Ambre Cashmere Intense

Ambre Cashmere Intense is a lovely veil of scent that wears like a sheer scarf or a light silk blouse, with a transparency that depends not on fussy aromachemicals or plastic aquatics, but on excellent materials skillfully blended with a light touch and an eye towards real people who want real perfume for their real lives. It's graceful, and it speaks in a gentle murmer, whereas so many amber fragrances these days growl or even shout to make their presence known. I like a good growl, and the sexiness that entails, but I don't always want to broadcast my scent to the four winds, especially when I'm going to be in close quarters, at work or at dinner or shopping or just living my life, with people who may or may not be appreciative of perfume. The secret weapon herein is iris, which keeps the perfume close to your body but also lends it diffuse sense of elegance. It's a different kind of elegance than Daim Blond, another quiet iris perfume, which has a lot more discernable orris butter, so much so that it suggests leather, and an almost sunny osmanthus/apricot accord that seems tentatively cheerful when I wear it, lit with a soft but intense glow from within. With Ambre Cashmere Intense, the vanilla and hints of warm spices are diffused and diaphonous. (Lots of people, including Luca Turin, get pepper from this, but I don't, unless it's a slightly peppery aspect of what I think is violet leaf, which sometimes reminds me a little of arugula--no Parma violets or purple candy here). Oriental lovers of Shalimar will appreciate the scent profile--vanilla, perhaps a touch of benzoin, a soft labdanum that suugests skin rather than leather, and just a hint of sweet opoponax to contribute incense to the perfume's overall luxurious profile--and lovers of Prada's Infusion series, or of Penhaligon's Iris Prima--will recognize a kindred spirit, a perfume that murmurs but doesn't mumble, that can go anywhere anytime and which will only reveal itself to someone who gets very close. In this age of faceless crowd pleasers and highly specific (not to mention expensive and often crude) nichery, a versatile but still complex perfume made of good materials that also smells distinctive is a rare find and worth making room for in your collection. Consider that the retail price comes in below most mainstram fragrances, and that Nicolai sensibly offer a 30ml size for those of us who already know we won't ever wear all the perfume we own, and Ambre Cashmere Intense is a no-brainer, especially as the weather turns colder and we need perfumes that comfort without distracting. This is another underappreciated perfume from a terribly underrated house, and I urge you to give it a try if you're a fan of soft and/or spicy orientals and graceful iris-driven fragrances. On male skin, it reads as woody (but not metallic or aggressive), while its vanilla and incense accentuate femainine softness. Either way, it's discreet, refined and eminently wearable. Excllent work and another home run for Nicolai.

I'm going to be wearing this a LOT this fall and early winter. Just yum. Smoothly spicy, comforting, sweet, woody, and rich...this is a delight to wear. On my skin the pepper note is strong. STRONG. It's a long lasting top note, and I enjoy this part very much. It really smells exactly like freshly ground pepper from black peppercorns, draped over iris, violet, and clove oranges. After a bit a buttery vanilla shows up, and a creamy sandalwood. There's really a lot going on in Ambre Cashmere for a good hour or two. The pepper notes calm down a few hours in, becoming barely discernable, and the perfume becomes a lot smoother. It smells like labdanum, patchouli woods, resinous vanlilla, and faint spices of cinnamon and clove. It's so comforting and heavenly. The far dry down is a bit more ambery, lots more musky, and less spicy and woody. This is the ONLY part that disappoints me, I really wish that the base was a little stronger, say with an assertive sandalwood or something. Unfortunately, and oddly, the sandalwood only shows up in the top notes for me. The projection is only strong at first, and the life of the perfume is a luxury skin scent that others will only smell if they get close, and 3 good sprays will give you 8+ hours of wear. Actually this is even a little bit sexy in that way, if I smelled this on the skin of a lover I'd probably swoon, and me myself I do feel a little sexy when I wear this. This really is like wearing a warm long sleeved dress made of soft wool, or like cuddling on a couch with a clean, warm blanket and a hot tea. Very warming a comforting, but not too much in a foodie direction. This perfume has a wonderful "feel" to it that I really enjoy. Highly recommended, especially since, compared to other niche companies, they offer a reasonably priced 30 ml bottle at $65. My bottle will definitely last, since I only need to apply a few sprays at a time. Admittedly I do reapply at least once when I wear this, since I enjoy the beginning so much.

Another frabjous day wearing a newly acquired perfume from the house of Nicolai. The sun hasn't risen yet but I'm getting it's imminent radiance in the peppery citron and mandarin which Ambre Cashmere shoots up into molecular space. Within minutes this olfactory atmosphere is powdery with an elegant iris shot through with a delicate, oh so refined violet. This violet's too spicy to be shrinking, but it's not insolent either. I'm already loving the scent radiating out like the first rays of the sun, but when the labdanum, patchouli and amber surge up I'm engulfed in warm, luxurious tranquility. This is a good-vibes callooh callay cry assuring me all is well in my world :) Distillation: golden sun appears chasing the darkness away sings callooh callay

This scent is the embodiment of how I think spending a night under the stars in the middle of a Middle Eastern desert will be. Belly dancing ladies, crackling fire somewhere in the distance, a blanket wrapped around your cold shoulders, the fabric of it laced with the scent of spices. Somewhere to the side is a buffet, which sends wafts of vanilla and warm caramel towards your nostrils as you gaze upon the magic, your eyes feasting on the once in a lifetime experience. Longevity is bizarre, +12 hours. Sillage is very close to skin after 4-6 hours or so, but at times it can still carry upon a mild breeze. 10/10. This fragrance is heaven.

I love a well crafted amber and this is a smooth operator. Ambre Cashmere Intense stays close to the body, making me believe it was not projecting. About an hour in, I got a compliment from another teacher— a plus in my perfume loving world. Four hours in, pressing my nose to my wrist, Ambre Cashmere is very dry but still pretty. There’s citrus and patchouli in the opening, but the dry down is quiet and mostly woods, spices and orris. I think it’s pure class. Initially I was not impressed but the more I wore it the better Ambre Cashmere became. Office (or school setting) appropriate. Would not hesitate to add this to my collection.

Intensely powdery, citrus-amber. Effervescent lemony-orange softened by sweet balsams and a lot of baby powder. Thick and syrupy, yet with a streak of fresh citrus and spices running through that feel like they're just barely failing to break the surface, a simmering pot on the cusp of boiling. Maintains a pleasant scent bubble that sorta sits between Prada L'Homme and Luna Rossa Black. The citrus fades as it dries down, leaving a powdery-musky amber. Moderately strong projection fades over 2-3hr, longevity 8-10hr.

Autumn - the hideously humid summer has finally gone in Tokyo and here we got a great season for wearing Ambre Cashmere. This perfume wraps you as a large, soft cashmere shawl. The scent is well balanced with the sourness and sweetness, enveloped by powdery iris with amber. The spicy clove and pepper add the warms like the Indian chai tea. Like most of the other Nicolai perfumes, the scent is not old fashioned but has a sort of vintage atmosphere as universal and timeless. And very noble.

Yum! I spritzed a sample of this from my discovery kit on my hand this morning. Of all the scents in the set, I do believe this is my favorite. The pepper and cloves give it a cinnamon mix on my skin. Very warm, spicy vanilla. I'm saving the rest of the sample for cooler fall weather. It's been 4 hours since the test and the scent is still going strong, but a little creamier and less intense. I can't wait for the full day wear after the Texas summer. A very nice October/November scent!

Opens up bright-- citrus, iris and slight pepper. As it dries down, the citrus in particular falls away, giving way to an elegant, homely amber vanilla with just a hint of spice. The opening can be off-putting to some people, but to me this is a perfume that requires a little time. The dry down is warm, comforting, and true to name, in my opinion. It sits closely on the skin for me, but I think that makes it a good indoor winter scent. Not for people expecting a straight-up gourmand.

yeah, very Nicolai ... noble, refined, elegant, unique, sophisticated, soft, gentle ... not screaming anything generic ... just mature but not retro anyhow ... silent elegance wise perfume path, stream, journey and as somebody mentioned here ... it is toned down, tamed version of Ambre Imperial, not that powdery ... clap to Nicolai perfumes, congratulation for this. I ́ll make definitely a review on Youtube dedicated to this piece.

One of my all-time favourite scents. Ordered a decant about a year ago based on the name, and ervery time I smell it I still get a 'wow, this is amazing'. The longest lasting fragrance in my collection, 24H+ on skin, infinitely on clothes. Lemon cake with some spices, warm translucent amber and comforting cashmere. This scent is perfection. A little feminine, but perfection nonetheless.

Have it, love it! It's like a warm hug on that miserable day. Long-lasting and cuddling. makes me feel confident. It took me a few days to get from sample to 100 ml. I am not sure if it has any limitation gender or time of the day wise. The only one thing - I don't feel like reaching for it in the mid of summer.

A flurry of sweet dreams. Get lost in the wonders of this masterpiece. The asking price for 30ml is a steal. Nobody will smell like this around you. Basically it's like wandering into the most luxurious candy spice store in the World.

What a surprise. I had no idea this would have something like the warm, dry orris accord in the opening. Like Iris Cendre but better. This shot to the top of my want list within ten minutes of applying.

When I couldn't find Sicily by D&G anymore, I started looking for a comparable scent and found this gem. It's now my all-time favorite. It's soft and powdery, clean, elegant. There are no faults.

A clean, warm, and soft blanket. Smells like it had just been washed for your use, and still excuses a gentle warmth from the dryer. A very comforting scent that is truly unisex.

Oh my... What a beautiful scent! Little bit sweet, little bit warm and cosy. I'm a bit fan of patchouli intense and now I will be be fan of Amber Cashmere intense.

Love at first sniff. Gorgeous scent.

This is the third time I got it

Ambre Cashmere Intense is quite classic in style, a traditional French take on amber. It is on the subtle side and there is no skankiness here. Smooth, dry and well-balanced, it is an accessible amber, and is unsurprisingly elegant and high-quality, in keeping with Nicolaï scents in general. AC opens with tart citrus, quickly giving way to the amber of the name. The citrus accord works well in my opinion, adding freshness up top. The amber accord is smooth and musky, nicely-balanced - neither animalic nor metallically harsh, although I get some smooth ambroxan in there. Powdery orris follows, complemented nicely by the delicate, green-tinged violet. It marries beautifully with the amber accord, forming the crux of this scent, and feels very refined. The amber accord becomes sweeter and more well-rounded as it develops, with a smooth leather nuance emerging, likely thanks to the labdanum. At this stage, the orris fades away, and it becomes a sweet balsamic scent, with tonka bean rounding it out. Benzoin and vanilla seamlessly complement it here. It fades to a sweet, musky skin scent with dry vanilla lingering until final fade. Sillage and longevity are moderate. It is feminine-leaning in my opinion, and is best worn in autumn/winter, but is subtle enough to be a year-round amber scent. A nicely-composed, good-quality balsamic amber scent, AC is like a subtle version of Amouage Material or MFK Grand Soir, but with a nice hint of orris. Elegant, everyday amber. 4/5.