Dark Amber & Ginger Lily

Dark Amber and Ginger Lily was one of my first scent leaning towards dark and much more sensual scents. The Cologne Intense range compared to Jo Malone London's regular line is inspired by ritual, deeply sensual scents and rich with precious ingredients. Dark Amber and Ginger Lily puts a highlight on Kyara Incense; a incense prized for its rarity and richness central to Kohdo Ceremony in Japan most appropriately used for both relaxation and meditation. Priced competitively at £112.00 per 3.4 oz bottle, and £74 for the 1 oz bottle. This scent was initially launched as a limited edition which is the Kohdo Wood Collection in 2008 together with Lotus Blossom and Water Lily. Created perfectly for relaxation as day turns to night; it has a blend of sensuality that encourages tranquility. Then was relaunched as a part of the Cologne Intense line. The scent opens with a warm and spicy note of Black Cardamom together with Ginger and Pink Pepper lending an air of unmistakable clean vibe then comes Black Orchid, Night Blooming Jasmine and Water Lily creating a bouquet with a dark and sensual nature. At the base is Kyara Incense, rich with Black Amber and Sandalwood that mingles together for that warmth, highly distinct yet calm character. It comes beautifully with a Home Candle, a luxurious Body Creme and A Dry Body Oil. While already beautiful worn alone, what sets Jo Malone London from others brands is the beauty that is Fragrance Combining. While they weren't the first to do so, they are I believe the best is doing it so effortlessly. Personally, I combine it with Lime Basil and Mandarin for an added zest, herbaceous twist; Grapefruit for a clash of appealingly sensual yet bright citrus and a background of lush moss and smoky woods; Wood Sage and Sea Salt for a more spirited, sea salt enriched warmth and/or Mimosa & Cardamom for a little spicy smoke effect with touches of spice and honeyed , golden mimosa number. Longevity can be an issue to some so best to sample it at your nearest Jo Malone store, it's still dependent on your body chemisty; try layering it with the Body Creme if you usually spray it on your skin. Not a blind buy advocate but if you're into the smoky, deep woody scents with hints of spice then it might just be the one. -Bertrand II

I was in Bergen, Norway in late February, 2009. I was gift shopping at the Bryggen, just a short walk from my hotel, when I encountered the faint, fleeting, ephemeral sillage of this enchanting, provocative, delightfully dark & mysterious feminine scent. It was the come-hither call of the sirens; it exuded feminine sexuality. It was only a whiff. My mind instantly formed an image of Elizabeth Hurley wearing wire-rim glasses, hair up, in professional business attire and heels. I was captivated. WHAT is that scent?? I had to find the person wearing it. The only other feminine scent I've encountered that came remotely close to this effect on me years ago was Guerlain Shalimar. Then I did something I had never done before: I tracked (read that as hunted) her. I started casually wandering the shop. Everything else was forgotten. I was a man on a mission. There it was again. Lost it. Got it. She's over there. No. Where did she go? There it is again. Yes. This way. I quickly homed in on an attractive, dark haired, well-dressed woman in, what I presumed, her late twenties/early thirties. I surreptitiously closed in on her. Yes. That's her. I put on my best ingratiating smile. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice your perfume. It's exquisite. Would you please tell me what you're wearing?" Jo Malone London Dark Amber and Ginger Lily. I confessed I followed her scent trail halfway across the store. We exchanged pleasantries for a couple moments then I thanked her, excused myself, and left the store. I bought a (then black) bottle of DAGL for my wife. She doesn't like it, but it's catnip to me. I've even entertained the thought a time or two of wearing it myself. Ladies, take this from an older man - if you want the attention of mature men and want to make them turn their heads so fast they'll be wearing neck braces after you walk past/behind them, wear this. You'll certainly get MY attention.

A few key words: warm, smooth, comforting This stuff surprised me with how non-alcohol-y it smelled on first spray. There is no coconut listed in the notes, but it was almost like I just put on some kind of tanning oil with coconut in it. I'm not even a fan of coconut usually but there is a big difference between artificial (yuck) and fresh and this is definitely more on the fresh coconut side. Except it isn't exactly coconut, because the more you smell it and try to decide for certain that yes this is coconut, it changes/reveals more underneath. I actually searched for our unused thing of coconut oil to compare because I was convinced that this is what it smelled like, but it must have been my imagination trying to predict what something I've barely experienced would be like because it actually smelled like nothing. Maybe I was remembering what fresh coconut meat/flesh/whatever you call it was like. It must be so well blended that all the listed notes add up to this. And now I've written coconut so many times that it has lost all meaning and looks wrong. After a few minutes it is less strong and more like if someone made a body moisturizer with a hybrid coconut/oat milk. Like you used this moisturizer recently after a warm bath. It's got that nice smooth smell. I don't know what you'd say 'skin' smells like but that is in there too. Ok ok so here's the final analogy: the smell itself is like just hydrated skin with this scented moisturizer. It is a smell that is not (too) sweet, bitter or powdery. It is just... oat...y. Smooth. Like... butter? I don't know how to describe it!!! I can't even tell whether this should be a signature scent or a specific time or occasion scent, but I do know that it's one of the first perfumes that I could see myself wearing regularly and not get tired of smelling it. It is just so interesting and good like what the heck I gotta go huff it again--

Much like the rest of the Cologne Intense line, Dark Amber & Ginger Lily is deeper, more complex, and more intense than the regular simple and airy Jo Malone fragrance range. I appreciate and even love most of the simple and airy Jo Malone scents, but the intense line appeals to me a bit more overall due to...its intensity! :P And after sampling the full cologne intense range, I was most drawn to this one. Sandalwood is one of my favorite notes ever and Dark Amber and Ginger Lily quickly turns into a spicy sandalwood on me, so of course I love it! Of course, that also means the name isn't entirely accurate, but I can forgive that because the dark amber is definitely present from top to bottom as well, granting the scent a mysterious salty quality. What starts off as a blast of spicy ginger quickly turns into a beautiful spicy floral sandalwood tinged with salt. I also definitely detect a hint of incense in the background. After many hours (about 6-8 hours), I get whispers of the loveliest clean patchouli. I typically despise patchouli, but the tiny bit of it present in Dark Amber & Ginger Lily is very pleasant and clean. Creamy even! I love it! I especially love it when a note I'm predisposed to dislike surprises me! This is a warm and yet fresh fragrance. There is no sweetness to speak of, which I LOVE! It's special and it's interesting but not so interesting that the interest is obtrusive; this is not a spectacle, but an interesting and respectable fragrance that is very wearable by both sexes (why on earth is it listed as feminine here!?) and has at most moderate projection after the first 30 minutes or so, so it makes for a safe office fragrance. Wearable any time of year, this spicy beauty has cemented her place in my collection forever.

I first became acquainted by this perfume about 6 weeks ago whilst in a bookshop in St Pancras station, London. I walked into an aisle and was hit by this glorious scent. Sniff sniff. What WAS that scent? Oriental?- yes. Spicy?- yes. Is there wood there too? Yes, I think so, ...It smelt expensive, most certainly but who made it? Was it a Serge Lutens? Perhaps, but it wasn't dense enough. This perfume although strong, was also light and airy. I looked around and tried to find the person wearing it. I HAD to know! People around me must have thought I was quite strange, sidling up to them and sniffing but I didnt care. Hey, I'd be back in Australia in two days. Who cares if I embarrass myself! I was wafting through the bookstore carried by this glorious perfumed silage, just like pepe le pew. On the other side of the store a woman was browsing through some books on a trestle. She was very chic and stylishly dressed. Yes, she was the one. I nonchalantly browsed the books beside her and plucked the courage to ask what perfume she was wearing. "Jo Malone Dark Amber and Ginger Lily." she said. " It's the Intense." I committed it to memory and then replied " iIt's really lovely and works well on you" then she gave me a strange look. Oh god! I hope she didn't think this was a come on!! I hastily found my husband and hot footed it out of the store. I bought a bottle this week and just love it. It's very hot here in Australia (33 degrees C) and it stands up well in the heat. I didn't get the Intense, so I'm finding I need to reapply, but it is so glorious I don't mind! If the woman in the bookstore is a fragrantican, I just wanted to say thanks :)

This is less of a review and more of a comparison . . In regard to the person below who said this smells like Crystal Noir, I'd like to state that to accurately compare perfumes and say that two are the same or nearly identical, you have to know each perfume quite well, and in order to do that you have wear it and "live" in the perfumes for a while. Many may know Crystal Noir - a lot of people do because it's so popular, but not as many know Dark Amber & Ginger Lily, but for those who know both scents well by now (especially Dark Amber & Ginger Lily), it's apparent they both have similar nuances at first, but are not the same. Dark Amber & Ginger Lily is a unique scent and I don't know of any facsimiles. It has pleasing, distinctive organic notes that unfold; notes that Crystal Noir just doesn't have. It probably goes without saying, but Versace is also a high-volume brand, and they lean way more into synthetic ingredients for that reason, and their perfume is of a lower quality than Jo Malone. The lasting power for this particular Jo Malone scent is good, too. When I spray it on a something, it stays there (unless I throw it in the washing machine, lolz). At a ballet performance I wore the Dark amber & Ginger Lily perfume (along with the oil), and a group of little girls from the other class were playing with me backstage and mentioned I smelled good. I think it's a rather likable and smooth perfume, and definitely suggest trying it.

Very peppery on first application. You must be a pepper lover to enjoy this and thankfully it's a favorite note of mine. In addition to the pepper blast, the opening comes off creamy and lactonic on me. As it dries down, the pepper grows lighter and the powdery, warm amber starts to envelope the wearer in a soft inviting cloud of oriental warmth. I find this a dark tropical scent leaning more feminine. You could almost swear there's coconut. This does indeed smell like a more high quality and less sweet Versace Crystal Noir, but it still is sweet. When smelled side-by-side, Dark Amber & Ginger Lily smells more exotic with the rich incense very noticeable and the Crystal Noir smells more synthetic and like a facial cream in comparison. Worn at different times, they're more likely to remind the wearer of the other. The peppery ginger creaminess they do share but Dark Amber & Ginger Lily does this so much better and is more complex with such gorgeous incense and woods in the drydown. It's interesting some people think this is a Fall/Winter scent and masculine. I don't think so at all. I don't find it very heavy and I think it would be beautiful in hot, summer weather as a darker, warmer, sexy tropical oriental for people who don't enjoy the less complex and lighter suntan lotion type fragrances such as Soleil Blanc by Tom Ford or Bronze Goddess by Estée Lauder.

Aaaah, I love this so much! My very first Jo Malone, though I only got a decant. I love the warm scent of amber, and the holiday Warm Amber line of The Body Shop that came out years ago is one of my favorite nostalgic fragrances. Being partial to lighter, fresher fragrances suited to the hot, humid weather of my country, I never really explored "darker" scents and so haven't come across an amber I could wear until now. (I probably got a whiff of other ambers previously but not one that smelled as delicious as this.) I immediately got a decant as soon as I got a whiff of this. Upon first spray, I get a woody aroma spiced with fresh ginger. The smell softens and settles into a sweet amber that is fresh and never cloying, not as dark as the name suggests. It has just the right touch of patchouli that is not overpowering. While I wouldn't reach for this in stifling weather, I find it suitable even for daytime use. It's an immediate favorite, and reminds me of smells from the past. Although I couldn't pinpoint the time when I might have smelled this, it fills me with nostalgia. (I'm wearing this today and sprayed it directly on my skin before getting dressed. Hours, later, I could smell it right on my shirt. A scent like this I would expect to be too thick and cloying, but the sweetness of this amber is fresh and inoffensive.)

You want to feel chic, pulled together and sophisticated? get this, it is all of that in a bottle. When I smell this, I picture someone wearing an ivory and navy striped breton, skinny jeans and a pair of converse, rocking the "I got out of bed like this" look, its really elegant and sophisticated yet really versatile and easy to wear in both formal and casual situations. The warmth from the cardamom, spice from the ginger and creaminess from the sandalwood absolutely sing on my skin, once it dries down, olibanum pops out and creates a sensual, unusual wispy trail, I dont get many of the floral notes in this aside from some waterlily in the initial opening blast, but for the most part it does smell quite linear on me, however, it does not smell linear in a boring way to me at all. Silage is moderate to soft and I can get a good 7 hours of wear from this, I would repurchase this 100%, its such an easy no brainer reach for the cooler months or during cooler summer days or nights, solid love and if you love Crystal Noir, I'd say its a safe blind buy too

A Deeper Scent for Sensitive Noses... I just have a sample of this, but I've tested it a few times now. I agree with the reviewer below, that it's an easy to wear spicy floral. All the notes are there, but it's not as heavy as you might think looking at the base notes. It reminds me more of Presence d'une Femme MontBlanc than anything else, and triggered me to pull that out and wear it over the last few days, comparing the two. Both are sweet & spicy woody florals with cardamom, but in Dark Amber & Ginger Lily I definitely get more of a leaning to the ginger and a pencil shaving note underneath, while the cardamom is a bit more forward in Presence d'une Femme. It's possible that an aged full bottle might smell like Crystal Noir Versace, but that wasn't my first thought, although I can now see some similarities. Performance is moderate, but could be worn year-round for those that like light to medium weight scents. In typical Jo Malone style this caters to sensitive noses - nothing screechy or jarring to be found here. It's a love for me. Enjoy!

I was looking for a lesser-known alternative close to Crystal Noir since 6 in 10 women wear CN where I live, and I wanted to be different (how will I be different while I wear mass-produced fragrances in mass-produced clothes, that I do not know). And suprisingly, this does not smell like CN but it has the same foresty-ambery attitiude that Ormonde Jayne's Tolu has. So if you love but don't have Tolu but you want to spend some money, get this. If you have Tolu, then please tell me what else you are looking for as none of Jo Malone's scented waters stay more than 2 hours on skin -wear that Tolu. Edit: After a month later, I've decided that 1. this is just as good as Tolu and feels more "organic" than the current batches of CN, and 2. it's full bottle worthy and I'm getting it. It's creamy and dense but not overwhelming and heavy. Also it's possible to wear this any season you want, just go a bit lighter on your sprays and that's it. By the way, I wonder why the perfumer, Ms. Lupo has just disappeared, she's not with Takasago anymore.

Incredibly beautiful and unique on women. It is warm and inviting. One of the only perfumes with which i fell in love at first sniff. I was hesitant on buying it because it is meant to be unisex - and I wasn't sure how men would react to a non-floral non-sweet scent on a woman. I walked around the shop where I sprayed it and asked for an opinion from the guy next to me. I meant to ask the guy something like "would you....like it on your girlfriend" but only got as far as "would you..." - he finished my sentence with (pardon the vulgarity) "do you? yes." So ladies, don't be afraid of wearing this. There is something mysterious about a woman who can wear woods and spices and still be sexy and feminine. P.S. I also get a nice warm coconut note in this - it reminds me a little of sun cream. Very dark sexy spicy woody sun cream. Also, try spraying it on top of a cocoa butter or vanilla lotion - it really brings out the warmth of the fragrance and makes the perfume last longer

Dark, elegant, sophisticated, creamy and beckoning, warm but airy, with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. It’s definitely not cloying nor obnoxious, but rather reminds me of an air-thin black cashmere throw. And it’s decidedly sexy for me. If I imagine it as a book character, it would certainly be Rhys from a book series by Sarah J. Maas “A court of thorns and roses”, from book 2 onwards. I totally agree with other reviewers, that it’s a chameleon scent - it works beautifully in colder weather, becoming warm, spicy and somewhat heavier, comforting - and in summer, it somehow turns into this sophisticated tanned sea-salty skin scent. I don’t know how it does that, but after a 10ml bottle, I yearn for a big bottle of this, and I’ve promised myself to never buy full-size bottles again as I’m too promiscuous with perfumes. PS. I often pair it with Jo Malone’s “Wood Sage & Sea Salt” - I love them layered over one another from spring to autumn.

Imo definitely leans unisex. My bf wears this and it smells amazing on him. Took forever to choose. Tested all of the JM intense line in the black bottles, not even looking at the names. I want to steal his bottle and wear it myself too. This fit with his chemistry and smells yummy/light spice+fresh/sexy vibes. Smells very warm and comforting. Longevity: strong and long lasting. When my bf accidentally over sprays (5-6 sprays) I'm choking and can smell his scent trail even when he leaves the room. And that's after he got ready at his separate place and I see him 1 hrs later. Takes a long while to become a skin scent, after hanging out all day it's still going strong when I hug him goodbye. He too mentioned that he has to be careful with spraying this one compared to his other perfumes. Highly recommend the intense line from JM. They are beautiful, unique, and worth a test. Quite expensive though.

I am so in love with this beautiful scent!!! A spicy, woody scent that I feel could be worn everyday and feel elegant and sophisticated! I own a few Jo Malone fragrances that are floral in majority but this and Oud & Bergamot is one of the few woody scents I love. I bought the Cologne Intense collection that came in 5 x 5ml bottles as I was so indecisive about what ones to get. I didn’t think the Dark Amber & Ginger Lily was something I would like and when I put it on I was expecting a typical heavy spicy woody scent but NO!!! The ginger and pepper compositions was beautifully mixed with the floral notes to somehow elevate the spicy scent a more softer feel. The woody patchouli notes enhances the spicy warmth to make it fresh. Like most Jo Malone fragrances, the longevity was not great although sillage is good and I wouldn’t recommend blind buying this but I love this perfume!!!

Trashing Jo Malone, I was! Well well well, see who changed her mind! I received this as a early birthday gift, and ohhh my it is delightful! The ginger in the opening is right up my street. The amber makes it deeper and little masculine. Yes i do enjoy smelling like a sexy man at times! However I think I have smelled a similar composition on my man. I think it was his Calvin Klein Shock for him.... that I tried to wear .... but my skin chemistry failed me miserably..... I think this is a unisex scent. Very nice indeed if you enjoy spicy scents with a tad of sexy man in the mix. Longevity is good 5-6 hours on my skin, projection close to the skin. Definitly try on your skin for some hours before you decide on purchasing since it needs time to develop. Would I have bought it myself taking into consideration price/ longevity/ smell ratio.....NEVER.

This is a Jo Malone worth the $180 buy. Pretty long lasting. I'd say 8hrs or so, but the scent? ADDICTING. AD-ICCTING. Every time I put it on, I fall more in love. So gingery, ambery, warm, comforting. If you are a fan of tobacco vanille buy Tom Ford, you have to have this. It is a softer version but not in the powdery kind of way. More of a cream your kind of way . I consider myself quite The Connoisseur and the more I travel and experience different scents and different fragrances I always come back to this one and say "oh my God I love this so much". And you can't really say that too much about Jo Malone. Her fragrances are extremely fleeting, which is unfortunate because the frags are great . as far as the intense collection goes, this one holds its own very well. For $180 I say it is an absolute must

I cannot say enough good things about this fragrance Initially I couldnt distinguish whether it was for a man or woman. That seems to be the beauty of it. If you wear it as a man, you will catch peoples attention, because its paradoxical It had all this dark resin, amber and smoke like incense vibe, yet there was a spice on top with cardamom and ginger, and this extremely unusual floral hit that makes people question why a man would wear it, and yet it feels right It was the one that immediately stood out to me amongst everything the house sells. I was unsure at first, but after the clerk let me test a sample... It was still on my clothes 2 days later! All these complex notes continued coming through, as was that smoky incense vibe This is my daily scent, and I dont see that changing any time soon 10/10

I am wearing this in Spring/Summer in California. I haven't had it during Fall/Winter but I love that it smells and feels like the Mexican Coke in the bottle - a cold one snapping little sprays of bubbles in your face when you open it. But this Coke is turned up to a 10/10 and was made from the finest, freshest natural ingredients instead of a hollow spiderweb of chemicals. Summer scents are difficult for me; I tend to dislike most of the fresh scents that prevail in the heat. Usually I go for something that somehow feels light and dry at the same time; my go to is Mure et Musc Extreme by L'Artisan when it's hot and sticky. I love this. If you favor warm, spicy, resinous, woody, thick fragrances and have a hard time with Spring and Summer scents, this is one to try.

I had been wanting to try this for a long time since Jo Malone boutique in Malaysia does not carry the intense line. So while in Tokyo, I decided to stop by the counter and check it out. It is truly wonderful. I did it spray it on my wrist and went ahead to explore other olfactory treasures. Thirty minutes later, the scent turned identical to one of my favorites Versace Crystal Noir. IDENTICAL. I can say for sure because crystal noir is one of my all time favorites and I own a full bottle of it. Ginger, cardamom and sandalwood are the dominating notes. I do think I prefer crystal noir because it lasts longer. I could barely smell dark amber and ginger lily after two hours. Nevertheless, a beautiful scent and worth buying if you don't mind reapplying!