What are Ambery (Oriental) Fragrances?

Fragrances can be classified by certain olfactive families, or themes, or accords. In this guide I will briefly discuss the various themes.

Ambery Fragrances, formerly known as Oriental: 

The term Oriental was originally used to describe fragrances which are warm, spicy, intense, heady and are the longest lasting type of women’s perfumes. As of July 2021, The Fragrance Foundation and The Council of British Society of Perfumers have both made a decision to stop using “Oriental” as a fragrance descriptor with immediate effect because the term is perceived as Eurocentric and as such is both outdated and derogatory. Henceforth, all fragrances that were once termed as Oriental are now being replaced with the term “Amber/Ambery”, this updated verbiage reflects the inclusiveness, diversity, equity and respect of Asian heritage. The world of fragrance is always evolving and its language should always go along with these changes. 

The Perfume Handbook by Nigel Groom says that these (at the time, named Orientals) are "Perfumes containing principal ingredients which are reminiscent of the East, giving them a strongly exotic, spicy or balsamic character." 

Balsams and resins of all types are often used as fixatives utilized to ensure the longevity of fragrances. These would include Peru balsam, tolu balsam, myrrh, benzoin, vanilla, opoponax, labdanum, frankincense, styrax, and olibanum. The balsam ingredients would be joined with pungent animal notes such as ambergris, musk, civet and castoreum to lend their fixative qualities and to provide a sensual effect. The warmth of woody notes such as oud (agarwood), cedar, vetiver and sandalwood along with earthy notes of patchouli and oakmoss round out many Amber fragrances.

An opulent heart incorporating heady florals such as orange blossom, rose, heliotrope, jasmine, gardenia, magnolia, tuberose, ylang ylang, violet, syringa or honeysuckle would give the fragrance body and a strong character. Since these basic raw materials are heavy and slow to be released into the atmosphere, it is necessary to have lighter top notes such as citrus, aromatic herbs and sparkling aldehydes to help give the fragrances lift and ease dispersion. Some of these notes would be bergamot, mandarin, tangerine, lemon, lime, geranium, neroli, coriander, bay leaf, verbena, orange oil, lavender, lily of the valley. Other nuances might be the addition of fruits such as raspberry, peach, plum, or cassis to the top notes.

As we learned earlier, Amber fragrances have warm balsamic notes of vanilla and “amber”. The name Amber that has been lent to these fragrances is derived from the word Ambergris and does not connotate the fossilized tree sap known as amber. Although ambergris was used for centuries as an aphrodisiacal ingredient for perfume, no one knew the exact source until much more recently. Ambergris is a substance excreted by the sperm whale after eating cuttlefish and is found in lumps of varying size floating in tropical seas or washed ashore. Ambergris must be weathered for at least three years before use as fresh ambergris has an offensive fecal odor. Genuine ambergris is still a prized commodity in perfumery, though I have been told that true ambergris has not been used in the creation of perfumes in over thirty years, some niche houses may use small amounts of the costly substance. 

Today, perfumers use synthetic chemicals like Ambreine to recreate the scent of ambergris, but other sources such as plant based ingredients ambrette seed or labdanum can impart an ambergris note to many fragrances.

Most Amber perfumes have a basic accord structure of the following notes: amber, styrax, benzoin, cistus labdanum, vanilla, tonka beans, and musk.

Spicy Ambers are rich with clove, nutmeg, coriander, mace, allspice, anise, star anise, cardamom and cinnamon and have accents of incense.

Floral Ambers, once known as "florientals", combine two favorite fragrance families, a subgroup of ambers in the sheer ambers which are lighter in scent than other amber type perfumes.

 The subdivisions of classifications in this family are:

• floral amber
• floral semi-amber
• floral spicy amber
• floral woody amber
• soft amber
• citrus amber
• woody amber

Women's Fragrances which are classified as the Amber type are:

• Allure by Chanel
• Amber by Charbert
• Ambre Gris by Balmain
• Shocking by Schiaparelli
• Bijan by Bijan
• Byzance by Rochas
• Chantilly by Houbigant
• Cinnabar by Estee Lauder
• Coco by Chanel
• Colors de Benetton
• Dioressence by Christian Dior
• Galanos by Galanos
• Habanita by Molinard
• JOOP! by JOOP
• L’Heure Bleue by Guerlain
• Lou Lou by Cacharel
• Magie Noire by Lancome
• Moschino by Moschino
• Must de Cartier
• Navy by Cover Girl (Innoxa)
• Nicole Miller by Nicole Miller
• Ninja by Parfums de Coeur
• Obsession by Calvin Klein
• Opium by Yves Saint Laurent
• Oscar by Oscar de la Renta
• Parfum d'Hermes by Hermes
• Passion by Elizabeth Taylor
• Poison by Christian Dior
• Realities by Liz Claiborne
• Red Door by Elizabeth Arden
• Samsara by Guerlain
• Shalimar by Guerlain
• Soir de Paris by Bourjois
• Spellbound by Estee Lauder
• Tabu by Dana
• Unforgettable by Revlon
• Vol de Nuit by Guerlain
• ..With Love by Fred Hayman
• Youth Dew by Estee Lauder
• Ysatis by Givenchy

Men's Fragrances classified as Amber type:

• Colors de Benetton Men
• Obsession for Men by Calvin Klein
• Passion for Men by Liz Taylor
• Pi by Givenchy
• Pierre Cardin by Pierre Cardin
• Santa Fe
• Xeryus by Givenchy