar performance to Santal Royal.

It's 2022 and I still can't believe they discontinued this perfume. I wish Guerlain would give the heads up this is limited edition perfume ahead of time so I can stock up for decades but no .. I'm just grateful they brought Shalimar Initial (now called Initial) back. This time I will stock up before it disappears again. If you're looking for this perfume. Try Guerlain Initial. They're similar.

Guerlain Ambre Eternel (2016) - spiced clouds - @thierrywasser discontinued gem is a beauty. Indeed it goes off tangent and doesn’t smell like common amber fragrances as it’s heart is suede-like leather. Amber here is more ambergris mixed with spices of coriander, cinnamon and cardamom. Its sweetness comes from a peach accord and ylang ylang. billowy soft clouds of spiced fruit and leather.

Walked into the store to smell it .. sniff sniff .. suddenly I'm at the cashier passing my visa card. This never happens to me. This perfume is a forever top 5. Magical smell that keeps me in a happy place. Oh Guerlain .. you did it again! Update : we live in a crule world. It's discontinued. WHY? They always do this to ME!

This is what a masterpiece perfume smells like. And I understand why it was discontinued. I’m just glad I have enough of this intoxicating incredible juice to last me a lifetime. This is easily in my top 10 faves and one i will never part with. I’d easier sell my Ciel de Gum, never this one.

I can’t describe just how much I love this fragrance. I just can’t get enough. I was lucky to find a 50ml back in 2019 and I have a 30ml backup but I want more. I never want to be without this beauty. It truly shines in cold weather. A clear masterpiece. So many great ones from Tom Ford.