Fragrance note
Amber Perfumes
In perfumery, amber is not a single plant but a warm accord – classically built from labdanum, benzoin and vanilla. It gives a fragrance a soft, resinous-sweet fullness and almost always sits in the base. Here you will find every perfume with amber in its pyramid.
More about Amber Perfumes
Knowledge
How the note behaves
Soft & vanilla
Amber with vanilla and musk. Creamy, sweet and enveloping.
Floral & golden
With jasmine or rose. Radiant flowers on a warm foundation.
Woody & resinous
With patchouli or sandalwood. Deep, dry and made for the evening.
Curious factThe Arabic word ʿanbar, from which “amber” derives, originally meant the ambergris of the sperm whale – only later was the name applied to fossil amber.
Knowledge to share
Myth or truth?
Statement 1
Amber in perfume is made from fossil amber.
Myth. Fossil amber is almost odourless and is not used in the accord. Amber is a composed accord, classically of labdanum, benzoin and vanilla.
Statement 2
The word amber originally referred to the ambergris of the sperm whale.
True. The Arabic ʿanbar meant ambergris; only later was the name also applied to fossil amber. In perfumery it now stands for an accord.
Statement 3
A key odorant of ambergris can be made from plants.
True. Ambroxide, which forms in aged ambergris, is made from plant labdane diterpenes such as the sclareol of clary sage – and can also be obtained from the labdanolic acid of the rockrose.
Your result
DISCOVER AMBER PERFUMESFrequently asked questions
Is amber the same as fossil amber or ambergris?
No. Amber in perfume is a composed accord, classically of labdanum, benzoin and vanilla. Fossil amber is almost odourless and is not used, and the ambergris of the sperm whale is not in it either – the accord only shares their name.
Why is the fragrance family now called amber instead of oriental?
In 2021 the fragrance classifier Michael Edwards renamed the former “oriental” family on his Fragrance Wheel “Amber”. It describes warm, resinous-balsamic fragrances with an amber accord in the base.
How long does an amber fragrance last?
Amber sits in the base, unfolds slowly and lasts a long time on the skin; resinous building blocks such as benzoin also hold more volatile notes for longer. It is best to test on your own skin: with every bottle from 30 ml we include a 2 ml sample of the same fragrance.
Pairs well with Amber
These notes harmonise with Amber – often found together in one fragrance.
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LabdanumWarm, resinous and leathery, with a sweet, balsamic, almost animalic depth.Discover fragrances
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BenzoinSweet, warm and balsamic, with a vanilla, slightly powdery softness.Discover fragrances
- VanillaA vanilla perfume is a fragrance in which vanilla plays the lead – usually in the...Discover fragrances
- PatchouliA patchouli perfume is a fragrance whose character is defined by patchouli – earthy, woody, slightly...Discover fragrances
4D Journal
2 ml samplewith every bottle from 30 ml
Free shippingto Austria and Germany from €200
Boutique Bregenzevery fragrance to try
