Prada Amber Pour Homme (Prada Man)

So here is my definitive review of 4 different versions of this fragrance... The 4 versions are as follows: New L’Oreal version, Made in Spain version, Jubilee Inspired PD185 (Clone) & Perfume Parlour Tertiary Mix for Men (Clone). As a quick note, all versions largely have the same smell but do give a different feeling in how they come across. The New L’Oreal version: Grey liquid, new plaque. Comes across as clean white soap, very soft, very pleasant. It also comes across as slightly thin and possibly lacks a bit of character / depth. Does smell like quality and longevity is excellent. The Made in Spain Version: Grey liquid with a clear purple tinge (strangely, the juice is bright purple only when taking a picture of it but not to the naked eye). Old plaque. Smells just slightly more interesting than the new one. The difference is minor. Maybe just slightly more resins / depth. **One important note is that I’m not sure whether my bottle has slightly spoiled or whether my bottle is one of the last PUIG batches which apparently weren’t great. Performance on this is bad, absolutely gone after 4 hours. If this is what all older Spain batches are like then this is massively overhyped, you’d be better off with the new version, at least that lasts longer. Jubilee Inspired PD185 – Very similar to the new L’Oreal version. Quite strong in the opening, possibly the strongest opening of the bunch. Comes across very clean white. It has a soapy powdery aspect. Can cause nose blindness. Lacks the myrrh and saffron I think; the base is thin. Does appear to die down after around 3 or 4 hours. My wife said this is too strong but I don’t think she meant it in a good way, she said it would annoy colleagues if they sat next to you with this. Perfume Parlour Tertiary Mix for Men – This one is actually the closest to what people describe the older Spain batches being like. Soapy opening and after 30 minutes there are clear and distinct myrrh, saffron and a touch of leather in the base, very noticeable. The soapiness remains and the spices come through – very clean and masculine. I do wish the opening / top of this fragrance had a bit more of the powder that the Jubilee Inspired has in the top – it really suits this fragrance. As such this version comes across as more soapy than powdery. Performance is very very good both longevity and projection. Wife said it smells more natural than the Jubilee one. For me the Perfume Parlour version is the best but I have to say their website is laughable. I had to contact their customer service to clarify which fragrance smells like Amber Pour Homme. On the website this is described as being ‘similer’ to Prada Candy. Wrong fragrance and bad spelling. Not to mention it’s generally a badly designed website. They also have too many options for the same fragrance, ie hand-soap, candle, EDP, extrait – annoying. Just put out your best version.

Designed by Miuccia Prada herself—a Forbes-listed billionaire—this purple juice almost eliminates the huge gender divide between men and women, but it introduces the unmistakable distinction between “rich” and “poor.” Prada Amber Pour Homme (Prada Man) transports me to the Capitol of a fictional nation called Panem in the fictional world of The Hunger Games . And all of its grandeur and opulence. Maybe this is how Tributes such as Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, and Finnick Odair smelled like once they have been washed off all the grime from the arena, with a soap that costs more than a month of hard work. When they have been all prepped to face the elite Capitol crowd and the thick cameras. With this juice on, I feel—and smell—so clean. Not just squeaky clean, but the luxurious kind of clean. Something that I might not afford even if I abstain from fine bread for a month or so. On train rides, around the corner of my eyes I see members of the crowd too, secretly trying to catch some whiffs of my scent, which probably radiates from an arm’s length. It stays like that for seven to ten hours, until it fades to a manlier skin trace. Manlier, I say, because at its early stage, this scent is more inclined to being androgynous. As I had mentioned earlier. Amusingly when I first tested this fragrance, I pretended to not enjoy it, since it lacks the mystical smoky feel of my favorite fragrance, its “Intense” brother. But my actions betrayed my words. A week later, I made a purchase. I realized that if fragrances could talk, Prada Man isn’t the kind that screams, “Look at me, girls, I’m here!” Instead, it says “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady.” It conjures up respect. Subtleness. Elegance. I admit that I enjoy every bit of this gem now. I might tend to reach for this bottle more often during hotter days, generously giving myself some seven sprays or more at once, yet dreading the moment when the bottle will become empty, which will mean a definite repurchase.

I've always had a special love for this fragrance, despite the fact that NO ONE I've asked has ever liked it on me. Whatever. I wear fragrances for ME, not to impress other people. The beautiful thing about this fragrance is that each note is an underdog/background note. You don't typically see notes like saffron, labdanum, myrrh, or geranium in the forefront of today's fragrances. That's the beauty of this fragrance, because it gives you a chance to appreciate the notes that don't typically get a chance to shine. I appreciate any fragrances that interpret leather in a unique way. Too often, leather is used to inject stereotypical masculinity into fragrances, and I find that cliché, annoying, and tired. This fragrance is the complete opposite of stereotypical masculinity. It's balmy, yet sweet..complicated, yet simple. Hard to put your finger on, and hard to describe. There's something misty, foggy, and powdery about it. It's clean, spicy, and sharp all at the same time. On my skin, it's smooth and sexy. I picture this fragrance being worn by a well-groomed, suit-and-tie, 30-something man. It's very metrosexual, as a man who takes care of himself. This will sound really weird, but this scent evokes a certain strange memory for me. Back in high school when I took AP Biology, we did an experiment with fruit fly genetics. We had to periodically knock the flies out with this fluid called fly-nap, that would render the flies unconscious for a long enough time to examine them and count them...and this cologne reminds me of the smell of that fly-nap substance. It's one of those things you love smelling, but shouldn't. Kinda like gasoline, pine-sol, newspaper, or mildew. All in all, this is a beautifully crafted, sexy, spicy/balmy cologne that magnificently deviates from the stereotypes and the expected. 10/10.

I have the purple juice produced in Spain, although I am curious about the new formulation. I discovered this gem several years ago by accident while ordering samples to find a sensual warm 'amber' scent for cooler weather. I had no idea I was about to discover a scent that would end up being one of my most worn fragrances and the closest thing to a signature scent I've had since I've been into fragramces. I was gloriously surprised when I dabbed it on. The reviews below have already said it countless times... "soap!". Pure, refined, luxurious soap. Quintessential clean. A bit powdery. Unisex, yet simultaneously masculine. When I find myself in a situation where I simply need to smell well groomed, whether its at the office, a first date, a job interview, before bed, or a myriad of other occasions, this is the first scent I consider reaching for. Perhaps there are better strategic choices for certain business meetings, and second dates, but for most indoor professions and most everyday encounters, this will do the job and do it well. The intense version is also very impressive. Similar soapy DNA, just not as versatile. In the soapy fragrance hall of fame amongst Acqua di Parma Colonia, Mugler Cologne, Platinum Egoiste, and Amber pour Homme Intense, og Prada Amber pour Homme is #1. Hopefully this will remain available for purchase for years to come. Better yet, one of these niche houses will take note of its popularity and turn it up to 11. 11/10 would bang again and again!

Before my review. This has been difficult to find in last 2-3 years. I don't want to disregard the discontinuation, but I have just purchased a bottle that was manufactured in May 2024, that is a bit strange. I also didn't want to believe the reformulation talk. I have purchased a sample 4 years ago. The scent profile is a bit different from this new bottle. Sample was more raw in a good way, more resinous, fuller and punchier. This one is still great, but is much closer to Infusion d'Homme with the soft soapiness. But it can be just because the juice needs to age more. I have to admit, this should be the Prada fragrance for men. It is elegant, yet still masculine. For me it is an old bar of soap in an old bathroom, in an italian mansion (all in the best way possible). The resinous quality lifts this up from just boring soapy fragrance. I do enjoy Prada L'Homme, but this will always be a better fragrance. There is no situation you couldn't wear this. Much more elegant choice then any blue scent. Also the bottle radiates old time elegance. If it wasn't a cardinal sin to display this bottle in the bathroom, I would do it. Prada Amber Pour Homme is a timeless classic. In case you can't find it or you don't have it, I would recomment MFK Masculin Pluriel. It is a different scent, but it gives me similar vibe.