Ambre Impérial

This is a very nice sweet amber fragrance with vanilla and fruity vibes. First hits are a fruity citrus from the bergamot with a hint of spice. This Act is fleeting before the main actors of Amber and vanilla take the stage with Benzoin and tonka adding some slight, dry, powdery facets in secondary roles. The citrus note from the Bergamot does come and go like a supporting actor for me for most of the scent life, and it adds the fruitiness to the sweet vanilla and amber notes. The dry down, like it says, is generic woody notes, hints of sandalwood/cedar etc mostly just a synthetic woody note that underlies the rest of the composition. But have no doubts, the heart is where this fragrance really shines and what a performance. I have had this on constantly since I got it yesterday and my wrist is more or less stuck to my nose. Ok I have to admit I am a sucker for Amber notes which might be why I like this fruity vanillic take on amber so much. The quality of ingredients is top notch. I am testing this from a small 2ml sample so not been spraying much but projection is pretty good. I can smell it strongly on me. Longevity likewise is around the 6-7 hour mark with about 5-6 tiny spritzes from the sample so I have a feeling this would perform even better with proper even sprays from the full bottle or even a bigger decant. Two other fragrances it reminds me of to some extent is L'Ambre des Merveilles by Hermes although Ambre Imperial is somewhat fuller and has better performance. The other one is Dazzle by Al Haramain and I hesitate to make this comparison coz Dazzle is more or less a cruder, ham fisted version of this but it does have a similar vibe. If sweet fruity ambers are your thing, this is one of the best ones I have smelled so far. Ambre Imperial is beautiful.

I obtained a 75ml 2.5 fl oz bottle of Van Cleef & Arpels Ambre Imperiale at a deep discount from a popular online vendor. I had originally received a 2ml sample tester prior to this with an order from the same seller. Im a sucker for a warm sweet amber note in a fragrance...and this hit the mark perfectly. The opening is a very well blended pink pepper/spice accord that adds to the warmth of the fragrance as a whole. It soon gives way to a very rich, warm , sweet , soft amber/vanilla accord that is devastatingly elegant & beautiful. Wholly Unisex..the cashmere-smooth amber/vanilla/musk accord will warm your heart and comfort you...its like wearing a hug. It projects very well, in an in-offensive manner...and has real staying power. This has become one of my-all time favorites...and i would definitely purchase more from the VC & R “Collection Extraordinare” line. Elegant, classy, sophisticated, refined, warm, comfort.. I really enjoy wearing this throughout the winter season.. Very few fragrances have brought me this level of comfort and I continue to fall in love with it time and time again each Winter! If you love amber ..you will thoroughly enjoy this composition. The Verdict : EXCELLENCE

Complex warm scent, starts slightly fresh, but always with a sweet undertone and fully develops into a delicious gourmand, smelling of a vanilla cake fresh from the oven (at least to my nose). The Tonka Bean is strongly present and who ever tasted Tonka Bean in a dessert cream or used it as a spice (like French cuisine), might agree with me that it sometimes can beat Vanilla - if you like a bolder approach and a caribbean touch. Wikipedia says, they have a strong fragrance similar to sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) due to their high content of coumarin. Anyhow, a mouthwatering scent which develops a little powder in the dry down, but never so strong that it makes you cough (which happens to me with overwhelmingly powdery scents, I normally tend to like very fresh greenish-white flowery-scents...) In a nutshell: Smelled it and went "Mmmmh..." ..nom, nom... where's that cake, can I have a piece?! ;)

The perfumes of Collection Extrodinaire from Van Cleef & Arpels are underrated gems. Everything I’ve tested suggest qualitiy ingredients which then translates into natural executions. And Ambre Imperial is no exception. I pick up a gourmand, carmelized amber, with vanilla and benzoin. It comes across fizzy, like a carbonated cocktail with a citrus twist. The drydown smells like biscuits baking in the oven. I think this scent translates best in the Fall with a fresh outdoors or wood lodge vibe. Performance is acceptable on my second wearing; about 3-4 hours (I have dry skin). A unisex scent, going in a slightly feminine direction. What prevents this line from being “masterpieces” is a lack of something more unique note-wise, but Ambre Imperial comes close. Still, at the bargain price found on the discount sites, I’m in love with this affordable, crowd pleasing line from VC&A.

Hate at initial spray and well for the first 10 minutes or so. All i got was a harsh pepper mellowed down by a little citrus. Way too masculine and not a hint of amber anywhere! After 10 minutes or so, the magic started happening 😍 I started getting whiffs of a super soft, delicate, creamy whipped vanilla drizzled with something sweet. Like come sort of scrumptious vanilla pastry 🥮 😋 At first, I wasn’t really sure where this deliciousness is coming from and had to double check that it’s not coming from where I sprayed that citrusy pepper abomination that i was more than ready to wash off, and to my surprise and delight, it was indeed the source 😍😍 It has transformed into the coziest, most delicate amber-vanilla skin scent that I could easily see myself getting addicted to 😍 😋

My first introduction to this collection was the Orchidee Vanille. I fell in love. A beautiful vanilla with a bit of grit. I love a sweet gourmand, but made for a grown up. I was running low and had been searching for a back up bottle, and decided to give this one a try. This is not your teenager's vanilla. Velvety amber layered with deep boozy vanilla and earthy tonka blended beautifully with citrus and woody notes. It's beautiful and sensuous, not pretty and ladylike. This is a sexy scent - male or female - this is a fragrance for anyone who is looking for something expertly made and rich. A bit more projection and longevity would be a bonus, but I love this fragrance and won't be waiting for winter to wear it. I can't wait to try the other scents in this collection.

Transparent amber and benzoin fragrance much in the vein of Hermès' L’Ambre des Merveilles. I agree with @spumyland's appreciation below. I much prefer this over Hermès' rendition. Ambre Imperial has as much benzoin as it has amber + a faint lipstick vibe (I assume iris, though not listed); but the key point here is transparency, which makes it a very welcome addition to my collection, as I am a lover of resinous orientals, but can seldom wear them to the office. This is office friendly and ELEGANT, perfect for daytime during fall, and winter, and a terriffic choice for a summer evening out, or a business cocktail. Projection: Soft to Moderate. I usually use 4 sprays, but increase to 5 or 6 of this in cooler temperature. Longevity: Approx. 4-5 Hours

Its a lightly sparkling, softly spiced, vanilla amber gourmand. I find with this one, it actually smells and develops better on clothes then skin. If I spray on my wrist I feel like its almost water and cant smell anything, but if I spray on my sweater then five or ten mins. later I can smell a sweet slightly spiced gourmand. I didn't think I liked it at first as I was hoping for more tonka and sweetness, but on my sweater its balanced as softly spiced gourmand as stated before. I think it is good for work on the colder days. I imagine this is what amber nuite smells like but I have never tired that one. pretty and light.

Blind buy. The first thing I smelled was a lot of pink pepper and bergamot, the pepper almost irritated my nose and I wanted to sneeze. But after a couple of minutes the pepper settled down and I smelled an incredibly soft, delicate, creamy vanilla amber scent. It is difficult for me to single out any specific notes, because it is a fragrance that smells just warm. When I wear this fragrance, I feel like I'm wrapped in a warm scarf by the fireplace and drinking hot tea with some vanilla oriental sweets. Very cozy, very warm, very soft. Long lasting, but the sillage is on the more intimate side.

This is so so nice on my skin. Warm sweet vanilla amber. I had a wee bit of a sample and put the few dabs on my chest, and I keep getting such lovely whiffs. This is my absolute favorite type of perfume, it slightly reminds me of 2 of my favorites (though not dupes) Guerlain Shalimar Millesime Tonka and Byredo Slow Dance. I don’t think this perfume was made to be a beast. This is more of a “I love you, come closer” kind of scent, special for you and those special people you let close. But it’s such a joy to wear. I am adding this to my ever expanding want list.

This one is a strong but sophisticated amber and woody scent for anytime perfect from autumn to spring! Or even summer in a cool weather at home, too. I love the way of appealing this scent with a bit of booziness from my wrists every time I’d like to sniff it. It is also a good compliment getter. It’d be a good idea to share with family or couple as totally a unisex experience. I love the scent gives me a deep steadiness and calmness, but it is a heavier scent so maybe not for a beginner as I first felt a little bit overwhelming.

Amber Imperial is a real unisex fragrance, I pick up a warm/sweet caramelized amber vib with a a very sutble floral tone. There's also vanilla and tonka making it perfect during the fall and winter months. Longevity and Silage is very good lasting between 6-8hrs. I enjoy using this juice with a natural aroma of notes and not a synthetic pool. There's a smig more sweet than spicy blend which I prefer with this sort of aroma. I don't over spray only one or two times depending if it's for evening wear....8/10

Ambre Imperial is like Guerlain's Tonka Imperial suitable for both genders. It blends with the skin to a very unique scent. AI starts a bit zesty but turns quickly into a warm and cozy wrap. It's the drydown which makes it similar to Guerlain's TI and Dior's Feve Delicieuse. TI has the slight bitter almond note while FD is more on the soft feminine side. All three fragrances are long lasting, warm and comforting. AI has the strongest Amber note of all which justifies its name - Ambre Imperial.

I am not into sweet scents but this one is so amazing I bought it as soon as I smelled it. Very delicate amber and the sweetness of vanilla comes slowly during wear time. Update : 31 January 2018 Bought my second bottle. Amazing stuff. Update : 17 January 2019 Bought my third bottle Update : Fourth bottle 23 November 2020 Fifth bottle July 2022 This is getting silly 😂 .. I'm stopping with the fifth update. But you catch my drift. Timeless Perfume.

This is stunning. Grand Soir who??? This amber fragrance is much more captivating than some of the "greats" that I've tried. Why isn't this revered more?? What a lovely amber+vanilla. Smells classy and well-balanced. Highly recommend for someone looking for beautiful sweet amber vanilla with a calm woody base. The spices are dialed back and not taking over, which is my personal gripe for so many amber perfumes. This is a blind buy success.

A very easy to wear amber/ vanilla with a nice classy finish that doesn't turn too simple, there's a nice woodiness to the finish. If I wanted something stand-out and unique this wouldn't be it. I might want something more unusual or edgy for evening, or something more enigmatic for daytime, but Ambre Imperial is supremely easy to wear - snug, cosy, inviting with no surprises. A perfect classy comfort scent for autumn and winter.

Beautiful and elegant. I can see how it might be perceived as masculine, but really it’s a gorgeous option for women as well. At first application it’s a woody, ambery vanilla...smooth and creamy and a little smoky, not unlike the smoky accord in “by the fireplace” but more natural, less smokehouse. This is one of these fragrances that is “unexpected” on a feminine woman, which I think adds to the whole mystique and mystery!

I just picked this up at a great price as a blind buy for fall.... I am not disappointed. It's a soft, vanilla, ambery and almost musky skin scent. Dries down to a straight up soft amber. So subtle but I can't stop smelling my arm! I am also getting a bit nostalgic with it because the initial notes reminded me a bit of the old Jean Naté body splash my mother used to wear in the 70's.

THIS IS A "SPEAK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG STICK" FRAGRANCE. I love the benzoin and woods in here! This could easily scare young children if it weren ́t for its transparency and for the fact it sits close to the skin. Sophisticated and assertive. I love it for the office, or a dinner date on a summer night. This is my update. You ́ll find my review from Dec 2018, 6 or 7 entries below.

Everyone knows QB is a genius. My faves are the ones he did with fellow bomb perfumer Natalie Gracia-Cetto. But there’s something about Ambre Impérial that really does it for me. It’s subtle sweet and a touch animalic with a luxe dose of amber. There’s definitely an understated elegance and sensuality to this one. It’s unique and not too much of any one thing.

I adore Van Cleef & Arpels. This one is a beautiful elegant and sophisticated, warm comfortable spicy creamy oriental perfume. Very soothing and inspiring. I love wearing it on cold days, when it's raining. It comforts and envelopes me in its warm embrace. It's just gently sweet, and beautifully masculine, which makes it a winner for me. Very delicious.

A luxurious and opulent amber, elegant and absolutely timeless. This is the kind of amber that never goes out of style, a true classic. I personally find it leaning slightly feminine, but it can easily be worn as a beautifully refined unisex fragrance. My only wish is that it had a bit more longevity. Fragrance 10/10 Longevity 5/10

I would like to say at first, this smells lovely! But the problem is, the only people who gonna smell it is the one digging there nose in your neck! Yeah that lucky guy or girl gonna like it! But no person walking by is gonna smell you.. so for me this is a home snuggle scent! So for me the price i not justified! 7/10

It's the perfect blend of amber, vanilla and almond. Sweet, creamy and smooth without being cloying. Opens as spicy bergamot, dries down as warm, powdery, vanilla. Very grown and sexy. Not the most long lasting but decent enough. Best in cold weather. My new everyday scent. Totally obsessed.

با سلام و احترام از سری کارهای نیچ ون کیلف که رایحه ای گرم و شیرین دارد اگر از روایح شیرین لذت می برید حتما از این ادکلن خوشتان خواهد آمد از لحاظ دوام و پخش بو نیز کار خوبی می باشد مردانه و کلاسیک گرم و با حرارت جهت مناسب ها و مهمانی ها کار مناسبی است با تقدیم احترام گالری عطر مهرداد

What can i say about that?? I love it!! Its totally unisex ! And it smells amazing sweet cozy .. I think its perfect for date!! If you wearing that one the other sex will fall in love with you 9/10 maybe 9.5! If you love sweet vanilla cozy gourmand fragrances go for it!!

You know when something smells so good it makes your eyes roll back lol? It's elegance and sensuality in a bottle, truly irresistible unisex amber scent. It settles into the most beautiful, warm dry down. Perfect for cold weather and date nights. Love love love!

It is a high quality sensual, creamy, warm scent. Fortunately only very slightly sweet fragrance. It is very comfortable to wear, it is like to put the finest wool pullover on. Excellent longevity and projection.

This is fantastic. A little smoky, definitely unisex. Great quality, and like others have mentioned, weak (abysmal, actually) performance. Still worth it to me - a great amber fragrance to have in a collection.

Cozy autumn/winter fragrance. Pepper notes last only a few minutes. A wonderful combination of amber and vanilla. In my head it creates an image of a fireplace, a cup of bergamot tea with marshmallow. Love it!

This smells wonderfull on my husband but on me it is to maskuline for my taste. It opens peppery and become softer after a While. I don't find it overly sweet and the sillage is close to the body.

This is very luxuryious scent,very sophisticated, smell like Real money, absolutely gorgeous,soft vanilla benzoin amber and so delicious woody notes in all in heart,dont forget this hiden gem

Great scent for winter/spring/autumn and a night out, though make sure that night out is short coz this does not last long. Shame for such a good fragrances, wish it lasted longer.

Though they're entirely different scents, as I own both, I find myself reaching for this more often than Ambre Nuit. Beautifully blended, underrated fragrance.

This must be love...❤️ With a sneeze! 😂 love it indeed, but, yes, the pepper is real too! Way passed ten hrs and it’s still projecting.

the best from this line alongside rose rouge and orchidee vanille.if you love Dior prive line Bois D'Argent, buy this. 10/10 magic

It is oriental spicy group, but i don't detect any spicy note, very smooth and pleasant, delicious. This is the best amber i own.

One of the best amber fragrances you can have Great feedback and beautiful scent with vanilla accompaniment 🤎

Cozy woody sweet and slightly salty amber. Longevity and sillage are acceptable. Love this!

such a smooth, very pleasant amber scent! not harsh, just round notes cosy elegance

I love it, a sweet woody scent but a little bit too masculine

The perfume has refined quality, nothing ground breaking.

Smells very sophisticated and expensive!

Quinton Bish needs to be named Quinton Beast! Ambre Impérial is magnificent. Its a crowd pleaser but you may need distinguished taste to appreciate its beauty. Its linear but thats not a dirty word. Everything is blended to such perfection that even a curmudgeon like Simon Cowell would be singing it's praises and giving it multiple TENs. Don't bother looking up the notes on Fragrantica bc your nose will call them a liar. Ambre Imperial is stellar and represents the brand Van Cleef & Arpels well. It's a luxury jewelry brand known for adorning celebrities on the red carpet with jewelry, that will unquestionably someday be in an estate sale like Christie's or Sotheby's. A brand like this needs the accompaniment of a fragrance to match the brilliance of their six figure time pieces. May I present to you Ambre Impérial? Im well aware that Orchidee Vanille gets all the buzz talk, but can we shine some light on Ambre Impérial? Im not shining the light bc a great fraghead blessed me with a decant of this and Im appreciative. Im highligting Ambre Impérial bc its well deserved. Ambre Imperial is what I expect judges like the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson to wear. Its the humble and quiet, unassuming power fragrance. Although I know Michelle Obama wears Creed Love in White, I can surely see her wearing it on stage for her sold out world wide book tour. This is Correta Scott King and Betty Shabazz worthy. This is what both Kobe and A.I. would choose to wear when being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Am I painting a picture clear enough here? This is what Oprah gifts the entire audience with for Christmas. This is what lawyers wear on an interview to become partner at the firm. This is what a secure man puts on when he knows he smells better than the other guy and his girl COMBINED!

Van Cleef and arpels Amber imperial perfume starts off very very peppery. So much so that for me it leans very masculine. As it goes along I get a lot of the Benzion coming through. There is a slight vanilla tonality here but this is not a sweet amber. I find it dry and very masculine. Like smelling resins warmed in your hand. The woods in the base are light and not overpowering. A warm resinous and very peppery dry amber with a slight vanilla tone. Leans masculine. Another decant goes to my husband. Another strange fragrance from this brand... My husband and I were smelling decants that I have given him last night and this one did a major shift on us just like precious oud. Precious oud smelled just like Gucci guilty intense when we first tested it then a friend I met here told me this brand has to test after shipment for awhile before wearing. Precious oud turned into a gorgeous balsamic white floral that smells similar to my bottle of Lumiere d'orient by parfums gres without the fruity notes and an additional oud. Imperial amber was a dry and peppery masculine leaning amber with a mild vanilla quality. Now it is that for about 20mins then it turns into a sweet vanilla amber. This decant has been resting now for more than a month. I guess the lesson with this brand let the bottle/decant rest for at least month before use. Edit:1/6/24 this brand drives me nuts. Now this is back to smelling the way I first described it. Now neither my husband or me like it at all. And we were really just meh about in the first place but thought it was a nice enough unisex amber. Have to rate this a dislike now. The decant is being used as bathroom air freshener.

Ambre Impérial is a really good sweet amber scent. I have long wanted to try it, and I'm not disappointed. Its bright, freshly spicy opening paves the way beautifully to the vanilla-amber base AI opens with tart, fresh bergamot followed by soft, rosy pink pepper. It is slightly unusual, but paves the way seamlessly to the sweet amber base. The pink pepper lingers until the drydown, tying it all together beautifully. It feels luxurious, if low-key. As it develops, the vanilla-amber accord develops. Creamy and softly spicy, it is smooth and satisfying throughout. The tonka bean follows, adding an almond-like, slightly gourmand feel. The vanilla is dry and powdery, grown-up and good-quality. There is no cloying syrup here. Some dry woodiness comes to the fore as it dries down, complementing the amber beautifully. Peppery spice remains, giving a slight cola effect alongside the soft sweetness. It fades to a powdery woody-vanilla skin scent. Sillage and longevity are moderate. It is an autumn/winter scent. A high-quality, sweet amber scent that is not gourmand, AI is unisex despite its sweetness. It does remind me of Hermès L'Ambre des Merveilles, particularly as the bright, peppery opening subsides, but with more tonka and spice. Perhaps a little expensive based on performance, but truly lovely. 4/5.

At first sniff I get a blast of the bergamot and pepper but it doesn't last long at all, thankfully for me. Then it turns to a warm, cozy Amber that's sweet but not too sweet. There's also a slight incense-y accord to my nose. Once it dries down I get more of the vanilla, woods and it also becomes slightly powdery on me, which I love. I can't speak of longevity yet because it only just arrived today. A blind buy success! I'm really going to love wearing this in the fall and winter. Edit// so I've had this for about a month and the longevity is actually quite decent on me. I'm loving this more and more every time I wear it. I got a full size on fragrancenet for a really great price. Edit// 9/16/22 - right now I have Ambre Imperial on my left arm and MFK Grand Soir on my right arm to test side by side. AI smells sweeter and a little powdery while GS smells more masculine and almost pissy and rubbery in a way. Out of the 3 times I've worn GS I've only liked it the second time. Overall, I definitely prefer AI 100000%.

Wearing this beauty first time this year and wondering why I have been neglecting it so much. With life and weather transitioning into Autumn, it's time to enjoy warm, cozy cuddling fragrances. Ambre Imperial embodies all that and stands in front of the line. A very delicate, warm and comforting scent. The amber is there, airy and never powdery. Vanilla, tonka and benzoin play the main role. Benzoin mimics a soft, smokey incense. Like burning a log of aromatic wood. It's true, as many have noted, it bears many similarities with Eau des merveilles and Ambre des merveilles. You can feel that burnt orangey smokiness typical of Eau des Merveilles. I am glad i own a full bottle that i promised myself to use more this coming season (truth to be said, you need to spray often as longevity is lacking). However, it puzzles me that with such opaque black bottle, i dont know how much juice is inside....

This is super lovely up close. It's warm, sensual, cozy, but almost effervescent in the benzoin and vanilla/tonka notes, almost bubbling up and fizzing like Pop Rocks. It's sparkling, in a way, but doens't lose its warm, amber characteristics for it. The pepper is prominent, but it doesn't take over any of the other notes or accords. I think this fizzy impression is somewhat muddier the further away you get, but it's still a pleasant woody, spicy amber. It's well made, well blended, very wearable, and pretty unisex. I would hazard a guess that it is overpriced, though I don't think people who are drawn to these notes will be disappointed. Don't need a full bottle, but happy with my mini and I will definitely be wearing it in the cooler weather. 8/10.

Warm, bright, and slightly powdery. Personally, there is something nostalgic about the fragrance. I remember a visit to my aunt's place back when I was a kid. We would have dinner and later watch TV, sitting on a fluffy rug that somehow smelled like a combination of baby powder and a vintage, Shalimar-like fragrance. I have no idea what home fragrance she used, but the air smelled like Ambre Imperial... sans the creaminess and the smokiness. And speaking of smokiness, to me, Ambre Imperial smells like a less bright version of L'Orchestre's Ambre Cello, combined with the smoky and creamy facets of Atelier des Ors' Lune Feline. The facets dissipated pretty quickly on my skin, though, but the powdery trail they left behind was prettty comforting.