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Home fragrance: L'Occitane Amber Home Perfume Spray

Posted by Kevin on 27 August 2006 9 Comments

L'Occitane Amber home fragrance

I have always loved the smell of amber in perfumery. Ages ago, I was told by a not-very-well-informed pharmacist-herbalist that amber aroma came from a tree — it was "just the resin" of a fragrant plant from India. I took him at his word until I went into a Beverly Hills aromatherapy boutique and asked for amber essential oil. The clerk grimaced and said: “There is no such thing.” Abashed, I did not ask for an explanation and one was not offered. Investigations commenced.

The scent of "amber" (as most of us know it) is an Indian creation — a blend of fragrant oils, waxes, gums, resins and powders. Amber is used in Ayurvedic medicine as a calming agent; its use relaxes one for enlightening meditation or…good sex. This fragrance blend may have been created to mimic the scent of rare and expensive ambergris — thus the name "amber" (derived from the Arabic word "anbar", meaning "ambergris"). Amber recipes vary widely, but most contain benzoin, sandalwood, patchouli, and frankincense; myrrh, vetiver, agarwood, cedarwood, and any number of spices and floral notes may be added to the mix. In the delicious-smelling, waxy amber cubes I buy to scent cabinets, boxes and myself, I can smell beeswax, sandalwood, benzoin, frankincense and a hint of rose. I love most ambers. Only ambers drenched with musk give me pause and remind me of a barnyard — smelled through a haze of perfume.

L’Occitane’s Amber is elegant and refined (perhaps too refined). It is sweet, powdery, mildly resinous, with a balsamic vanilla note. I wish one or two "loud-mouthed" ingredients had been tossed in — patchouli, cedar, smoky incense, or spice (coriander, cumin). I let several people sample Amber Home Perfume spray and the verdict was unanimous: all considered the room spray aroma "very feminine".

Amber Home Perfume is tenacious in both room spray and candle formulations. It smells "rich" but is reasonably priced at $23 for a 100 ml spray. The hammered-glass bottle is handsome and best of all: label-less.

Amber Home Perfume is available at L’Occitane online or in the brand's many boutiques.

Filed Under: home fragrance
Tagged With: cheap thrills, loccitane

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9 Comments

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  1. Anonymous says:
    27 August 2006 at 1:39 pm

    Great article, Kevin! Amber is easily my favourite “note” in perfumery and was, like you, surprised to find that amber is actually a concept, a mimicking of ambergris, rather than a note per se. L'Occitane's home spray is just lovely, albeit a bit sweet for my taste, but Candid Fruit blows me away. Have you tried it?

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  2. Anonymous says:
    27 August 2006 at 1:53 pm

    Triple “oops” for the triple post!

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  3. Anonymous says:
    27 August 2006 at 2:03 pm

    Politely butting in to say: deleted your duplicates (this commenting system is not what it should be!) and I'm sure Kevin will answer you eventually, but thought I would let you know that Victoria has reviewed the Candied Fruit:

    https://nstperfume.com/blog/_archives/2005/10/11/1289726.html

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  4. Anonymous says:
    27 August 2006 at 2:48 pm

    Feel free to butt in anytime, R 🙂 Thanks for the link, off to check it out…

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  5. Anonymous says:
    27 August 2006 at 2:49 pm

    I'll try the CF tomorrow…I work a block from the L'Occitane store. K

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  6. Anonymous says:
    30 August 2006 at 8:35 pm

    I'll have to try this, though it sounds like perhaps a bit too sweet for my taste. I adore amber, but only when it's “dry”. Has anyone tried L'Occitane's Neroli perfume? Incredible! Would be great to see a review here.

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  7. Anonymous says:
    30 August 2006 at 9:59 pm

    It is sweet. I wish perfumers (and perfume BUYERS) didn't love the amber-vanilla combo so much — drier, resinous ambers are my favorites too. I'll try the Neroli next time I'm in the shop. K

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  8. Anonymous says:
    23 August 2008 at 8:29 pm

    Is one of the most beautyfoul home fragrances very strong and very chic and in [colllaboration] with the candle is perfect.It is also availiable in the form of concentrated home fragrance which is an oil for use in a lamp vaporaiseur [the porcellain ring that goes up to a light bulb] and it gives a 24 hour room fragrance.

    Another way of room fragrance is lamp burger .It maybe a bit costly but is also very decorative and it has a huge collection of perfumes the bests for me are Ambre and Sous le figuier a very beautyfoul fig fragrance. I use almost every day ambre both occitaine and berger and all my friends say i't s tha fragranced house.

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  9. Anonymous says:
    24 August 2008 at 10:58 am

    There's also a beautiful version of occitane's amber in eau de toillete who resemblance the amber home fragrance but is more deep and is the most beautiful amber i ever used .Is one of my standard perfumes and i always have nice remarks and questions about it.You should review it.

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