Amber Paste

* UPDATE since last post on Jan 9 2025* I am Pleased to report back that this most-beloved Amber Paste is alive and well, and is available for retail purchase on the Kuumba Made website as well as Amazon (perhaps even elsewhere). After my phone communication with the Kuumba Made staff, on Jan 9 2025, the future of Amber Paste hung in the balance...depending solely on the raw materials becoming available once again to enable production of this LEGENDARY ‘holy grail’ Amber Fragrance. Surely the Fragrance Gods were smiling down on us when the raw materials were acquired to run (at that time) a limited batch of Amber Paste for retail sale only available on the Kuumba Made website. I purchased 10 of the 3.75ML Amber Paste glass-bottle/plastic applicator units and am so very pleased to know that in the event it discontinues I have an emergency supply. With that said, onto the actual Amber Paste fragrance: The fragrance HAS NOT changed since limited re-production of it has begun.... which is always a valid concern in the circles of customers that comprise the Cult Following of a ‘Holy Grail’ status or “LEGENDARY” status fragrance. The very first time I experienced the Amber Paste fragrance was in 2019 with the purchase of the single, square glass 0.50oz bottle with plastic applicator. My mind was blown by how perfectly this composition captured Amber as a powerful ‘single-note’ so perfectly and with such depth, and rich quality! So potent, thick, long-lasting and strong...a durable fragrance with serious lasting power even in the smoldering heat of summer...and I do particularly enjoy wearing this in the summertime because it performs so well in that climate! In its simplicity lies it’s charm..but has a complexity about it, like a symphony of sensual accords at work behind the scenes. The “Honey-Nutmeg-Pine-Peru Balsam” accord brings out all the best attributes of the Amber, and all of those being so resinous in nature...create a superb base for everything else to anchor onto while adding serious staying power on your skin. The “Lime-Maple-Geranium-Vetiver” accord is very subtle and uplifts the composition and brightens it, never letting it get too heavy and creates a warm glowing luster that perfectly accentuates all the best qualities of the resinous base materials. It is Blended so well, it may be difficult to discern these brighter notes as individuals ....as opposed to just being a single “uplifting top-note”. If you have never tried Amber Paste, and are truly looking for an Amber fragrance that is beyond comparison in quality....I would encourage you to try it today! THE VERDICT : L E G E N D A R Y

This is pretty much the only scent I can wear around my nose-sensitive, allergy-prone loved ones! I used to spray a tiny bit of hand-me-down L'Heure Bleue on my wrists because I liked the antique-y smell; but I wore it in a car with my mom once, and it bothered her so much that she handed me a water bottle and a napkin from her purse. We were at an organic grocery store together some other time and browsing the little display of fragrance oils. When I asked what she thought of the Amber Paste, she said it reminded her of me, so I bought it. It's been a few years since then and AP is still my go-to. Sometimes I'll layer it with Vanilla Bean (also Kuumba) but more often I prefer the dark, unsweetened warmth of AP alone. I use the applicator stick to draw a few lines across my wrists and rub them together until the friction and heat draws a spiciness out of the resin. I use my wrists to spread a light scent behind my ears, inside my elbows, and between my collarbones. I've seen reviewers compare this paste to honey, but the smell is more flora than fauna, more conifer than beehive. What I love most about the scent is how warm it is. It keeps you warm on a freezing day and blends easily on sweaty skin in July. I love it when reviewers compare fragrances to songs or works of art, so I'll add that Amber Paste smells like "Liquid Lady" (by Hope Sandoval and the Warm Intentions) sounds. It's a sexy smell, but maybe more sensual than sexy. Mature but by no means matronly. I doubt I'll find a fragrance more basically appealing to me than this. I'd like to experiment with layering, as others have suggested, but AP will always have a special place in my makeup bag.

This is my ultimate amber fragrance. And, before Fragrantica, amber was the one and only fragrance I wore. So being my go-to amber is a big deal. I tried a sample of Amber Sultan once, and it seemed similar to me. Similar enough that I'll stick with Amber Paste, especially given the price difference. Despite my love for the smell of amber, it's hard for me to be interested in trying expensive niche or designer ambers when Amber Paste can be obtained for pocket change. What does Amber Paste smell like? Well, like amber, but a dirty, earthy amber: rich and warm and spicy, very sweet but not sickly sweet, with an herbal note that blooms best on my skin in cold weather. I love powder soft feminine ambers, but this is not one of them. Amber Paste is primal. Its odd paste consistency seems fitting. I wear Amber Paste year round, but I love it best in the dead of winter, when its notes seem to sing the clearest, and the herbal note is strongest on my skin. I've read that a little dab is enough for some people, but I slather it on. Yum. I love mixing a generous swipe with unscented moisturizer, too. I wore nothing but Amber Paste mixed that way for over a month last winter. My perfumes were packed away for a move that was delayed. I used up the little 4ml bottle in 5 or 6 weeks that way! At least I had such a delightful fragrance during those frustrating weeks. I didn't tire of it at all; although it is a linear scent, it has a complexity to it, and a whole lot of depth. Despite all the many wonderful perfumes I've found since joining Fragrantica, I still consider Amber Paste the equal of any them.

Maybe I'm dense for not knowing this, but yes, it's actually a paste and not a roller like the other products they sell. It's actually a very thick, somewhat sticky substance that stands up on its own before you rub it in, but with a little friction it rubs in pretty well. It definitely projects a lot more than most of my spray fragrances. Just received mine, along with a couple others to try. Right off the bat, I was impressed for the price. It does have a slight medicinal smell when you first smear it on, but within 15 minutes it's a smooth musk with a smoky, sweet background. I put some on in the car before a 40 minute ride, and it was pleasant the whole way there, and back. For $13 for a small 3.7 ml bottle of Amber Paste (their others are only $11) these products are a great way to expand a collection for cheap. I also got their Amber and Myrrh, and Arabian Musk, both of which are lighter and sort of a have a spiced citrus profile. The Arabian Musk one I can hardly smell at all, but Amber Paste is deep and rich, and projects much more than the other two I mentioned. I'd say these small bottles from Kuumba Made make a great gift. They're cheap, but potent and some of the scents (like Amber and Myrrh) are fairly broad appeal.

If witchy cottages, walking the cemeteries of Salem, visiting local spiritual shops that smell of incense, and dark, mysterious scents are your vibe, than this amber paste could definitely be a winner for you! This is NOT an "intense" or more concentrated version of amber oil. This is a separate scent on it's own. Top notes: Bergamot, Lime, Nutmeg, Honey Middle notes: Pine, Geranium, Maple Base notes: Peru Balsam, Vetiver, Amber The initial out of the bottle smell is NOT what it will smell like once it settles onto your skin after just a couple of minutes, so don't let the strength and immediate pine-forward smell turn you off. On my skin, after it warms up for just a couple of minutes, It smells slightly smokey, of faint incense, creamy balsam/woodsy, and a barely powdery whiff of the geranium/floral. It is an awesome addition to add to your collection to either wear on it's own or layered. I have layered it with Nemat Amber oil and I find that to be a perfect combination to soften it up for daytime wear. Don't fret over the tiny size of it, you only need a dap or two for ALL day wear! It can be hard to spread on your wrists so I put on an unscented or vanilla lotion right before to help with application.