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

Ambre Nuit (EDP) meets Coromandel, but more in depth. Familiar, yet still captivating. The plum is absolutely divine in the opening. Sadly once the heart notes kick in, the plum begins to fade and remains dialed down through the remaining duration of the scent. This does not take away from the beauty of the composition at all, but thought I'd point that out since I was absolutely enthralled by the opening of Ambre Khandjar. It is a warm, resinous amber enveloped in a dusty patchouli haze. While not all fragrances need to be performance beast, this fragrance does so effortlessly. I am picking it up with my hands by my side and it has been nearly an hour. This is a wonderful fragrance all around. My 2nd favorite from the house of Une Nuit Nomade and a blind buy I might add.

I can't begin to tell you how much I ADORE this fragrance! It's one of my all-time favourites and I'm wearing it right now. It's warm, cosy, sweet and incredibly comforting. I wear it when I need grounding or if I feel insecure. I keep coming back to it and if I had a signature scent, I'd wear this practically every day. It's one of the very best ambers in my collection for the wonderful way it makes me feel. It also gets compliments and projects very well. Interestingly, when compared with Desert Rosewood by Goldfield & Banks, I find DR more cloying and it makes me feel slightly stressed wearing it, even though I find it an objectively lovely scent. Somehow AK resonates deeply with my emotions and I love how it makes me feel.

Smooth, rich, warm, sweet, mildly spiced, ever so slightly smoky, amber. Almost gourmand due to the sweetness & spices but still very true to the amber accord. A perfect unisex amber, in my opinion. The imagery that this fragrance gives me is toasting marshmallows over a Christmas tree bonfire. Strength and durability is good. One spray is enough. I have worn this at night prior to sleeping and I was still able to smell it on my skin in the morning. I live in a humid, tropical climate so I have to be selective when wearing this as it is a bold fragrance with good protection and is intensified with the heat. I sampled many ambers before deciding that Ambre Khandjar was the champion. This will be a staple in my collection.

Dry, powdery plum. I’m testing a spray sample and I absolutely love it. The plum and sandalwood notes remind me of a more wearable, 2020 version of Feminite du Bois by Shiseido, a scent I loved in the 90s and wore until it’s discontinuation. There’s less spice and wood, and Ambre Khandjar has a dominant benzoin with a detectable patchouli, and vanilla sweetening up the composition. But it’s first and foremost a simple dusty plum with good quality support notes. I have fallen in love, just in time for the Fall season which is when the Amber perfumes come out of hiding. My favorite season for labdanum and spices. Contemplating a purchase or trade if you have it and are reading this review, please pm me.

This is so nice! Tested it and immediately bought the 25ml bottle (which will someday be replaced by a bigger one..almost sure). It smells exactly like a mix of MFK's Grand Soir (which I also love and is a bit more beast mode than this) and Tom Ford's Plum Japonais. Delicious, spicy, plum, vanilla, ambery and almondy scent. Nothing 'metal' about this in my opinion. This is especially suited for cold days and warm sweaters (and really unisex btw), but I'm also wearing this today on a warm spring day. In some way, I think because of the plum, this also fits. It's really addictive, so I can't stop wearing this! Try it out if you can!

Another successful blind-buy! I obsessively read reviews and when I realized it wasn't that easy to come across, I decided to take the risk and buy a FB. It's lovely. Some people mentioned it smelling like shisha, I would say that's a fair description. I honestly didn't love it at first, it was a bit odd and there was a tobacco note coming through pretty strong, but after about 15 minutes it dried down to a smoky, sweet, dried fruit and incense. If you were/are a fan of TF Sahara Noir, I think this would be a decent replacement. It's just a touch sweeter and I touch less smoky, but definitely close.

Absolutely smitten by this, sooooo delicious. What I'm getting is a deep cherry or plum liqueur, heavy, syrupy and heavenly. Once that dissipates a bit, even though it's not listed, strong tobacco associations, like the scent of the street outside a cigarette factory - I used to pass one very often and it smelt exactly like the mid of this scent, only this has a bit sweeter tinge to it (that's why people find Aziyadé in this). Far dry-down is amber, vanilla, benzoin heaven. A true bliss of a scent. Projection, sillage, and longevity leave nothing wanting as well.

I got this fragrance for christmas. I gotta admit, in the opening on my skin it smells like someone smoked a whole pack of cigarettes with some special sweet notes, but after about an houer it smells like a nice mixture of amber, plum, spices and a bit of smokeyness. On my friends skin the opening is completely different. There it smells in the opening like creamy amber, almoast a bit like honeywax. After the opening it turns into the same smell as on my skill. The longevity and sillage is crazy on bouth of our skins. All over all i would recommend it.

Opening is strong labdanum, just a little bit too intense. After a few seconds I get soft plum, resins, sandalwood, patchouli and smoky vanilla. I think it's a beautiful scent, not offensive (after the first few seconds anyway) but still brings enough depth to be interesting. It unfortunately dries down pretty fast to a more anonymous amber scent but those base notes stay all day on the skin without fail. Sillage is moderate. If the top notes stayed a little longer it would be a 10/10, but honestly this is still near perfection to me.

Ooo, this is a delicious, sticky, resinous plum. Almost a little bit animalic deep down. Very sweet, a little sour, and heavy and not something I would easily wear though. I would say it leans a bit masculine, not that it matters. I can almost smell a whiff of tobacco in it for some reason, more specifically the smell of when you're smoking shisha/waterpipe. I think for the one who feels comfortable wearing it, it would be absolutely lovely, but I know that it's not a scent for me right now.

What a beautiful fruity amber. Spicy, powdery and balsamic with a sort date/plum/dried fruit sweetness. It makes me think of scents like Ambre Narguile, Relativemente Rosso, Malin & Goetz Dark Rum, Danse Sauvage, Atelier Gold Leather and Que Tal. It's spicy, boozy, balsamic and fruity. Is it reinventing the wheel? no. Have I smelled scents like this before? yes. Is this an absolutely stunning execution of this category? also YES.

Very sophisticated and complex perfume . It has this unique elegance and very interesting and intriguing. When i wear it i feel very powerful and feel like i can accomplish anything. Its very mysterious and something intriguing about this perfume. Un Nuit Nomad it's an excellent Niche house . I'm so happy to find such a beautiful and uniqness in all the perfumes that i purchased from this brand .

Really good perfume !I love It! Reminds me of Tom Ford Tobacco Oud ,but they are not identical, just have some similarities. The scent is dark, woody with hint of tobacco and smoky plum. Great perfume for fall and winter. The performance is good.

Another beauty from Jerome di Merino. I adore this plum, benzoin, vanila with gorgeous patchouli and creamy oris. I could bath in it. For any one who loves oriental style perfumes and want to be different to mass market crap.

Gorgeous! The plum note really seals the deal for this one. Is it super unique? I have not smelled anything like it, but the notes don't seem very unusual to me. I would buy a full bottle of this for sure.

smells like Haribo cola gummy candy in the bottle and on first spray, but when it has settled it turns into this warm, spicy vanilla that lasts all day! Love it and it's my current signature scent.

enveloping amber and vanilla scent with a touch of cold incence. It is really good, especially in the winter. When I smell close to the skin I really feel the incense, the one we diffuse in rooms.

Amazing, unique blend with high quality Amber here is masculine and sexy same time

I don't really enjoy ambers, so I am very surprised that I really liked this one. It is quite smokey for an amber to the point where you might call it an ambery incense instead, (how is it not listed?) but sandalwood vanilla and benzoin are often included in incense mixes so it may be implied. I would go as far as to say it is more of a fruity incense, with amber elements, because at all times smoke and a fruity sweetness sit in the forefront. Essentially what I immediately get is a boozy but slightly tart plum fruitiness with a discrete chocolatey patch vibe and a smokey but also vanillic tobacco note. As I wait the smoky vanilla patch remains constant, some labdanum showing up, but the fruitiness never really leaves it just lingers like in Bon Parfumeur 401 but milder adding this sweet almost honeyed fruitiness into the dark but warm tobacco incense. Very impressive! A winter nighttime exclusive for me, unisex to slightly masculine leaning. A solid option if you are into incense and woody ambers. I recommend this as a more modern, less complex (and slightly more budget-friendly) version of Parfum d'Empire Ambre Russe, in the way it blends sweet amber with smoky woody tobacco incense and boozy nuances. I probably still slightly prefer the former just slightly, but may invest in a bottle of Ambre Khandjar to wear as a less formal variation.

Laudano Nero EDT. Ambre Khandjar is a lighter, more wearable version of Tiziana Terenzi's icon Laudano Nero. Spicy, resinous accord of labdanum lightened and freshend with fruity & sweet plums. Benzoin adds further soft & lightly-woody sweetness without ever turning Ambre Khandjar into a cloying or gourmand scent. Just the right amount of fruity sweetness to balance the spicy resins. Spicy, resinous, slightly-sweet, leathery, lightly-fruity, & plum-y. Using plum here is perfect for it's, argubly, the best fruit to balance out woods & resins in a winter-oriented fragrance. Look at Tom Ford Plum Japaonis for a good example. When I call it Laudano Nero EDT I mean that as a compliment. Nero is a unique and challenging perfume to wear and enjoy but it's quite popular for a niche fragrance. Ambre Khandjar being a more wearable version is a big plus. A masculine, cool weather wear. Big "Like".

Ambre Khandjar is a beautiful, fruity, amber and balsamic perfume. It makes an impression right from the opening, in which we are immediately treated to an extremely dense and dry blast of dried and smoked plums. I am not a big fan of the aroma of these fruits in perfumes, but in the version of smoked plum that we get in Ambre Khandjar I like it very much. The plum is wonderfully combined with resin, the light sweetness of vanilla, the balsamic nature of benzoin and the buttery-creamy mix of other notes. The whole thing is wonderfully balsamic, sweetish, dry and oriental. I lack better parameters to be completely happy. Such a thick, rich mixture should last with appropriate strength for long hours, and in the meantime longevity surprises on the downside, it is very average. That is why I do not know if I will decide to buy a bottle. 9/10

Such a scary opening. I found it very dense and cloying, it gave me a slight headache. I get a TON of labdanum and smoky (tobacco?) plum. Drydown starts feeling boozier, and there's a good amount of leather. Sadly it still feels sharp and heavy. It's also super dry. I had to scrub it off. Probably impossible for me to even finish this 2ml sample but I appreciate the uniqueness of this. The first smell was genuinely shocking, I wasn't sure what to think. [Jan 12 update]: After neglecting it for months and deciding to try this again, it has become much less "scary" and overwhelming. It does smell much nicer in the air rather than the skin up close, as I don't notice the smoky plum as much, which is what annoyed me. Moved from "dislike" to "like". I will be using this sample occasionally as it's growing on me every time I smell it!

I keep accidentally sampling perfumes with this scent profile. This smells like a mix of the plum and booze from Scents of Wood Plum in Cognac with the chocolate and tobacco from Fzotic's Ummagumma. The comparison to Oud in Bourbon from the previous reviewer is also not far off. However, something about the Scents of Wood fragrances turn harsh and synthetic on my skin, so I am enjoying my sample of Ambre Khandjar much more. This opens with darkly sweet plum juice, from a fruit that is overripe and very soft under the skin. It is followed by strong amber sweetness, which is quickly balanced by patchouli and sandalwood spice. I know there isn't a listed chocolate note but I can definitely smell a deep, dusty chocolate note, not sweet. This is very well blended, and the mix of warm spice and sweetness turn into a cloud of incense.

I received this fragrance as a blind sample from Parfum Exquis and was really pleasantly surprised. Ambre Khandjar is an amber-woody scent that isn't quite the traditional amber fragrance because of the sweetness that comes from the vanilla and the brief fruity opening. That sweetness takes the woody aspect of Ambre Khandjar from an acrid-type wood, which you can tell wants to come out, and transforms it into more of a cigar tobacco-type scent. At first, it reminded me a little of PDM Carlisle. In the mid, it becomes more of a sweet incense, reminiscent of Serge Lutens Ecrin de Fumee. Very clever combinations. In the far end of the dry down, vanilla is the most prominent note that I detect. I had zero expectations of this fragrance since I'd never heard of it before, but I am very fascinated by it.

Didn't blow me away, but it definitely understood the assignment. Rich, pleasant fruity amber, that feels very dense, resinous and somewhat boozy - it does, in fact, have something liquor-ish and/or edible about it, like drinking something delicious in an Oriental market. That being said, I don't find it particularly outstanding among all the good-smelling perfumes in the same category. I'm surely gonna finish my sample and I would totally wear it if I somehow got in possession of a bottle, but this doesn't compel me enough to actually buy one for my collection. Pleasant but there are way more interesting releases from the brand, and more unique takes on a similar scent profile (Plum in Cognac by Scents of the Wood is the first that comes to my mind). (@sharpteethstarlet on TT for more reviews 🌝)

Opens with a boozy, plum wine -- like a deep inhale over a glass of Umeshu. It's such a delicious, true to life smell complete with the alcoholic bite. Then it morphs to a smoky, sticky resinous incense. I would guess it's the laubdanum and the benzoin coming out to play. Underneath it all, there's a hint of sandalwood giving the dry down a pencil-shaving vibe. Works for most seasons, and is mild enough even for a warm summer day. I don't find this scent particularly sultry. Sillage is also fairly close to skin. Amber Khandjar is a lovely, innofensive fragrance that I find very wearable. It won't overwhelm you or others around you. A not too sweet jammy perfume, like a toned down Nest Black Tulip or TF Black Orchid with a little more incense in the mix.

This smells exactly like a very smoky old fashioned cocktail drink. If you love old fashioned's and want to smell like one, you'll probably like this one. I wore my sample to a distillery. It seemed befitting. It has notes of deep appley amber, warm spices and a lot of smoke. Ambre Khandjar is in the same realm as Angel's Share and Oud in Bourbon. These three have the same warm spices and appley note. However, I prefer Angel's Share out of the three. I feel it's more feminine and more perfumey. In comparison to Oud in Bourbon, Oud in Bourbon has more dry woods, whereas Ambre Khandjar is not as woody and better blended. Smell: 8 out of 10 Longevity: 8 out of 10 Unisex, leaning a bit masculine due to the smoke For reference, I'm female.

This is by far the most olfactory challenging scent I own. It opens with a sharp (nearly metallic), potent smoked plum note that is almost animalic paired with the amber. It's bizarre but addictive, strange but comforting. Definitely not an easy wear in the opening, in my opinion. Then, hours and hours later, the scent completely shape-shifts into the most delicious and buttery gourmand. The vanilla, orris, and labdanum blend is unreal. I could not stop smelling myself, completely bewitched and utterly confused by the dry-down. Such an interesting composition that will surprise you.

- Sweet, fruity ambre and woody. Reminds me of Camel Zoologist but Ambre Khandjar doesn't have any overt animalic notes. Dries smokey and woody. I love that someone above wrote that it's similar to TF Sahara Noir. I agree! I wouldn't mind being gifted a bottle of this fragrance. If I were still into Ambers I would definitely buy it because it's gorgeous. I'd go as far as to say it's my favorite amber fragrance. I guess I have a thing for dried fruits and sweet things. This is beautiful. nfbw for me right now because I'm off amber fragrances at the moment.

Simple yet complex. I don't get the "metal" that the company release mentions. I do get a bit of smoke. That isn't mentioned either. Vanilla and leather? Yes. Quality through and through. Sweet yet ... not. Overall, this is an excellent example in a genre with hundreds of good and great examples. The other scents from this house in my discovery box ranged from okay to good, but they each came across as missing that certain something. Ambre Khandjar lacks nothing and they squarely nailed what they were going for. On my short list of full-bottle-wants.

Plum, yes. And dates and Arabian sweets. It's divine, bold and intoxicating. Sweet, but not annoying. Very, very interesting. I've got the discovery set from Une Nuit Nomade and I am surprised that I adore all of those creations... If you want an intense and peppery scent, try Suma Oriental. If you want something sweeter and spicier, go for Ambre Khandjar. But if you prefer your sweet fragrance to be delicate and inoffensive, Sugar Leather is a fantastic choice! I would recommend them all for a test, if you like this one.

I tested this on a holiday in Bali recently. I found myself constantly holding my wrist to my nose. Starts out a loud boozy and spicy and circles around to become a thick creamy, softer spiced amber that lasted ages. Probably a little heavy for the tropics, but i live in a cold climate and i would have bathed in this. My god do I regret not buying it. I left that day, Didn’t realize no one stocks it in Australia. Will have to get my head around shipping costing half as much as a bottle 🥴

Fruity, smoky, sweet, leathery, spicy, ambery and heavy on the labdanum. Very warm. But it’s slightly overwhelming and unbalanced. Regardless, it’s nice. Lasts all day and develops into a very cozy vanilla/amber/labdanum scent a few hours in (I prefer the drydown). It’s pretty masculine in my opinion, but I’m a girly girl and I liked it on me. Wouldn’t spend money on a full size and would prefer something like Sugar Leather or Bohemian Soul from UNN on a partner.

I think this perfume’s performance very much depends on the compatibility with the wearer’s skin chemistry! I liked this one way more on me than on paper. It is more ambery on my skin (I pick up incense although not list)... and more plummy on my clothes which for me— equals to a very warm, sweetly spiced olfactory experience overall! You have to be into ambers to like this. Don’t be afraid of it! It’s worth testing out! I for one will be purchasing a bottle.

I swear I can smell tobacco even though it is not listed as a note. I guess a combination of benzoin, labdanum and sandalwood is tricking my mind. Nevertheless it is amazing, sweet, deep and resinous. It reminds me of those old stylish rooms with wooden furniture, where people go to drink cognac, smoke and brag about how much money they lost on horse races last Thursday. The plum note is chef's kiss in this one. I recomend,

Ordered the discovery set from Une Nuit Nomade, and first off, BEAUTIFUL packing, very evocative and artistic, and super fast shipping. <3 This type of scent totally isn't my vibe at all, but it's definitely a smoky, unisex to masculinie, oriental-style "dry" amber. There's almost leathery touches to it. As far as ambers go (I typically dislike them), this isn't that bad. Brings to mind a very classy, elegant man.

This might be a really personal take, but for me, Amre Khandjar smells like a Finnish sauna on a summer night. Maybe that is why I find this fragrance oddly fresh. For my nose, it is a sweet and woody scent with the addition of a smoky tar note. It is truly beautiful, but not for me, as it leans more masculine.

Very similar to Roja PDLN 1 as they both share strong labdanum + benzoin. Yes they are different. No this is not a replacement. The plum in this is noticeable, but seems to be more in the background. Good performance, and for a decent price as well.

A fragrance that rivals many tobacco perfumes. Very sharp plum, but I'm lucky, I'm a fan of it! Or I would even say plum wine! Interesting, should definitely be in everyone's collection

Smoke from burnt plums, dry amber and patchouli. Edit Actually is not bad, especially if you can wait for the drydown. More interesting than Sugar Leather but the plum is overwhelming.

Leathery, incensed, moderately dirty and soft-textured. Warm rather than cold.

deeply sweet almost like a gourmand, reminds me of soft caramel candy

I was given this fragrance as a gift and would never buy this myself due to the horrid orientalism that the creators of Un Nuit Nomade dabble with. When solely focusing on the fragrance itself, it’s an adequate oriental amber with a heavy and boozy sweetness coming from the rum and plum. The opening is heavy on the plum and ylang-ylang together with a musty dryness coming from the orris and sandalwood, which I didn’t enjoy at all. The scent was more pleasant when it had completely set on my skin, which took about half an hour for me. The drydown is nice and the leather note is in my opinion the best aspect of this fragrance. An all around meh fragrance with a yucky aftertaste of orientalism.

Not for the faint of heart. Heavy, dry, robust, suffocatingly warm, decidedly Middle Eastern. I don't get mandarin but black plum make sense for the first 15 minutes until the spice market completely takes over. Again with the over-patchouli-ing that this line tends to have, which slightly ruins it for me (but maybe I am overly sensitive to it). Edit: ended up buying a 25ml. There's something captivating about it.

Ordered a sample set that included this fragrance. It's nice, Sweet plum is truly the most domonant note here, and it's coated by some sandalwood and patchouli. It suits colder weather in my experience, and if your body heat rise too much it turns a bit cloying. I think its somewhat reminiscent of few of the heavier Tom Ford, but it's lacking the strength. It's ok, again. Not bad and not spectacularly good.