Ambre Khandjar

A unique and handsome fragrance. The plum is deep, mellow sweet, and smokey — almost like a waft of plum shisha tobacco, though tobacco is not listed. It must be the musky woodiness from the labdanum and orris. There is the smallest hint of mandarin at first spray, which gives it a tiny sprinkle of freshness. I am all about the dry down, as is the case for most of the other Une Nuit Nomade fragrances I have (I love this superbly niche House immensely). The dry down goes through shifts into deeply mellow and sweet, with the sandalwood & benzoine rising out more, and a custardy touch of ylang ylang — but the mellowness of the plum is still holding the reigns and that smokiness continues to ground it. The fragrance unearths into what is almost gourmand, but it never goes full on, it is just enough to give it warmth without being saccharine or cloying. I’d wear this for a dinner date, an intimate concert, a book reading, or summer evening drinks on a patio. It gives me kind, earthy, dignified, and knowledgable. Someone who wears this enjoys good conversation, gentle conviviality, and all that is pleasant to the senses. What a singular fragrance.

This came out of nowhere for me. It sounded interesting, so I ordered a sample. I was surprised to get a powdery, sweet almond accord with a dollop of benzoin, especially after seeing the note pyramid. I think if you enjoy perfumes like Skiron S4P, you will probably enjoy this one as well. It seems very light at first, (my sample is a dabber, not spray), but as it developed on my skin it did a 'hide and seek' with the projection. I'd have to put my nose right up to my wrist in order to smell it, without detecting it on the way there. But every few minutes I would get these wonderful wafts of warm, sweet, almond biscuit that never quite makes it to the edible category, it's more like that almond biscuit has been reduced to a heavy powder. I may have to get a FB, since I can't stop smiling when the aroma hits me. UPDATE - The vanilla and a bit of the patchouli do come out in the very deep dry down. It's a gorgeous vanilla, almost a vanilla extract like you use in baking, but with a hint of earthiness. It still does the 'hide and seek' with projection too.

Une Nuit Nomade – Ambre Khandjar is a dark, spicy, sweet mix that has notes of plum, resins, and vanilla in the foreground, with some supporting notes of orris, mandarin, ylang ylang, sandalwood, and patchouli. At first smell, it smells of a blend of Tom Ford Tobacco Oud, Tobacco Oud Intense, and Plum Japonais, all together in some varying proportions. It’s very easily lovable for fans of such fragrances, or those who enjoy sweet, resinous fragrances with a darker vibe. It doesn’t perform quite as well as the Tom Ford examples, but its retail pricing $120 for 50ml (at Luckyscent, Neiman Marcus), much more affordable (half the price) of the Tom Ford offerings, at least at retail. And even though it’s reminiscent of some of these examples, it definitely has its own character; it’s clearly distinct from each of the examples; it has the plum that TO and TOI lack, and has much more intense resins than in PJ. For me, this an instant love, and I think I’ll want to seek out a bottle at some point. 8 out of 10

I love amber. And I love this fragrance. It’s a unique twist on this oriental twist. The plum is dark and juicy (fueled by the accompanying mandarin note) and combined with the vanilla in the mid, literally makes my mouth water. Before venturing too far into gourmand territory this one gets pulled back by the powerful orris and labdanum reminding you that this is a truly Eastern fragrance. And like a long lasting incense stick it mellows into an all-too-amazing woody & resinous benzoin base supported by a bright patchouli and a slightly spiky sandalwood. It creates that nice warm and relaxed feel. This is an absolute beast in terms of longevity. I got 24+ hours from my wrists with more than a foot of projection beyond the 10 hour mark. The thing is it’s not a beastly beast. It’s like your favorite sweater, the one you want to wear all day and all night long.

A sweet plum and rose jam softens over five minutes revealing a slightly dirty animalic twist (is this the leather - if so it is soft and more detectable nose to skin). After 30 minutes or so on me the vanilla starts to push through on equal terms. One to two hours in and everything softens making this more of a ambery vanilla scent as the vanilla begins to dominate. Reminds me of Ex Idol Love and Crime, PG Felanilla et al. For me it evokes memories of childhood where we had a leather patterned Egyptian stool that was old with intricate wooden legs. Hand made and old. I can imagine sitting on this with Plums, figs and soft spices nearby whilst sitting in a tent in the Arabian Desert.. Vaguely reminiscent of Plum Japonaise by TF though less boozy for the first 1 hour or so. Unisex, beautiful and well made