Ambre Molinard for women

This is straight rich sweet labdanum amber on me. Smoothly resinous, a touch powdery, but not enough to offend my powder-hating sensibilites. It dries down to a faint but lovely vanilla amber. A good, basic amber without sour notes or too much frilly dancing around, but also very simple.

sort-of copying my review here because the current version is basically a revival of this? apparently, there are two different versions of Molinard Ambre. they have flipped and flopped over the years. we’ll call the first the citrus-cloves-benzoin version, and the other, the myrtle-labdanum-wood version. i definitely ended up with the latter. it’s all very confusing, but i LOVE me some labdanum, so…

i’m no expert, but — i detect no citrus or lavender, there’s mild spice here but it’s definitely not cloves, and the camphor-like wallop of the myrtle slapped me hard (in the best possible way!) right off the bat. also, i high-key smell labdanum. i used to put powdered rockrose resin in my hair back in my hippy days, and you don’t forget that smell. ;)

anyway, here goes nothing… a hit of myrtle to wake up your nose, followed by the soft, gentle spice of coriander. the aromatic notes somehow highlight the slight leather of the labdanum, a gradual introduction to the star of the show. the longevity doesn’t seem to be great, so not too clear on what happens next. i assume it’s all about the blend from here on out. this takes me back to the late 90s, back to my days of hennaed hair and long cotton skirts, and i love it. i hope to discover more of the frankincense heart and the sandalwood base the next time.

here are the official notes for the current incarnation of Ambre:
myrtle, coriander, thyme
amber, (frank)incense, labdanum
sandalwood, musk, tonka bean

musical accompaniment: “Oil of Angels” by Cocteau Twins

/current edp, 2020ish, purple bottle with a clear label

The notes listed in the perfume pyramid above are very different from those in the description; does anyone know which is correct?

This is a great amber scent in my opinion, not too heavy, not too sweet, not too powdery, not too much vanilla. It is an amber that accompanies me rather than wearing me, as it usually happens. I wanted to love Ambre Sultan by Lutens, but it was too powdery and vanilla-sweet for me, unfortunately! This is a good compromise.
By the way, this is lighter and less heady than Ambre Lumiere also from Molinard - and way cheaper.

What I smell most is amber, vanilla, incense, some faint orange notes (though they are nor listed in the notes), tonka, a tiny bit of sandalwood and something a tiny bit minty and licorice-like, maybe patchouli? Can't say much about coriander, thyme and myrtle because I'm not very familiar with them. I really like it! This is basically the amber I was looking for. Projection is moderate and longevity is actually good, plus this can be worn in the summer too and it won't choke anyone around you. So it is a plus for me :)

Why are the reviews for the discontinued EDT on this page ?
The EDP is a completely different fragrance.

This fragrance is WEIRD.Top is citrus blast; anyone who says they can't smell citrus has NO nose. It dries down odd, synthetic candy sweet, somewhat of a cheap Shalimar vibe with more citrus. I get no incense, amber or vanilla in this scent.

What creates the amber scent in this? It doesn't even have amber listed..it's clearly there but only just. This scent is all about benzoin and incense for me. I get no citrus (except maybe at first spray..that is quite an oddly jarring moment) and the flowers are highly muted.

I find it to be an overall gentle oriental. Soft, warm and pleasantly calming. Easy to wear in the cooler months and thankfully not drowning in vanilla. I fail to find much excitement in it and in some aspect I would class it as unisex rather than feminine.

L: Moderate
S: Soft

Not for repurchase

I had been on the lookout for a non sweet amber fragrance for some time when I first read the reviews on this page in which Molinard Ambre is often described as more on the masculine side than truly unisex.

My curiosity was piqued and I immediately thought it might be what I was looking for and got myself a full bottle ( blind buy - again, it is not the easiest thing to sample scents from this house).

Well, I am perfectly happy with it. It is the perfect genderless oriental for fall and winter and it is something that was definitely missing in my wardrobe
( although I now have acquired both Montblanc "Présence d'une femme" versions to keep it company ).

Yes, I find it ideal in the sense that it combines warmth with restraint, old school vibe with wearability, elegance and understatement.

I share some of the other reviewers' opinion that there is some jarring note at the top, and I think it is the citrus. To my nose, it almost has at first that "lemon scented house cleaner" effect which could have put me off this gem had I not given it more time to develop and find its balance on my skin.

A timeless, distinctive and poised fragrance with versatility.

Sillage is moderate and durability above average on me.

This one reminds me of my old uncle's perfumes when I was a kid playing at his house. It's nothing bad, but I don't wanna smell like him.
I love amber, but this one is not for me.
Plus I can't stop sneezing. Too chemical?
Once again not for me...

The opening of Molinard AMBRE is quite harsh to my nose. I blame the lavender and the strong citrus. Something smells slightly off. If that scent persisted, then I'd have guessed that my bottle had turned. Instead, after a couple of minutes AMBRE begins to transform for the better... and the better.

The second stage smells to me more like ambergris than labdanum amber--close to Balmain AMBRE GRIS. This stage persists for a bit, but the scent gradually becomes sweeter and the patchouli becomes more and more marked. By the end, a spiciness is coloring the composition, which seems much closer to labdanum amber in the drydown. Labdanum is not listed among the notes, but perhaps benzoin is playing its role here?

Molinard AMBRE offers an unexpectedly complex journey, and it's probably the best value in the vast amber category--provided that one can patiently ignore the opening blast of loud citrus and lavender. I bought this bottle blind on the strength of my past experience with Molinard and my undying faith in a house which has managed to persist--and remain independent--producing perfume in Grasse for more than a century and a half.

Maybe this house doesn't use all of the newfangled technologies and aromachemicals, and maybe that's a very good thing.

I don't knon why this is classified as women's it very masculine giving a unisex touch. It dries down something very close to Obsession for men just a tad sweeter. There is also a Stetson Men Cologne vibe I am picking up with this scent again very masculine.

I really like amber scents but this is just a bit too much of a good thing for my nose. On my skin it is rather male leaning unisex, a very heavy amber. I dont get any of the "softer" notes listed. But for lovers of traditional orientals or true ambers this might be worth a try. I didn't think of this before swapping but this is probably a perfect layering scent to add some complexity to straight florals and sweet fruity florals . . .

This EdT starts out strong, with notes of root beer and patchouli. There is also an animalic note, possibly castoreum, along with fuzzy musk, and a fruity apple pie note. After a short time the scent dries down to a musky apple-pie vanilla with a touch of incense. Gradually the lavender appears, lending an aromatic herbal touch to the mix.

Ambre is in some ways similar to Hermes Ambre Narguile, and is a lot less expensive. For an EdT it is quite substantial, with good sillage and longevity. It’s a pleasant fragrance that would be a good “safe” choice for situations when you want to smell your perfume but not risk offending anyone. Who doesn’t like cuddly musk and apple pie?

Thanks to a special fragrantica member, I received an unexpected gift of this sample. I absolutely love it. I have been searching for the right amber and this is IT!! Some of the other ambers I have tried (Balmain Ambregris, Prada Prada, among others), open with something unpleasant or too strong for me. Molinard Ambre opens perfectly for me, yummy amber from start to finish. The dry down is not too sweet, which I find in some others. But alas, this one looks like it might be hard to come by.

ETA: I did find this, on amazon.com of all places. And I am STILL searching for the perfect amber. This is a good one, just not "perfect". I have found that Molinard Ambre is great for layering as it is a simple linear amber scent. It adds a nice base to fumes that need a kick! And although it is just an EDT, it has great staying power.

Nice if a little plain, Ambre is one of those fragrances just drifts in the background and does not want to make no
waves like most scents do A nice meekly
Church lady or a bookish librarian will
enjoy this. the opening is nicely done
with the sharpness of citruses and the warmness of amber adds to the coziness
the wisp of incense add to the mystery
and the note i can detect of Iris brings
to an powdery touch.

This is definitely a unisex fragrance in my honest opinion, very fresh and wearable, especially in warmer weather. I find it suitable for both office and a night out. What I like most is the bergamot-citrus opening; the lasting power is average, though.

i like this parfum have true amber character .
worm ,spicery .when i wear this parfum i imagine comfortable sofa and i cuddle in wool blanket

Subtle amber scent. I would consider it more of a unisex fragrance rather than for women only. Has more patchouli than I would prefer, but the bergamot, incense and musk are a nice mixture. Would recommend it to be worn at night events only. It is a little to heavy for daytime wear.