Ambre Vie

Well, what can I say about this one? I love amber and this fragrances other notes compliment it splendidly, pushing it to the forfront and adding a sweet wearability. By that I mean many of the other perfumes I've tried from this house are real occasion fragrances and not something you'd wear on a regular basis, this is the exception to the rule. Not sure about the 'reverse drydown' thing? although I've only tried in once I did notice that I instantly liked it and it required no time to settle on the skin before giving me enjoyable, heady waves of good vibes. This was a extra sample vial thrown in with the Achtung range along with Alpha and Coco blanc, I knew that alpha was a male and Coco a unisex beforehand so I'd just assumed this was a female fragrance. I was glad to discover this too was a unisex as Alpha is frankly awful. This however is brilliant...I'm no authority on amber scents or how close to realistic it is, all I know is it smells very good.

Love it. Waiting for a sale so I can buy it. Nice floral take on an amber perfume and just the right amount of sweetness. Light sillage. Also like that it is all natural. Lifts my mood when I wear it:)

Smooth, rich amber. Lasts forever and just gets smoother and better as the hours go by. Finished with a sweet, soft powder note.

As a first time enjoyer of a specifically Amber-based perfume I didn't rush to judge this one. I tend to like 'clear' perfumes if that makes sense, this one initially seemed very soft and musky/dusty/undifferentiated to me at first. My skin tends to amp up sweet so what I smell primarily is a mimosa/amber fragrance with maple syrup and a little lanolin. Midnotes bring out some soft incense layered over a muted creamy musk and a natural vanilla. It's very comforting on a cool wet day in particular. Despite the sweetness Ambre Vie is not too sweet - there's a little dryness and just a smidge of bitter on the base. Both longevity & sillage are modest. I like it a lot.

A nice amber scent and all natural. I get a resin with a consistency similar to honey at the beginning, then warm labdanum, herbs, glassy but dark amber. Sweet, with an animalic passage of tobacco, another of leather and flowers to then settle for a good while in what resembles a osmanthus tincture. Still thick with the mimosa in the background, with a slight soft musky tang from expensive soap. It settles down to an intimate sillage after the first hour and the length is average at best. For my nose an amber-osmanthus for short winter days.

Ambre Vie is a solid, all-business reference amber that bears close resemblance to the scent of actual, extracted amber by sidestepping predictable sweetness and deploying a more buttery approach. It opens with a delicate chord of spices that's merged with yellow, waxy florals of mimosa and genet. A cunning balsamic note is also struck that hints at a gourmand, wine-like texture, possibly emanating from the davana, but mainly serves to mark out the lactonic path ahead. Yet Ambre Vie never spins into any of these sidelines too far; instead it maintains a demeanor dedicated to representing amber in its truest, most natural form. Like its closest analog, HdP's Ambre 114, this scent utilizes more than 100 materials to achieve its effect, yet the result is largely free from bombast. There's musk lurking beneath, but it merges with the buttery tones of the base to keep from announcing itself too loudly. Similarly, soft, smoky notes appear alongside what seems to be clove, but these notes never get close enough the surface for full recognition. It's as if Meshell has taken these supplementary materials and has encased them within an olfactory representation of a block of Baltic amber. Consequently, Ambre Vie positions itself between a visual representation and the scent of the conifer extraction admirably. The fragrance develops a little more over time as the fatty florals of the opening clear a space for the amber itself to flourish, but at no point is the scent leaping from the skin. The central accord seems to be structured less upon harsher, turpenic and incense notes, instead relying more on cozy balsams and a slightly dirty frankincense to maintain its oily qualities. However, it should be added that for those seeking the force of a scent such as Amber Absolute, this simply isn't it. Like much from this line, the all-natural approach renders the fragrance as restrained yet deceptive. It rides low on the skin, but unfolds in stages, revealing itself at various volumes when you least expect it. It dries down to an ambergris-like foundation (although apparently there's no ambergris in it) that imparts a slightly bitter tobacco effect, and its through this that the wafts of remaining amber surface. Ambre 114 has always served as the reference amber for me, even though I personally like others more than that one. Ambre Vie is very close to what Ambre 114 accomplishes, only it does so through the all-natural approach which renders the wearing of the scent quite different. Consequently, this should appeal to fans of the genre, but is ideally suited to those who would prefer a fragrance that gets closer to the scent of the amber extraction itself without losing sight of its function in replicating the visual image of amber as well. Overall, a strong contribution that sets itself apart from others in an otherwise crowded crowded field.

Ambre vie is a stunner. House of Matriarch deserves your attention across the board...but here is why I don't think Ill ever buy a bottle of this particular composition. I'm super picky about my Amber scents, and I don't mean in an eliteist way. Ambre Vie is a master class in perfumery but this composition comes across more like a precious tree sap then a true "warmed amber" to my nose. I really feel like something is throwing it a bit i to immortelle flower territory which can go bad on my skin. It's no Tadzio (homoelegans) which is a f&$@£#g immortelle bomb of questionable judgment-but it does lean more "sap and immortelle" then "heated amber". Please don't get me wrong, this is beautiful but I don't know if I would have given it an "Amber" name. It just wasn't what I was expecting and for me this scent just doesn't work for me-regardless of the name. Scent: 7/10 not what I was expecting and while I love the scent, I would love it in my home-not on my flesh. Projection: 5/10 not a big push. It does tend to develop in waves which is interesting and sometimes it's a 7/10 but mostly Id say its a 3-5/10. Sillage: 3/10 barely noticable at any distance. Very small train if any most of the time, but it depends on how much you spray. I'm testing with 3 spritzes on the sides and nape of my neck. And one on the forearm for "up close" sniffs. Tested it 5 or 6 times now. Longevity: 5/10 for some reason this does not work long on me like it does for some other folks. I get five hours at best. Would I buy a full bottle: hmmm probably not. Then again I disliked Oajan by PDM for the better part of a year and just developed a crush on it and bought a bottle soooo...we will see.

The first time I smelled it I didnt like it for some reason. I came back to it a week later and discovered I had grown to appreciate florals more in a fragrance. This is a deep beautiful amber with a complex and well done supporting floral side in the fragrance. I tend to love amber fragrances deeper and spicier or patchouli-amber combos. Yet this one is lovely and unique. I find this unisex, but harder to wear as a man. A deep amber floral is something I never thought I would like, but Christi did her magic again. 5 to 7 hours longevity , fair projection, good sillage.

Deadidol has an excellent review. I cannot add to description, just concur same for me. Is very wearable resinous amber that uses natural plant extract to achieving accords presenting musk, and amber and resinous classic warm winter scent. Dry down is warm amber with mild vanilla. This is everything I enjoyed in Ambre 114 but that I could not wearing due to reaction. Last 7 hours and evolves on skin much more interesting than some synthetics I tried. Excellent on own and really unbelievable combo with Coco Blanc.

There is something off in this, and I'm not sure what. It might be that the resins don't work with the costus -- it's hard to tell. There is that weird clothing scent vibe which is present in Black Sheep, however this time it is backed by some potent resin and is jarring quite hard against it. I don't think this is working, to tell you the truth. The resins are done right, I must say, it's just ruined by that other weird note.

A beautiful light natural amber fragrance. If you found some of the ambers in the market too heavy for your liking, this one delivers complexity in a lithe veil. Beautiful.