Amber Star

This was a real surprise. I almost certain it was different to a previous time I tested it, but anyhow I will rate it on this try. It opens rich and sweet. That is already a positive. It's a mildly odd sort of sweet; like a sugary but light dessert of some sort. Not too oriental, just sweet and mild, it's a bit like a fragrant rice pudding at the start. A bit starchy, not powdery but appealing and safe even. But then, it develops after an hour into a beautiful rich, still sweet resinous amber. Addiciting and chewy sort, syrupy almost. Also, that dessert accord never really goes away; I like it. I definitely get strong tones of vanilla and benzoin over anything floral and there's near to absolutely nothing pungent, herbal green or oudhy here. It has the faintest whiff of that floral background of HDP's Ambre 114 at the end, which adds a nice touch. But now it's mainly the sweet vanilla and ambegris accords staying. Very impressive. I love amber but am somehow very fussy over them, they have to be Perfect for me, and this one nearly fully does it My rating: 9/10

Osmophor~ you are so right about this fragrance. Never have I been so in love with a fragrance. If it were possible, it would haunt my dreams (in a beautiful way, that is). I have been on the fence about taking the plunge because it is only sold in the cofrette with Star Musk, which I like but the affinity isnt as strong and as compelling as Amber Star. I have purchased other scents, including 24 Gold, trying to come close to this beauty, but to no avail. 24 Gold or Kalemat don't come close, they're not even close to scratching the surface of being on the same level in quality, complexity, presence and overall performance. I have several GWP samples from Luckyscent that I layer with Naxos or Sospiro and have received numerous compliments. Xerjoff knows how to do it right, that's for sure. In the meantime, I'm seriously considering Alexandria II which is equally as lovely.

Sweet? It's not sweet. I don't like being forced to wait at least 3 hours to be able to judge a scent. This opens with a dry, pungent cedar aka; with nuances of rubber tyre. So dull, still, nothing moving. Bland musty greyness almost (is this the 'ambergris'?? Yes the vanilla and ambergris 'come out to play' to make a #beautiful #rich swirl of #cosyness, #refined decadance and #opulent resinous woods - but by that time my girl/date would have long left me after smelling YSL homme on a flamboyant passer-by. Oh, and I'd be £220 worse off. Rubbish My rating: 4/10 Testing courtesy of Selfridges department store, London

Amber Star has, unquestionably, the Xerjoff DNA, It's interesting that the reviews make this one out to be a polarizing scent. I don't find this to be the case at all. It is not in the same league with Black Sukar, but then very few fragrances from any house are. This one seems something that can be worn without offending most who in the room. It is one of the best ambergris fragrance I have tried. It is long lasting but not a silage beast. I am glad to have tried this one and will consider purchasing a full bottle. It is unisex and can be worn in any season. This is a Chris Maurice that is special.

Such a beautiful scent. Xerjoff sent me a few samples for free after a few emails. i have to say this is such a beautiful night out scent preferablly formal. It's a load of woods and vanilla with hits of ambergris. Off the Top cedar and Ylang with the vanilla creeping up right behind it. I wore this out to my cousins wedding at Malibu beach in the evening this radiates a mile away. If they sold this scent by itself i would purchase it right now. Would i buy the box set which retails for $850.00 absolutely not. Definitely a compliment getter and panty dropper.

Testing my sample; this is a churchy and richly balsamic perfume balanced with heavily animalic musk accords that reminds me of warm and slightly sweaty skin. Must be the ambergris because that note never fails to remind me of sweaty skin lol. Goes on incredibly strong and balloons as it sits and warms up on my skin, gets more vanillic and powdery as it develops. Cool/cold weather only, this is perfect for a frigid winter day or an icy autumn night. Only needs body heat to be enjoyed.

Opening is amber spicy, with almost a hint of leather, and then it moves into an almost fruity amber myrrh. I don't usually love ylang ylang, but here I think it is what creates a gorgeous floral freshness that almost feels fruity. In the background the vanilla and sandalwood adds a lovely sweetness. This scent just keeps getting better and better each time I try it.

Divine scent. Opening with rich dry cedar notes and unobtrusive ylang. After a while ambergiris and vanilla are dancing in harmonious symphony. On my skin so soft, rich and balmy. Since I am not familiar with guaiac or gurjan notes, I dare to say that they are those unknown notes enriching this elegance with exotic warm sensuality. So smooth.

This is a masterpiece. Truly amazingly crafted. Everything blends in perfectly. I'm this close to buying some mls from a sample site cause Im never going to buy the set. The star musk just ain't worth it. Layered with star musk is also amazing but not because of sm. 10/10

Got this and Star Musk samples from luckyscent a few days ago. It does resemble 24 Gold, and I do like it a lot. This mixes well with Star Musk, and easily lasts 12+ hours on me. If I hit the jackpot in the Powerball I'll think about it.....

Great balmy scent. Superb quality of ingridients! It has prominently the Xerjoff "handwriting". Has an outstanding longevity. Reminds me in some notes of Kabul Aoud by Montale.

I swear I’d have had the full bottle of this in my hand If they didn’t sell it as a part of a set! Only got myself a vial now. It’s so intoxicating, grand and everything rich!

Very good, aoudy, woody, amber-sweetish and slightly floral fragrance. Reminds me of LM Black Oud somehow. Big winner...92

Amber gold standard. Such an amazing scent. Too bad it's not sold solo, otherwise I'd be all over it.

Smooth, creamy amber. Smells fantastic but too linear. İ want something more characteristic

This is probably the most beautiful amber with sandalwood perfume that I’ve tried.

Performance is weak! But the smell is soooooo good! Sweet warm woody ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opulent and regal. I wouldn’t describe it as an amber scent. Actually it is not amber but ambergris. I don’t know how ambergris smells but because of the perfumes I smelled that has ambergris in it, I can say that they have something in common and ambergris is absolutely there. It gives an animalic and sexy vibe. But not harsh civet or castoreum. Overall I think it is more vanillic than anything else. It is very sweet. I can detect some florals too, but minor. Projection and longevity is amazing. Everybody notice you. Once I sprayed it a bit much, and I could smell it when I iron my shirt after I washed. It is very sexy and very classy. Normally I don’t find sweet fragrances classy. I love them but not find them classy. But this one is very sweet and very classy at the same time. It is totally unisex. Men can find it a bit sweet without spices but women would adore it. I don’t find it middle eastern or Arabic but I bet people from there would love it. Sometimes you can’t describe how it smells but you can draw a picture so others can understand you. This is what I draw; opulent arabesque palaces with golden decoration with black velvets, people in suits and nightdresses with golds accessories scream money and luxury. Gold everywhere... Yes, this smells like money. The only downside is it has to come with a very average sibling. It doesn’t smell like 24 gold, Kalamat or Oud save line but in the same genre. Better than them. 7/10

#1011 in my "Tour de Fragrance" This is nice, but I don't love it. Standard amber and wood scent with a tinge of sharpness from the ylang ylang that hangs on a surprisingly long time, or at least longer than you usually get. It's a long lasting scent. Give it that. And it initially projects a good four feet. But all in all it's pretty unremarkable. Certainly car pool, elevator, small office safe, and versatile enough for any use, but the pricing is just nuts. You can get four or more great scents for this kind of money. With a $400+ price tag this stuff should be incredible, but it is not incredible at all. You can get this minus the performance with ScentStory's "24 Gold" EDT for $30, or the much better performing EDP "24 Gold Oud Edition" for around $45. Tiziana Tirenzi has a couple with this vibe that are more complex and floral, "Nero Oudh", that runs about $120, and "Talitha" that's much fresher and more citrus forward (too much so for some), more of a summer scent, with real Calabrian bergamot, not that synthetic crap, that runs about $105. Bois 1920 has "Oro Bianco" that's in this vein for under $100. This won't be a bottle buy for me. Probably wouldn't be if it were priced above $100. Definitely would be an insane blind buy.

After reading most of the reviews regarding Amber Star, I have come to the assumption no one really understands exactly how you are supposed to wear it! I was one of these people until I decided to read the description on Xerjoff’s official website. Amber Star was created for layering. Either between its counterpart, Star Musk, or as an addition to any other fragrance that would benefit from a powdery, resinous composition. The function of Amber Star is to gently enhance, and to do that, the fragrance needs to provide a gentle embellishment. I have read numerous comments that this fragrance is too linear or that it doesn't speak to them. However, I think that's the point. On its own, I don't think Amber Star can hold its own weight, but when it's combined with something else, it can be really beautiful. I agree they need to separate the two fragrances so that you can purchase either one without having to pay $650. Perhaps they can provide a free sample of one or the other if they really want you to experience the two together. At this point, the fragrance community I'm sure has combined countless fragrances and has created unique elixirs and potions that I think Xerjoff may need to tip their cap and move on.