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!

Super underrated amber. I was prepared to NOT like bc I don’t think of Montale as strong w amber notes. Like w all Montale, I sprayed one spray and gave it a minute. Tip- Don’t go hard on the trigger or hurry a Montale- when first sprayed the notes explode on ur skin and a rush to smell is not in ur favor. After the perfume has had a moment to settle, you smell the bergamot, coriander and the most delicious amber. Vanilla starts to peak thru in the mid notes and suddenly I can’t stop sniffing my arm. This is a wonderful warm spicy, soft spicy, vanilla amber. Great performance! As an amber lover this is more similar to straight up Amber’s like profumum ambra Aurea. This is not as aromatic as Ambre Sultan, as formal as Grand Soir, or as floral as Ambre Nuit. It is an amber for people who love Amber’s...served neat and without pomp. I bought a full bottle at a great sale price and feel like this may be one of the best values/ purchases for 2021 so far.

#986 in my "Tour de Fragrance" You ever get one of those scents where you think, "I wish I'd found this sooner?" This is one of those. This is a really unique amber vanilla where the patchouli and coriander are doing the bulk of the work and coming off with almost an incense character, and I love it. I note some reviewers complaining about the opening, but I'm not smelling anything that isn't delightful in the opening or dry down. Strong projection. Long lasting. It actually projects better after a hard workout at the gym. For an amber-vanilla where the patchouli comes off a bit powdery, it's assertive. Dead center unisex. Car pool, elevator, small office safe. Sure to be a hit for date wear. Montale has a lot of great scents and this is one of the best. If I could only have one, this would probably be it.

I am definitely with the vast majority here- the first 15 minutes of this are rough. It's harsh and somehow smells like an old woman yet spicy at the same time. When I first sampled this, I thought absolutely not. But I let it dry on a tester strip and within an hour my nose kept leading me back to my bedroom. It becomes quite intoxicating. A delicious powdery vanilla and amber bomb. Prada is my absolute favorite house and this could easily pass as a Prada fragrance with its extreme fresh/powdery profile. In typical Montale fashion, it's nuclear, sticks to everything, and will perform 12+ hours. Not a blind buy but considering I went from thinking it was gross to purchasing a whole bottle, I'd say it's worth a shot!

I have it as a sample. First tested it on a paper stripe and didn’t like it at all. I found it harsh loud and very-very old fashioned. Despite my dislike I tested it on myself. The opening was loud cold and a bit stingy. Later on it started to became warmer and warmer and the dry down is very delicious. In fact I think the dry down is addictive its so fine. Warm amber and vanilla. Over all still very though for me to evaluate this frag. I still find it very old fashioned and I don’t want to smell like this. On the other hand I want to smell it arround me all day long. So I’ll go for a full bottle and will use it only for myself. It works rather as an aromatherapy not like a perfume, at least for me. I love it!

I love this! It’s all the good parts of Shalimar EDP without committing to the leather and animatic notes. The key for me is spraying sparingly on this... stays more airy and magical. Also, don’t smell it immediately after spraying, give it a minute. It’s quite comforting and beautiful. This encapsulates a warm hug from a very beloved grandmother or auntie, but doesn’t smell vintage. When I want to feel comfort and beautifully vanillic, I reach for this. I’ve been stopped wearing this and one woman found it online and bought it on the spot, she loved it so much! I’m fine with it being a hidden treasure in fragcom, more for me!

one of the best amber scents i have encountered, got a reasonably sized sample and i have to say, very pleasing..i prefer it to tom ford's amber scent..and that is saying alot , but i have them side by side and i really do prefer this one.a litte lighter on application, much more subtle a fragrance but not in a disapointing way.. i like it..try this one if you can and compare it.if you like amber scents, prada's amber is in high school, this one is in college. wow.. i have not as yet found an amber scent i like more..this is good stuff..

Blue Amber has grown on me the couple years I've had it. The progression has been from "wtf" to "like" to "🥰" BA is a spicy powdery ambery vanilla, emphasis on spicy -- almost a hot spicy. My first impression was clashing accords and chaos, but the notes eventually sort themselves into something cohesive that I would describe as mystical, like something that belongs in a temple. Definitely a cool and cold weather fragrance. Maybe try a half spray in heat. Monstrous longevity and sillage.

What a beauty! Most Montale Fragrances take you on an interesting journey and this one is no different. It starts off strong and spicy with a blast of amber, patchouli and vetiver and settles down into a heavenly amber, vanilla and coriander masterpiece! It is powdery but it blends in very well and adds depth to the magic. The silage and longevity are insane; one spray of this dynamo gets you far! I wore it to bed the other night and could still smell it at noon the next day. A must try!

In my opinion this is the best Montale. I have the starboy as well the Arabians tonka, but I think that this is a way better fragrance. It is more complex, smoother and better to wear it in the everyday life. On my skin it would last 2 days if I wouldn’t showered. The projection is insane aswell. And the scent, OMG!!! It is ambery but in a really good way. It is powdery but does it in a really smooth way with the vanilla in the background! I can only recommend this for the winter time!

Rich minerale amber, with spices (for me mainly corriander), some geranium, patchouli and powdery vanilla. It has a "creamy" texture, and I can wholeheartedly agree with @sherapop, that this is more brown/light brown than blue, or if I must call it blue, I would do so because it is really a warm scent. It smells rather sweet but not cloying. Blue Amber is also very relaxing, and I can imagine wearing this both a normal day, or a more intimate night. Sillage and longevity are both good.

I love it: great amber/vanilla combo, crazy longevity and good sillage. I have to disagree with Melyhelly and her Montale pricetag comment: ordering directly from them you get 50ml of Blue Amber for 55€. If you buy 100ml or 2x50ml you get free shipping worldwide and 20ml free of any Montale of your choice. That's quite a deal compared to most niche houses :S 4.75/5 for Blue Amber, which could possibly become the perfum i'd choose if i could only have one.

I'm LOVING this fragrance, because to my absolute delight this is very similar to Bois D'Armenie by Guerlain. I checked and the only two notes these have in common is Coriander and Patchouli. Nevertheless the drydown is the same, as is the longevity. Both have the wonderful vanilla note thing going on, which just lasts and lasts. Two snaps and a circle for this fragrance :-)

No other cologne/perfume have surprised me as much as this one has done. The opening is utterly weird and messed up, but in literally 15 minutes this turns into a nice amber/powder sweet scent that is masterfully crafted. This is extremely romantic, just make sure to spray it half an hour before any event/encounter ;)

It smells so good and right next to Ambre114 but does not have that heavy opening of HDP. I like this amber blended well, it softens slowly. Just as the creation of HDP, is not to everyone's noses. Excellent Projection and longevity. I rank it like this: Smell: 9/10 Projection: 9.5/10 Longevity: 10/10

I love it! The opening is harsh, medicinal, herbal, boozy even, however after 10 minutes it develops into a wonderful & dark spicy vanilla perfume with balsamic aspects. Has some similarities with Nishane Ani. The drydown is my favorite stage - the delicious doughty vanilla as in Shalimar. Unisex.

Mi trovavo a Torino in una profumeria stupenda (Floris) cercavo un Dyptique e sono uscito con questa meraviglia. Era da tempo che cercavo un'ambra orientale da scia, perfetto per l'inverno, crea dipendenza e assuefazione quindi devo per forza alternarlo o non me lo sento addosso.

When you first spray this on, this will smell like grandmaballs but just let it sit for 15 minutes and this will be a beautifully blended warm and cozy amber and vanilla scent with hints of patchouli. Longevity is remarkable but the projection could be a little better

A powdery amber bomb that smells rich and refined. Projection and longevity are terrific like most Montale fragrances. It's an amber fragrance, but also blue. I don't wear this when it's cold, I wear it on warm summer nights to smell classy and clean.

I have to say this is lovely !! It opens fresh with the bergamote and palissander than the coriander and wetiver meet the vanilla ... it becomes a heavenly, woody, earthy and powdery ambery vanilla!! It’s a winter paradise!!

Amber and coriander is mainly what I get. Slight hints of vanilla and patchouli in the dry down. It's so warm and inviting. I can't stop sniffing my wrist. Performance is amazing. I will definitely be buying a full bottle.

This is my favorite fragrance. A total masterpiece. There is something magical about this perfume. It's improving my breathing and kind of opens my lungs and brain. It works like a drug for me.

I am really happy with this amber fragrance. Gentle, powdery, warm, spicy and the staying powder is very strong. Not as suprising and goed als Ambre Sultan, but for me it is a feel good scent

This is a beautiful fragrance the longevity is amazing and the citris vanilla tones are to die for and te dry down is heaven!

so deep, so luscious dark amber, with coriander standing out. mysterious and eccentric, love at first sniff.

Now this is a winner....perfect for both sexes, smells great, great performance all-around.

A very pleasant warm, a bit woody amber. Can be easily worn all year round.

Spicy, vanilla play dough. Masterpiece! 10/10

Let's see if I have to change the review later - this is the first time I'm wearing Blue Amber. I ordered an amber scent sampler and only three of the fragrances really got my attention when I first sampled them to the paper: Chanel Coromandel, L'Artisan L'Eau d'Ambre and this. It was easy to say even based on the first tests that this one is really potent. On my skin the beginning is quite smoky and the amber is distinct from the beginning. The smokiness does not disappear entirely, but fades considerably and the relatively straightforward vanilla-amber mix just seems to stay and stay. That sounds perhaps bit sweeter than it actually is, warm and powdery with some sweetness would probably be my description. Funny thing is that I don't see anything too woodsy in the ingredient list, but the only slightly dissatisfying facet on this scent is the faint aroma of pencil shreds I get on the whole lifeline of this fragrance. I would love to know what ingredient that is - it does not mix well with my skin chemistry. Coriander is a note I usually like a lot, but I have to say that I missed it totally on the first time. I'm quite inclined to try this on layering. Edit. I've grown to love this amber and its sweet, woody-vanillic drydown. still slightly hesitant to buy a bottle. My 1 ml sample has lasted for several applications... ...just can't see how I could use this scent from spray bottle. I would kill all the fragrance-haters, with no intention...

I do not love the opening of this...oh no, I do not. It's super strong, very spicy, and it clashes with florals for a while. Probably at least half an hour, but every 5 minutes or so until then, it mellows a little in increments. At around the hour point, it's much, much improved. For whatever reason, it's ridiculously powdery until it dries down, and smells like baby wipes. I'm so glad it doesn't stay that way though! 😆 It's a creamy, brown, amber with patchouli when it settles. I don't get much vetiver or geranium, not in the drydown (but geranium can be spicy/funky, so I believe it contributed to the rough opening). I think it's firmly unisex, despite the vanilla being quite active in here (I don't care about gendering stuff though), it still has enough spice and aromatics to balance it. It's quite loud, which seems to be the norm for this brand. Almost too loud though, I can sense that this might be one to underspray, one spritz from a sample is really kicking off of me. It does well inside, but really can withstand cold. It's very warming (patchouli always feels warm to me too) amber vanilla, and isn't necessarily a very complex fragrance but neither is it flat or overly artificial (with the rep this brand has, I worried that it might be). It isn't my very favorite amber ever, but I'm enjoying it. It's a comforting haven for the nose in the winter! ❄️

Wow, that was good! I Iove ambers.... for a start, so I had to try this one. Blue Amber starts strong, as all Montale's do. It has this typical distinctive strting note, medicinal, quite harsh sometimes (like it was an aoud); but no worries, this fades after the first minute. Here is where the goodies start! This amber starts "ambery" from the start (amber is usually a base note): there are some roses, some other flowers I cannot get hold of, spices (coriander?), for sure there is cedarwood and resins to give this balsamic trail. The drydown is a base of sweet vanilla... mixed with amber of course. All along you can say this is a Montale, there is a "signature" mix that never leaves, and I like it. This is a fantastic scent with a great lasting power. (at least 6 hours, but I can smell it clearly the day after on my clothes). Sexy, sultry, elegant. A must try.

A very pleasant scent with sweet amber, powdery vanilla and a touch of coriander. Quite powdery and feminine in the opening, it gets spicier, earther (thanks to the patchoulli) and more floral in the drydown. Amber and semi-sweet vanilla persist 'till the end. A deep and enchanting scent, perhaps full bottle worthy for amber and spice lovers. Better amber scents are available for about the same price or less such as hermes ambre narguille and lutens ambre sultan. update : The amber, lightly sweet almost powdery vanilla, spicy coriander with light earthy, wood notes from the patchouli and vetiver is an amazing combination! I like it more and more with each sniff and it keeps me going back for more. I'll have to retest some of the other favorite amber scents to do a little comparison.

I'm not sure where the "blue" descriptor comes from, as this strikes me as an amber/vanilla mix that, while not specifically warm, isn't cool or fresh, either. Nonetheless Blue Amber is another great entry by Montale that is starting to show me their versatility, as the only other two fragrances of theirs that I've tried are ouds. Its dry down comes quickly (any bergamot wore for me were off in 15 minutes) and vanilla emerges as more dominant than the amber through most of its longevity, which is solid. It''s very strong on projection like Black Aoud or Red Aoud, and is very dense and therefore a reasonable value for a higher-priced fragrance. I'm not sure I could pull this off in the summer so I'd tentatively have to classify this as a cold weather day/night option. 7 out of 10

Montale BLUE AMBER is a good example of an "amber for the sake of amber" perfume. The composition seems really very straightforward: labdanum plus vanillin plus a few other ingredients. The result is a buttery, barely sweet golden amber. Although vanilla is listed as a separate note, it really is a part of the amber complex, it seems to me. This is not a very sweet perfume. I also would not describe BLUE AMBER as spicy or incensy or woody. I am not at all sure why this is supposed to be blue, as the composition is not cool, but warm. To me it is golden brown: essentially amber tout court! If you are looking specifically for amber, without a lot of distractions, BLUE AMBER is an excellent choice, made with high-quality components. The sillage is medium and longevity excellent.

I like it! I was quite polarized by the reviews here but it's comfy, it's a bit oriental, it's like being wrapped in a cashmere sweater with some incense sticks around you. Patchouli gives it earthiness, coriander gives a bit of suave note that makes this fragrance perfectly unisex and I bet smelling crazy good on men (together with bergamot, vetiver). It's interesting take on an amber fragrance, less sweet than I expected, balanced, quite linear and not really loud or crazy longevity (at least not on myself, here and there some waft after a few hours). I would say for lovers of slightly spicy, powdery on amber based perfumes, this could be a good call. For me, it's very comfy scent yet a bit "old lady" vibe which I need to balance with some layering :) any tips here?

As someone who hates granny`s amber/ musk and balsamic perfumes, I was surprised by how modern this one is. The notes are borderline gourmand, the amber is oriental; and the patchouli is fresh, not musty. The balsamic vibe is still there but it`s much more towards a SPA salon than a 1960s medicine. It melts on the skin like a frozen cube of honey, infused with a dozen ingredients, the melted result ending up to be not at all what it started with. It`s the "longer it sits the better it gets" situation. Well-layered, warm, and moderately sweet. I smelled a Nasomato style of layering here for some reason. This is a modern Oriental take on a potentially old-fashioned and dated combination.

I really like Blue Amber! I had a sample that I'm using now in colder weather and it gives relief to my soul! It doesn't smell too complicated, rather a good amber scent, quite close to the skin and with a medium level of complexity. This smells the way I would have liked Shalimar to smell on me! It's long lasting, elegant, sweet but not cookie/foody and it gives an aura of soft, mysterious yet approachable elegance to the wearer! It makes people come closer. I cannot say if it deserves the crazy Montale's pricetag. It much dependns on your own possibilities. I can say it's worthy a FB if you are looking for amber fragrance.

Blue amber is a smooth, slightly sweet and soft amber, but with a zesty twist thanks to the coriander and vetiver. This fragrance is softspoken, understated, elegant and versatile. It goes well with casual outfits as well as festive ones, and its softness should hardly upset anyone. Even though the fragrance has no sharp edges and no infamous Montale musk, longevity on clothes is easily more than 12 hours. I absolutely agree that it is very similar to Ambre 114 by Histoires de Parfums, another masterful soft amber.

I was gifted a sample of this one. Absolutely gorgeous if you're into sweet Vanilla/Amber-mix. Its not an oldfashioned Amber but it is very strong and lasts for more than 20+ hours on my skin. I have a problem with Patchouli- my allergy sets in, sorry to say. A lovely scent but I can't wear it, my allergy says no. I don't find Blue Amber unisex at all, this is for a sexy cat on the dancefloor. The Vanilla makes is sweet and with a modern twist.

Wear a blue velvet jacket & toss your other amber perfumes. This is amber the way it should be: teasing in the opening, surrounded by bergamot and geranium for sparks; giving in to vanilla in the process, but never too sweet; only just kept in pace by coriander and vetiver. Really, no need to look any further, this is the best amber I found after years of investigation. (insert smiley with pipe). Thank you Montale.

I get a really creamy amber and vanilla combo here with the slightest hint of coriander. Starts off smelling like baby powder...but settles down to a nice calm, slightly fresh basic higher quality amber scent. Issue I have with it is that it doesn't change a great deal. Great performance and projection. Check out my YouTube page Dan talks Scents UK 🇬🇧for more detailed reviews of this and more.

I have really come to love Montale fragrances due to their uniqueness and superb performance. This one is definitely nice! I will admit I am not a fan of the opening. Smells like pure baby powder for about 5 minutes. Then it immediately transitions to pure vanilla with a hint of amber. Overall very nice, but not much variety on the notes in my opinion.

After it dries down it's very similar to many other amber scents. It all depends on your "love" with that particular house. It does have a touch of patch but of course the amber dominates. I am a Montale lover but this falls a bit short as I prefer a few others in the genre.

Strong winter real unisex fragrance. The opening is very harsh and I don't enjoy it that much, however the dry down is very nice. Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 10/10 Performance: 9/10

Blue Amber is pretty similar to the other respected niche ambers out there; however, the first few seconds smell exactly like Fernet Branca. Weird.

Rich, true amber with a wearable transparency: think somewhere between Prada's L'eau Ambree and Lutens' Ambre Sultan. Perfect.