Ambre Sultan

35 reseñas

Mostrando las más recientes primero.

• gbriel

  March 7, 2013

  

  Overall, it bears an amazing resemblance to Armani Privé’s Amber d’Orient (this one is spicier). Sultan is a bit more floral, alcoholic, and vanilla-forward, but still excellent. Update: many times when smelling the atomizer without spraying, it smells like wax from hair removal; I just don’t like that sensation.

• Selene

  August 29, 2014

  

  For me, Serge Lutens makes the best orientals. Arabie, Fumerie Turque, Santal Blanc, and this fragrance are masterpieces with exquisite materials. Every well-crafted oriental fills me with joy, and Lutens almost never misses. Among those I’ve tried, Ambre Sultan is the most ambitious and spicy. Although it’s complex, I don’t find it as hard to wear as other orientals. For lovers of orientals, Fumerie Turque and Ambre Sultan are must-haves.

• Selene

  September 2, 2014

  

  For me, Serge Lutens creates the best orientals. Arabie, Fumerie Turque, Santal Blanc, and this fragrance are masterpieces made with exquisite ingredients. Every well-crafted oriental fills me with joy, and Lutens almost never fails. Among all I’ve tried, Ambre Sultan is the most ambitious and spicy. Although it’s complex, I don’t find it hard to wear like other orientals. For lovers of oriental scents, Fumerie Turque and Ambre Sultan are absolute must-haves.

• Pato76

  March 14, 2015

  

  I’m a follower of perfumes that transport the imagination. Ambre Sultan plays with the senses and evokes non-existent flavors; it’s magic for the nose. Intense at first with notes others don’t understand, but the magic is that it mutates over time and the sweet notes soften that intoxicating aroma. It’s a lustful obscenity that puts you in an idyllic atmosphere. I wore it in Paris and people asked what it was; my answer was that it’s a magical elixir.

• Pato76

  April 18, 2015

  

  I’ve read a lot about this perfume and want to clarify that reviews say it’s UNISEX, not for women as Fragrantica’s page indicates. Greetings.

• Ouroboros

  June 20, 2015

  

  My perception is different: I see this perfume more on a man than on a woman’s neck. I detect more sandalwood, sweetened by the amber, and among the other notes, only myrrh. It’s not the church-burning kind, but that essential oil that smells like a wet tree. Upon smelling it, I feel intoxication and arousal; it speaks to you to come closer and embrace. It’s mysterious yet cozy, like garnet velvet.

• Lechu

  March 8, 2016

  

  Excellent oriental fragrance! It’s my favorite Lutens so far. The opening highlights oregano and laurel, very strong. In the dry down, I sense myrrh and a trail of patchouli. As it settles, it becomes rich, warm, and honeyed, with amber, benzoin, and vanilla taking center stage. I agree with the engineer: it’s a herbal amber that turns powdery (perhaps due to the sandalwood). The opening is risky, but once it settles, it’s very pleasant. I want it for cold climates. Totally unisex. Rating: 9/10.

• Lechu

  March 17, 2016

  

  What an oriental luxury! It’s my favorite Lutens so far. The opening is a bomb of oregano and laurel that completely dominates. As it dries down, it becomes rich, warm, and syrupy with amber, benzoin, and vanilla taking the lead. I agree with the engineer: it’s a herbal amber that turns powdery (I guess due to the sandalwood). The drydown is risky, but once it settles, it’s a pleasure. Perfect for cold weather and totally unisex. Rating: 9/10

• El poder del aroma

  June 1, 2016

  

  As Pato76 says, even though it’s marketed as unisex, Ambre Sultan is pure oriental essence. It smells like a spice market with explosive blends; besides the amber, I detect myrrh, patchouli, and sandalwood, with a touch of vanilla. For me, within the unisex category, it leans more masculine. I don’t see it for summer because it’s dense and can overwhelm the space. The strength of Lutens lies exactly in these orientals.

• pedjalazaro

  March 30, 2017

  

  I neither like nor dislike it. Green and spicy opening with a notable presence of laurel and oregano. As the hours pass, it enters a sweeter and balsamic phase due to the amber, benzoin, and myrrh. I haven’t felt comfortable with the combination of laurel and oregano. As the hours pass, I’ve liked it more, but the opening conditions me a lot. Excellent quality, like all Lutens tested so far. The truth is that their orientals are original and different, although this one is too dense for me. For autumn and winter. For night. Lasting longevity. Moderate sillage.

• Pato76

  January 17, 2018

  

  Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens update… Reviewing this fragrance is not easy, as they are not just aromas, but moments, memories, dreams. For a good amber taster and lover of the oriental, you can find the perfect fusion between aromas and that mathematical formula that makes the result always the same. There are those who love mechanisms, like Swiss watches, whose prestige and reputation make them the best. Now, Ambre Sultan for me is that Swiss mechanism, perfect in every point, precise in its times, and a desire object, since it not only plays with your expectations but with your placebo. In the first instant, if you bury your nose right after applying, you will feel the coriander and laurel leaf in their original state; passing the seconds, the resins and amber begin to mitigate and urge to work together. Sandalwood is present supporting this work, adding a halo in the background, just like patchouli… (the patchouli by Serge for me is the best, e.g., Borneo 1834, a fragrance commemorating the year and place in France where it was discovered). It is worth saying that the predominant notes used as a base in other fragrances (sandalwood, patchouli, benzoin) are just extra guests to the great merchant displaying the amber, the resin, and the vanilla. Where does this fragrance circulate as unique? And it is in the fusion between the amber and the vanilla. Lutens portrays in an interview that said fusion made his work transcend in its mastery, and that was how it was. If we analyze the whole and the history of Ambre Sultan, I say it is a dramatic fragrance in composition and result, loaded with emotions well achieved by Christopher Sheldrake and commanded by SL. It is a drama from beginning to end that invites you to dream, as if you were walking through the streets of Marrakech or entering a tiled temple of incense, myrrh, resins… It is the emotional connotation that through the eyes and nose of Serge Lutens invites you to live together, where you not only want to wear its stamp but feel its experiences and history on your skin. Today I applied Ambre Sultan and that is what it transmits to me… Greetings to all Perfumado’s Club.

• FanDeDuneVintage

  March 25, 2018

  

  For those of us who cannot travel to other countries to immerse ourselves in their culture, customs, flavors, aromas, colors, and textures, to understand their worldview and how they reflect everything in their production, we will always have craft fairs and exhibitions that, through various expressions, provide significant varnishes to build an imaginary about what foreign regions contribute. Why do I mention craft events to review a perfume? Because some olfactory pieces I’ve tasted embody ‘vestiges’ that evoke identifiable smells in those scenarios, offering much of what we could find in their places of origin. Ambre Sultan takes me back to a trip to the Middle East, a tour through a Persian market, finding tourists and locals wandering leisurely, curious among tents offering spices, herbs, and resins of high purity, spreading delightful aromas available in bulk. This perfume comes to life through the amber, the splendid combo of resins and sandalwood, along with the dry green contrast of laurel and oregano. A creamy and smoky vanilla brings joy to a vivid composition. It is fascinating, sensual, intoxicating, and slightly narcotic; sophisticated, finely crafted, with striking artisanal nuances. While many fragrances fulfill to aromatize or evoke memories, this proposal from Serge Lutens goes beyond and tells a story, or at least inspires writing one, loaded with subjectivity and nostalgia, always under an introspective magnifying glass. Rating: 9.5/10.

• Edu Lezana

  April 1, 2018

  

  Ambre Sultan is not an easy fragrance. It is a pure and hard oriental, difficult to wear and crafted with great mastery. Lutens is a lover of orientals and has a fine nose to define them. Ambre Sultan is an amber perfume. A spiced, opulent amber that reaches a purity difficult to find today. It brings memories of spices and resins, but above all, it highlights a very warm amber with a totally artisanal nuance. It is unisex and has a nocturnal character that evokes nights in the Orient full of spiced and animal scents. It is dense, with excellent fixation and sillage, looks great on men and women of formal style and mature age. A young person may feel rejection. It requires a lot of confidence to wear. Lutens fragrances have renewed packaging and distribution; I no longer find them in my city, which saddens me. However, as they all have such a good memory effect and are distinctive, I might be motivated to buy them online. Be careful when spraying; it is artisanal and stains clothes (the only drawback). Excellent oriental with traditional airs.

• arp

  April 24, 2018

  

  Regarding the similarity to BBL, I was referring to the vintage version, not the current one. By the way, here we repeat point 2 of a topic I raised in the forum called COSAS QUE NO NOS GUSTAN DE FRAGRANTICA.ES.

• arp

  May 11, 2018

  

  It’s an amber very much in the style of vintage Burberry London, though it’s not mentioned, it has a certain resemblance, just slightly more acidic due to the cinnamon. It also reminds me of Armaf’s Oud, Lattafa’s Raghba Wood Intense without the burnt smell, and Tauer’s L’Air du Desert Marocain, but Lutens offers better performance and scent. Woody Style by Arabian Oud also comes to mind. It might seem generic, but not the fresh and clean kind; rather, it’s one of those amber orientals revolving around resinous notes. The standout notes are in the order of the vote. I feel it’s more masculine. It’s good, but since it shares similarities with several mentioned fragrances, it doesn’t stand out for being original; it’s just another amber among many. Best for formal or semi-formal wear, medium sillage, and about 10 hours of longevity, suitable for fresh or cold climates. The price isn’t very accessible; I recommend going for similar options like Armaf, which perform three times better and cost a quarter of the price.

• arp

  May 13, 2018

  

  Amber fragrance, very much in the style of Burberry London (vintage version, not the current one), which, although not mentioned to contain amber, seems to me to have a certain resemblance, only that BBL feels slightly acidic due to the cinnamon. It also reminds me slightly of Oud by Armaf, and has a certain resemblance to Raghba Wood Intense by Lattafa, only without the burnt sensation. It also reminds me a bit of L’Air du Desert Marocain by Tauer, but this one from Lutens, without being a great ‘perfume’, has better performance and aroma than Tauer’s, so those who were amazed by Tauer’s will go back when trying this. Another one that comes to mind is Woody Style by Arabian Oud. As you can see, at least in my opinion, it has a certain resemblance to the mentioned ones, so it could reach being somewhat ‘generic’, but not one of the classic ‘fresh blue and clean’ generics that abound today; this type of generic went more towards the ambered orientals, which we’ll call ‘Type 2 generic’, which encompasses orientals revolving around amber and resins. The notes that stand out most are the votes, in that order. It could be unisex or I feel it’s more masculine. Undoubtedly an oriental fragrance. Is it good? One could say yes, but as I mentioned with a certain resemblance to several and perhaps more, it’s not very original or standout; I feel it as just another amber among those that abound. Formal or semi-formal wear, medium sillage, and about 10 hours of life, for fresh or cold climates, with a not very accessible price. I would recommend going for one of the similar ones mentioned, a similar result at a much lower price; in fact, Oud by Armaf performs much better, its performance is triple, and at 1/4 the price.

• drakecito

  May 14, 2018

  

  Excellent oriental from Lutens, perhaps one of its most legendary. Classic amber loaded with resins, with an opening that is greener due to the laurel and oregano, which, like for Pedja, feels excessive to me. At times, the resinous side comes out more with the brand’s characteristic sweet touch, giving it depth and making it more wearable. Very aromatic, well-blended, and very oriental. In the dry-down, you feel more sandalwood and vanilla. After hundreds of subsequent ambers, it remains one of the best balanced and recommendable, and sometimes it can be found at a decent price. The similarity to Burberry London doesn’t deserve a comment; it’s like comparing Opium to Sauvage. With Raghba Wood Intense, the similarity is non-existent except for the oriental style. The Lattafa one is excellent but carries incense, oud, and caramel, notes non-existent in the Lutens. I haven’t tried the Armaf Oud, which is said to revolve around oud, a note non-existent here. This is subjective; there are people to whom Insurrection Pure II smells like Aventus. Generic, good; there are many fragrances of a similar cut, although this is one of the first. There are also many vetivers, so Guerlain’s could be generic… Performance is good, though not spectacular. The current version has been reformulated and has dropped. Despite that, it’s not bad. I comment that terms are sometimes confused: niche perfumes don’t have to stand out for power, but for quality, sharpness, and quantity of nuances. That artisanal feeling. Whoever wants to fill a room 4 hours after application is mistaken. For that, there are room fresheners or Jacques Bogart fragrances. In summary, an excellent amber from Lutens, an indispensable test for lovers of orientals and amber, a note that I’m not very fond of.

• Metaleroenésimo

  May 10, 2019

  

  My first encounter with Serge Lutens was Ambre Sultan. Honestly, as a fragrance newbie, I didn’t get it at first; it smelled like a health food store with incense sticks. Then I tried it again and discovered true oriental splendor. This is oriental in the literal sense. There are many oriental designer scents, but almost none come close to pure Arabesque; luckily, that’s what happens here. If you smell it carefully, you can imagine walking through the desert, sensing wild aromas of sun-dried resins. It offers a genuine proposal and lives up to its niche reputation. It has bittersweet, herbal, and slightly smoky nuances. Longevity, projection, and sillage are outstanding. Perfect for autumn, winter, and special occasions. If you love orientals, give Ambre Sultan a try.

• Metaleroenésimo

  May 31, 2019

  

  My first encounter with Serge Lutens was Ambre Sultan. Sincerely, being a novice in fragrances, I didn’t find much merit in it. It smelled like a health food store, the classic scent of incense sticks in those shops. Later, I tested it and found the oriental splendor so often talked about. This is truly an oriental fragrance in the literal sense. In designer perfumery, there are many orientals, but almost none approach what is purely Arab. Fortunately, this one does. If you smell it carefully, you imagine walking through the desert and perceiving harsh aromas of sun-dried resins… It offers a genuine olfactory proposal. That’s a virtue. It fully honors its niche name. It has rich bittersweet, aromatic (herbal), and slightly smoky nuances. Longevity, projection, and sillage are notable. An ideal option for autumn, winter, and special occasions. Given its peculiarity, if you like orientals, you must try Ambre Sultan.

• Espartaco

  September 18, 2019

  

  Undeniable quality, although pure oriental scents usually overwhelm me. This one is dense, oily, and heavy as it should be. Ambre Sultan brings Lutens back to the days when there were fewer but better perfumes, nothing like the current quantity-over-quality approach. It has body, clear stages, and nuances. The fact that it’s good is undeniable, but it bothers me, and I feel it gets worse until the final unbearable phase. Three stages: 1) Opening, bright amber like hippie-setter oil with resinous strawberry hints. 2) Heart, reminiscent of Goutal’s Ambre Fetiche but sweeter, luminous, with a powerful caramelized balsamic base; pure arabesque, nothing of Catholic mysticism. 3) Drydown, horrible. Smells like old books, yellowed paper, and sweet fossilized keratin that makes my stomach turn. I suspect it’s the laurel or thyme. At some point, I notice a gaseous, metallic patchouli, maybe from the cilantro. Essential for lovers of uncompromising orientals; it’s pure Middle Eastern and delivers on its promises. Totally unisex.

• Espartaco

  September 22, 2019

  

  Undeniable quality perfume. I’ve never liked pure orientals; I find them repetitive, cloyingly sweet, and suffocating. This one is dense, oily, and loaded with Middle Eastern notes, something impertinent and monolithic as it should be. Ambre Sultan proudly carries the best of Lutens, when the house was still releasing few good perfumes, nothing like their current policy. It has body, very clear stages, nuances, and dimension. The fact that it’s good is undeniable; whether you like it or not is a matter of taste… for me, it feels uncomfortable and as it evolves, it gets worse until the final phase, which is unbearable. I’ll summarize it in three stages: 1) Opening, a bright and clean amber with a hint of solid perfumes, hippie oils from the 70s, camphor, and blown glass, reminiscent of the clean dirt of Tabu or Opium Balsamic Orange. It feels like a relative to those, but with a resinous strawberry or candy note that I don’t like but is interesting. 2) Heart… Ambre Fetiche by Goutal but less waxy, sweeter, and without myrrh or incense. Many read that it resembles Goutal, but for me, they never match until the heart, where Annick’s is more sinister, smells more expensive, and is a work of art that seems like a bottled place. When it arrives here, Ambre Sultan loses the oriental chords of Lauder or YSL and resembles a sweeter, brighter version of Ambre Fetiche; I’m surprised a perfume can mute like that. The heart is similar to Goutal but with a potent caramelized balsamic base, like a Middle Eastern fruit jelly that doesn’t exist in Goutal, which smells like a catacomb. For me, Goutal is Catholic mysticism and Ambre Sultan is pure Orient. 3) Dry-down. Horrible. I lack air… it smells like an old book. That sickly, sweetly acidic, organic, and dry smell of yellowed paper, like sweet fossilized keratin that turns my stomach. I bet it’s the laurel, with those dusty nuances. In the first two phases, even though I don’t like them, I think it’s wearable up close. Not here; I have to wash my hands because it changes my mood and makes me sick. I sense a gaseous, metallic patchouli, perhaps due to the unlisted coriander. Essential for lovers of uncompromising orientals; this is real Middle East. It feels unisex, man, woman, or evil genius.

• jerry drake

  October 16, 2019

  

  So rich! A complex, super-aromatic blend that’s almost perfect for me. It starts very spicy with woods, giving a dark, slightly dirty tone, but it shifts quickly into vanilla, which is exactly what I expected and I love how they use it here. I wish the vanilla came out a bit earlier to sweeten the dry-down more. It’s not easy to wear; it’s intense and very oriental. Longevity and sillage are good, though they could be better for the price. Anyway, a great proposal from Lutens that I found thanks to Darkbeat.

• Edudoff

  May 14, 2021

  

  Undoubtedly, the quality and potency are top-tier, but it’s one of the few perfumes that have disappointed me. It smells like old wine, nothing more, nothing less. I can’t comment on longevity or performance because after half an hour, I had to wash the area, but while it was on my skin, it projected like a demon.

• Juangse

  May 28, 2021

  

  Personally, it’s not an amber that excites me, and especially not the €180 you have to pay for 100ml. As an oriental fragrance, it’s not bad, but Lutens has more interesting proposals. And for amber, we have Goutal or L’Artisan Parfumeur with more groundbreaking offerings in that price range. I won’t compare it to Tom Ford because it’s not in their price bracket, but they’re worlds apart.

• Edudoff

  May 29, 2021

  

  Without questioning its quality and potency, it’s one of the few perfumes that have been unpleasant to me. It smells like old wine, nothing more, nothing less. I can’t comment on longevity or performance because after half an hour I had to wash the area where I applied it, but the time I had it on my skin, it projected like a demon.

• PabDark1014

  May 30, 2022

  

  Terrible scent. Back in Chile, years ago, around 2005, my sister used Ladysan Manzanilla sanitary towels; this fragrance smells identical. It’s a flat, graceless, horrible feminine aroma. Luckily I tried it in a decant; I would never accept it as a gift.

• Industrial engineer

  July 13, 2022

  

  It was the first Serge Lutens fragrance I tried. I was curious about the house until I took the plunge with this creation. Ambre Sultan is exactly that: it revolves around amber. And by amber, it doesn’t mean the fossilized resin (which has no scent), but an eminently oriental accord of benzoin, frankincense, and other resins. All of that is recreated paradigmatically. It’s a scent that breaks from the conventional with its orientalism. Those unfamiliar with this type of fragrance will struggle to assimilate it. I, being a fan of this olfactory family, was shocked when I tried it, but not excessively. The only downside is its lack of versatility; frankly, I struggle to imagine occasions to wear it. That happens with all the Lutens I’ve tried, except Chergui. Otherwise, there’s no complaining: ‘relatively’ affordable price for a niche, an unusual scent, and good longevity.

• byrgertidesson

  November 19, 2022

  

  I bought it at Gio because I was looking for something for autumn/winter and it was the only one of their top amber scents I could easily find in Mexico. The special edition came out pretty cheap. At first, I thought it was too spicy, but on skin in the cold, it’s a delightful amber scent—sweet and spicy from the vanilla, cilantro, and oregano. The quality is top-notch, but it doesn’t project much; it lasts up to 10 hours but sticks VERY close to the skin. Without a discount, 50ml costs $100, and since it’s a scent that clings to layers of clothing (turtlenecks, scarves), it’s a risky bet unless you’re wearing it to the office or on a date. (8.5/10)

• byrgertidesson

  November 22, 2022

  

  I bought it at Gio Perfumes looking for an autumn-winter fragrance, the only one from their top amber lineup I could get relatively easily in Mexico that I didn’t already own. I found the special edition at a good price and went for it. After an initial test where it seemed like a very spice-focused oriental, a second test (on skin and with the intended weather) resulted in a delightful amber scent with a sweet, spicy touch from the vanilla, coriander seeds, and oregano. As for performance: extremely high quality, but it doesn’t stand out for projection; rather, it excels in skin longevity, lasting up to 10 hours but VERY CLOSE TO THE SKIN. Without discount, 50ml costs $100 USD, and given the scent type, you’ll need to navigate some clothing layers (high collars, jackets, scarves, coats). It feels like a risky bet unless worn at the office or on a date. (8.5/10)

• Jaionemaite3

  April 17, 2023

  

  I decided to buy this beast blind, as I usually do. I was scared by the comments I’d read, but hey, adrenaline from the power, haha. First contact, it blasts out a spicy amber that left me shocked; potent but glubbb, I was terrified. But after a short while, the scent settles and OH MAGIC! It has totally enchanted me. It’s super pretty, gorgeous, addictive; I have zero regrets. It’s supposed to be for freezing weather, but I wore it today in springtime and it was a joy. I’m completely in love with Ambre Sultan. The only serious thing: until it settles, it’s strong and spicy, but afterward it transforms into something that thrilled me. THIS PERFUME IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL, YES.

• Jaionemaite3

  April 20, 2023

  

  I decided to buy this beast at blind (as I almost always do). I was scared by the reviews, but the adrenaline of finally trying it was incredible. First impression: a powerful, potent spicy amber that hit me hard, but then it settled and OH MAGIC! It completely won me over. It’s gorgeous, addictive, and I have zero regrets. It’s supposed to be for cold weather, but today with spring temperatures, it felt like pure bliss. I’m totally in love with Ambre Sultan. Just a heads-up: it’s strong until it settles, but afterward, it transforms into something that truly excites me. TRULY BEAUTIFUL.

• Carcanuelo

  March 1, 2024

  

  It’s the archetype of amber perfumes: a dense, sweet composition, but not at all vanilla-heavy. It sits between herbal and spicy, with that dry greenness—not fresh, but like dried spices in the spice aisle. It’s warm, perfect for wrapping up on cold winter evenings. If you like amber scents, I can’t imagine you wouldn’t love this. Unisex. It doesn’t have the hype of others like Rosendo Mateu 5 or Le Coeur du Desert by Tauer, but in my opinion, it surpasses both in balance. A perfect signature perfume for winter. A splendid job by Christopher Sheldrake.

• nneestorr

  February 8, 2025

  

  It starts green and almost astringent; at first, it can be suffocating and the opening might be challenging, especially in the heat. Once it settles, it becomes the very definition of amber. If you’re familiar with this note, Ambre Sultan will feel familiar to you, as it undoubtedly inspired countless other perfumes. Tested thanks to Mithrandir.

• pacojet

  May 27, 2025

  

  Absolutely wonderful. I let it slide for way too long out of ignorance, thinking it was just a generic niche scent. It oozes balance, and the final drydown is spectacular: spices, astringency, amber, and a sweet, vanilla-tinged finish. 9/10, masterful.

• Scentleasar

  October 18, 2025

  

  The opening gives me a bit of a scare, but the drydown is truly enchanting; I’d absolutely do it again without a second thought.