Ambre & Santal

I was pleasantly surprised to find this fragrance at L'Occitane while I was on vacation in steamy Florida looking for something with labdanum in it. I mentioned the discontinued Labdanum to the sales associate who knew what i was talking about! He then suggested Amber&Santal. I didn't expect much but was I pleasantly surprised! I was immediately impressed by the initial blast of amber that was not too sweet. The fragrance had an airy quality to it which I think was due to a touch of rosemary. The drydown was just as good as the sandalwood lasts and lasts(going on 17 hrs now) as a skin scent. Dont know if its synthetic or not but the sandalwood smells very good as well. Very impressed with the way this is working out in the summer too as I go with one or two sprays on the hands and I get my fix all day. I usually cant wear Ambers in the summer but this one has the right combination of ingredients for this purpose on my skin. I dont know how this compares to the discontinued Ambre but I like it better than the discontinued Labdanum (it certainly has more longevity than that one). It's an easy fragrance to like as it probably won't offend anyone. It's definitely one of my favorite ambers at the moment.

I tried this one by chance while waiting for my mother to chose a lotion for herself - and fell in love with it! Got the body lotion and shower gel for Christmas and have only used teeny weeny drops of the body lotion so far because I would not want to empty the bottles. Stupid, I know. I purchased L de Lolita Lempicka and Kenzo Amour recently, which are a little bit similar since both are warm, sweet, vanillary fragrances, with more spice and lemon in L. In addition I still own some Lush Vanillary, which also nicely features tonka and vanilla, yet I can barely keep my fingers off this one. It is more grown up, more sensual, still very creamy but not as girly or sweet. It reminds me of sitting in front of a fireplace with a drink I would not usually have, Bourbon perhaps? It also sticks onto my skin like nothing else. I've had it clinging for more than 24h, and then it might have stayed longer had I not taken a shower. Aw, crap, spring is on the porch and all I get are winter scents, but I can't get this one out of my head.

Starts out light and works it's way up to a long lasting beautiful scent. At first spritz you could be mistaken as it being weak but after ten minutes it thicken up and on my skin lasts twelve hours, I'm not exaggerating. I am seeing a few reviews saying it only last a few hours so I'm not sure why that happens but I thought it best I share my experience. I've worn this three times from a sample, the sample has run out today so the next time I wear it will be from a bottle I recently purchased and I'll report back to how the performance goes. As for the smell, Oh baby it's gorgeous! so smooth, sweet, ambery, vaillary, sandalwood. It kinda reminds if I mixed 1 part Ambre fetiche with 3 part Samsara. If you see a bottle, Grab it fast as this beauty is discontinued. ❤ I love it so much I have two bottles. Like the review below, I also wear this one to bed, It is so beautiful and comforting to drift off to sleep and wake up to.

This soft fragrance brings a cozy and warm feeling, which amber fragrance suppose to bring. The fragrance is amazingly long-lasting. From the other hand, it lacks shadows. This perfume doesn't develop, which makes it safe and disappointing at the same time. I enjoy sandalwood-amber combination (that's why I purchased this perfume), but it doesn't have a special character. This L'Occitane fragrance perfectly fits the contemporary concept of plain perfumes, which are supposed to be just a safe attachment to the images of their owners. This L''Occitane series is for the everyday use.

Scrumptious sandalwood from the same faux forest as Crabtree & Evelyn Indian Sandalwood and Geo F Trumper Sandalwood Cologne. And, one strongly suspects, Floris Santal, Tom Ford Santal Blush, and the entire Creed line though, in this instance, uncomplicated by pretence - or anything else - and with the dial set to eleven. I'm left with a question and an observation: Could this render the man who wears it irresistible? To me, Ambre & Santal is an Erin sweater, Golden Retriever, and long walk on the beach in a bottle. But then I've always been partial to gingerbread men.

This starts off very sweet but the sweetness settles and the sandalwood kicks in and stays with you. Since I enjoy those cloyingly sweet fragrances, this one is appropriate for all seasons. Just one spray will be enough during those very hot days. Fortunately, I have not been disappointed with any of the items that I've purchased from the L' Occitane line. The ingredients are top notch. If I ever had to stick to just one fragrance line L' Occitane would be it.

This is a more civilized version of Boucheron Jaipur Homme. if this is the natural athlete, the Boucheron Jaipur Homme is the athlete on steroids. scent 9.5/10 absolute gorgeous scent for winter/fall longevity 9/10 a spray behind each ear i could smell it whole 8 hours. Sillage 7/10 Vanilla & sandalwood all the way from mark 1 hour-8 hours. Beautiful product. Will I buy again? Definately yes.

One of the most beautiful sandalwood scents I have smelled. Extremely decadent but not too sweet. Unisex. Creamy, warm and long lasting. For me, the richer version of the more fresh Le Labo Santal 33. I feel that comparing it to anything because it's so lovely is a little insulting, but I really like LLS33 so I don't feel too bad :)

I get bright bergamot top notes... with a heart of warm amber, clean spice... reminiscent of incense in a temple sanctuary. This is a very accessible and sophisticated fragrance. I have Shalimar in my collection- and the spice is at times a bit strong for me- but this reminds me of Shalimar on the dry-down without being too heavy.

This is a great sandalwood scent -- ths note is the main player and it is dominant during the whole weartime. Creamy, smooth and a little spicy. The resins and vailla sweeten the composition -- very rich and sensual. Lasts great, so sad it's being discontinued -- finally found my favorite sandalwood and now its going away!

I get the impression all L'Occitane scents are by default limited editions. This disappeared off the shelves before I knew it and its successor seems to have come and gone before I knew it was out (though where I live the selection is more limited). Too bad, this was a great scent for cooler months.

This starts with a blast of spicy wood - very masculine, I almost felt it was too masculine to ever work for me, but it passes so quickly, literally within a couple of minutes and then the warm, soft amber / vanilla combination settles in - beautiful, comforting, delicious. Lasts well. Cozy.

I really love this one. Very warm and comforting. I do detect some similarities to the original amber, but this one is what I consider more "woodsy". It's a perfect scent for fall and winter, and I definitely consider it unisex. I'm planning on getting a full bottle very soon.

i absolutely love this. I can compare it with Organza Indecence - Givenchy but this is a darker warm scent, matches perfectly with festive winter events. Simple but luxurious. Wear it with something red and gold accessories and drink a nice rich liquor or cognac. Cheers

This is all resins and powder on me. I want to spray in on before I go to sleep like a comfortable blanket. It is uncomplicated but well blended. It reminds me of a mellow Dior Addict.

How else to describe it except as sex in a bottle? Unfathomably discontinued. Very disappointing, L'Occitane.

Dark, deep, rich, mysterious and inviting, simultaneously creamy and smokey. What's not to love?

I so love this scent ...it is like a warm sensual hug !

I have it on since 3 hours and I instantly loved it as...man perfume! The beginning is righteously harsh and wild for perfume called Ambre&Santal. What do you expect? Not a fluffly syrupy candy amber for sure. Then this great roar of wildness quickly calm down. Too quickly. By the time I was in the car I went: "Meh!" but it was there only low roaring behind a fig leaf and a rose (very primeval). Now after 3 hours it is still clinged to my wrist with claws and it smells deliciously ambery, vaguely powdery and delicately sandalwood. A winner and good priced too. It makes sense that L'Occitane keeps both ambers because they are different kind.

I am quite confused why there are so many negative reviews already. Did not expect to like this one at all but I am really quite impressed. It is surprising to see that this one doesn't have amber in the notes. It's completely unisex and I have to say it reminds me STRONGLY of Diptyque's Volutes and Balmain's Ambre Gris. Seems as if it contains amber, honey and tobacco (but it doesn't)! The drydown is pure vanilla and sandalwood, still smokey and woody, but slightly too sweet for me. I would consider this one to be the best creation out of the 2013 L'Occitane line.

I found this is a duty free shop and had to test it. It's heavy on sandalwood, landanum and vanilla but quickly dries to a soft sweet woody vanilla. Overall it's sweet and delicious with a spicy kick too. This is a tame and toned down version of Ambre Fetiche. Nonetheless, a very nice perfume. Update: After about 2 hours of wear this smelled like vanilla scented candles.

This is a cozy warm blanket that I want to wear when it's cold outside and I stay at home. Sweet, but not too sweet. I get more labdanum than sandalwood, but it might be just my skin. It has moderate sillage, but when I tried to enhance it by overspraying it turned into something unpleasant that at first I thought wasn't coming from me. Definitely a day perfume.

This is the best priced of all the natural warm woody scents around. It actually lasted well on me, and changed 3 times to scents I really liked (the middle one was a little masculine but it went vanilla again at the end). I am looking forward to layering this with something sweeter.

I love Sandalwood. This EDT feels warm and cozy, perfect for the cool days of autumn. On me it lasts about 5-6 hours, and it is always a close scent, not a skin scent, but less than arm's length.

Upon discovering this did not layer well with other simple fragrances, I am donating it to my fiance :( - lovely, warm and good for the price BUT by itself it isn't all that feminine.

Amber quite prominent in beginning Turns into a lovely powdery, musky, slightly herby skin scent Very comforting, clean and warm

Amazingly beautiful. Very cozy, warm and sweet. I have never smelled anything like it before.

Where is the amber in the notes?

Today I heard an SA at a L'Occitane boutique in Orlando Florida assure a customer that Ambre & Santal is the same exact fragrance as the original AMBRE, only in new and different packaging. How awkward... This is such a bold-faced lie, people! The two fragrances could not be more different. But enough about that... Ambre & Santal is a dry woody, airy fragrance, with a kind of matte finish. I have smelled it on several occassions, but I have yet to pull any distinct impressions from it. So far, I can tell you it smells like the masculine base of a fragrance that has not yet been completed. If Prada Candy is the base of an amber scent that hasn't been finished yet, this is the masculine counterpart. I know top notes aren't everything, but this base of a fragrance, much like Prada Candy, falls way short of winning me over,.especially at this price point. Sorry L'Occitane. This is just a bad scene all around.

Well it's for sure not discontinued. I say this because I just went to a actual Loccitane botique this weekend and there it was, top left corner stocked to the brim with the other shower gel etc.. To go along with it. I said to the representative I thought this was discontinued she said No. Some places just don't carry it. The biggest thing I care about is that this stuff isn't worth owning. It has the worst longevity and projection and the smell isn't even there it feels so watered down. Very let down

Very intensive vanilla with some tame amber and lots of dull everyday warehouse fume smells. I had it on a test strip, I will test it again some day, but I am really underwhelmed, because it smells so common. Nothing special. Save your money and get a bottle of the original Amber, that has some balls.

A baroque soul alive in the core of a modern concoction, Ambre & Santal, your presence has fascinated me since the moment my nostrils were touched by your candid elegance. It all begins with the sourness of bergamote which fleetingly blends with the herbaceous touch of rosmarinus, for a short moment, fading away altogether with alcohol evaporation, such as in a vigorous interpretation of the prelude of Bach's Suite for Cello no. 1 in G major. The prelude ends, but the salty, marine features of rosmarinus remain, silently, awaiting for labdanum's arrival, awaiting for its resinous and medicinal smell to take the lead and invite her for a dance under the faster pace of "Air on the G string". Suddenly, I find myself transported to an opulent baroque hall, where I can vividly smell the noble woody scent of the sandalwood furniture and observe the flame of three dozen candles warming the room, reflecting the yellow color of amber stained glass. The amber note of this fragrance is dense, sweet and slightly smoky, sometimes we can feel it, sometimes not, in a beautiful alternation of shadows and light. Now, I pay attention to the ladies, they bathed in the water of roses, and move gracefully through the hall, with their heavy petticoats. Gentlemen are gathered in a darker corner, talking and enjoying the refined taste of a fine fig leaves liquor; vanilla cookies just came out of oven and are served for the guests, which have fun listening to "Toccata and Fugue in D minor". This is definitely a happy, comfortable and cozy fragrance. Gradually the scent becomes softer, ladies and gentlemen begin to withdraw to their chambers, but I can still feel the smell of sandalwood, few candles reflect the warmth of the amber stained glass and small gaps in the windows allow the spread of a dry cedar breeze through the hall. These basic elements remain close to the skin for about three/four hours. I return from my dream, I am listening to "Arioso"; the rectangular bottle rests by my side, inviting me to reapply and enjoy this sublime reverie once again.

I was on holiday, and I found L'Occitane at the mall. My hometown does not have any counter from the brand yet, so I decided to go straight forward there. I first tried Jasmin & Bergamot. It was nice and I like it very much, but it was too ordinary for the price tag, so I moved on to Ambre & Santal. Sounds like a spicy oriental? I love it! And my feeling was right. It was love at the first sniff for me. My first experience told me it was a sweet, vanillic amber with soft, warm sandalwood. It actually reminded me of Shalimar dry down. I tried everything else from the line. None caught my heart like Amber and Sandalwood did. After plenty of time wandering on the small store, I decided that I would buy this. So, I got it and my mom got herself Fleur d'Or & Acacia. Since our purchase reached $200, L'Occitane provide us a free gift package containing the 7.5 ml mini, body milk and shower oil of Fleur d'or & Acacia, Immortelle Essential Water, almond milk hand cream, and a pretty pouch. I also got a set of face treatment products and a shampoo and moisturizer samples. It was a very pleasant shopping experience and I would surely go back to L'Occitane again. So I was finally home and I could use my beloved Ambre & Santal again. My first spray was rather cold and suprising, mainly because it reminded me of something really familiar. A quick search and I found out my old perfume, Beverly Hills 90210 White Woman. The opening was very similar to White's scent. Yes, only the opening. It was gone rather quickly, which was good for me. I wanted the sweet warm amber, not the cold sandalwood, but if you like the opening, then do not hesitate to look for White. It was a lot cheaper too. This was my first experience with L' Occitane. I found them very good as a company not mainly focused on fragrances. The longevity exceeded my expectation and sillage meets perfect range.

I smelled this perfume for the first time last year - at the end of summer or beginning of autumn. At first shiff it reminded me of Serge Lutens's Santal Blanc, which I really want to have and unfortunately it's quite difficult for me to get it. Of course, these two perfumes are different, but both have some similar notes, and intensity is very close. After it has been known that L'Occitane decided to discontinue Ambre&Santal I took the decision that yes - I need it. When I smell it from the bottle I feel a very intense and very warm scent which is definitely formed by the notes but together they sound like amber-resin-sandal scent. When I apply it on skin, it opens up with strong flowery composition which doesn't last long and base notes come too early. Longetivity is very poor on me (2 hours maximum), sillage is not strong as well. But scent is beautiful, it sounds very niche, expensive and unique. It will be good for both men and women. It gives steadiness, self-respect and pretentiousness in some extent. I don't regret of buying this, but very sad that it doesn't last long on me.

This delivers on the name. A not overly sweet vanilla amber with a creamy sandalwood on top of a “natural” smelling base that must be a common DNA for l’Occitane, as I recognize it from all of their men’s fragrances I’ve tried. I don’t know how to describe it other than it doesn’t smell like synthetic chemicals but sort of an impression of the body and bath section of your local health food co-op. I would consider this unisex although it doesn’t seem to get much recognition on the men’s forums. It’s easily as unisex as MFK Grand Soir and is stylistically very similar. The sandalwood becomes a bit more dominant as the scent dries down. It’s a very easy wear, the whole composition is smooth and nicely balanced throughout its life and there’s really no challenging notes to speak of. Projection seems about typical for l’Occitane, which is to say modest, but it has good longevity and lasts through the day. Given the modest pricing of this house I think this would have been a good value for a scent of this quality - though it sadly appears to be NLA.

@ Readysniffer1: Today I visited L'occitane in Amsterdam. I had to pick up a bottle of EdB for someone. While I was there I wanted to retry Amber Santal, but to my surprise it wasn't on the shelves... So I asked the sales lady if they still had it and she said, yes we do. Then she walked over to one of the wallstands, opened the drawer and took out the tester bottle for me. There were a few bottles still in the drawer as well. She did not mention anything about the reason for it not being on the shelves and I didn't even think about asking... But now that I read your message I'm starting to think you might be right. Even though I do like Amber Santal, I prefer EdB and am lucky to have already at least one back up bottle of that before they discontinue that too!! They always discontinue the good stuff, I don't understand... *GRMBL*

This is a high quality, exciting fragrance. It is perfectly balanced. It really does have an allure and intrigue to it, while being aromatic and warm and kind of mysterious. I just adore it. The sillage and lasting quality are very impressive. It's just beautiful. Very spicy (but not in a full-on way) and if you enjoy incense, oils, aromatherapy, calming, peaceful, yet invigorating scents, you will enjoy her too. Addition: This is a first for me - I bought the body lotion too, which is divine! It definitely enhances the woodiness and the longevity. Alone, the body lotion is fab, but with the scent sprayed on top, it's cloud 9. Further to this, was being remarked to at a bookstore last night, an assistant said "you smell amazing. what is that?!" Swoon.

This is NOT a reformulated version L`Occitane en Provence Ambre. Provence Ambre was more or less a very nice, deep, mellow, sweet, warm amber fragrance. This one has a very similar base, but seems darker and woodier. Ambre & Santal is not really a very complex scent. So I might think that this could be a safe blind buy. Like I said it's a warm, sweet, golden scent with sandalwood and some spices. On the drydown it has a very dry, powdery, maybe even a little bitter and for sure spicy aroma. I would say it's an unisex scent. Not really my thing, because I find it too spicy. Still I can surely say that people who like their sandalwood scents with a spicy twist, would love this.

@Readysniffer1; I'm glad you managed to get your hands on a bottle after all :) I live in Holland and go to Amsterdam regularly for some perfume sniffing, especially niche! They treat you like a royalty at Skins (one of our niche specialized perfumeries), so it's always a pleasure to just goof around there for a little, while enjoying a few snacks and drinks, all free of charge! Ambre & Santal is still available in our webstore, but the question is ''for how much longer?'' So to anyone who has it on their wish list, it's time to start ordering before it will be gone for real...

I have the original Ambre, which is a sweet creme brulee counterbalanced with cedar. This has a similar sweet amber note, but it is a different fragrance. The amber is slightly more powdery, with more of a cool labdanum centric style of amber that is still quite sweet. Ambre Santal is more woody than Ambre, without the cedar and with a lovely, woody, rich sandalwood. I just spritzed a bit on my hand in the shop, and it lasted all day--through handwashing and everything!

Aaah I have waited decades to try this...very Ambre by L'occitane which I adore and will own again but with added santal / woods and I would even say incense (probably the labdanum can have this effect or at the least association for me.) I love this, maybe even more than the original Amber. I'll have my eyes peeled for a bottle of this! Not getting fig, rose nor rosemary but will edit and add notes if they make an appearance later.

I was excited to see this in the Occitane shop today as I love amber and sandalwood notes. The sandalwood and cedar are prominent at the start with lots of insence. The amber is more prominent in the dry down. I love powdery scents but wouldn't describe this as powdery. It is long lasting. I'm afraid it's not for me though. The woody opening is too masculine on me.

This started off promising as, at the outset, it had a similar feel to Ambre 114's amped-up resins, but then it went and turned into a stock, sickly, synthetic woody-amber in less than thirty minutes. Uninspired and characterless; totally lacking the charm of the brand's previous releases. It's long lasting, but that's not always a good thing.

This one feels very creamy, heavy on the Santal, but Amber warms. Something here reminds me of Amouage Interlude. I haven't yet nailed down what, but it's in the dry down. This is a very cozy, snugly scent that I don't think would ever offend a soul. Very nice.

This perfume is pretty linear on me. I get sandalwood and not much else. Maybe a dash of powder, a hint of Amber? Not that it's a bad thing, if that's what you're after. I would layer this with another scent to amplify the woodsy notes.

This is a such a comforting perfume, vanilla cream, Ambery, slightly musky and I find it nurturing to sleep in, just a little spray...doesn’t smell fake or synthetic vanilla, more like cupcakes vanilla. A treasure.

So happy to have it in my collection, a smooth amber and santal, very autumnal, not too sweet, very solid and beautifully crafted. A perfect amber perfume 😍

I am excited about this one. Sandalwood and Amber are my favorite notes. I like the eau des baux from this house and it is very nice.

I am thinking about this one. There is something in here that reminds me of Gaultier 2

I tried it one month ago and is really nice,maybe not like vintage ambre but nice.