Amber+Smoke

Upon first spritz, I was greeted with a fresh burst of lemon zest that quickly fades within a minute. What follows is a strong resemblance to Baccarat Rouge 540, characterized by prominent notes of amber and saffron that emerge swiftly. It’s impressive how closely it mirrors BR540, but the true distinguishing feature makes its entrance around the five-minute mark. At this point, a delightful smoky, clean tobacco aroma layers itself onto the fragrance, shifting it toward a unique identity. The smoke is subtly sweet, reminiscent of a rich pipe tobacco that you might find in an elegant gentleman's study. Complementing this smokiness, I detected some green notes that play a crucial role in keeping the scent grounded and steering it away from becoming overly feminine. In terms of performance, Amber+Smoke boasts a strong projection for the first four hours. Even after this initial phase, the scent remains resilient, promising longevity throughout the day, especially when it clings to clothing. However, as with BR540, there’s a chance of becoming nose-blind to it after a while, so I consulted my wife to ensure its presence after eight hours post-application. Ultimately, Amber+Smoke is an ideal choice for those who appreciate Baccarat Rouge 540 but desire something with a more masculine edge. The added smoke and green elements adeptly balance the fragrance’s initial sweetness, making it quite wearable for men.

The initial opening is a semi-sweet floral scent with a very slight undertone of citrus coming from the Lemon note. At 15 minutes the floral notes (Orange Blossom) is coming through with greater presence now and providing a greater sweetness, but I am also starting to get some of the Amber and Tobacco. At 30 minutes I am getting a nice blend of the Amber and Tobacco notes along with a undertone of white florals. 60 minutes into the wear, the fragrance continues to settle on my skin and I am into the base notes now. What I am picking up the most is the sweetness from the Sugar note along with some of the Amber which is still present. The fragrance has settled down significantly on my skin and I am getting a slightly sweet Amber scent with some undertones of Tobacco. I am 2.5 hours into the wear and I have not picked up the smoke note yet. Performance: Projection of this fragrance is Fair with the frangrance creating a scent bubble of about 2 feet but only for about 90 minutes. The sillage is also Fair with a scent trail of about 2+ feet for about 90 minutes as well. Longevity is OK with the fragrance lasting on my skin about 5 to 6 hours, but becoming a skin scent at about 3 hours.

Do not be tricked by the name. It's sugar and lots of it. Imagine sugar granules wrapping around you in midair. A curtain of smoke lays beneath. A juicy zest is present at the beginning. The drydown is pleasant and beautiful! Yes, this is a take on the BR540 profile that is done beautifully. This is fit for men to use, so long as the man is open to smelling a tad femme. If you are a gourmand lover, this is for you. I won't go full dessert/beverages on mine, but this is done and blended well, like Mancera's Xplicit Vanilla. The mood is happy and energetic. This is perfect at the start of the day. This slowly gained my love because I was hesitant of wanting to exude a sugar cloud. This is fragrance for the sake of fun and joy. Projection is good. Longevity is also good; it lasted 8 hours and still left hints of itself after. This is especially exemplary of quality since not all Michael Malul fragrances hit the mark on performance. Similar DNA to MM Sangria +. The sugar and uplifted mood make this one worth it and better over others in the + line.. A good job from the house. Now, they just have to maintain through consistency!

I have a sample of this and tried it on skin today. At first got a mixture of grand soir MFK and Smoking Hot By Killian, then later on in the dry down I got a very nice mixture of the smoking hot and Baccarat Rouge 540 MFK (I only have & the extrait so Im not sure if its more similar to the eau de parfum) Very long lasting as well, writing this around 11 hours after applied to skin and I still can smell it, very very nice fragrance.

LOVE this frag! Smells HEAVENLY! As a man, I like this one better than BR540 with the smokiness. Smells like caramel-saffron-smoky BOMB! Was happier when I saw the perfumer is the same one who created Althair by Parfums De Marly and I love both a lot. My go to winter frag with a ton of compliments. This one even lasts longer than BR540, nuclear silage, test it in store before buying as can be too sweet/too subtle for someone.