Amber perfume samples for autumn

For autumn, 90 of our samples carry the family label amber. Below are 8 of them, described with the facts we hold and nothing else. Read it as a map, not as a top list.

The selection

Juliette Has a Gun Vanilla Vibes

From Juliette Has a Gun comes Juliette Has a Gun Vanilla Vibes, an Eau de Parfum. On paper it lists Sea salt, Natural Vanilla Absolute and Musk. Its family tags read gourmand, amber and fresh. It is listed for summer and autumn. A paper strip shows the outline, skin shows the detail.

Amouage Honour Woman

Amouage Honour Woman is filed as an Eau de Parfum from Amouage; the note list on record reads Black Pepper, Rhubarb Leaves, Coriander, Jasmine, Tuberose, Gardenia and others. It is tagged floral, amber and leather. It is listed for spring and autumn. Wear it on more than one day before you make up your mind.

Frederic Malle The Moon

Frederic Malle The Moon by Frederic Malle is an Eau de Parfum with these recorded notes: Raspberry, Lychee, Saffron, Frankincense (olibanum), Turkish rose, Oud and Leather. It is tagged fruity, amber, leather and oriental. It is listed for autumn and winter. Write down what you notice after a few minutes and again after lunch, and you will see how it moves.

Reinvented Illusion

With Reinvented Illusion, Reinvented has an Extrait de Parfum for which Dried Fruits, Cotton Sugar, Juniper Berries, Rose, Saffron, Clove Buds and others are on record. Its family tags read oriental, fruity and amber. Season on record: autumn and winter. Clothes hold a scent differently from skin, which makes a scarf or sleeve a useful second test.

Ex Nihilo Blue Talisman

Ex Nihilo Blue Talisman is filed as an Eau de Parfum from Ex Nihilo; the note list on record reads Pear, Bergamot, Ginger, Mandarin, Orange blossom, Georgywood™ and others. It is tagged woody, amber, fresh and musky. For season the tags say spring and autumn. What reads as sweet on one person can read as dry on another.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian is an Extrait de Parfum with these recorded notes: Cashmeran, Ambroxan, Grandiflorum Jasmine and Saffron. The scent families on record: woody, amber, floral and gourmand. It is listed for autumn and winter. Your own nose gets used to a scent quickly, so ask someone near you what they notice.

Naseem Signature Golden

With Naseem Signature Golden, Naseem has a Parfum for which Raspberry, Anise, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Cashmere Wood, Rose and others are on record. The scent families on record: amber, oriental and woody. Season on record: autumn and winter. Notes on a list are a map, and what you notice on your own skin is the territory.

Tiziana Terenzi Dionisio

With Tiziana Terenzi Dionisio, Tiziana Terenzi has an Extrait de Parfum for which Ambergris, Musk, Pheromone, Ambergris, Tahitian Vanilla, Jasmine and others are on record. The scent families on record: oriental, musky and amber. The listing names autumn and winter as its season. Smell it right after applying and again later in the day, because the first minutes rarely tell the whole story.

Also in this selection: Fascent Crème Brûlante, Roja Parfums Enigma Pour Homme, BORNTOSTANDOUT Black Crème, BORNTOSTANDOUT Sugar Addict, Reinvented Ode To Psyche, Jo Milano Paris Game of Spades Royale, Maison Francis Kurkdjian Amyris Homme, Tiziana Terenzi Laudano Nero, Mind Games Queening, Xerjoff Alexandria II.

How to test them

Keep the rest of the vial for a second and third try in other weather. Test it on skin and not only on paper. Try it once at home and once outdoors, since air and temperature change the impression. Leave other perfumes off that day, so nothing interferes.

Skin, weather and habit change how any perfume comes across, and a sample shows you your version of it. Keep short notes per perfume; after a week the choice usually makes itself. The small size, 2, 5 or 10 ml, is meant for exactly that: a few honest wearings before anything bigger.

Where to go next

• Amber samples
• Autumn samples
• all samples
• all brands
• sample sets
• frequently asked questions
• how to use a sample vial
• how to build a sample set
• Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum and Extrait

Questions

How were these samples chosen?

By the tags and note lists on record for each perfume. Nothing was added from memory, the order is not a ranking, and perfumes without recorded notes are described without notes.

Are these samples made by the brands?

No. They are decants: FragranceGems fills each one from the original bottle into a glass spray vial and labels it. They are not official brand samples.

How many samples should I try at once?

Two or three is a good number. Wear one per day, on clean skin, and write down what you notice in the morning and in the evening before you move to the next.