L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Noir Ambre

Returning briefly to the house of Issey Miyake, I’m taking a look at another highly regarded and now discontinued release. Having previously reviewed Pulse of the Night and Polaris, both of which are now discontinued but proved to be excellent fragrances that ultimately earned a place in my collection, expectations here are naturally set quite high. Noir Ambre carries a similar reputation, especially among those who appreciate more refined amber fragrances, suggesting this could be another standout from the house’s discontinued lineup. On paper, it gives the impression of a warm, spiced amber composition with a dry, slightly resinous backbone, leaning more toward elegance and structure than outright sweetness. There’s a sense that this could be a more restrained take on amber, something that focuses on balance and texture rather than density, potentially offering depth without becoming overly heavy or gourmand. It reads as the kind of fragrance that aims to feel composed and intentional, rather than attention-grabbing. Let’s see how this darker shade of amber reveals itself once it meets the skin. Opening: The opening is balsamic, leathery, and spicy. The primary notes I get are amber, leather, cinnamon, and saffron, with the amber and leather leading. As the name suggests, the amber takes center stage immediately, presenting as warm, balsamic, and softly glowing, establishing a rich foundation from the outset. The leather rises alongside it, offering a refined balance between rugged and polished, with just enough animalic nuance to add texture without overpowering the composition. Beneath that, the cinnamon weaves in a gentle, powdery warmth, adding depth without becoming sharp or aggressive. The saffron complements this with an added layer of dry, slightly earthy spice, reinforcing the structure of the opening. In the background, there are subtle hints of creamy sweetness from the vanilla, along with a softly rounded warmth from the nutmeg that helps smooth the edges of the spices. The result is an opening that feels warm, structured, and quietly luxurious, with a refined balance between resinous depth and spiced leather. Dry Down: The dry down is still balsamic, leathery, and spicy. The primary notes I get are amber, leather, saffron, and vanilla, with the amber and leather continuing to lead. The composition remains anchored by that same pairing, with the amber maintaining its warm, resinous glow while the leather continues to provide a refined yet subtly animalic texture. The saffron persists into the dry down as well, now slightly more pronounced, contributing the same dry, earthy spiciness that adds structure and depth. The most noticeable shift comes from the vanilla, which has grown in strength and now plays a more active role, bringing a smoother, creamier sweetness that softens the edges of the composition. Meanwhile, the cinnamon from the opening has largely faded, leaving behind only a faint trace of aromatic warmth from the nutmeg in the background. The result is a dry down that stays true to the opening’s identity, but with a smoother, slightly sweeter, and more rounded character as it settles on skin. Performance: The initial projection within the first hour is strong, reaching out to around six feet with ease. Sillage follows closely behind, leaving a dense and noticeable scent trail that carries the fragrance’s rich character well. After about three to four hours, the projection remains impressive, still hovering in that five to six foot range, while the scent trail softens slightly but remains clearly perceptible. Around the seven to eight hour mark, the projection settles closer to three to four feet, and the trail becomes lighter, though still present. The fragrance continues on until about the ten hour mark before transitioning into a skin scent, delivering a solid and consistent performance throughout its lifespan. When to Wear: Noir Ambre feels most at home in the cooler months, where its warmth and depth can fully come into their own. As the name would lead you to believe, it naturally leans toward evening wear, aligning well with more intimate or elevated settings. This is the kind of fragrance that suits moments where presence and refinement matter, making it an excellent choice for occasions like date nights, anniversaries, or more formal, suit and tie gatherings. At the same time, that a level of intention that makes it less suited for casual, everyday wear, and its strength and character alone make it an impractical option for the office. Blind Buy: Noir Ambre is not what I would consider a safe blind buy. The fragrance leans heavily into a balsamic, leathery profile that prioritizes depth and texture over immediate mass appeal. While there is a touch of vanilla present, it remains firmly in the background and does little to soften the overall direction. This is not a sweet, easy amber, but rather one that feels darker, drier, and more composed. It’s the kind of scent that will resonate most with those who already enjoy resinous ambers, leather-forward compositions, or spiced fragrances with a bit of weight behind them. For those expecting something smoother or more gourmand, it may come across as too serious or too structured. Because of that, sampling first is strongly recommended to make sure it aligns with your taste. Final Verdict: Having experienced both Polaris and Pulse of the Night, and holding both in high regard, expectations for Noir Ambre were naturally elevated. While I still find Pulse of the Night to be the standout of the three, Noir Ambre settles comfortably into a space that aligns well with my preferences. The combination of amber, leather, and spice delivers exactly what it sets out to do, creating a profile that feels confident, masculine, and quietly seductive without needing to be overly loud or flashy. What stands out most is how composed the fragrance feels from start to finish. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel or push boundaries, but instead focuses on executing a classic style at a high level, with a smooth transition from opening to dry down and a consistent identity throughout. The performance only reinforces that experience, maintaining a strong presence without falling apart or becoming thin over time. Since this was a blind buy, the real question isn't whether or not it will end up in my collection, but rather if it was a successful blind buy. After spending time with it on skin, I can confidently say that it was. It may not surpass Pulse of the Night for me, but it absolutely earns its place as an enjoyable addition to my collection that I will reach for from time to time. Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 7/10 Sillage: 8/10 Versatility: Average Compliment Factor: Average Gender: Masculine Value: Fair

Issey Miyake Brand have a 33 years of journey making fragrances since 1992. It was very popular by the OG Vintage L'eau D'issey Pour Homme 1994 created by Jacques Cavalier, it's purely hyped the market because of the scent not because of marketing shit. Because it was even sell in Indonesia a lot even there's no advertisment about this brand. So someone like me that have been wearing Issey Miyake 20+ years, I'm sure many new kids these days don't know about this brand because Issey Miyake won't do TikTok hype, Celebrity Recommendation, Big Banner Advertisment. If you watching advertisment shit a whole time you won't get their releases in time but very late and sold out. (Saw a few kids on the review section giving hate to this because they can't get it)😅 Just do the traditional way by look up their releases info and go to your trusted store that didn't sell online. Issey Miyake very serious creative about their release and already have tons of senior fans in a whole world, Nature-Art-Fashion that's what I love about Issey products they have a background story of their products. Okay back to the real topic I lived in a Humid Hot Summer weather country a whole year, I rarely wear winter fragz because it's very uncomfortable if got into non AC situation. But at least I need a few of Winter Fragz for attending full AirCon Event. I don't separate Dupes,Niche, Designer fragrances, I'm simple man that not following the market trend. My batch is 2020 0155FM with sealed condition at 180$(Yeah this offline store always charge like retail price) even the OG Issey Miyake they sell it same like Sephora Retail price 120$ 😂. it's makes sense hard to get because it was only selling in Europe. Noir Ambre opens up with Very Strong but Smooth Bold of Spicy DryWoody and Leather on the Mid to Drydown warm of Dark Amber comes out with the slightly touch incense. The projection and Silage is crazy it can 12hrs+ on Longevity. It's very complex and slow transition from opening to Drydown need around 2-3hrs to arrived at fully base note. I'm curious by people saying this exactly like SWY Oud, so I bought a decant, I can say they have the same vibes and similarities but c'mon SWY Oud it's not exactly of Noir Ambre, SWY Oud still have a very well known DNA of SWY that trying to go to Noir Ambre direction. Similarities is 60% with less Bold ,less Deepness and less smooth. But you can get SWY Oud to at least feel what kind of direction Noir Ambre is. It's not versatile and not suited for under 30, it's a Grown up Serious Man vibes and mysterious. Very luxury scent profile and formal. Sadly Issey Miyake take down so many successfully DNA that they created and got took over by other big brand and got famous with their marketing. Hopefully they bring back their masterpiece creation, Nuit D'issey Line specially Pulse of the Night, Noir Ambre, Or Encens OG Vintage formulation of L'eau D'issey Pour Homme(Dior Homme Sport 2022 very similar longevity & drydown,but less unique Yuzu and less complexity no floral touch) L'eau Bleue D'issey strong Green fragrance.

I have reviewed this before, but here we go again. This is such a beautiful fragrance, it was my signature scent for the first two years I was collecting. A somewhat pricey proposition as I only entered the hobby in 2023. I have smelled several other fragrances that are made using a similar concept, but none can measure up, let alone surpass, Noir Ambré. Opens with a burst of raw saffron that can be off-putting for a novice nose. I've heard people say the opening smells like rubber. That's the saffron and it's a very high quality saffron. The Suede and vanilla are very obvious right from the beginning, as it dries down the saffron lightens and gives way to cinnamon, papyrus and the most beautiful amber I have ever had the pleasure of putting under my nose. Everything smells natural and Reynaud balanced the notes perfectly! Longevity is absolutely wonderful at 10+ hours on skin with good projection in the first 4 hours. By hour 8 it becomes a skin scent and lingers for several more. Seasonally: best worn in Fall and Winter, can be used in late summer and early spring where I live and nights in air conditioned environments. This juice smells unbelievably good, and I find myself sneaking a spray to the back of the wrist sometimes at home even on the hottest nights to relax in the air conditioned rooms. I would say this fragrance is unisex, but definitely leans masculine by virtue of fragrance gender classifications (some types of scent profile with certain accords are traditionay .arketed more towards one gender but may not smell that way). I have acquired 8 vintage bottles in the last three years or so and always keep an eye for lower prices bottles, which was becoming harder and harder. It's a shame that Issey Miyake decided to release it as a Middle Eastern exclusive and an even bigger shame that they discontinued it after two years... Or did they?? Much to my, and many other enthusiasts delight, Issey Miyake made the wise decision to revive this fragrance in 2025. I have a bottle of the new juice arriving today and will likely delete this sentence and update this review in the coming days to reflect my opinions on the new juice. Issey Miyake also revived Nuit D'issey Parfum and Nuit D'issey Bleu Astral in 2025 and I have seen bottles of both pop up for cheap on discounters with a 2025 batch code. This could mark the beginning of a "new" era of excellence for IM if they start releasing the discountinues limited run classics. So many mind-blowing frags didn't get the lifespan they should have in favor of boring L'eau D'issey "flankers" that no one asked for or care for nearly as much. Solar Lavender, Wood & Wood, Eau & Cedre, Vetiver. So sad. I have gone on for far too long, let me end by saying this: L'eau D'issey Pour Homme Noir Ambré is an absolute masterpiece 96/100

It doesn't really say 'gasoline', to me but then, I also own and love Fahrenheit, which is what I associate with a gasoline (or creosote) accord. Oh, I absolutely love this, by the way. Stunning! 10/10. In all departments. First time I tried it was from a decant seller. It had an, overall, quite 'rubber' sort of accord (or 'so you could say', anyway) but I knew, at the same time, that I loved it 100%. I have a 2/3 full bottle and a sealed back up bottle, from when Notino still had it for about £59 in the UK. I see resellers on eBay now asking £125 for it and getting it. Despite this, and despite sporadic eBay selling, myself, I will not be selling mine. I don't really have such a trained nose, yet, to pick out many individual notes or tell you how prominent they are (after reading or being told, I can go 'oh yes' but that's about it), so I won't try to review it that way. Luckily, though, there are plenty of people who are. What I will say is this. Try a sample first, if you can; it's not really a blind buy (especially at £125), unless you are 'rolling in it' and the potential of losing that (or a bit of that) money wouldn't make much of a dent. In which case I would just say 'go for it'. 2 or 3 sprayed bottles seem to be fetching about £70 to £80 at the moment, too (I like always returning to study what's going on with the scalpers and resellers of one of my favourite fragrances). I don't really like scalpers, ticket touts, Seiko Hoodinkee limited edition and Omega Moonswatch resellers, etc, in principle. But, then again, you also have to consider what is inside those beautifully simplistic, 'modelled after a single piece of cloth', amber bottles. With so many people talking about 'niche quality' and niche brands charging into the hundreds, that actually makes this a, perhaps, 'considered purchase' that's well worth considering before it disappears off the face of the earth. Apologies if anyone considers talking about money, like this, vulgar. With stocks dwindling and availability scarce, though, it's increasingly becoming a factor to consider before buying. As I say, I'm not selling mine (I'm keeping the good stuff for me). I just think that it might, even, be worth putting a few other intended future purchases on hold for a while and buying it while it can still be acquired for under £150. Beyond that, I would start looking at the 'This Perfume Reminds Me Of' alternatives (one of which, I have coming in the mail, just to see). Why so many companies are discontinuing so many of the top rated fragrances on this site, is beyond me.

I bought into the hype & after a few months of intermittent searching online, have recently managed to acquire a bottle at what I had considered to be a fair price after weighing up how inaccessible it is these days, most of the reviews & comments, etc. AUD$200(ish) later, I can add to my Issey Miyake collection of the original L'eau D'Issey, the Intense flanker, Fusion Extreme, & Nuit D'Issey Noir Argent. You might say I may be slightly biased in this review. Well... In short, this opens like Dior Farenheit, & dries down to a leathery Guess 1981 Los Angeles Men. The opening has that distinctive gasoleather note of Farenheit, but this also gives off a smokey ambery leathery feel, which is what the saffron note is supposed to do I think? It's definitely sexy & nowhere near the fresh yuzu of the OG L'eau D'issey, perhaps a much smoother juxtaposition of dark and sweet compared to the Intense (which has so far been my favourite of the line)? Despite the fancier packaging box as compared to other L'eau or Nuit D'Isseys, I suppose now I understand what the other reviewers mean by "that well blended niche quality in a designer brand". Is it better? Is it necessary? Is it necessarily better? Not really. Not for anyone smelling it off or on you at least. This luxury is for you & you alone to experience. Is it worth the inflated market price? Honestly no, probably not. This would have been GREAT value at original release price f'shure. Would I buy it again at the price I paid for it? Absolutely yes, because I'm a sucker like that. As it dries down, I must say that the opening lasts for quite a good long while before the sexy smokey ashy notes start to fade into the back, & the ambery vanilla tonka creamy sweetness comes through to the front. Sillage & projection aren't great, but it has quite decent longevity as a skin scent. I can rub the back of my hands on my neck & have a little scratch & sniff kinda thing going. The hype is real. Don't blind buy this if you're after something innovative, new & exciting. The time to do that was probably back in 2016 or perhaps even sometime BC (before Covid =P). I can see why this was discontinued from the D'Issey line. I can also see why this is so much sought after today. Definitely one for the collectors, but set yourself a reasonable price limit when you go looking for it. If you pay too much, you might be disappointed. If you manage to snag yourself a good bargain, you'll make the rest of us jealous.

This has to be in the top three scents to ever pass thru my nostrils. I seen the hype forever. And ever, over and over. Like I would always go on eBay and try to score good deals. I've been successful at finding sellers who maybe have a scent and not in tune with the community as what's it's fetching on eBay. One day I was deleting my emails and one popped thru that second and it was a notification saying it was in stock. I mean this sells out like Springsteen tickets. Bam! Got it at a discounter, Canadian one. Like soon as I got it I was just stunned. Like really cherishing this. I wore it a bit when I got it. I mean to me, this is pretty close to perfect as you can get. The performance is there, the sillage is there. The notes, I can almost smell each note. Like just looking at the notes here, I'm like drooling. No lie. I must of used 20ml just spraying it on while I watch The Last Kingdom. Now I have that z only to use at the right time. Not gonna waste a drop more. So I wanted to try a summer type one and my Bentley Silver Lake ran out, then my Armaf Sillage ran out and wanted to give the other Issue Miyaki one, The L'Eau D'Issey Pour Home Intense. I been really giving it a shot the last two weeks. It's perfect weather now in Florida as screw all these season labels all these reviewers use. They do that to make themselves sound like an expert. The weather in central Florida is cold almost at night and just perfect during the day, 70°-80...so I been giving this intense one a try and it's weird and I can't get a good read on it. But the Amber Noir is no doubt a masterpiece. I have to stop too and realize my masterpiece definition is different than the next person. I almost am so hypnotized with it I overlooked it's pretty sweet and I almost like sweet so much I don't realize how sweet it is. If you ever see this available anywh, anytime, it's a 100% no-brainer not to get all you can. I mean if you like it, there you go. If you don't like it, buy it anyway, and cash in on eBay by selling it at a precipitous profit. I've seen this on eBay at times over $250+. I can almost see why but I refuse to pay super priced stuff where the boundary of greed hits.

Half second after smelling this on my skin, it became a top five of mine. I immediately want to order a backup bottle as I believe it is discontinued. I find it crazy when a designer will stop making a successful scent. But in a way I'm glad too cause I like to not wear what everyone else is wearing. This is signature scent worthy. I have PDM Carlisle for weddings and formal wear and this for the colder days. I live in Florida so really there is no such thing as winter scents. If it goes down to 40°F and the state shuts down. To me this smells like a very well done niche scent. I went that leather amber whiff after fifteen minutes and I am addicted to this. I think Amouage Interlude Man got my nose conditioned for the more challenging scents. This hovers at that line. I think if I didn't have Interlude Man I would of not liked this as much. I really just now am steering more towards niche scents as they are just bold and daring. I can see how someone may be turned away as this is unique to me and this will always be in my arsenal. This is just a masterpiece. I do not like cinnamon at all and many just think Azzaro Wanted By Night is so great but that cinnamon is just a flat tire for me. However they blended the notes, they done it perfectly. I'm gonna really find out other scents this perfumer made. (Little thing I do to get some good unique scents is find other scents that the perfumer made, as they always do not do for the same designer. I pay attention a lot now to the perfumer. I wanna laugh when you see those YouTubers who do reviews who release their own scent. Such BS. Bullshit you did. You are just rubber stamping your name on a scent that a perfumer made. The fragrance world is much like the music or art world. Only a few handful of people on this entire Earth can make a fragrance. Simple as that. )

Let me start off by saying that to me, this is a 10/10. 'Sunset Riot' by AllSaints has a burnt-sugar accord that I love. Looking at reviews, I believe I'm not the only one to feel that way. Ever since then I have never experienced anything like that. It smells synthetic, sweet, airy, but absolutely addictive. Some people compare that fragrance to 'Baccarat Rouge 540'... And Noir Ambre is the only other fragrance that I've seen with that accord. (From looking at the public note breakdown the only notes that Sunset Riot and Noir Ambre have in common is amber and cedar). I absolutely love it. I started my fragrance journey with Dolce & Gabbana 'The One' EDP, so I guess I have an affinity for amber fragrances. This is such a special scent. Nothing about it at all is offensive to my nose. It does have the gasoline/rubber accord but to me that just makes it feel more rugged if that makes sense, and I like that! But underneath that it has a cleanliness that is just a great contrast to the ruggedness. It evokes an image of working on a sports car in a garage then coming inside to a beautiful luxurious home. The leather is a note that stands out to me and I love it. I mention that because I loved testing 'Ombre Leather' but never felt it was worth pulling the trigger on a bottle. With this, I have a great leather note but something more than that as well (take nothing away from Ombre Leather, I think that is great too!). Nothing is too sweet in this. I would go light with the sprays. The presentation on this is really nice, I just think the bottle is well done. My opinion: Clean, yet rugged. Well worth the price. Special. Masculine. Sweet. Dusty. Brilliant. Masterpiece. This stuff is fckin nuts, 10/10

This is probably my favorite fragrance that is out there. It smells so great and that amber and leather note so go together well. This unfortunately goes in the discontinued category. I really don't comprehend the strategy of cancelling a scent of this caliber while keeping the shit ones for years and years. Same thing with Mugler, they just made so many great frags from their Angel Men "Pure" flankers. Pure Tonka and Pure Malt were just legends. I expected a bunch more and they just dropped off the face of the earth. They don't do any new releases for awile now. I have about a third of a bottle of this scent and I choose to wear it carefully. You can't help not to just admire the way the bites were blended. Usually when you spray a scent on and immediately smell it, you get that synthetic smell, with alcohol, not with this. You can smell the quality immediately. This is such an amazing scent and I wish they still sold it. I checked and most every seller on eBay wants in the $250 range. People wonder why clones is the new thing! Your average person doesn't realize that 95% or even more is just pure profit. All costs including shipping, distribution, bottles, atomizers...ect. is about $6, the rest go right smack into the pocketbook. Only recently with the addition of high quality clones that are identical to the expensive ones, spot on 1:1 are making people realize they been had so many years. This scent is magic to me. I think it's high niche smelling and smells just so good. After an hour or two, wow does the leather become more prominent and the vanilla amber shines. Amazing amazing amazing.

This is such a beautiful fragrance, it's been my signature scent for the last two and a half years. I have smelled several other fragrances that are made using a similar concept, but none can measure up surpass Noir Ambré. It's such a shame that Issey Miyake discontinued NA. Longevity is absolutely wonderful at 10+ hours on skin with good projection. I have bought eight bottles in the last two years or so and always keep an eye for lower prices bottles, which is becoming harder and harder. I read online that a company called Aroma Passions had made a dupe of it, but they decided to release a regular L'eau D'issey Pour Homme dupe instead. After reading some Amazon reviews I noticed that they had released the regular IM dupe under the same name with the same notes. I emailed the company and asked about it and they sent me a few 30ml of the original Noir Ambré formula. It doesn't quite match the smoothness of the original on the opening, but in the dry down it is shockingly close and it's an Extrait with even better performance than the original Issey Miyake. After sending them a few more emails with my feedback and feedback from others they decided to revive and release the Noir Ambré formula. They will be selling it starting this week. It's not 100% the same but I'd put it at 90% similar and much cheaper. If you're looking for a replacement, like me, it's very solid option and it's very reasonably priced. Definitely check their version out, it's called Lustrous Lustere.

L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Noir Ambre Issey Miyake Issey's Noir Ambre is pretty hard to find now. It's off retail stores and probably discontinued. The only bottles popping up are grey market goods at discounters and resellers at about 100usd +- abouts there. Partials are cheaper probably but not in ebay or amazons. But the prices reflect the goodness of the juice coming out from Noir Ambre. It's one of the better scent from Issey in the last decade or so, especially for a frag with such a scent profile. The Japanese brand should have continued with this and offered similar or stronger flankers and forage into the Middle Eastern markets and Europe. Nor Ambre is an attractive and addictive juice. The bottle color and juice is so Amberly brown nice. The juice is dark amber with such nice opening of cinnamon nutmeg saffron, then it goes leathery and woody but doesn't stay there and the drydown is light vanilla soft warm amber, it's not sweet and is nicely so. I can smell quality in the juice too, at least better than other issey's juices. The scent profile I'm sure some of you can reckon some similarities to some Middle Eastern brands and frags, it's similar to one or who lattafa frags I've nosed too. Overall a really good amber frag that should be in one's collection.

Just bought a bottle of this off of fragflex. They are not the 2016 batch code bottles though so dont expect that. If you're looking for a bottle that isn't $400 on ebay, they have it in stock for $150. Mine is a 2025 batch. I assume IM woke up and produced this again on a whim? No clue either way im happy about it. I've got a decant of the 2016 batch and as far as I can tell, no difference in scent or performance. Im getting around 8 hours on skin and strong projection for the first 1-2 hours and falling off to moderate for the majority of the time after that. If you've never smelt this before and are interested in it. The best and most simple way I can describe it for you is this and some may disagree with me here. To me, it's like Stronger With You Intensely exept the youthful sweetness is gone and the entire composition has grown up. It's paying bills now and it's deathy afraid of the IRS. Its mature and it's really really good, for the right price that is. Lots of amber mixed with leather and ever so slightly sweet cinnamon. Perfect for winter and even better when dressed up. I'd rate it as a 10/10 in my opinion. It's a shame it isn't readily avaliable just like all the other discontinued IM flankers.

Complex Blend of WARM & DARK AMBER with Leather, Oud, Vanilla, Spices & Woods. In the first couple of minutes I can feel all the individual spices swirling in a warm-spicy blend. Already in the opening there's a hint of vanilla-leather/oud. As the sillage starts to open up, cinnamon and saffron come forward while nutmeg & coriander step back. Transitioning into the heart you get a deepening of the leather-y oud supported by multi-faceted papyrus with its leathery nuances. The leather here leans oud-y, but there is a true leather as well. Woody tones emerge from cedar and lift the cinnamon further, while vetiver adds some soft grassy & soft fruity nuances. In the base there's a rich amber-vanilla that you realize was there from the start, while tonka brings some soft, powdery tobacco-flower & fruity nuances. This isn't a dupe of anything that I've smelt, but you will catch glimpses here and there of many popular favourites. Performance is well above average for year-round wear, but the dark, sweet profile makes this most appropriate to fall and winter. This has been discontinued but its still available on the grey market. It's a longtime love for me. 10/10. Enjoy!

This is quite pleasant - I bought this one randomly and I am very, very, very happy with my purchase. Before smelling it, I watched a few videos on it and everyone was raving about how this is niche smelling and I wasn't entirely certain on what to expect. The main draw here is the amber - it opens up very warm and the amber carries through the life cycle of the fragrance. There are under tones of leather and a dash of spices that blend beautifully with the vanilla and tonka in the dry-down. There is also a sweetness which I'm not entirely certain what to attribute to but the sweetness is subdued and not intrusive. To be perfectly honest, this fragrance is very elegant and up-scale: This is the type of scent to wear in sophisticated formal events. The performance is also quite monstrous as I am able to extract a clean 12 hours with moderate projection. This is perfect for the cooler days and evenings and it can easily carry anyone on an evening out or if one may be so inclined, it could be easily applicable for office settings as it is very smooth and non-intrusive. Overall: Smell: 9/10 projection: 8/10 Longevity: 10/10 Price: 10/10

I read the review below, have to go disagree vehemently. Carlisle and Herod are maybe more mass appealing, but both have been reformulated due to the increase of alcohol concentration and barely perform well at all. Carlisle maybe, but only under 200 dollars. Noir Ambre, by Issey Miyake, is a phenomenal creation, especially under 80 dollars. The gas undertone subsides 20 minutes into the fragrance and you are left with a warm spicy amber that is very nice. My favorite house of perfume is Roja Parfums, and I could honestly say that if this fragrance was in one of those bottles, many would be raving about it. While I do love the smells of Carlisle and Herod, especially Carlisle, the 81% alcohol concentration has neutered the fragrance. Issey Miyake represents the way old school designers used to be, in the sense that they were not dreadfully synthetic and mass produced. IMHO, I think the dry down smells much like Angels Share. But I’m often the long ranger when it comes to the “smells-like” category! In summary: if you can get this, and enjoy darker amber scents, pull the trigger.

I have to admit to going against one of my own cardinal rules and blind buying this but what a purchase! My biggest concern was the Saffron note which in my opinion has become so overused in modern perfumery that it's become easily identifiable, boring and sickly. Whilst 'easily' detectable in Noir Ambre, it quickly takes a back seat and in so doing, makes way for woodsy notes, I don't get much from the Leather note but it is there, just quietly, like the Saffron. I had imagined this to be very strong and in your face in the same way that Yuzu made itself well known in the earliest Issey Miyake fragrances but it's not at all and I think this adds to the charm. This is office safe at the right time of year although equally fine on a night out (winter fall). I plan to leave my bottle for a while now having test driven it straight out of the box to see if it evolves further. This is a solid 9/10, it's different enough to almost every other sweet smelling, gourmand leaning fragrance out there and I have no regrets (on this occasion) to breaking my 'don't blind buy' rule.

Been wanting this for quite a while now and I finally received my tester from Fragrancebuy. ca today and...... 🥹 This fragrance is sooo damn good!!! I have a decent little collection of almost 200 fragrances and this is definitely 100% unique among them. And even though in the community that's not a big collection, to the average person it definitely is! So, considering how hard this is to find I need to hopefully find another bottle while it's available or find other fragrances that are like it because this has easily shot straight to my absolute favorite fragrance position and the fragrance that it's taking place of has been there for over a year, and that's 1 Million Intense. Tone down the saffron and the fruitiness from the rose, and add bunch of leather and a little peach-vibe to that fragrance and this is what you'll have! They are by the same perfumer after all. Scent: 10 out of 10 Longevity: 10 out of 10 Sillage: 10 out of 10 Uniqueness: 10 out of 10 Presentation: 9.5 out of 10 Overall: 9.95 out of 10 That's as close as I think you can get to perfect!

Deze lijkt heel veel op Yves Roches Ambre Noir 3 jaar eerder ook van Christophe Raynaud, zij het met iets meer leer. Op de teststrook ruiken ze identiek, maar de Ambre Noir van Yves Roches is veel goedkoper en presteert veel beter. Ik heb de recente batch, een spray op de hand is na 2 uur verworden tot een vage huidgeur van vanille/tonka, dat je het weet ! This one looks a lot like Yves Roches Ambre Noir, also by Christophe Raynaud, three years earlier, although it has a bit more leather. On the test strip, they smell identical, but Yves Roches' Ambre Noir is much cheaper and performs much better. I have the recent batch, a spray on the hand after 2 hours turned into a vague vanilla/tonka skin scent, just so you know! The recurring hype of short-lived bottles with a buzzing aura of desirability! The hunt is on, with prices rising steeply. - De steeds terugkerende hype van kortstondig uitgebrachte flacons met een rondzoemend aura van begeerlijkheid! De jacht is begonnen met stijl oplopende prijzen.

Ok, this is even better than I initially gave it credit for. Wearing this again today. That Bentley for Men Intense comparison falls apart a bit, but hints are still there...the amber and leather. This is really it's own thing. The amber smells incensy to my nose...like catching wiffs of a badass amber scented incense from across the room. It's always present but not in your face. The vanilla does a great job joining the amber in the drydown. This is such an easy amber fragrance to wear unlike Bentley for Men Intense because of the latter being so damned strong. I find this to be pretty versatile as a result. Good from fall to spring, summer nights. Long lasting out the box. This hung onto skin for about 9 to 10 solid hours. Projection was good for the first 2 hours. Excellent fragrance for those that gel with this smell AND is able to find this for a decent price. Scent: 10 Longevity: 10 Sillage: 9 Versatility: 9 Price: 7 (this is when its been available for sub $80). Overall: 39.4/40

A little late to the game but better late than never! So this fragrance has beast mode projection, silage, and longevity and it smells of niche quality 100%! I sprayed this on my forearm one time around 7pm and it was still there albeit ever so slightly but nonetheless still noticeable the next day around 12pm after getting out of bed! Now most fragrance at least the majority of them will have rubbed off especially after sleeping all night in bed. Now to the smell this is a very intoxicating and seductive scent that will without a doubt get you plenty of attention whether you are looking for it or not. The first hour this has a strong saffron and cinnamon note to it and then gradually transforms into a leathery amber finish with a touch of vanilla. Perfect date night fragrance especially if you’re trying to impress that special someone in your life.. It will be an often used fragrance for me that is most appropriate for fall and winter time. A must have for all collectors! 9/10

I bought this fragrance about 4 years ago and I thought it was very good with strong longevity and projection off of my skin. At the time I didn’t really appreciate as much as I should’ve and eventually sold it since I thought this was a fragrance that I would wear maybe 3-4 times a year. I genuinely regretted my decision on this unique deep fragrance but I fortunately caught this on a restock 2 days ago and bought it with no hesitation whatsoever, I’m excited to say the least. Scent is a solid 9/10 and will be keeping the bottle this time around if the scent is the same as I remembered. UPDATE: The fragrance that I once had is the exact same. I do think that since I bought the new batch it’s a bit tamed down more but I don’t see this as a con. I fell in love back with this beauty. Scent is a 10/10 for fall/winter and such a unique profile. It’s sweet, slightly spicy from the saffron and cinnamon, sophisticated and alluring with the vanilla and amber. This is a masterpiece!

This has been re-released, UK and Germany has it for around £70 ‐ €85 or 15-18 cheesburgers for people who count in feet and stones. So... yes, it is 95% the same as the 2016 release. Difference is the box, it gets a common box now. Sillage is decent for around 4 hrs or so, longevity 6-10 hrs and longer on clothes. I use mine as a work frag, so I can say that IT STAYS on clothes pretty well and you will get some compliments. Excellent for winter, I still try to figure out why some people call it "legend" because now in 2026 is... on par with SWY and Spicebomb, other ambers... to me, ot was always a "meh" but the "OR ENCENSE" was something different... at that time. I would purchase the L'Homme EdP (2025) anytime before this... it's easier to wear and better overall. For the sake of memories, yes it is a great frag but nothing groundbreaking and definitely not "niche". Cheers to Issey house for making Excellent and Affordable fragrances, for everyone.

Just wanted to add to my review below, my 2025 batch Noir Ambré has a very close scent profile to my vintage bottles (2017/2018), however the juice is much lighter in color and it's probably about 85% as strong (not bad for less than half the price). This may improve over time as the new juice ages. The saffron seems to be more pronounced in the opening of the '25, giving it a slightly soapy characteristic. The leather note also doesn't seem as deep to my nose. There is a richer animalistic nuance to the older juice that is not fully realized with the '25. The 2025 batch has also 100% been reformulated. How do I know this as a fact? There are almost twice as many ingredients in the 2025 bottle compared to my 2018 box. All in all, it still smells incredible and even having gone through almost 8 or 9 bottles in the last 5 years, I can still say I would never be able to tell the difference if I didn't have them side by side.

It's hard to describe a booziness that's not so boozy, but the opening is this. I know that's confusing. This is really good! I avoid going too hard on the trigger as it makes me a little nauseous when I spray too much, but today of the few days this did not make me feel sickly. It's very smooth, very ambery, and quite sweet, especially on the dry-down. And a little bit leathery. This does have a bit of a middle-eastern vibe. The opening is very nice, but the dry-down is better and this fragrance PERFORMS. It lasts all day and gives me a nice bubble for an entire day. When people describe the quality of this fragrance for the price, it's hard to argue because it's unique, it sets itself apart from the every designer fragrance, and it performs. This checks all of the boxes, and I would recommend smelling this if you can. It's really unfortunate that this is so hard to find.

Hi Everyone of Noir Ambre Lovers. I recently came across brand new selaed bottle selling at £62-/ so i bought it instantly on ebay UK. However when received its smaller and slimmer and also the regular packaging that opend from top not like the older ones that slide out with a puller on the side. Also the batch code seemed weired. Usually ISSEY batch codes are combo if number ending at 2 letters, this new one is Number and then in end one letter and one mumber. It goes like this: 5203I9. so on batch code finder i tried both ways 5203i9 and 520319 and both times it showed same i.e 8 months old released in jan/2025. While my older batch is 0155FM (nearly 6 years old) ANYONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ITS RE RELEASED OR HAVE I JUST GOT A FAKE. P.S I HAVE NOT OPENED BOTTLE AT THIS STAGE AS I WANT TO RETURN IF IT TURN OUT TO BE FAKE.

Holy hell what a fragrance. I scoured the depths of eBay to find a bottle and paid overs like a complete moron. But my God was it worth it knowing a small handful of people own this. Picture this: You're sitting in the waiting room of an antique Japanese car mechanics shop. Aged bourbon, cigars and a hint of vanillin you'd expect from mechanical lubricants, float around the room in a smokey haze. Issey himself walks in, winks at you, and your downstairs department gets all tingly. That's exactly what this is. It's boozy, introverted and classy. It doesn't say: "Hey fuck you I'm here, hop in", It says: "How about I take you for the ride of your life - the choice is yours". Noir Ambre politely asks you to bend over, and you willingly oblige.

10/10. I'd call it very buzzy (not boozy) in a good way. I perceive it as full of positivity, and calling for action scent. It has pronounced cherryish/almondish vibes to me. It feels like a very smoked and more sweet version of Guerlain l'Ideal extreme. I know that it doesn't have cherry and almond notes in the breakdown, but combination of what it has create an impression of it. It's not sourish like Guerlain though. I see what others calling a "burned leads" note. It might be a little off-putting for some people, I don't mind it at all, it makes the fragrance much more interesting for me. I'm very satisfied with the longevity. It lasts. Bear in mind that on the clothes it might stay till the next laundry. Which is a good thing for me.

This gets better and better with time. Both because of maceration and because of having tried hundreds more fragrances since I got it. It is one of the great ambers. It's elegant and spicy with just enough sweetness. It's spiciness and darkness compared to other ambers make it lean more masculine and give it a slightly mysterious air. Issey Miyake need to re-release these designer masterworks like Noir Ambre, Or Encens, Pulse of the Night, Polaris, Noir Argent etc. These are some of the best fragrances released by any designer brand, including brands like Dior and the uniqueness and quality even beat out a large number of niche fragrances. I would rather have this than anything PdM or Initio has to offer.

In short, I really like this stuff. It is super masculine and to me smells like a darker L'homme Ideal EDP without the fruitiness. The leather note reminds me of what you'd smell in Dark Rebel but don't let that scare you because it is WAY more pleasant and likeable. Man this stuff is hard to describe. It's slightly spicy but not in a spicebomb way. It's also sweet but not to the extent of la male. I personally think it very well balanced and very enjoyable. It is masculine and daring, but not offensive. A good night-out fall/winter scent, but not something I would wear on a first date. It's going up in price, so if you have the bucks I would just buy it and resell it later if you end up hating it.

I have no words to describe my love for its drydown. Very sexy vanilla-smooth and woody combination. Ambery spicy opening and the best drydown in my entire collection. I love how I could still smell it even after I spent all day on a hot summer day, heading from place to place, and every time the breeze swooped the scent to my noose, it was really soothing. Don't be tricked by its initial spray and sniff, as some say it smells like wood pages of book. I know it is definitely a date-night winter fragrance but I cant stop wearing it despite the summer coming along. Beast-mode opening with 10+ hours on my skin. Very beautiful designer perfumery- must-have. So sad it's discontinued.

I've been looking for this fragrance to come down to a decent price and big ups to fragrancenet for having this for a week or so. This is definitely a crowd pleasing fragrance...not so niche. This scent reminds me of 2 fragrances: Bentley for Men Intense and Givenchy Pi. I believe the benzoin in BMI and the vanilla in Pi could be reminding me of those 2. This fragrance is very good on it's own though. I understand why the demand is so high. I got about 9 hours off skin right out the box with good projection for the first two hours. Admittedly, I probably won't use this too much with the supply of this literally being once and a blue moon. I don't see many people not liking this.

I just grabbed this brand new for $69.99. I originally saw this a few years back at TJ Maxx for $49.99 and passed on it. Now that I have it..WoW!! This is some really great stuff. I agree with the opening, however, I don't get a burned rubber smell. I get a anamalic leather and spice. This smell lasts for all of 15 minutes and then it's the most off the chain ambery, Spicey vanilla scent ever. This has got to be my best cooler weather Frag hands down. This is not your average designer. It's near niche quality. This may not be blind buy for a newbie, but if you've been wearing frags for a while then go for it. 10/10 for me!!

My new bottle has a manufacture date of 1/25. Old Bottle comes up as 07/18. So clearly, this is back in production (or was, for a time) recently. New bottle purchased from Joma doesn't have the same punch as my old bottle nor does it have the longevity. I didn't think it would. My old bottle is half empty, and clearly has the benefit of years maturation. The color is significantly darker than the new. OG bottle is nuclear stuff. And I stand by my original assertion (many moons ago, down below) that this is one of the best amber fragrances of all time. Made even more special because of how attainably priced it is (or was).

I have around 28 Issey fragrances and this one is VERY different. I have 3 bottles of this 2 from 2019 and one from 2016 they smell identical as of time of writing cant believe I haven't reviewed this yet, it is my #1 If I was to guess notes I'd go with a honey incense but neither of these are in it but let me tell you its special, if you are familiar with Boss bottled Absolu it's that fragrance in this line so addictive and niche, warming amber complex. IF you can get a bottle I would snap it up, some advice, its not worth what they sell for on eBay $160 is low side - $250 is high side

Got the most recent batch for £70 and I'm out of superlatives. (actually as of 13th October available at this price online) Mercedes Club Black meets a darker leather and amber combo. Also reminiscent of Boss Absolu, yet brighter. It's sweet, dark and vibrant. I'm instantly grabbed by Noir Ambre, it's feckin glorious! Gave me 8 hours fresh out the box with a moderate amount of sillage for a couple hours. At this price, for this quality and blend, you don't make reviews offering half-baked or more expensive alternatives. You just get this. 9.3/10

Warning: this is extremely addictive. It smells like a very fragrant, dry, fresh wood. Very warm and smooth. A little bit spicy, a little bit leathery, but overall just smells like a very realistic freshly-cut wood that is warm, dry, powdery, fragrant, ambery. I can't get enough of this. One of my favorite fragrances along with BR540 Extrait, Interlude Man, and Gris Charnel edp. If you're into that smooth, super cozy, woody, addictive kind of fragrance, please try this beauty. Definitely a stronger fragrance but in the most beautiful way

WOW, this is fantastic! I'm not familiar enough with enough high-end niche frags to assess how it competes, but it's absolutely incredible to my nose. And it's not for the insecure. It is massively bold, and one of only a handful in my collection that can make me feel under-dressed. I get a tobacco vibe as well and I'm surprised to not see it mentioned in the notes, although maybe it's the amber. EDIT: I checked the batch code and mine is from 2020. Makes me wanna see if I can find a 2016 batch to compare.

Smells great. But you can save yourself money and time hunting this down, and just get SWY Oud. They're 98% similar. Please understand I absolutely love this fragrance and think it's constructed better than SWY Oud. But if you're on a budget and let's face it, these Miyake frags have a terrible markup now that they're discontinued, I would aim for the armani as an alternative. The Miyake does have a prevalent cinnamon note that the SWY lacks and probably puts it over the edge for me in a side by side.

I’ve had a 10ml decant of the 2016 release for some years, - loved it so much but I didn’t want to waste the last drops. So when rerelease came I copped it without any hesitation. After some comparison with the older batch I can confirm that it still is a masterpiece with the exact same elegant scent profile. After some months of maceration, my new batch actually stays on my skin longer than the 2016 batch. This is of course on my skin, which may differ from others. But I’m absolutely loving it!

I'm not going to go into the note breakdown because I think it's all been hammered out below me. I'm only here to sing Noir Ambre's praises! This might be the quintessential "cold weather" or "winter" fragrance if there ever was one. I've worn Noir Ambre a few times this winter here in blistery Wisconsin and it never disappoints. If you can find a bottle, I highly recommend picking it up. If it's not for you, there are plenty of people out there who would take it off your hands! Cheers!

Some say this is niche in a designer bottle. Well yeah, I must agree. This is a beautiful scent. When you first spray it you get hit with leather and rubber but just wait... After a few minutes a heavenly smell comes peeping. Spices, amber, vanilla and woods provide a warm, alluring cosy scent. The scent is not cloying and the spices give it enough lift to be a lively amber fragrance. This is excellent for fall, winter and colder days. Great performance too. This is top notch for me.

After doing a little digging, it seems that Noir Ambré was indeed released this year. It is a newer style Issey Miyake bottle and box but maintains the original color palette with the batch code #502319. I wonder if the formula has changed. I still have two backups of the original, but I will definitely be stocking up on more, as this was my cold weather signature scent for several years and still holds a special place in my top 5 all time favorite fragrances.

Absolute work of perfumery art. Incredible. As Oryon said a few posts down, one of the great ambers. Easily in contention (for me, personally, anyway) to be in my top 20 of all time. There is just something about this fragrance that brings every aspect together perfectly. From the opening, to the spectacular dry down, it just works. And performs. If/when it ever pops up, I wholeheartedly recommend it. Very scarce these days, unfortunately...

I'm a fan of the Issey Miyake house and this one is my favourites from it. I paid £32.50 for this, ratio price against quality and scent 10/10. Truly amazing versatile scent. Scent 10/10 Sillage 8/10 Projection 8/10 Longevity 8/10 Versatilitly 8/10 Packaging/bottle 10/10 Value 10/10 (It's a favourite of mine) Seasons to wear: Spring, Autumn and Winter. Occasions: I would wear this any occasion One word to describe this AWESOME!

A really lovely fragrance. Maybe not as amazing as it’s been heralded in reviews and on YouTube but still very much worth getting. For me it plays in that Dior Homme Parfum space, but they don’t smell alike obviously. But I’d wear them to similar occasions and I won’t be getting DHP anymore as I’m fortunate enough to have this bad boy. Worth grabbing at retail too actually, so if you stumble upon it, make a plan to get it.

So happy they brought this back, its simple but addictive,smooth slightly Smoky sweet saffron dry but not to dry, the balance between sweet and dark is wonderfully done, new release is at first airing and spray weak, but give it some time to settle and it gets better, but i dont give a-f it smells so dang nice A guilty pleasure scent 10/10 for me Might not get that score iff you want nuclear performance

Wow this is beautiful, the cinnamon safron and nutmeg really pops out on my skin with the amber in the background. And the color of the bottle is gorgeous, it really is reminiscent of you holding a dark piece of amber in your hands. I wouldn't wear this on a hot summer day but any other time I can see myself reaching for it. Saving this for special occasions though as its hard to come by

Issey Miyake hit a home run with this one, it's sad that it's so hard to find, as this is my number one autumn scent of all time. It's so smoothly blended, and wears so beautifully. It's basically a dark woodsy scent perfected. If you come across a bottle of this at a decent price I highly suggest you pick it up as even if you hate it it will sell easily as it is highly desirable. 10/10

I was lucky enough to find stock on my trusted site. I immediately bought it, and I'm glad I did; it's an amazing, well-mixed collection of spices and woods, and as it dries, you get a subtle sweetness as well. It's quite a masculine, formal perfume, perfect for interviews and such. I'm getting quite great performance with it, and the bottle is really cool.

WOW! WOW! WOW! Amazing juice. It is similar to a few others on the market (PDM Habdan and TF TV for sure) with just a slight difference with the vetiver. Overall I find it most similar to Korres Saffron Tobacco and Swiss Arabian Shaghaf Oud this is just sweeter. Really great and it is available on online sites. Get a bottle while you can people. Enjoy!