Ambergris

[witchling]

apparently i really like ambergris? i didn't even know what ambergris was but i have tried "autumn overlooked my knitting" and fallen in love. it doesn't smell like anything ive ever tried from bpal so i assume it is the ambergris? can anyone recommend other scents (preferably GC) that are ambergris heavy or smell anything like "autumn overlooked my knitting"?

[Mellifluous]

Lyonesse is cooler and a bit sweeter, but it showcases a beautiful ambergris. (Golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris and sea moss.)

 

Unfortunately, that is the only GC I can think of off the top of my head that features it in a prominent way. So many of the other GC's have it tucked back behind either very 'green' or very 'black' notes.

[Sakura Tsukikage]

I also really adore ambergris and I tend to really like most blends that have it, even if it's very much a supporting player. I haven't tried Autumn Overlooked My Knitting (yet! It's on order!), but I know in the GC Lyonesse, as mentioned, and Y'ha-Nthlei both have it, with Lyonesse sweeter and Y'ha-Nthlei more brisk and aquatic. I haven't tried Prince Lir from the Last Unicorn collection, or Antony from Illyria, but they're both more masculine type blends that have it listed, and Prince Lir might be sweet with the vanilla fougere there.

 

Most of the blends from the lab I have where I really love the ambergris or it stands out to me are LE, I admit. Last year's Eldritch Drunken Constellations comes to mind in particular. It seems to be in blends that feel very comforting to me or rather aquatic/salty, or sometimes both, it seems.

[annemathematics]

I love ambergris!

 

eldritch drunken constellations is amazing! and it pops up in forum sales.

 

black forest is gorgeous. anthony, satyr and vicomte de valmont are all very much colognes, but they are beautiful and, I think, wearable by ladies alike.

 

 

http://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/product-tag/ambergris-accord/ shows some other scents currently available. diamond star is on the soft side as is autumn overlooked my knitting, so you might enjoy that one.

 

each of the scents shows a different side of the ambergris, so none are going to be dupes, but hopefully you'll find something you also enjoy wearing.

 

my current favorite scent with ambergris is curved sky. http://centuryguild.net/collections/scented-oils/products/curved-sky-limited-edition-scented-oil-from-black-phoenix-alchemy-lab

 

for me, it is heavy on the opoponax so it's going to be different than knitting. think a swirl of citrus where the current is and delicious resin instead of autumn leaves. it's one of my top ten bpals.

[witchling]

thanks guys! i may just have to hunt down a bottle of eldritch drunken constellations...

 

i had tried lyonesse a couple years back and i remember liking it, but maybe it was a little too girly? i don't quite remember what it was- i only liked it but didnt love it.

 

also, annemathematics, thanks for showing me that search function! i'm intrigued by diamond star but i wish it wasn't $30.

[witchling]

I love ambergris!

 

eldritch drunken constellations is amazing! and it pops up in forum sales.

 

black forest is gorgeous. anthony, satyr and vicomte de valmont are all very much colognes, but they are beautiful and, I think, wearable by ladies alike.

 

 

http://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/product-tag/ambergris-accord/ shows some other scents currently available. diamond star is on the soft side as is autumn overlooked my knitting, so you might enjoy that one.

 

each of the scents shows a different side of the ambergris, so none are going to be dupes, but hopefully you'll find something you also enjoy wearing.

 

my current favorite scent with ambergris is curved sky. http://centuryguild.net/collections/scented-oils/products/curved-sky-limited-edition-scented-oil-from-black-phoenix-alchemy-lab

 

for me, it is heavy on the opoponax so it's going to be different than knitting. think a swirl of citrus where the current is and delicious resin instead of autumn leaves. it's one of my top ten bpals.

 

i just realized curved sky is still available for purchase?! your description of curved sky sounds really lovely. how would you say it compares to eldritch drunken constellations?

[annemathematics]

 

I love ambergris!

 

eldritch drunken constellations is amazing! and it pops up in forum sales.

 

black forest is gorgeous. anthony, satyr and vicomte de valmont are all very much colognes, but they are beautiful and, I think, wearable by ladies alike.

 

 

http://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/product-tag/ambergris-accord/ shows some other scents currently available. diamond star is on the soft side as is autumn overlooked my knitting, so you might enjoy that one.

 

each of the scents shows a different side of the ambergris, so none are going to be dupes, but hopefully you'll find something you also enjoy wearing.

 

my current favorite scent with ambergris is curved sky. http://centuryguild.net/collections/scented-oils/products/curved-sky-limited-edition-scented-oil-from-black-phoenix-alchemy-lab

 

for me, it is heavy on the opoponax so it's going to be different than knitting. think a swirl of citrus where the current is and delicious resin instead of autumn leaves. it's one of my top ten bpals.

 

i just realized curved sky is still available for purchase?! your description of curved sky sounds really lovely. how would you say it compares to eldritch drunken constellations?

 

they are very different. I love them both, but they are different. curved sky is heavy on the opoponax, chewy glorious resiny goodness. the citrus is strong wet, then it dies down and the dry scent is rich and magical and , uh, chewy. (reading the reviews page, I see that other people had different experiences, so you may as well)

 

I sometimes tend to like the weirder bpals, and this is maybe one of them. it's so pretty and strange and huffable that I hate to call it weird, but I think that if you tend to prefer more classic perfumes, this might not be one you reach for very much.

 

eldritch is brighter and lighter in tone (it has a good through and wear length) and smoother and creamier.

 

I'm sadly not doing them justice here, but they are different but each is fantastic.

[IambicDearie]

It's not dominant, but I adore Humpback Whale's ambergris. It's nice and subtle but it makes everything else really pop!

[witchling]

 

 

I love ambergris!

 

eldritch drunken constellations is amazing! and it pops up in forum sales.

 

black forest is gorgeous. anthony, satyr and vicomte de valmont are all very much colognes, but they are beautiful and, I think, wearable by ladies alike.

 

 

http://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/product-tag/ambergris-accord/ shows some other scents currently available. diamond star is on the soft side as is autumn overlooked my knitting, so you might enjoy that one.

 

each of the scents shows a different side of the ambergris, so none are going to be dupes, but hopefully you'll find something you also enjoy wearing.

 

my current favorite scent with ambergris is curved sky. http://centuryguild.net/collections/scented-oils/products/curved-sky-limited-edition-scented-oil-from-black-phoenix-alchemy-lab

 

for me, it is heavy on the opoponax so it's going to be different than knitting. think a swirl of citrus where the current is and delicious resin instead of autumn leaves. it's one of my top ten bpals.

 

i just realized curved sky is still available for purchase?! your description of curved sky sounds really lovely. how would you say it compares to eldritch drunken constellations?

 

they are very different. I love them both, but they are different. curved sky is heavy on the opoponax, chewy glorious resiny goodness. the citrus is strong wet, then it dies down and the dry scent is rich and magical and , uh, chewy. (reading the reviews page, I see that other people had different experiences, so you may as well)

 

I sometimes tend to like the weirder bpals, and this is maybe one of them. it's so pretty and strange and huffable that I hate to call it weird, but I think that if you tend to prefer more classic perfumes, this might not be one you reach for very much.

 

eldritch is brighter and lighter in tone (it has a good through and wear length) and smoother and creamier.

 

I'm sadly not doing them justice here, but they are different but each is fantastic.

 

 

thanks for the descriptions! i want to try them both but im always so hesitant to blind buy any bottles, even if they do sound wonderful. im sure i'll cave and get at least one of your recs though!

[rinster]

Humpback Whale is my favorite ambergris: Blue peppermint, sea buckthorn berry, white myrrh, ambergris accord, and tobacco leaf.

 

As a landlocked midwesterner, it's my cool ocean breeze in the summer.

 

Even though a former Lilith LE, it's not impossible to find in the sales.

[alioth]

Shark Tooth is an absolutely beautiful ambergris on me. It's an LE, but it's easy to find on the forums. Soft and sweet and creamy, but still fresh and clean at the same time.

Edited November 4, 2014 by Omoidasu

[Sakura Tsukikage]

I love Eldritch Drunken Constellations. To me it feels frothy, bright, and almost misty, yet also smooth and creamy, as described above. The eucalyptus sap that's listed smells very different than regular eucalyptus does and adds a bright, clean feel, I think. Anyway, it's in no way sinus clearing. I think the white tea is probably the dominant force in it, but the ambergris adds a lot, in its more clean, foamy, bright guise. It's one of my favorite LEs.

 

I haven't tried Curved Sky, but I thought all the Fragmented Alice blends that I tried were weird--in a glorious sort of way! Very . . . "why does this work? This really shouldn't work, but it did" sort of feeling. So I guess my advice is don't let their weirdness put you off!

[Mokiefraggle]

I somehow only noticed today that Tavern of Hell has ambergris. It somehow completely bypassed my notice that it was one of the notes, and I only recently noticed it when applying it from my approximately 3-year-old imp. It's subtle and blends nicely with the flowers and boozy notes, and I can only guess I mistook it for a woodsy note on first sniff. Apparently, I should've known it was a good scent on me before I tried it in Lyonesse! It's very different with the layered flowers, absinthe, and whiskey notes than it is in Lyonesse's very warm vanilla and amber, which might be why my brain didn't make the connection, but apparently it's love on my skin. While Lyonesse gives it a salty, ocean breeze sort of note that I liken to the way salt enhances the sweetness of a caramel in how it emphasizes certain aspects of the vanilla and amber, it turns into an almost woodsy note in Tavern of Hell, earthy and grounding to the flowery notes while enhancing the whiskey and the herbal assertiveness of the absinthe.

Edited November 9, 2014 by Mokiefraggle

[ivyandpeony]

I am an ambergris lover too! Look for "grey amber" or "gray amber" when you're perusing notes, since it's another name the Lab uses for it. I'd almost swear that there's ambergris accord in The Girl, even though its description includes white amber, not grey. Under the Harvest Moon (Blue and white musk, summer roses, wild crimson leaves, grey amber, carnation, lavender bud, and vanilla bean) is a really lovely crystalline autumn blend. The Torture Queen from Carnival Diabolique is maybe my favorite blend that lists it as a note (white amber, vanilla musk, white tea, ambergris, gardenia, and chrome) - and another favorite from CD is The Maltese Cross of Sanctus Germanus (golden amber, blood orange, ambergris, lilac, frankincense, and agarwood). Silver Haired Bat (Gleaming white amber and silvered ambergris accord with copoiba balsam, benzoin, Atlas cedar, black pepper, and oudh) is gorgeous, although harder to track down (it was a Bats Day exclusive last year IIRC). Unveil the Grace in Thine Eyes (orris, luminous ambergris, and golden amber illuminated by a sunlit golden musk) is another LE with it that I've tried but I need to revisit it.

I uncovered a few LEs with ambergris that I haven't tried (or have since forgotten): Aubin Grandpied Bunmanchi, Childhood Playmate (pale fur, lavender water, Corsican immortelle, white thyme, benzoin absolute, ambergris accord, and sorrowful carrot seed), The Shadowy and The Sublime (Moroccan amber, wisteria, ambergris accord, white rose, magnolia, white mint, angelica, bergamot, and myrrh), A Nocturnal Reverie (Violet musk and oudh with black amber, ambergris, agarwood, black currant, dark musk, fig, and lavender incense).

 

I have to go look in my BPAL box ASAP. I bought quite a few of the Century Guild scents but now I'm baffled because I don't remember buying or trying Curved Sky and it sounds so much up my alley!

[annemathematics]

Aubin Grandpied Bunmanchi, Childhood Playmate (pale fur, lavender water, Corsican immortelle, white thyme, benzoin absolute, ambergris accord, and sorrowful carrot seed),

 

oh, I love Aubin! that scent is amazing in the summer. bright and spicy and just gorgeous. I actually love all of this year's ECCC scents. the three perfume oils I tried are each top ten worthy.

[sprout]

A Specific Aberration has shot to the top of favorite scents and I think it is due to the ambergris!

 

I think the Lab's ambergris accord is similar to the white amber accord I love in The Girl and Hunger Moon too.

 

So, if I can necrobump this thread, I'd love to hear about newly discovered ambergris (or Grey amber) blends that are beloved.

[lady_pandora]

A Specific Aberration has shot to the top of favorite scents and I think it is due to the ambergris!

 

I think the Lab's ambergris accord is similar to the white amber accord I love in The Girl and Hunger Moon too.

 

So, if I can necrobump this thread, I'd love to hear about newly discovered ambergris (or Grey amber) blends that are beloved.

 

The Waltz has it--the scent didn't quite work on me, but it's pretty and a lot of people really love it.

[LizziesLuck]

A Specific Aberration has shot to the top of favorite scents and I think it is due to the ambergris!

 

I think the Lab's ambergris accord is similar to the white amber accord I love in The Girl and Hunger Moon too.

 

So, if I can necrobump this thread, I'd love to hear about newly discovered ambergris (or Grey amber) blends that are beloved.

 

I am in love with A Specific Aberration as well, and also assumed it was the ambergris I was loving so much because it's not frank I'm smelling, or a floral note. So of course, I immediately start trying other things with ambergris, and none of them seem to have that same note.

[annemathematics]

A Specific Aberration has shot to the top of favorite scents and I think it is due to the ambergris!

 

I think the Lab's ambergris accord is similar to the white amber accord I love in The Girl and Hunger Moon too.

 

So, if I can necrobump this thread, I'd love to hear about newly discovered ambergris (or Grey amber) blends that are beloved.

 

 

not so new, but very beloved are Autumn overlooked my knitting and Eldritch drunken constellations.

if they don't return in future weenie/yule updates, I'm hoping to spot them on etsy. they are beautiful ambergris scents.

[sprout]

Adding the new Luper scents with gray amber I've tried and loved to the thread:

The Mirror!

The High Ranking Courtesan

Embracing Komachi

Dark and Weary

[LiberAmoris]

Another ambergris lover here. One of my favorites is Lyonesse...and it's GC!

[stellamaris]

Lyonesse is gorgeous. I always need to age it though, IMO it's not as good fresh, needs at least six months to really get that chewy heady thing going on.

[SimplySyra]

Another vote for Eldritch Drunken Constellations. It is such a beautiful smooth bright yet almost creamy scent. I was lucky enough to score it from one of TTP's decant clean outs on ebay and I am so glad I did.

 

Has anyone tried the retail only Peacocks from Pretty Indulgent? It looks to have ambergris and I have been eying it for a while.

[joopjoop]

So I also love ambergris and recently got my hands on a decant of the SN. Thoughts on good scents to layer it with? Should I layer it with other scents with ambergris? Other things? I'm overwhelmed with the possibilities!

 

Any thoughts welcome!

[sqwook]

Nebulaphobia!!!! omg, lovely.