Sweet Amber

I've been wearing this quite a lot recently, just to try and get used to it. On a positive note I no longer dislike it. It opens with a very harsh, bitter, burnt sweet chemical kind of smell. Hard to describe and not very nice. Something within it reminds me of the immortelle used in 1740 Marquis de Sade. That awful cloying burnt cooking sherry type of smell. Anyway it dies down within 20 minutes and you can just about live with it. A couple of sprays to the neck will give you about 2 hours before it disappears; sillage moderate at best. Everything about this should've been a winner for me but no. It's an OK, and that's me being generous. Nice bottle though.

The colour of the bottle matches perfectly, it’s a transparent, wishy-washy, sticky-sweet amber that fades away after a few hours. It’s like a concentrated juice drink that someone has put too much water in and the original juice is a distant memory. It’s non-offensive though. There’s no “burning wood”, charcoal or leather. There’s not one scary or loud note. It’s almost like an infant fragrance, as it’s gentle, pretty enough and very safe. It’s like smelling the caramelised sugar coating of a toffee apple at a distance.

It is a burnt woody scent, very strong and masculine, to aggressive for my taste. Lasts for ages. Perhaps to layer, not alone? Édit : I sent it back. So harsh, unwearable for me. It would be having charcoal on my skin. (It’s a personal feeling, apology for those who love it.)

Sweet amber is a misnomer. If you want sweet amber, buy Sublime Oudh. This opens sharp, but mellows to a creamy, soapy and woodsy scent. Cypriol, rosewood & bergamot dominate. Mediterranean. Mature.