Ambrarem

I had purchased a bunch of HdP samples earlier in the year, and was immediately drawn to three of them, one being Ambrarem. I remember finding it to have an opulent and privileged air about it; rich with velvety amber, the astringent animalic notes balancing the sweetness and enhancing that stench of wealth. And yet it was also paradoxically soft and powdery, innocent, and sparkling clean. It was like something I had smelled before but could not put my finger on; something old school but also modern and clever. Despite a fleeting sour opening on my skin, I liked it so much that I went ahead and bought a full bottle (along with full bottles of the other two I’d really liked). I wore Ambrarem all through the summer. Despite being an amber fragrance, I find it to be a cooling and invigorating scent, as opposed to something warm, heavy, and saccharine. Just today, bored at home on a cold wet day, I thought I’d try a few of my fragrances on my skin. For the first time, Ambrarem opened on my skin like a mix of fresh and pickled cucumbers; watery, fresh, sour, and salty. It was quite horrifying. After around 5-10 minutes, the dry, powdery iris began to bloom, accompanied by aromatic and bitter saffron. And then that dryness starts to moisten up and smell a bit like wet earth and leather before everything warms up altogether with the woodiness of the agarwood and a dominant buttery, violet-like sweetness. It is still just as strong on both my clothes and skin over 12 hours later. However, I can now distinctly notice an aquatic / ozonic saltiness that is ever present in the background of this fragrance. Maybe that’s what gives it the cooling and fresh, invigorating feel, I’m not sure. Ambrarem is definitely unique, but it is such a gorgeous, seductive, and addictive scent.

I'm so excited being the first one to review this magnificent perfume. This is indeed a jewel of the perfume world! A pure niche perfume!!! The smell starts with some ambery vanillic notes with spices/oud and then the castoreum dominates the game. This one deserves some attention, worth checking out! It has a leathery animalic sweetness which is indeed great. The first thing that crossed my mind when I first smelled it was Strictly Private by Baldessarini. Another one very nice winter perfume at an acceptable price which reminds Ambrarem without the animalic feel and oud. I suggest this to everyone who needs quality/uniqueness/personality in their perfumes. For me although is consider shared, I see this more acceptable for a man. The Castoreum with the oud and spices is somehow more suited for a man. The vanilla/iris etc are those that make this perfume also wearable by women. Worth Checking out! Beyond that, there is a refined petroleum touch in the perfume that bring also in mind previous best sellers like fahreneit. The fragrance was made in such a way that has little bit of evetything, sweetness, woodyness, leather, vanilla, spice, resins, amber and the final result is outstading. Excellent longevity and Sillage! Price from Histoires de parfum for Europe is EUR 125 for 60ml bottle, concentration 21% pure perfume! The delivery is free of charge and you get also 6 samples of their other perfumes! Excellent! The guys there are very professional. They send you also a hand written card with regards and the perfume is wrapped like a gift to yourself.

I’ve had to change my mind on this. I find this strangely addictive and comforting because as much as I try to refrain from cliches I am compelled to write in fact that this smells like a fresh ashed cigarette in sugar with Iris wafting over the top. As a former smoker that in part gave up because of the stench this ironically reminds me of that period but puts a pleasant soft welcoming note over the top. Whilst the note table is relevant I am confident that a lot of people would at first think my clothes have been around a smoker. The soft sweet slightly syrupy top (effectively a tiny touch of caramel or chocolate - coming from the iris, vanilla and spice) softens the ride between the layers of smoke, ambery resin, spices and vanilla. It does evolve into something a little sweeter after a few hours but can not stop smelling where I applied it meanwhile. All in all a curiosity. Well crafted and as such an experience in itself. Not for professional use but interesting as a personal scent. There must be other reasons as to why but for now I’m not entirely sure why a scent that very much reminds me of cigarettes could be appealing!? I know that I enjoy it becasue it is 1) amazingly constructed 2) satiates my desire to smoke. Beyond that my brain says I shouldn’t like it but I just had to buy a full bottle!!!!

I once ate sea cucumber in a Chinese restaurant. It tasted nothing like an actual cucumber but when I think of Ambrarem I think 'sea cucumber.' Imagine a freshly-cut cucumber dipped in the water of a busy harbour so that it collects not only the salt water but the slick of diesel on the surface. Introduce a soft, vanilla-toned amber and a dark smear of castoreum and that's Ambrarem. From the opening, which is genuinely astringent and challenging, it doesn't progress so much as settle down. The roughness mellows to reveal different layers that are all present in the beginning but obscured by the astringency. Quite far into the process, one of these layers - is it the cucumber? - turns out to be a soft, almost powdery oud that drifts around a light caramel amber. It sounds awful but it is one of the most appealing things I have ever worn. It is completely paradoxical. All the edges that should be sharp and ugly turn out to be welcoming. It's a concoction of jarring notes that come together beautifully to make something that is utterly 'other' - nothing else smells anything like this - and at the same time feels like home. Absolutely beautiful.

Spicy, resinous, not overly sweet amber with an animalic twist to it. Opens up with a spicy kick (on my skin mainly lots of saffron and a hint of pink pepper). Quite oriental, I can't deny. Then it changes after 10 minutes into completely different, balmy, resinous scent with some powdery touch to it. This last up to 3 hours and then the drydown comes. In fact, drydown is a star of the show here. Loads of resinous, sticky and animalic ambergris (I'd say it's ambergris, not mineral amber) with even more animalic and greasy castoreum. Yes, it is animalic and it's rather not for the faint hearted. However, it's not on that animalic level as some fragrances containing civet (e.g. Leather Oud from Dior) or castoreum (e.g. old Dior Jules). It's animalic just to make it "niche enough" let's say. Longevity - 10 hours or so. Sillage - above average. Suitable for winter (possibly late fall), rather night than daily use, rather casual than formal. One of the best (if not the best) ambers out there.