Stellar Amber

I have the OG Amouage Guidance and I am very pleased by having a bottle of Stellar Amber by Zara, too. Very similar to the actual Guidance. Now I don ́t want to discourage anyone from getting the Guidance, by no means, as I really appreciate the perfume (not that much because of its actual beauty, but more because I find it really interesting, unique), but I ́m thinking actually, would I be getting it if I had a chance to get Stellar Amber before? That ́s how much of a close dupe it is. Like, in the world of dupes, this is a great one. :) It even starts of with that slight sourness/dill scent that is so typical for Guidance. Then it moves into the sweetish, slightly powdery, lactonic field. The juiciness of the pear is very addictive. The longevity and sillage are also pretty decent, sometimes moderate, sometimes even stronger. In fact, very, very good for the price. It is noticeable, the sillage is there. Now I have the "I" batch of Guidance which is considered to be weaker than the original "G" batch, so in terms of longevity and sillage it really isn ́t that far from Stellar Amber. To conclude, if you have a chance to get the "nuclear" G batch of Guidance, then it is definitely preferable to Stellar Amber. However, if you want to save some money, it is more reasonable to get Stellar Amber instead of the "I" batch of Guidance (sadly, the G batches are getting rare to find). I don ́t have the regrets, I am such a fanatic perfume collector that I am still happy to have the OG in my collection, but that would be my genuine advice if you don ́t feel like splurging that much on a perfume that is not that strong in terms of performance anymore (at least for the money). I will probably save the real Guidance for special occassions whereas I will be spraying Stellar Amber whenever I feel like having that Guidance scent on me without wasting "the expensive" one, haha. :)

I am a huge Guidance lover. Honestly head over heels with it and has been since its release in April 2023. I’m on my fourth bottle, which I think speaks volume🤭 Anyways, I was traveling and on a whim I visited Zara because I always want to see if they have any new releases. I smelled the two others from the collection first and then lastly this. Flabbergasted!! I have wished for a dupe for so long, because my pockets are hurting with Amouage😆🤚🏽 This resembles guidance so much without it being a dupe. It’s amazingly beautiful but unfortunately for me it lacks in longevity. And I still miss the floral aspect that guidance has. I have tried to layer it with Delina, which I often do with guidance and it’s just not working with this one. Even though it lacks in longevity, it is indeed stellar when it comes to silage🤭 So delina just drowns and it’s like I never layered them at all. Nevertheless, a stunning scent!

I own guidance and guidance 46 but i still love this. The peach / pear musk combo is lovely. ...and lasting and wafts around nicely and is still a skinscent 12 hours later. If you know the pear houbigant use you may recognise it here but its more peach to me. I like tbe musk in this too Not jarring and no ambroxan. The only one in the amber range that has ambroxan is amber fever and unusually for zara it's not that heavy handed... noticeable yes though. This is my favourite from the line. Do I think it's an exact dupe no...guidance is more complex. This is more fruity but this does not smell cheap at all You have to like fruity and creamy scents to like this..but if you do you may really enjoy it like I do. Gutted is seems to be being phased out already.

When I first got the Amber Collection Discovery set, this one was a little bit more forgettable to me. I don’t really recall why the disconnect was for me, I heard that some people really loved it, but it just didn’t do all of that for me. Revisiting it 7 months later and I see what they mean! It’s really delicious! It’s mostly fruity, but in a very substantial kind of way. It’s not like a summery fruity scent, though I feel like it’s not too much where you can’t wear it in the hotter weather. I do also get a Play-Doh quality about it. Maybe a little bit misnamed because this isn’t an amber forward scent to me, but it’s a very enjoyable scent. Would be a shame if they discontinued this one. Which they probably already have at this point...

At first sniff I liked this. Then came the day I wore it and it was sadly headache inducing to me. I think it is the osmanthus, I had problems with this note in other perfumes too. The olibanum makes the drydown sour and sharp on my skin. Overall a sweet, beast mode fragrance with great sillage and longevity. For the price it is a good one. However, you need to like the notes to enjoy this fragrance, it is unapologetically intense. Update: it reminds me of Initio Absolute Aphrodisiac but with better performance. Update 2: After spending more time with it in the colder weather I LOVE IT! I don't know if it macerated or what but I had it on today and could not stop smelling my arm. No headache. Just a smooth and deep ambery vanilla.

I am so impressed by this Zara fragrance. I have never smelled anything like it. I haven’t smelled guidance so I can’t compare, but wow is this scent beautiful. The longer I wear it the more I love it. It is so sweet, creamy, laconic, but also floral and ambery. It embodies femininity in my opinion. Perfect for day and evening wear. It’s almost addicting I can’t stop smelling my wrists. It’s one of those fragrances that turn heads and make you wonder what that is, because of how unique it is. Very very beautiful fragrance. And it wears for a really good amount of time and the silage is impressive!

Smells very similar to Guidance by Amouage. Sprayed this on my wrist and walked out of the store. I loved how it dried down to a creamy, sweet and lactonic scent after a while. Definitely going back to get myself a full bottle of this in the biggest size available. Edit: I couldn't wait any longer and bought the 80ml, it's gorgeous! Zara loves to randomly discontinue perfumes so I'd be quick If I were you.

This one is amazing! I must say I really did not like the opening.. it is plasticky smoky and weird, but then once the fruity sweetness comes in the scent becomes so gorgeous🥰 Definitely reminds me of Guidance but it is much more sweet and fruity but less woody and long-lasting. The performance is still okay though. It is absolutely worth trying of you have chance 😊

Stellar Amber is warm, cozy, and is reminiscent of a nurturing woman that exudes love & feels safe, but is also very sexy without trying or even realizing. I’ve been told from people ranging between the ages of 14-40 that I smell great while wearing this one. It is truly a stunner. I def need to have a few bottles in the event of discontinuation.

The lasting power it's so subjective. On me, it lasts for hours, 2 days on clothes, and overnight on the wrist. It's just that I remembered why I gave my guidance away. Even if it's a more wearable option for that screetchy beast, it's still a screetchy mess even if much more wearable than Guidance. And I got the big bottle. Dang..

It's a dark, alluring mysterious opening. A femme fatale vibe in the form of an amber bomb. That heavy resin scent softens into an airy, powdery, fruity thing – almost like bubblegum. So feminine, otherworldly even. A signature-worthy scent and a great olfactory experience. Love. Love. Love.

Yesss...a big yes! I gave my Guidance away as soon as I got it for it's harshness.this proves that Guidance can be tamed and wearable. I love it and I will get a big bottle of this. It's just that I hate my perfumes to be faint. But i like it too much. I'm getting this.

Guidance dna but much more subtle. If sprayed on clothes it lasts quite some time. Its inexpensive enough to overspray if you want. I'm all for Zara duping expensive fragrances, niche can be so in your face sometimes & I like the softness. I really like this.

Oh this is a gorgeous one! First it ́s powdery-clean and soft like a hug, later the peach comes forward but not in icky sweet way, just very juicy and sophisticated complimenting the rest of ingredients. It ́ very very feminine and seductive. Fabulous.

The drydown , OMG! STUNNING! Frutty,, slightly floral lovely vanilla! I hope Zara is not going to discontinue this. And, ok, I m an oversprayer but I sprayed it in the morninf and still smell this clearly on me 12 hours later. I love love love it

For the first few days after the first spray, it smelled like dark, sweet amber. It was ugly. Now it smells like Guidance. Very interesting. So, it seems that all perfumes macerate/maturate.

I can’t believe how much this fragrance reminds me of Amouage Guidance! It’s close enough to satisfy my craving for the real AG without spending $400. I’m definitely getting backup bottles!

Addictive Smoky peach, my mouth waters... love it !!!!! I'm getting backups just in case.

I was hoping for something more leathery and incensed, but the fruit is the dominant accord that sweetens this amber that is at times, smoky and woody. Stellar Amber is the fruitiest and most floral amber of the Chapter No. 10 collection. It starts with a fruity floral accord with edges of juicy peach, ripe apricot and suede and musky, slightly animalic. The scent of the osmanthus flower vaguely recalls that of jasmine, with sensual and leathery accents and therefore slightly animalic. It has an appetizing, honeyed, apricot-peach inclination with a sort of floral and palpable softness similar to the skin of the velvety fruits. The crunchy pear is there and with the white flowers, they release a milky and lactonic nuance. The alcohol that makes up the blend, combined with the royal pear note, creates a sort of Williams pear brandy prepared with a selection of the best pears fully ripened in the sun. When smelled from a close distance, the scent has bitterish nuances, almost similar to almond, or better yet almond milk. This is a nuance that lasts for several minutes after opening, and which I had not noticed immediately the first time. The initial phase is fresh and all about juicy, pulpy, sweet and sour fruits, more sweet than bitter, with a pleasant nutty note. As the perfume develops, a delicious powdery aroma of narcotic jasmine and jammy rose replaces the fruit, which takes a step back, but does not disappear. Stellar Amber reveals a floral bouquet: osmanthus, rose and jasmine dominate. All the flowers join forces with the fruits from the opening, evoking bubblegum. Shades of smoke, leather and resins arrive here and there, courtesy of a light touch of saffron flowers and frankincense resin, not overpowering; they are perfect for announcing their presence without dominating the middle phase. I can confirm that the saffron is very faint, not comparable to the leathery oriental bombs of the Middle East. The fragrance now reveals a sort of bitterness and a smoky amber begins to emerge. As it approaches the dry-down, Stellar Amber exposes its vanilla, woody and amber tones. From my skin, clouds of creamy sandalwood and salty ambergris merge with the incense. Here the incense is not the churchy kind; instead, it simply deepens and balances the fruitiness of the opening, making the whole thing more bearable. If juicy fruits dominate the opening, followed by powder and jammy flowers in the middle, the final phase is amber supported by warm woods and spices including a soft dark vanilla. It is silky, creamy, slightly smoky and leathery, remaining sweet but warm. However, the velvety and dry edge of the wood overwhelms the amber accord, creating a sort of honeyed woodiness. Additionally, there is a kind of sweet white musk present from the opening, throughout the middle and until the last breath of the perfume, which adds that musky touch to the essence. Those familiar with Guidance will find many familiar accords in the evolution of Stellar Amber. However, in some cases, the nuances may be slightly different. I feel like wearing this amber perfume in the early autumn season, from late August when the air becomes humid, to early December when the temperature drops rapidly making the air sharp. It is both fresh and woody, not too heavy, so it can be a good everyday perfume. Both the projection and longevity are above moderate, but never overpowering, making it safe for the office or other enclosed spaces. It leans towards the feminine side, but it is something I would wear anyway, as I consider it unisex. I have a lot of respect for the house of Zara, but I fear that some people might miss the beauty of this perfume if they do not take the time to listen to it. Stellar Amber presents itself as a typical fruity scent at the beginning, but the beautiful resinous and smoky incense, with the combination of sandalwood and jasmine, comes later. At first taste I ignored it, evaluating only the initial impact, immensely sweet and fruity. But a later revisitation allowed me to savour the other smokier and woodier facets that slowly followed during the growth, making me appreciate and love it more and more. I wrote my honest review based on a bottle I have owned since September 2024 (BC 42010, PD 2024-07-19).

I am going to preface this review by saying that I am obsessed with Guidance. It's my favourite perfume of all time so I was really excited to hear about this release and couldn't wait to try it. I decided to test both Guidance and Stellar Amber out side by side today and have some thoughts: Firstly, I think Zara has done a great job in capturing the DNA of Guidance. It's not a 100% dupe in my opinion, but it is similar. I find Guidance to be deeper, richer and more complex, whereas Stellar Amber is lighter and more 'airy'. Guidance is also more woody and has a nutty accord; whereas Stellar Amber is more fruity, particularly in the dry down. I think that both last a long time, but Guidance projects a lot more and carries a risk of nuclear fallout if oversprayed. Stellar Amber is also a bit more linear, whereas Guidance develops over time, and even seems to smell different with each wear! So, in conclusion, kudos to Zara for creating a lighter, tamer and more mass appealing (in my opinion) interpretation of Guidance for a fraction of the price!