Hi Posse. Hope this finds you all well and prospering in the new year. January is almost over and Kath and I are talking about getting my main business Turbo Trivia broadened with a few new directions. I love trying and incorporating new ideas into the business and some of them even work. What does that have to do with today’s fragrance Aoud Amber Rose? Well, mainly that montage is famous for doing almost the same thing and slapping a different name on it but Aoud Amber Rose is a bit different, not entirely OMG can this be Montale different but different from the ones I’ve smelled different. Know what I mean?
Aoud Amber Rose by Montale 2010
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Guaiac wood, Virginia cedar, saffron, rose, agarwood (oud), grapefruit, white musk
I bought my decant in a Friday 5ml Special at Surrender To Chance but now I can’t find it on the site. Bummer!
Screaming grapefruit and gasoline opening, don’t get too close in the first minute or your nose will blow. The wood and saffron already there and the oud is inky and antiseptic. What an outrageous opening! It really grabs me by the back of the neck and shakes me like a rag doll before throwing me bent and broken into a corner and laughing at my pain.
The roses come in under the mass cacophony, creeping in, like smoke under a door in a cartoon. Grapefruit, rose, gasoline and woods. Not a particularly loud fragrance but weird. It IS a Montale but could easily fit into a pushing the boundaries Indy perfumers catalogue or even CdG if they were doing an Industrial Waste perfume. Gorgeous and disgusting kinda thing also it makes me smile.
Who would wear Aoud Amber Rose? Well, I’m not exactly sure. It comes in a pink girly canister but doesn’t smell at all pink or girly. The longer I wear it the more I think it reminiscent of their past catalogue, seems like the opening is the major difference. Once we get back into familiar territory the dry down seems a little like their citrus oudhs. Not the same but similar. Citrus oudh and rose water over a petrol pump. WEIRD and challenging but wearable. I’d like to wear it to a modern art exhibition.
Further reading: Scent for Thought and That Smell
The Perfume Shoppe has C$150/100ml and ships worldwide
Which Montales have you tried? Did you get to Aoud Amber Rose?
Portia xx
Portia also writes for Australian Perfume Junkies.
Jasmin Full was one the first niche perfumes I ever bought. It is a BWF, so I have to be in the mood.
Sweet Oriental Dream. Oh, oh, oh, I love it.
Hi Anna,
I too have a bottle of Sweet Oriental Dream. It’s a LOT of sweet that last for days.
Portia x
I just wore Montale Incense Full yesterday and it was fantastic. If you like incense it’s great, plus all-day Montale projection and longevity. I also like their White Aoud, Red Aoud, Aoud Damascus, Roses Elixir, Blue Amber, Louban, Chypre Vanillé, and Moon Aoud. Lots to love in this house!
Hey TaraC,
The base must work for you. I think it does OK for me too. I like a few and love some too.
Portia xx
CdG Industrial Waste would sell like crazy! Loved reading this review though I know I will likely never smell the scent, and that’s ok with me.
Montale Jasmine Full is one I will never forget. Straight up acetone over jasmine with claws and teeth and growl.
Hiya Tiffanie,
Jasmine Full! GREAT description,.
Portia xx
okay. I’ve had a trying afternoon and this? THIS MADE IT ALLLL BETTER! I haven’t laughed out loud (for real) in AGES! Thank you!
xoxoxoA
YAY! Making you laugh is a BONUS!
Nice to see you Musette.
Portia xx
Great review! It doesn’t necessarily make me want to try this one, but now I wish CdG would do a scent called Industrial Waste.
Oh yes Janice,
I’d line up for a sniff of CdG Industrial Waste too.
Portia xx
I’ve not sampled Montale fragrances other than Intense Cafe. It has somewhat of a coffee and cream top note, from the coffee and vanilla, and mostly rose. It is warm and gourmand, pleasant but not my favorite. I’m laughing because Aoud Amber Rose sounds dreadful from your review! Grapefruit and gasoline! Gasoline and diesel smell makes me nauseous. And I agree with Neva, the bottles are not appealing. I’ve read Montale does well with gourmands; however that is not my favorite fragrance category.
Hey Kathleen,
I LOVE the smell when I fill up the car. Love it.
Yeah, this will not appeal to everyone.
Portia xx
I have the White Musk my only musk and it is a pretty skin scent.
Hey AnnieA,
I have Dew Musk which I love but rarely reach for. Thanks for the reminder.
Portia xx
Never stepped into the Montale territory. Only recently I’ve discovered a perfumery around here which now has their whole line. I didn’t dare to start sniffing because they are so many of them and the other thing – the hairspray bottles are completely unappealing to me. I wish I heard something really beautiful and positive about Montale, that would motivate me to start checking them out. Your impression about Aoud Amber Rose unfortunately doesn’t do the thing for me. Maybe you can suggest something more classical?
Hey Neva,
I’m not sure about classical European style perfumes. Maybe Sweet Oriental Dream? I like Red Vetiver too.
Portia xx