Amber & Cardamom

[ivyandpeony]

No additional scent description.

[feyofthefellwood]

This oil has a dark reddish tint when first applied, but it fades. This scent is what I hoped for: warm golden amber and the same spicy-sweet cardamom from scents like Hay Moon 2020 and Perfectly Normal Childhood. So if you liked those and/or wanted a slightly less sweet option in the same vein, I'd recommend this. I also see similarities with Inez and other spicy ambers. I think this will age well, too; when I first got it in the mail, the throw wasn't great, but it's getting better now that it has settled a little and isn't chilled from the cold mailbox.

[frizzlechicken]

mmmmm this is complex and beautiful. Let it settle when you first get it...after its trip from sunny CA to the frigid east coast, it was all dryer sheets when I first cracked open the bottle. Two days of settling and the Cardamom emerged. It is stunning on. The Amber is soft and lovely, the cardamom blending in beautifully. It's not foody, and neither note dominates. Also, there's a gorgeous almost "smoky" aspect to it...like the smell of a fire in very cold winter air. I think this will age beautifully. Three days in and I already love it. 

[Poenari]

Lovely warm amber and spicy cardamom make a lovely duet. There's just not much else to say about this, other than I need to upgrade to a bottle. Good throw and stays on a long time. Comforting.

[trinitysite]

I love cardamom and haven't found a cardamom-forward blend yet. This is straight-up cardamom in the bottle, and when I put it on it's just warm and spicy and delicious (but not, like, food.) I might be having some weird skin reaction (usually cinnamon/cassia messes me up, I've never had a problem with anything else) -- and that would be super tragic, because otherwise I'd be buying a bottle of this right. now.

[groovyrooby]

Dangit. All cardamom, no amber on me. At first, it was pleasantly bright, like freshly ground spice. I could detect a blanket of amber trying to settle in and mellow everything out, but it never developed and never mellowed. Just stayed dry, bitter, single-not espice on me. This should've been a win for me. Jealous of others who had better luck. 😢

[zankoku_zen]

Spicy cardamom and warm amber. It's basically a cardamom blend though. Delish. Good throw and wear length.

[starfish327]

This came in less than 24 hours ago, and this one still needs to settle 

 

*dark oil when applied

 

in the bottle-sort of dusty/stale cardamom and slight amber

wet: absolutely nothing (not rare for oils that need to settle more on my skin), then a gorgeous sugared style amber. 
dry: this is my favorite style amber, and it’s beautiful. Nothing here yells cardamom right now with my chem but it’s also not a straight up amber. Something is sort of warm and spicy hiding in the background.

 

I’m hoping age pulls the cardamom forward a little but even if it never does this is a pretty enough amber that I’m still happy with this blend 

[BetteNoire]

Does what it says on the tin. But, if you are like me and insane for cardamom but not big on foodies, know that without notes of vanilla or cake or whatever the cardamom can really expand into a beautiful complexity. The amber supports it and ties it to the skin. So very lovely.

[puellacaerulea]

This one starts out more cardamom-forward -- a little earthy, spicy, and subtly sweet. The amber is there in the background adding extra warmth to the cardamom, however. As it wears, the amber seems to get more prominent. These notes play really well together -- this is basically a warm, rich, spicy-sweet amber (and, as others have noted above, not spicy-sweet in a gourmand kind of way).

[norsowideasachurchdoor]

At first: cardamom bursts forth like an aromatic jackfruit.

But then: the spice beckons you deeper into its market stall.

After time: the memory of that resin-breathed afternoon lingers on.

In comparison: This is the Christmas cousin of The Curtain of the Temple was Torn in Two, the BPAL who hooked me and after whose relatives I’ve long sought.

To conclude: if you tried the above great American eclipse blend a few years back and actually liked it, or have been searching fruitlessly for a spiced amber without unsettling food vibes, give this one a whirl.

Wear this: to peaceably settle an old grievance over a pot of tea.

[hhelix]

This is the smoother, hippie head-shop type of amber, not the fuzzy oriental perfume type of amber. The cardamom reads as cinnamon to my nose. Warm, spicy, modest throw, short lifespan. If you like The Lion, you'll probably enjoy this one.

[Lucchesa]

I get just a breath of cardamom and a lot of warm, long-lasting amber. I wish the cardamom were a little more prominent on me, but it is still a cozy skin scent that I can derive comfort from for hours.

[deadlyves]

Soft, creamy, almost dry but not powdery amber blended evenly with gently spicy cardamom. Exactly the warm spicy winter scent it claims to be. Neither note dominates for me, it just depends what I focus on.

 

Usually cardamom gives me a baked goods vibe, this one happily did not.

[Jenjin]

This is deceptively simple, but an oh so effective duet. After trying countless ambers of various types, this just might be my most favorite the lab has ever released. The cardamom keeps it from being one dimensional, creating a cozy and enchanting cloud. Rich and sticky, I get a spicy bite of cardamom after application. In the drydown, the deep dark amber comes out. Its like sticking my into in a jar of golden amber resin and getting a bit on my nose.
This is so delish and reminds me a lot of making toffee. Don't get me wrong, this is not a gourmand to me, but I get that rich, warm and golden scent that makes my mouth water. I could see this swirling in an alchemist's kitchen, sultry smoke filling the air with intoxicating whiffs.

 

Edited July 17, 2021 by Jenjin

[donkehpoo]

Wet: Cardamom! (Shock.)  More cardamom than amber. Now, here's where I'm going to lose most of you - I also smell... bubblegum. Like, the powdered outside of bubblegum. Somehow, I smell that too. Did I have too much caffeine this morning?

 

Dry: Okay, back to having a sane nose; no more bubblegum! However, most of the cardamom is gone, and I'm just getting a wallop of amber. 

 

It's nice, and I think most folks would have a hard time not enjoying this at least a little bit, but it doesn't stand out much among the rest of my collection.

 

[MamaMoth]

i love almost any amber, but this is my favorite: resinous and sweet, almost sticky, like petrified sap. it's really elevated here with cardamom's dry spiciness.  this blend is really gorgeous.  doesn't last long on me though, which is a huge bummer.