Blue Amber

Every once in a while you hear about how great a niche house is, from other parfumistas. When I read up on some of the scents they make, that interested me, they all seemed to have rather common "notes". After receiving a few samples and a couple spray decants from other members, I can honestly say this is one company that lives up to the "hype"! Blue Amber is, perhaps, one of the best "amber" scents I have EVER smelled...if not THE BEST. Usually fragrances that have their notes listed linearly are not really all that intruiging or exciting. THIS, on the other hand, is one of those "to die for" scents. Rich, sweet (but not saccharine or gourmand) and exotic are the first words that come to mind upon applying it; and it just keeps getting better. Amber "comes" in many colors (gold, grey, black...) in perfumery. I was skeptical about another "blue" anything...but, lo! and behold this borders on the divine. A regal couple: slightly dry and crumbly amber resin and sensual dark vanilla, spiced with dry geranium and corriander, recline on a bed of smoky vetiver, as patchouli dances suggestively and erotically around them. Bergamot (for once) does not "open" the show but adds a subtle brightly bitter aspect to the entire construct without being another "citrusy" scent. This amber IS blue; like the deep dark blue color the sky turns just before the sun sinks slowly beneath the horizon, somewhere between the fading warm golden and deep orange tones of evening and the velvet black of night. I used to think the MORE notes a perfume had (or the more unique and unusual they were) the better it was; this company has made me see it is not WHAT notes are in it, so much as how wonderfully they are blended and the quality and concentration of them. This fragrance makes me think of the tales spun by Scherazade in the Arabian Nights, complete with bazaars, genies, flying carpets, magic lamps and lost cities filled with treasure. And just like the stories she told to the Sultan (in an attempt to delay her own death) it goes on and on and on...pulling you in; surrounding you with beauty, magic and wonder! Sillage: very good Longevity: superb Overall: 4.75/5 Incensey but not too smoky, sweet but nowhere near cloying and dark without being BLACK, NOIR or stygian; BLUE AMBER has captivated me. Somewhere between an incense oil and a perfume this has me, quite frankly, in its spell. When I received this is, I spritzed a tiny bit (less than 1/2 a spray of a decant) on a test strip on a Sunday afternoon...and, on Thursday you could still smell it on that strip, laying on my dresser, while laying in my bed!! I often wear one scent in the morning and sometimes in mid-afternoon to evening don another one...one application of Blue Amber is all I needed for the entire day, AND I could still smell it the next morning! This House may cost more, and be "niche" but trust me, my friends, it is worth every penny that you paid-and then some.

Powdery, sweet & resinous amber that's been sculpted into facets... First impression: that I'm smelling Shalimar - more EDP than EDC. That also seems to jive with the blue bottle, since there are no blue notes per say. Androgynous, boozy vanilla flowing under clouds of baby-powdery amber. Bottom line: with its baby-powder and boozy vanilla nuances, a classic. Contrast to Ambre 114 Histoires de Parfums: These are different, but I would agree this is the most similar, and have similarities with powdery, sweet & resinous amber. Ambre 114 has the beautiful benzoin, but both are sweeter than Ambre Sultan Serge Lutens, and both have slightly better performance. Contrast to Ambre Sultan Serge Lutens: These are different, but there are similarities in the powdery, warm, sweet & resinous amber, and the opening of Blue Amber has reminders for me of Ambre Sultan. Blue Amber is sweeter with vanilla, and has the added geranium, while Ambre Sultan has the standout bay leaf. Both have good performance, but a little better for Blue Amber. Both wear best in cool/cold weather. Contrast to Shalimar EDP Guerlain: They are definitely not dopplegangers despite first impressions, but Blue Amber could be a third degree relative of Shalimar where in certain facets the resemblance is startling. Except Blue Amber wears Brazilian BumBum cream and Shalimar has a vintage leather bag that has weathered reselling at an incensed second-hand shop. Update 10/30/24: Sprayed it on this morning, as the weather is cooler. Everytime I wear this it gets better and better. An amber that's been cut into facets. Definitely reminds me of an amber that's somewhere between Shalimar EDP & Ambre Sultan Serge Lutens with an added geranium touch. Love this a whole lot,

Minty top notes with a hint of bergamot dry down to an unusual amber, which is a little dirty (maybe patchouli) and softened by a non-gourmand, sweet vanilla pod smell. The first hour of the scent is quite harsh and unusual, confusing even after my fourth wearing, but the second hour and afterward is a creamy, soft, dirty amber vanilla sweetness that is so classy, with a hint of mint in the background, making it truly unique. A little powdery, but not full-on baby powder. See it as a nighttime summer scent, which is why I bought it, and I think it does give off a Grand Soir vibe in the dry down, but with much more going on and less refined blending. Grand Soir is the best amber vanilla scent ever made, and this one ranks a little below, but is still amazing. Good quality, especially for the €55 I paid for the 100ml bottle, which is insane. It's worth €100 quality-wise. It smells expensive. Performance is also great: 8–10 hours on skin, days on clothes. 7.6/10, old ranking Update: It lasts for 24+ hours on skin and it genuinely made me sick. I hate it now. 3/10

This was a blind buy for me, but I'm so glad that I went for it. At first spray, I was almost repulsed by the overwhelming strength of the perfume, and against my better judgement, I smelled it wet. Fresh from the spray, it was immediately, harshly masculine, and so potent that it burnt my nose. As I had to make it to an engagement, I changed my clothes and rubbed as much of it off my skin as I could, and applied a very simple vanilla frag. As soon as I got home though, I caught a whiff of the perfume again, and I immediately ran back to my room to discover that while I was out, the amber, coriander, and patchouli notes had faded into the background, while the perfume developed into an embracing, seductive, sultry amber-vanilla experience. I sat on my bed just smelling the scent on my clothes for about 15 minutes, just enjoying that experience. I'm wearing it again today and the only advice that I could give is to wait for the dry down to make a harsh judgement. If you like amber and vanilla, and spicy, sexy perfumes, I cannot recommend this enough!

This wasn’t a like on the first spray. It took a few wearings to win me over. Right off the top I got a strong resemblance to Tauer Au Coeur Du Desert...but a little more vanilla. After 30 minutes or so it reminded me of Nishane Ani but a tad more amber/powder. The dry down is magnificent...vanilla with a bit of amber/powder/smokiness. I really wish the dry down radiated louder and came a little earlier. I’m not a big fan of Ani and this reminds me of that...but I can get over it because of how great the dry down is. It’s not a huge projection monster like other Montale’s are...but that’s ok. 6-8 hours on my skin. Where/when to wear it? Boy...that’s difficult....nights out? It’s definitely not for the office...that’s for sure. Definitely unisex.....the vanilla/powdery aspect can be worn by anyone. Get a decant before buying....it’s not for everyone. If you’re a Niahane Ani fan, you might love this....there’s enough similarities but not a clone. Cheers!