Ambre Loup

Musc Moschus is my favorite fragrance of all time, so I just had to try Rania's star fragrance: Ambre Loup. Keep in mind I'm not an amber/spicy fan. I mostly love clean and pretty scents. But wow, is this absolutely gorgeous! So rich, voluminous, alive, warm, complex, luxurious and perfectly balanced. The spiciness softly floats and brushes my skin. Too often spices grab me by the throat... Even the smokiness here manages to be soft and rich. Just the right amount of sweetness and creaminess to round out something that could easily go bitter and dry. Zero percent skanky/barnyard to my nose. If there's an animalic faucet here, it blends in to not be perceptible through other notes. And yes, the scent does improve as it dries down. Although the opening is already good and balanced IMO! I've not tried very many amber/ouds (as I find them unwearable), but I most closely relate this to Oud Monarch by Bortnikoff. Oud Monarch is like a pungent, stingy, dry and overwhelming version of this to my nose. I don't get the amazing ratings it has. But I definitely understand why this is a holy grail for some people. There's also a similarity to the base of Layton by PdM. Velvety-mineral-powdery vanilla feel, probably from prominent Iso-E Super + guaiac wood + vanilla. I don't even get a headache from this, despite most smoky fragrances irritating my migraines to some degree. Unlike the hazardous smoke in some dark fragrances, this is the most comforting and beautiful velvety smoke. I sprayed a paper strip with my sample when I first got it. I could smell the paper 2 meters away 4 hours later. That one tiny spray managed to project off cold paper for hours. So I don't know if I've received something else than the people who are complaining about performance, but I definitely can't complain! I do go somewhat nose-blind during skin wear though. This isn't as robust/pungent/overwhelming as you might expect. The juice is darker than any fragrance I've ever sampled before. This is something I'll wear after showering in the evening, just laying on the bed sniffing my arm. Beautiful.

Ambre Loup (tested from 1ml sprayer ordered directly from official website) This is one of the most amazing and ethereal ambers I have ever tried. I fell in love with the labdanum. I recognize the labdanum on my skin right off the bat, I love it! It is so warm and seductive. It starts off with heavy spices-nutmeg and cinnamon. The amber, the star, gradually makes its presence known, it is so sensual with the dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg. The shimmery labdanum absolute comes though after a few minutes, it is so dark, sticky, thick. The labdanum is underneath the amber. The amber is the note I sense the most overall. I also sense a delicious, rich tobacco accord. This is my favorite part about Ambre Loup, the tobacco although the note isn't listed in the pyramid! The dark vanilla comes through and blends with the amber, cinnamon beautifully. There is a dryness/dustiness feel to the scent. I am pleased that the agarwood is soft, smooth on my skin, I think that it protects the scent from being too syrupy sweet and too powdery. The agarwood adds a medicinal edge to the overall scent. The presence of the labdanum lingers. I am so in love with the Middle Eastern feel in Ambre Loup, it feels like I am in a spice market in Morocco. Im impressed with the longevity especially in the hot, stifling weather. The sillage is amazing, I could smell it arms length for a few hours then it becomes a skin scent, I still could smell with my nose to my wrist. Out of all of the beautiful samples from Rania J, Ambre Loup and Oud Assam are full bottle worthy for me. (The note pyramid on the manufactured carded sample is: Top note: Clove, spices Middle Note : Balsam Peru Essential Oil, Labdanum Absolute, Vanilla Absolute Base Note : Agarwood/ Oud, Gaiac Wood, Cedar wood)

Tom Ford - Amber Absolute , you have met your match. It's only a matter of time until people smell this that like or liked Amber absolute , the longevity and projection are great this is niche all the way. The quality is amazing I got her sample pack today straight from Paris and wow.....just wow. This is just so well done one really just needs to get their nose on this to really appreciate what is going on. I love how available the perfumia makes herself, she is literally an email away and responds the same day. She advised me the oud she uses in this and two other fragrances in this line are natural oud, no synthetic oud at all. She uses the best all natural oils in her fragrances. The touch of oud in this fragrance is what really makes it I think. It has some sweet undertones, smoky and woody joy in a bottle. The longevity is what really blew me away here guys, you really get to experience the full ride here. Easy on the trigger. It survived a 10 hour work day, a night in bed and after a morning shower I could still smell it on my arm! Full bottle is on the way! 9.5/10 all around Edit update - I ordered Friday morning and got it today, now that's fast ! Thanks twistedlilly! Although, I seen this same bottle at firstinfragrance for $50 less, so that'd be worth looking in to I guess. This stuff is so amazing guys! Don't judge the first 15 mins or so, it's very very skanky and some don't like that, it's due to the all natural oud she uses. This stuff turns so sexy, sweet and creamy Amber that lasts forever!

Ambre Loup is my first sampling of Rania J.; it’s a rich amber fragrance, a mix of clove, spices, Peru balsam, labdanum, vanilla, agarwood, guaiac, and cedar, and it all fits together so well—resinous, spicy, and sweet, with some creamy and smoky undertones, as well. There’s only the vague hint of an animalic side; this is mainly the sweeter side of amber, which is certainly my preference. It has almost cinnamon-like nuances that give it a dessert-leaning sweetness while nonetheless being a resinous fragrance, not a gourmand. It’s definitely more so sweet than it is spicy, and it’s the balance that both an amber- and gourmand-lover like myself goes for. Compared to, say, MFK Grand Soir, Ambre Loup feels more like pure vanilla (almost the spicy Madagascar vanilla of Gallagher Fragrances Wicked Good), whereas Grand Soir is spicier—sweet, still, but with an uptick in spice from Ambre Loup. In that respect, Ambre Loup reminds me a bit more so of Tom Ford Amber Absolute, even. Also, its projection is boastful, its consistency dense and strong, from the onset, drying down very nice into a still-very-dense fragrance. It’s an EDP but gives the vibe of an extrait upon dry down. Overall, very impressive performance. Ambre Loup is sold via Luckyscent in the US at $149 for 50ml, and I believe its value is high so I’ll give strong consideration to seeking out a bottle after I compare it to some other ambers that I have. 8 out of 10

I have been exploring Rania's samples and must thank her for the generous samples. This is a house that must not be overlooked by niche lovers. I have enjoyed all of Rania's offerings and I must say, Ambre Loup is my favourite. I have been a bit nonplussed by some of the newer niche houses that seem to be generating a lot of hype on the forums. This house, in my opinion is hands down the best indie house I have explored of late. Back to Ambre Loup- as I am fast learning, the name on the bottle does not give the full story on the contents. I wouldn't call this a standard amber fragrance. If you are looking for a perfume in the vein of Ambre Sultan or Ambre 144, this is not for you. The amber is supported here by the labdanum and guaiac, then joined by a smokey vanilla. Amber is never dominant but serves to give this the cozy factor and i can detect some spice, perhaps cinnamon that isn't mentioned in the notes. I'm not sure what's creating all the smoke, but this is my favourite part and goes on and on, just smoldering away. Yet despite these heavy notes, this is a surprisingly wearable perfume that could be worn day or night. It is definitely a niche creation, but unlike some current offerings from other houses, this is refined, sophisticated and elegant. This is full bottle worthy for me! Bravo Rania!