Ambrette 9

Ambrette 9 is a beautiful, sweet embrace of apple, pear, and the comforting musk of ambrette seeds. This simple combination was formulated with babies in mind, as it was originally made for mothers to share with their children. My colleagues at Le Labo told me about this French custom and I thought the notes were fitting. This is one of my favorite fragrances because I find it so nostalgic. A friend told me it reminds her of her motherland, another told me it smells like a hug from her favorite aunt. Ambrette 9 reminds me of childhood - playing tag with your friends on a warm spring day and mom brings out a fruit bowl for you and your friends to share. The pleasant sweetness of the fruit mixes well with the light layer of perspiration on your skin. Ambrette 9 is a cherished memory in a bottle. On my skin, this fragrance develops into a soft, buttery sweetness. When I sweat, the sweetness turns into a slightly soapy, inoffensive musk. There is a slight coolness to it when first applied, then the ambrette warms up to you and makes her appearance. I wish this embrace lasted longer on skin, but it does well with a fragrance enhancer (Molecules 1 and 2 are a godsend). If you can find it, the perfume oil is stronger and mixes well with scent-free body creams. This fragrance is expensive and not strong enough to justify its price point, but I still think it's worth a try if you enjoy skin scents.

honestly this is what a skin scent concept such as Glossier You could have been with a good decent execution. Musk, musk, and musk, which also means that it does lingers for a really long time. For those who have problems with longevity and projection, it could be because either you are anosmic to a certain type of musks or you just didn’t apply the perfume correctly. I’m not a trained perfumer but based on my experience this smells pretty much like Ambrettolide which isn’t really the type of odour profile that I love, it leans heavily towards the feminine side and always reminds me of how a girl next door would smell with a lingering trail made of all the shampoo, skincare, makeup, body lotion etc. that she uses. Not for me, but I’m pretty sure it appeals to a majority of the population out there who are into this profile Those fruity notes in the opening are pretty much counterproductive here as it looks like most people judged the fleeting opening for what the perfume actually smells like.

On me this ends up as a super soft milky Anise scent with the slightest touch of sparkly citrus. Clean and simple, but super comforting at the same time. It definitely draws people closer. There are moments when it reminds me of Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey, and a super soft and creamier La Chasse Aux Papillons, oddly enough. I can also understand the sweaty milky baby, or yoga girls fresh out of the shower, as other reviewers compared it to, but there's just something about the milky Anisic dry down that puts this "dainty" scent as the Le Labo salesman called it, on my love and Christmas present list, and makes me almost forget that I originally balked at the price. I also love that it achieves this level of softness, while still having a distinct smell and doesn't veer into the land of powder.

When I was riding the train I kept thinking the 2 ladies (in yoga outfits) next to me smell soooo good (in a natural way). When I exited the train, 45 minutes later, I continued to smell it and realized it was me. This smells like a great-smelling female (lotioned up/hairspray/makeup/etc) who just got done working out at the gym. So in other words . . . this has a sweet natural musky smell. If you want to smell good in a natural way, this is for you. I'd imagine one would make a great impression wearing this in close/intimate situations. And this doesn't smell like Byredo's Mojave Ghost but I totally see the comparison. They perform the same way. Both are subtly loud. They're both that quiet girl/guy who everyone admires when they walk into a room.

I feel sorry for those unable to smell this fragrance or whose skin chemistry doesn’t work with it, because this is one of the most beautiful, addictive perfumes. The notes are pretty linear and unchanging. I wouldn’t say there are specific top, mid, or base notes per se: there’s an opening that develops in intensity but whose notes don’t change. Contrary to what some other people have said, I can smell it on myself for around 6 hours. This perfume stays very close to the skin and its notes are fairly clear to discern: it’s a beautiful symphony of musky ambrette, aldehydes, a background hint of cotton flower, all led by a predominant accord of the most heavenly pears and apples. Truly breathtaking if you are lucky enough to be able to attune to it.