Secret Amber

This smells divine. My male chemistry loves this. I have never smelled a better amber. The notes are well-blended. There is no over-bearing accord. I hate to repeat what others have written, but this smells like a supremely great Middle-Eastern bazaar masterpiece. The nutmeg and ginger are perfectly spicy in the opening. The rose is present at first spray. I do not enjoy rose in a general sense, but this is like sugared rose water, if you are familiar with Medieval cooking. It is a supporting note here. Never in the lead, just lifting the other notes and giving them a perfect stage. Vanilla is a favorite and is present from beginning to end. I think of this scent as a canvas made of the amber. It is the foundation and always there. Not clumsy and demanding your attention like many cheap ambers, but blending and enhancing the other notes as they rise and fall during the drydown. This has some of my favorite notes and some I am ambivalent about (ginger), as well as one I dislike (rose). The notes play together and are never clashing, but always merging in different degrees with each other, but always beautiful. Avoid this if you dislike vanilla. This is a vanilla trip. I do not dislike this fragrance. I am here to praise it. I praise it with every breath today. It is making me smile. It has given me an unexpected luxury. A luxury that is affordable and accessible to anyone. This is a niche quality fragrance. The niche is simply for the few to give it a chance and congratulate themselves for smelling wonderful and saving enough money to buy their favorite foods at the grocery. It does not smell modern, but ancient. I love it! I am in shock at my reaction to Jovan Secret Amber. Edit - This is the only scent my German Shepherd has ever acknowledged. She rests her head on my arms and rubs herself on my arms when I am wearing Secret Amber. She stops when I give her fur a spray. wow.

My fiancé has been a huge fan of YSL Ambre Narguile, and when her last decant ran out she decided to seek out a more affordable replacement, using the cost difference to add some variety to her scent collection. She has a sensitive nose some days, so going into Sephora has never been much of an option for her - and knowing my fondness for scents, she asked me to try to find her something. Along the way we've discovered her fondness for Dior Addict, as well as Bvlgari Au The Blanc for when she wants something pleasant but with a very light touch, and Bvlgari Jasmin Noir when she wants something strong and dark. But that sweet-amber-musky hole in her heart hadn't yet been filled. Until now. I bought the bottle because it was shockingly affordable, and I'd read so many comments below about its quality. I came here after a great tip from member emt1986 - thanks to all of you for being right on the money. This is a beautiful amber musk. I prepped a few testers in sequence so my fiancé could smell the opening, middle, and drydown and she was so happy. Then when I told her how much I spent on it, she almost went catatonic - so did I, frankly, when I first smelled it - this is a gorgeous scent.. It's not a complete replacement for AN as the spice component here is much softer, but it's exceptional nonetheless. It does suffer the performance issues one would expect from a bottle this affordable, so prepare to reapply :) We may one day splurge on a bottle of Ambre Narguile - but right now we don't have to.

My first impression: this reminds of l'Occitane Amber. It has that strong spicy opening and dries down to a lovely vanilla. At first the sillage is strong, but it dies down fairly quickly and I'm left with a gorgeous vanilla skin scent. I will probably keep this one even though I have a better version. Because it's pretty. Edit: tempted to change my original review but I'll let it stand. A lot of my perfumes are neglected but this one gets used frequently. It's my easy, go-to, interesting but not crazy-smelling beautiful scent. I can't believe the price I paid for it. I wear it more often than anything else I have, and I have more perfumes than I'd like to admit. I understand the resemblance to l'Occitane Amber that I sensed before but it's not as strong for me now. Secret Amber does seem to have an oud note. I sent a sample to a perfume friend, and forgot to label it. As we were puzzling out what I'd sent her I think she mentioned an old-fashioned, amber but almost chypre smell, and I realized what I'd sent her. If all this sounds nice to you, please consider grabbing a bottle while you can. It's still cheap on ebay, I just checked. Oh god, should I get a backup? For when I run out of this one in ten years??

This stuff smells almost exactly like ESTEE LAUDER SENSUOUS NOIR! For a fraction of the cost.** Secret Amber is vanilla, amber and spice - strongly cinnamon at the beginning, then develops into a nice, even blend of all the spices. I have sampled a ton of expensive niche of this same category, and many are less inviting and more simplistic than Secret Amber. You could do a lot worse with $10. **Secret Amber is less noir, but still has much of the same DNA and contains something very unique and specific to Sensuous Noir. I adore Sensuous Noir, but had to give my bottle away for headache purposes. Plus, it kind of knocks me down with a wall of fragrance. So, I would say Secret Amber is a more wearable version (for me) of Sensuous Noir. Later . . . been wearing this for a couple days now, no headaches yet. Have I found my answer to Sensuous Noir? Fingers crossed Even later . . . lasts all day. The longer it's on my skin, the better it smells. Oooh, what a find!

What a friggin' bargain. Warm, cozy, fuzzy amber that thrives on a chill in the air. Like a beloved, soft hoodie and a mug of chamomile with honey. Not too sweet, not too sharp--a Goldilocks in Baby Bear's bed type of feeling. Almost as comforting as Shalimar is to me. Is it the musk? I do love the cheap and charming Jovan musks. I keep trying other amber-based scents, searching for my ideal autumn sunshine amber, and I keep coming back to this strong silent affordable gem of an amber fragrance. Why do I stray? Am I being snotty because this is so inexpensive? This isn't real ambergris and exotic vanilla and the finest cinnamon-- but in my experience Jovan makes masterpieces out of chemical mimicry. Also, I'd hate to be the sort of person who equates quality with cost. This is affordable and lovable.

I ordered jovan secret amber and received it. I thought i will love the oriental amber but it is way toooooo sweeet. It is nice but not alone, i thought i have to layers it with something harsh, to decrease sweetness. On the other side i have fancy nights which i think it is very masculine due to fresh patchouli ( somehow like men's aftershave cologne) which i wished it was a little bit sweet. So i layered them, 2 spritz of amber on my right side of my neck and 2 spritz of fancy nights on my other side of neck. I loved them much more better than having each by its own on me. Try it and give me your opinion. longevity max 2 hours and sillage weak (just when you first spray it fills the room but 2 ninutes later, it is very close to skin.)

This just arrived today and I confess I am delighted and surprised by how wonderful Jovan Secret Amber actually smells. I'm very impressed by the quality of this fragrance for the price-point. To my nose, amber is foremost here, with a nicely resonant musky quality, trailed by a distant and not-overpowering vanilla. Sillage is fair and longevity is good. If you told me a week ago I'd be this impressed with 88mL of any fragrance at this price, I would have laughed. I'm not laughing now, but I am very, very pleased. Excellent value.

I've been using this new bottle of Jovan Secret Amber (unisex) cologne spray for days. I am an amber fan. I had Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, L'Artisan Ambre Extreme, and L'Occitane Ambre. Jovan smells just as elegant and high quality as any of those. Some have compared it to L'Occitane. I only agree with regard to sweetness. It really isn't that similar beyond that. Jovan's Secret Amber is smoky, sweet, and spiked with cinnamon. It has decent lasting power. Decent projection. I think this is amazing for the price.

A hidden, inexpensive gem, IMO. And it reminds me of how effective rose can be when well-blended and not taking center stage, and yet, mysteriously improving the sum of the parts by imparting some depth and moisture that we sort of take for granted. Yesterday I was wearing Sonia Rykiel by Sonia Rykiel (a sweet, fruity oriental) and half way through the day I used a small amount of rose-scented hand-lotion. Shortly thereafter, my brain went, "Am I wearing Jovan Secret Amber today?" The nose-brain doesn't lie.

Secret Amber by Jovan is a great surprise. My nose picks up spicy, sweet, resinous vanilla. I do detect rose but it seems to fade quickly, there’s also mild animalic musk that lasts the duration. I don’t have many amber fragrances but I like this better than Bentley intense for men, and possibly more than Moustache by Rochas. I paid $25 dollars for a 3oz bottle, this is a very good amber especially price for quality.

This is an odd one. I freakin' love it. Got it for ten bucks or so when it first came out and it's still one of my comfort scents for hanging around the house. I get the comparisons with Raghba and Nabeel Illusion, but Secret Amber is a lot more powdery and less dense. It doesn't smell the same but I think of this one in the same category as Balmain Ambre Gris. Funky ambers that dry down beautifully.

A hidden gem at a steal of a price. This smells like a much more expensive perfume. It is a perfect fall scent--a halo of warm vanilla and oud goodness that lasts surprisingly long. This isn't a pungent medicinal oud but it is there and balances things out nicely. Try it. At this price you have nothing to lose.

bell'ambra calda con toni gourmand di vaniglia, cannella e noce moscata. un sentore lieve di zenzero spunta nell'assestamento tanto da far virare l'impressione su un territorio più speziato. costo ridicolo, persistenza nettamente alta per essere una colonia. molto buona.

For the past few months I have been on a spree trying out lots of drugstore fragrances. I was set back at the first few minutes after spraying it, but Secret Amber is becoming my favorite. My skin loves this and I am starting to crave it. Lol

Wonderful, warm amber. I ́m in love! I wonder why it took me so long to try out this lovely comfort scent. Excellent value and highly recommended. I will buy this gem again.

This one is a hidden gem.. The notes are very well balanced and the scent is great.. A must have in your collection..

Once again, I have reviewed a perfume n haste, only to give it another whirl under different circumstances and emerge with an entirely different opinion. So, then, here is my first review, to be followed by how I feel now: "I added this to my "have" list, but I'm not entirely sure I "have" it at all... The box and label both say "Secret Amber", but all I smell is oud. I have "Intense Oud", as well, which also smells like oud, but *less* like oud than the one that calls itself "amber". I am no genius, but I know what amber smells like, and what oud smells like... and this is oud! Add me to the club of folks who feel they may have gotten an "off" bottle, i guess." First, I should say that the sillage/ longevity in this one is absolutely perfect. The throw is enough to be enjoyed (softly) by someone a foot away, and the last bit of drydown stays firmly put until scrubbed off with hot water and soap. I did get oud at first spritz, just like last time, but this time amber really was there... much sweeter, warmer, more "golden" than before. There is a substantial hit of dry, woody earth on top... like oud, a dry sandalwood, and a reeeally earthy patchouli. The middle stays dry on top (if that makes any sense at all) but the warm, golden amber shines right through. The dry earth lets go in the drydown, and at that point it is all velvety, sumptuous amber, with the most perfect clean skin musk just peeking through. I spritzed after my shower last night. It is now 1 in the afternoon, and after having had a yard sale, done laundry, and washed dishes, there is *still* a trace of yummy musk on my wrist. Yup, I am officially a big fan.

Two things: 1) Ebay prices are insane. 2) The Jovan hype train is very real. This perfume was discontinued years ago, but I finally stumbled upon an unused bottle (local, $40) which I consider a fair deal. Jovan Secret Amber is similar to the Lattafa Raghba perfume, but improved across every metric. Not as sharp or synthetic, with none of those artificial smoky musk notes, and the spun sugar aspect has been dialed down considerably. To my nose this fragrance is based around a rich, balsamic blend of myrrh and opoponax oil. Myrrh is sparkly, spicy, and deeply "cola" sweet. Opoponax is quite the dynamic amber note; I detect many of its nuances. Along with the signature spicy, peppery, cinnamony facets, there is a warm, resinous, vaguely salty musk undertone, almost like ambergris. The accompanying sandalwood is powdery, the vanilla is soft and sweet, and the subtle rosy heart has a smooth, rounded quality to it. The deep drydown reveals ashen woody notes, I think cedar and guiac. A fantastic addition to my cold weather rotation. It feels rich, warm, and full-bodied without once registering as too dense/overwhelming. If you crave a straightforward, deeply pigmented amber number, consider this one. This is a "hippie" amber that can easily work for anyone. FYI: If any of you would like to test out a pure opoponax oil, the Outremer brand sells one through the Smallflower website. It's a fantastic buy.

I just received this today - it smells quite much better than something for $10 for 100 mL. I would seriously not guess that this is a cheap perfume if I didn't know the price. The first thing I thought was that this is an interesting interpretation of amber! The smell has that gooey, woody quality, warmed up by a cotton-candy vanilla (yummy, not childish). If you smell this right from your skin, you will get a bite of cinnamon+ginger, which will feel peppery in your nose. I actually don't smell any rose though. It' a really cozy fragrance, which is not annoying to me even now, in the summer, which is surprising! I would really like to try it out again in the winter though :) If Baiser du Dragon by Cartier is the Daddy dragon (although a women's perfume), this is his sweet baby girl dragon - more innocent, without the rum and smoke notes, but still with some sharp little teeth. It's still quite complex, just younger. Dragons live for a long time though, so this one is probably from the 80's or 90's still. I would imagine this could smell interesting with a little bit of blackcurrant mixed in. On my skin, this doesn't smell what I call manly at any point, but I definitely do see that this can be unisex

So I bought this along with Intense Oud and Silky Rose because at $7 on ebay a piece you can't go too wrong. I'm not sure how I feel about this one though. I get the amber of course and it's nice and sweet. I get a 24 Gold vibe ringing through it and while I like that there is a downside. At times it smells like dog toys....like if you go to Petco or Petsmart and you go by the dog toys. It has that sweet rubber kinda smell sometimes. It makes me a tad sick. I don't get the similarity to Ambre Narguile at all. There's a healthy dose of vanilla in here that's for sure. The longevity on me was great but then again with something like this that could be a bad thing. There aren't any samples I could find and even if you do i'll bet they'd be around $3 which if you just pay $4 more you'll get a whole bottle so why bother? I'd give this a 5/10. I love the similarity to 24 Gold but that sweet dog toy rubber note is just too much. Maybe it's all in my head. Give it a shot. It costs the same as a meal at McDonalds so you aren't losing much.

I really wanted to like this but after giving it two tries I just can't feel the love. It may be that it just doesn't work with my skin, or it may be that this just isn't really what I want to smell like. I bought this and the Intense Oud at the same time, figuring that it was an inexpensive way to get more familiar with what Amber and Oud notes smell like. I like the Intense Oud, which has a lovely though brief dry down. But the Secret Amber, not so much, at least on me. Top notes of ginger and nutmeg are quite noticeable in the opening, and initially this smells like something a guy could wear as well as a woman. But then it gets very sweet smelling - too much so. Kind of like a spice cookie. And then it becomes very subtle, very quickly. I sprayed this on pretty generously, but an hour later I could barely smell it. At under $10 a bottle it is certainly OK for the price, but there is nothing about it that would tempt me to buy it again.

Like the Oud this starts with quite a weird opening blast - this one smells alot like Play Doh at first and I really don't like it until it warms up and melds with my skin. It actually wears well over the original Jovan Musk. A warm amber with a touch of vanilla but no un-natural sweetness which makes it wearable one me. It is almost a masculine version of Revlon's Fire and Ice minus the magnolia and super sweet synthetic vanilla notes. I get a touch of nutmeg and spicy cinnamon which reminds me very slightly of organza and organza Indecence - and drifting in and out is a coconutty gardenia note. I would also swear there is benzoin in here somewhere. I am interested to see how this wears over the Oud. Defintitely my second fave of this collection, the Silky Rose is not my style at all.

I just put on some Organza Indesence from Guerlain, and remembered Jovan's Amber - they smell a lot alike! :) I sold Amber though, as it is a little sharper, but not as long lasting as Organza Indescens + I don't need two scents that smell THAT similar, especially because they are quite spicy fragrances, which I can only wear in certain weather, when my boyfriend is not around - he likes fresh perfumes. Both these perfumes are sweet amber, cinnamon, woody notes with a smooth leather base. None of the other notes in any of them are prominent, except, maybe, the patchouli in organza; patchouli also tends to be a long-lasting note

Opens with quite a present gingerbread, rather sweet, and yes I think it has raisins in it. :) As it starts to dry down I'm getting a spicy soap vibe from it, that's good by me. Certainly seems like a fall/winter type of scent. Hoping for good longevity, we'll see. Later, wafts of vanilla. --------------------------------------- I'm understanding the oud note more I think. I smell it in my hair the next day. Seems to be the source of the raisin aroma and a component of the caramel. Kind of strong at first, can be nauseating if you're not braced for it. I still think this fragrance is good though, different for me.

As Ambers go, I would have expected a less quality rendition at this price. I'm also impressed with the good balance of notes and stellar longevity. By way of comparison, this amber is more earthy - and also more SWEET - than Yves Rocher's Voile de Ambre. I myself prefer the latter, as my chemistry seems to amp this sweetness to truly intolerable levels. It smells to me more like a "caramel" type of candle, purchased at an expensive gift shop. That said, this is a gorgeous little fragrance, with a cheerfulness and amiablity to equal it's 'comfort scent' aura. Five Stars ( Six if I could wear it! )

I think this could be an entry-level gourmand for someone who doesn't usually like gourmands. It's for the person who orders the cheese selection at the end of a meal, when everyone else orders the creme brulee. It could be luxurious and indulgent if that's what you feel like, but it doesn't need to shout about it. Cozy, unassuming, mild (not mild in a boring way, just...quiet). Give it time.

This is one dirty, dirty amber. Kind of like Tabu, but I like this better with the vanilla element. The cinnamon is really spicy right away then as it warms up it gets real grungy on the amber. I like it, but I imagine it's not for everyone. If you like clean scents, steer clear of this one! If you're looking for a warm, spicy-sweet, beast mode amber for a bargain, this is it.

6/10 - I just received this fragrance today. Not as dark and resinous as I would prefer, but good nonetheless. I do believe there is oud not listed in the notes. Upon initial spray, I do get a blast of oud. It settles into a nice amber, with a hint of vanilla in the background. Not as smooth as I would prefer, but for the price, it's a pretty good deal.

this starts as a nutmeg heavy amber followed up with lots of vanilla. it's resiny and sweet. after about 20 minutes on skin, the rose comes through and it becomes a bit more complex. it's very warming and pretty for cold weather but i already have a lot of similar ambers and probably don't need a full bottle of this one.

Secret Amber by Jovan is a nice warm perfume. Surely unisex.. There is some warm vanilla base felt now and then with little traces of honey. The richness of this fragrance unfolds as it settles down, turns out to be a soothing powdery scent. Gives me 4 to 5 hrs of longevity when sprayed on clothes..

This one was a big surprise for me! Very long lasting and smells expensive. To me, it is very much like Calvin Klein's Secret Obsession. I love it!! I'd also like to add that I've layered this with Skin Musk with great results!

Wow! Try layering this with the Oud and a spritz of the original Jovan musk and you get a haunting oriental musk fragrance like nothing I have ever tried!

a great little cheap amber; amber, musk, sweet almost like a Raghba but without the creamy depth

I bought this because I found it for less than half the price of Raghba Lattafa and it’s supposedly similar. I’ve been wanting to try that one. I also have Nabeel Illusion which is a perfume oil that also is in the same scent group. This does smell like Illusion on the first whif, so I’m sure it’s like Raghba too. I’m excited to see how it develops. EDIT: maybe I should have gone for raghba after all. That one has sugar as a note so I’m assuming it’s sweeter. When applied super light, (half a spray to one wrist) I think I like secret amber. Never picked up any vanilla, but a sort of warmish amber, with something keeping it bitter/sour. It didn’t last long at all though. So I put it on again, but more heavily, by my neck and on my shirt. Now I almost can’t stand it, and it smells nothing like Illusion Nabeel. Smells like perfume sprayed on a trash can full of peepee diapers. I don’t know. Not good, sour, musky, I’m bad at describing smells. It’s not unbearable, just pretty bad. I’m going to stick it out and see if it develops into something better. Otherwise next time I try it, I’ll layer it with something very sweet/vanilla. UPDATE: I gave it away. I tried to give it another chance but just had to wash it off. I asked my sister and she said she loved it. I know it’s not a bad fragrance, just my super strange nose that happens to pick out the worst sour notes in everything. I kept getting an overpowering, pungent, urine smell. Just couldn’t shake it. But I wanted to love it so bad, and I do like amber even though I haven’t yet found a good amber scent for me. Sad to have wasted another $10, but glad my sis will get use out of it and enjoy it. I wish my nose were more easy to please.

I had to ponder this one for a few months before I was ready to write about it. It's really a bargain and I absolutely agree with other posters that this doesn't smell cheap. In fact it smells rich and well made shortly after the intial blast. For me it was a blind buy and I wanted to warn other blind buyers that this is not a very "clean" Amber perfume. I almost detect a honey like sweetness that smells a bit like urine to my nose. Beause of this very slight undertone it's unwearable to me. It's almost my perfect inexpensive perfume for winter. I don't want to discourage anyone from trying it and to be clear the unpleasant aspect was only noticeable when I sniffed very close. If someone else was wearing this I am sure I wouldn't be close enough to smell the icky sweetness. It's about 90% beautiful and if it were more dry and less sweet I'd be wearing it all winter. (maybe the cinnimon is ruining it for me). Whatever it is the "sweet" is too human for me. Not sweet in a gourmand way.

Positive first: strength and longevity extremely high, as well as the quality of the scent for the price. Recently purchased the 3 ounce spray for under $8 including shipping on eBay. My favorite out of the 3 offered in the collection, as this one does not have patchouli in its ingredients. Negative second: While certainly sold as unisex, I find this wears extremely masculine on me. As it settled, I sensed a familiarity to it, and finally realized it smells identical to the men's version of CK Obsession. For this reason, I now have to add it to the "dislike" pile, but I know a friend that will adore this.

First of all, let me say that I love Jovan musk for men. Cheap but quality. It's great on me although I totally understand if someone said they would never year it. THat said, I thought I couldn't go wrong with this. It would likely smell cheap but I love a good deal that smells great on me. All I can say is terrible. So terrible that I'm lead to believe I must have gotten a bad batch. So synthetic. So harsh. Yes, somewhat amber and vanillic but terrible. How could anyone like this unless my batch was bad? Terrible.

I am getting straight up vanilla with the slightest hint of amber. It is very nice but I don't get any rose or spice at all. I am not disappointed. It's a good price and a large bottle. I got Intense Oud at the same time and am much happier with the Amber one. Oud has an odd smell that I am having a difficult time coming to terms with. I might try to layer them. Doesn't have very good longevity so you will have to keep reapplying.

Sweet, synthetic, generic smell. I’m picky regarding this genre of perfumes, this isn’t a scrubber but with so many wonderful spicy vanilla ambers out there, why pick this one? Yes it’s cheap but it smells like it too. This is unflavored soda water that has turned flat. It feels unsophisticated, so a pass from me,

Ginger strikes again. :/ this would be lovely if it weren't for the ginger. Not it's fall, on my skin ginger does an unpleasantly sharp thing that makes me smell like stale curry. Sadly I'll be passing g my decant on to someone else.

I honestly thought I would gag the first time I applied. However . . . I gave it a second chance, and I'm so glad I did. Why? I began to love it, but not for me. My hubby is now wearing it, and it's wonderful on him!

Yuck! Total scrubber. This was right up my alley according to the notes. There's something off about this. I can't explain it. Maybe like a sour milk note? Back to the seller.

Bad idea Jovan please dont spoil your brand name...strictly no no and big thumbs down to the product..

Fragrance Review For Secret Amber By Jovan Top Notes Ginger Nutmeg Middle Notes Rose Cinnamon Base Notes Musk Vanilla Amber The worst thing you can do to this fragrance is dismiss it as cheap and unappealing. This is a very affordable fragrance usually selling between 8 and 15 bucks but the scent was clearly made by an aesthetic nose. This is a warm, delicious gourmand fragrance based upon amber. I thought the bottle lacked imagination and it looks like a smaller version of the 1960's or 70's Bal a Versailles cologne spray. This contains musk but it's not a musk. True to it's moniker, this is an amber perfume. It's a "secret" amber because it plays tricks on you and the amber is way at the bottom of the base and providing the glue that holds everything together. The first spritz of this fragrance is like walking into a Christmas party at a suburban home where you can smell the food that's been cooking and prepared for all day. But this is a good food scent. It's cinnamon, ginger, honey and something like a hot tea. It's not terribly spicy. It's strong and projects well, but it's not as spicy as other scents with definite spice. The ginger/cardamom and cinnamon is like the cinnamon sprinkled over cookies or over cappuccino. It's the smell of a café in the cold winter months. The warmth of honey and amber becomes like a caramel scent at one point. So delicious. There's vanilla and musk but not the kind of musk that you'd expect from a fragrance which contains musk. It's there to provide the scent with warmer tones. It's a very warm comfortable scent, like actually sitting down on an old fashioned rocking chair in front of a fireplace and drinking a delicious cinnamon tea. To me it smells mature and old fashioned but that's why I like it. It reminds me of grandmothers and Christmas parties with old people. Jovan Secret Amber is considered to be a unisex fragrance and I will agree only because it doesn't feel either delicately feminine nor aggressively masculine. It's warm and pleasant, caramelized, gourmand and sweet but not too sweet. The scent can be worn by both men and women as a December month fragrance at Christmas parties.

This one was another blind purchase I made, after a long time without doing such crazyness (although I like the calculated risk, since I always look for a lot of information and do not risk on expensive products). Secret Amber is part of a line inspired by perfumes from the East and it was launched in 2012, bringing the brand back into the spotlights, thanks to some great reviewers. When you spray it, is easy to understand the immense success of sales abroad, where the price is around 10 dollars and is considered a great bargain, given its excellent cost-benefit. Secret Amber has top notes of ginger and nutmeg, followed by a heart of rose and cinnamon, on a base of vanilla, amber and musk. It makes the oriental-amber type beautifully! When it touches the skin, brings a lot of the Arabian style that became known through independent brands (niche / indie) of the region, which have being increasingly copied by the mass-market brands. Secret Amber has a slight spicy output and a delicious combo of roses + cinnamon, very common in fragrances of the type. Over time, the fragrance gains a comfortable appearance and the base is warm and sweetened, thanks to the content of benzoin (which is so common in amber) combined with vanilla. And not least, the famous musk accord of the Jovan house, sensual and animalic, which became known in Jovan Musk (the most popular fragrance of the brand). It is the note that gives a nearly powdery nuance, to the point of reminding me of patchouli. Secret Amber is sold as Cologne (on the official website it's called Cologne Concentrate) and on the skin it projects well during the first hour and then calms down. But it lasts for about five hours, which amazed me (I thought it was going to go away in two hours). Who likes fragrances such as Altamir, Animale Animale, Bentley for Men, Secret Obsession, Organza, Raghba, etc. will love this scent. Also, it is very cool if used for layering practices. Unfortunately, in Brazil it can be found in collective sale stores for around R$150. But if you are the type that travels abroad with some frequency, it is worth knowing and bringing from there.

Jovan Secret Amber is a deceptive little scent. Carrying the Jovan name, it is tempting to dismiss it as a cheapie. But it’s a gem, reminiscent of some higher end fragrances. I snagged a 5ml decant for a steal online, and was pleasantly surprised. I own a bottle of L’Occitane Ambre; Secret Amber is remarkably similar. They both are rich honeyed ambers with a hint of caramel and labdanum/incense. Where LO Ambre is dry, heavily labdanum-ic, with a rich crème brule vibe and a dose of cedar; Secret Amber is a fruitier style of amber, not as dry, quite honeyed and with a sprinkling of cinnamon, and accented with a light dose of what I think might be oud. Oud is not listed, and I didn’t smell it until a midday reapplication; but I believe it is there—slightly bitter and chemically, but not overpowering in this scent, and disappearing after about 20 minutes. (I normally do not care for oud, but found it gave an interesting counterpoint to the sweetness of this amber). Secret Amber is not as complex as LO Ambre, it does not develop quite as much; but it is a lovely alternative. It’s worth mentioning that Secret Amber is NOT a vanilla-floral style of amber (by that, I’m referring to the style of VS Amber Romance or Ferragamo’s Incanto—a “90’s/early 00’s style amber”). There may be vanilla here, but not the same harmony. So if you are looking for that vanilla-floral style of amber, look elsewhere; you will be disappointed in Secret Amber. On my skin, projection was moderate and longevity about 4 hours.

Smells like a Christmas party! On me the cinnamon and ginger stood out. It can almost pass for the ginger or cardamom in Gaultier's Classique. Sweet cinnamon sprinkles over vanilla. This is as much a vanilla scent as it is amber. I didn't get that rose so it must have very little rose although it's possible it's only a powdery rose. The gourmand scents of nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla take over the perfume. It's spicy, warm, and wintery, like a cappuccino scent. The musk scent only provides it with warmth and comfort. It's something to wear when it's really cold and gloomy and you want to be cheery and festive. It also smells a bit like root beer or that's my nose playing tricks on me. It has a Middle Eastern flavor and smells like an Arabic perfume but it has enough vanilla and amber to be enjoyable by Western standards. Unisex.

Oudh-bomb! Smells exactly like a tiny gold patterned bottle of resinous stuff I got from Saudi... like that, this fragrance is a whopper! I didn't realise it was classed as "unisex", but I can see how this would work nicely on a male. It whops you in the nose with an almost bitter, civety blast when initially applied, almost eye-watering, but settles into a warm, spicy blanket of skin-scent within half an hour. This is when I love it best! To me, it's a dry, smoky spice and amber. Polar opposite of Casmir, which I love too, but the vanilla spice mix is lollies and fluff compared to Secret Amber. This one is NOT at all gourmand, despite its fragrance notes. Hmm, maybe I'll try a mix? Give it a go. Apart from oudh, it reminds me a little of Youth Dew, so if these two don't scare you, definitely worth investigating.

Wow this is amazing on my dry olive skin! The perfect amber n a price that u just can't beat! It's summer n it's lovely. Will update on winter wear. Longevity is also great w 12+ hours on clothes, maybe 6 on skin. Sillage also very good. Far more of a scent than most out there! Recommend u give it a try if u like nutmeg especially. Will b one if my faves for sure. Gotta start hoarding! I've actually not liked amber much til this one! It's got just enuf sweetness to balance out the amber i think. I do love those nutmegy fumes like Secret Obsession CK which i can only wear in the winter and Bijan Wicked which is just too sexy for words imho, smile! See don't have to cost a fortune to smell like they do! Would be wonderful on a man as well! Yum!

This is so nice! Upon first spray this immediately reminds me of 24 Gold. I started getting disappointed until i realized that this is MUCH less sweet that 24Gold, Which was my problem with 24 Gold...TOO SWEET! This is so soft and ambery, like a baked good type sweetness. But its not obnoxious. Its got a very airy and light feel to it. I also feel like there is something in there that breaks up all of the sweetness and lifts up the scent a bit. Maybe the rose? i can't tell. The scent it self is far beyond a $10 perfume. Projection so far is very good. I will update longevity after i've worn it fully.