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S_volg – :
I love this Amber!! Combining this paste with a good Lavender E.O. — HEAVENLY!!!!
Mixan – :
I like Amber paste to me it smells like a hippie amber to me but not in a bad way. To me it’s totally something I would of rocked all the time in the 90’s. Now I mostly wear it on cold days I like how this matures on my skin. It gets very pleasant as I wear this and turns into a great skinscent. It is very sweet so I can see why some men do not like this. My boyfriend said maybe he’s wear it if it had a lot of citrus in it. But as is he wouldn’t wear it either.
For women though I find this so lovely! It’s spicy, sweet, and has a nice vanilla amber scent as it wears. To me this reminds me of the amber I burn which you can wear as a perfume if you rub it on. I really like this and Persian Garden these are my 2 favorites. Even though these are inexpensive I still think Amber Paste can smell pricey and quite niche like. I wear it sparingly as it’s super strong. For 10$ it lasts forever too a little goes a long way. It’s really a lovely amber that I so enjoy.
123jt9 – :
Amber Paste is definitely a throwback fragrance, but that doesn’t for a second mean it’s not absolutely amazing. It’s not sophisticated, but it’s definitely magnetic.
Casual observers will first be confronted with pine and patch, but if they stick around, the pleasures of wine barrel, dried stonefruit, and rich spice will reward them. Teenyboppers need not apply.
The texture is only unfortunate insofar as you are squickishly reminded of where you have applied it from time to time, but the matter is minor since the juice is so perennially pleasing.
TAURUS 7 – :
Resinous, vanillic, dry and sweet. So, basically, amber. If converted to an edp, it could pass for one of the expensive niche I’ve sampled, which isn’t saying much. (My opinion of niche is that most are overrated thanks to marketing, ie, hey, look at me, I’m super expensive, so I must be awesome.) Nevertheless, I find it to be a very nice, satisfying amber.
Pastes are sticky by nature, but it smooths right out with a tiny bit of unscented lotion.
Layering perfumes seems like sacrilege, so I generally don’t do it. Out of curiosity, though, I combined Amber Paste with a white floral and, wow! Something greater than the sum of its parts!
RenAys – :
This is sweet in the beginning, but sticky sweet like honey. It actually smells like honey. However, it has a woody side to it that opens up as it dries down. The woody side is very dry, like a wooden chest filled with incense sticks.
karpuskula – :
This is partially a review, and partially a response to the review below mine.
I received Amber Paste as a gift, and my first surprise was the strange, sticky, sap-like consistency. What a strange decision to not mix this with another oil to make it more easily wearable… And by that, I mean, it just doesn’t go on the skin well without lotion or another oil.
But I’ve learned to get past that.
Now for the scent itself. This, to me, is a very resinous, woody, and non-sweet amber. I get little to no dominant vanilla, and essentially no sweetness. It is rich and very unisex. I am a person who prefers scents that lean unisex, and this does not disappoint.
It is also dry and woody enough to make a fantastic base for layering. I’m wearing with Sofia Vergara Love, because to me, that fragrance gets so sweet, that it doesn’t really work well alone for me. This base makes it quite nice.
So to redeem the glowing reviews below the review below mine… This is an excellent, high quality scent that is very much unisex, and many men, both in and out of hell, would rock this nicely.
Portosian – :
I must be the first male to review this fragrance so far. I’d just like to warn others that this is not a great scent for men or for anyone who likes more sophisticated fragrances. It is heavy, cloying and overly sweet. It smells like something a hippie who enjoys baking gingerbread would love. The dry down, or more correctly, the paste out, takes a very long time. The cloying qualities subside somewhat but the scent never becomes anything worthwhile (to my nose).
I’m amazed that others have compared it to beautiful, complex scents like Serge Lutens’ Ambre Sultan. I don’t detect any similarity at all. It might work well for some women, but it is a disaster for a man. Unless he works in a hot bread shop and wants a scent that will fit in with his surroundings.
UPDATE: I’d like to mention that I don’t hate ALL sweet or gourmand fragrances. Two of my favorite scents are Honey Aoud (Montale) and Aoud Vanille (Mancera), both of which are sweet and both of which I wear frequently. I don’t hate sweet fragrances – I just hate Amber Paste because it is a terrible scent.
UPDATE 2: I’m also not against cheap fragrances. Some cheap fragrances, especially some from the Middle East, can be great. Cheap does not equal bad, but cheap also does not equal good.
Fagot – :
A new favorite for the amber lover — I regularly combine it with Nirvana Black perfume oil — people love the combo. I spent years purchasing small containers of amber butter, bad oils, gritty amber resins and expensive perfumes that miss the mark. The common practice of mixing patchouli and amber alters the amber completely in a bad way for me — making my search more difficult. Kuumba Made Amber Paste has given me an inexpensive way to enjoy a quality note. I am smiling!
alan5922 – :
This is a beautiful, warm, sweet earthy amber that drys down to a lovely soft vanilla musk combo. The longevity is amazing . It comes in a small vial but a dab on each wrist is all that is needed to wrapped up in the comfort of this fragrance for a good few hours. Excellent value for money – it’s smells a lot more expensive than it is.
lymbago – :
Kuumba Made AMBER PASTE is one of those great finds that might be overlooked because it’s inexpensive and presented in an unassuming little bottle. If you’re as fond of the scent of amber as I am, don’t miss out on this one!
AMBER PASTE is a deep, rich and satisfying amber fragrance with a purity about it. It’s warm and intense and lovely. Sillage is strong, so all you need is a tiny dab and it lasts forever on the skin. (It really is a paste and there’s an applicator stick attached to the inside of the cap. Rub it in well so it doesn’t get messy.) AMBER PASTE is wonderful on its own and it also layers nicely with compatible scents.
adassappy – :
I agree with everybody’s sentiment – this is a perfect amber. It’s tempting to think that because of the cheap price and small bottle, that you need a more expensive luxury amber fragrance, but you do not. It’s got lasting power, it’s got decent projection, and it layers really nicely. I blend this with Rochas Femme and it is perfection! I love the other reviewers tip of mixing this with body lotion! It is a PASTE that comes out of the bottle with a little dipping stick, so it’s easy to go crazy. It is such a beautiful, perfect scent, for so cheap. If you love amber pick this up at your Whole Foods, you really won’t be dissapointed!
pgj523Negeltzex – :
Amber Paste is as close to a perfect amber fragrance as one could find. It is earthy, rich, sweet but not cloying (ALMOST gourmand-like), and warmly sensual.
The texture of the perfume is a bit off-putting, as it’s quite sticky, but this helps it cling to the skin. It will stain skin and clothes a bit, so be careful.
This is a long-lasting scent, about 12 hours on my skin, with a good sillage.
VarAvalaGracy – :
This is my ultimate amber fragrance. And, before Fragrantica, amber was the one and only fragrance I wore. So being my go-to amber is a big deal.
I tried a sample of Amber Sultan once, and it seemed similar to me. Similar enough that I’ll stick with Amber Paste, especially given the price difference. Despite my love for the smell of amber, it’s hard for me to be interested in trying expensive niche or designer ambers when Amber Paste can be obtained for pocket change.
What does Amber Paste smell like? Well, like amber, but a dirty, earthy amber: rich and warm and spicy, very sweet but not sickly sweet, with an herbal note that blooms best on my skin in cold weather. I love powder soft feminine ambers, but this is not one of them. Amber Paste is primal. Its odd paste consistency seems fitting.
I wear Amber Paste year round, but I love it best in the dead of winter, when its notes seem to sing the clearest, and the herbal note is strongest on my skin. I’ve read that a little dab is enough for some people, but I slather it on. Yum. I love mixing a generous swipe with unscented moisturizer, too.
I wore nothing but Amber Paste mixed that way for over a month last winter. My perfumes were packed away for a move that was delayed. I used up the little 4ml bottle in 5 or 6 weeks that way! At least I had such a delightful fragrance during those frustrating weeks. I didn’t tire of it at all; although it is a linear scent, it has a complexity to it, and a whole lot of depth.
Despite all the many wonderful perfumes I’ve found since joining Fragrantica, I still consider Amber Paste the equal of any them.
mula – :
Literally amber paste. Beautiful rich, creamy, smooth amber. I love it. I would have loved this in my 20’s when I was given a chunk of pure amber and would rub it on my wrists as a delectable perfume. This is earthy and is unlike the stronger, synthetic ambers that make me scrunch up my nose. It’s just comforting. I think I will wear it to bed mostly…or layered underneath other vanilla, spicy scents. I think it would be beautiful underneath Tabu, White Diamonds, YSL Opium and Balmain’s Ambre Gris.
Gileexisk – :
Wonderful!!! This actually lives up to the hype! Exquisite amber. This holds it’s own against Amber Absolute and Ambre Sultan, if you love those you are going to love this(and especially love the price)! A pure amber- resinous, slightly medicinal,very rich, sweetened just enough. I wish I would have tried this sooner, I was skeptical for a long time, glad I finally wised up and went for it!
MOISMGEFMENSE – :
I don’t know what Amber is but it smells darn good! Like vanilla and honey. The resin and incense keep it from being too sweet. I really didn’t like the vanilla bean scent from this brand. It smells like cheap white musk. This is much better if you want a vanilla. It smells kinda like the amber used in l’air du desert moroccan.
maxim-3211 – :
This is a FANTASTIC amber at an amazing price point. This has a warm,earthy, incense’y, pure amber scent. It’s something I reach for when I don’t want an “in your face”, loud perfume, since it does sit close to the skin. I have multiples of this and always keep a bottle of this in my purse. It is very viscous, just a few dabs does the trick. It’s also a wonderful layering scent, something to layer on first before other scents in the same family to give them more longevity. It’s a real gem!
szt333InsuffBooni – :
I LOVE this stuff!!! I am so smitten with it. I’ve never had anything like it. First off I don’t mind the paste. Its pretty neat. Sweet warm vanilla, amber, smoky incense, patchouli, lemon, pine, Thick rich golden full bodied powerhouse feeling. ADDICTIVE!!! I can’t stop sniffing it. Everyday I think I’m not going to wear this and there I go right back to it. Is this stuff legal?
I also like to layer it with golden sand. Another beautiful oil I hope to review soon.
mymnClaibly – :
This Amber has one of the most addictive qualities I’ve ever sensed in a perfume!!
I just purchased it from Whole Foods yesterday so have only worn it twice now, but tonight after a shower found I had to put it on again as opposed to something more summery because it was calling to me. It conjures up feelings of great intensity and I’ve never experienced anything quite like it before. It’s earthy but intensely sweet without being gourmand or floral. Pure feel good bliss for me….
CinaPhawn – :
I remember the first time I tried this several years ago at Whole Foods or some such health food store. I instantly felt like I had been transformed into a super sexy and sultry vixen. It felt weird walking around looking at fruits and veggies feeling like that. 😉 But it also felt really naughty and delicious, so I had to buy it.
This stuff lasts forever on skin and clothes, and it’s thick and resinous, a true sticky paste. Woody, spicy, slightly sweet, potent amber with a touch of an animalic chocolateness – my favorite amber yet and for literally pennies when compared to most perfumes!
This is also great to wear to bed when you need something grounding and earthy to calm your mind.
EDIT: Every time I wear this, my boyfriend says I smell like cookies! There is a definite sweetness to this.
2ND EDIT: I can’t get enough of this lately! I wear it all the time, and it makes me feel somehow more like myself, if that makes sense. It’s cozy, but powerful. It grounds me, but it’s also alluring. I ordered a second bottle to keep on hand!
sh1431 – :
I’ve worn Amber Paste for a year or so now and this is one of my favorite cheap thrill perfumes. It has great longevity and morphs from a warm, spicy amber to a sweet vanilla/amber/musk after six hours. When I wear it, I always get compliments. I like to layer it with Kiehl’s musk or C.O. Bigelow’s Patchouli for a sexy hippie oil mix.
I’d say, the only drawback is the sillage, it isn’t much but if you work with a scent-phobe coworker, this might be a great scent to avoid annoying anyone. After a day long of wear, this winds up smelling like a slightly sweet vanillic skin-musk.
Two thumbs up in my book!
123123123 – :
I don’t like amber. BUT I *love* this amber. This is warm and rich, and so cozy. It’s earthy and smooth and does not have any cherry note that so many ambers tend to have. I can see this smelling equally nice on a man or a woman. My only complaint is that on my skin it doesn’t last very long.
Elvi – :
Right at the start, there is an herbal quality to this. I’d also say it borders on an astringent quality, but only at the very first outset. Then, this just simply melts into your skin in the most delicious, warm ambery fashion you can imagine. I really think this is actually one of THE BEST amber scents out there. It’s got lots of resins, a tinge of something piney undergirds the whole thing. I feel it’s relatively strong considering that it’s not made in alcohol and that the sillage is substantial. Very distinctive and natural. This has sweetness to it, but I would not describe it as sweet and it is as far from department store ambers as you could hope to get. Vegetal and a bit primal is more like it.
most1ka – :
OMG! Just got this in the mail today. It smells so soft and beautiful. Just wish it had more sillage. It stays close to my skin but I love sniffing my wrists now!! Very thick and sticky but rubs into skin easily.
salman – :
I just purchased this and I’m already so scared that they are going to discontinue or stop selling it. This stuff is awesome! At first I was hesitant, but the more I wear it the more I fall in love.
It works wonders being layered with other scents, particularly spicy and vanilla fragrances. It is smoky and resinous. The longevity is amazing and the sillage is good. It’s not extreme sillage, but more personal.
I wore it side by side wi th Ambre Sultan, and th is is just about up there with AS.If you like amber, get this!
creak – :
This is the most natural-smelling amber I have ever experienced. Yes, if you dislike the note (as per the review below), you should definitely stay away.
However, if you are burnt out on department store amber approximations and want something real smelling to compare them to, this is a great and potentially game changing point of reference.
It goes on quite viscous but if you can get beyond that, it’s a fantastic spicy-hot woody resinous amber with labdanum as the star and an almost camphorous pine sap quality. molten hot and glowing for hours.
A beautiful raw scent.
Swochethoca – :
Hot spicy thick amber with outstanding longevity and potency in a small dab! Suitable for colder months.
Poshliachok – :
Amber Paste is a severely overlooked fragrance and possibly one of the best amber solinotes in the market. It’s mildly sweet, earthy, woody, and richly textured with a strong resinous aroma. True to the nature of a pure amber fragrance, it comes off as unisex on my skin and from the bottle as well. One word of caution: The consistency of the perfume is a brown-colored paste, meaning that it is a very soft but highly sticky substance that can also stain fabric. I usually dab some on my wrist then proceed to spread it around my pulse points. One tiny drop of application fills the whole room and lasts well over 12+ hours on me. This delicious paste garners compliments from both men and women. Recommended for all amber lovers!
muulqk – :
Thank you SO much, dear Fragrantica staff, for adding this brand to the database! We appreciate you. 😀
Amber paste is a deliriously good, natural amber with a sizable amount of earthiness, possibly patchouli, in it’s sillage trail. You will be enveloped in a warm, strong aura, redolent of real essences. Not for the faint of heart, or the average lover of all things sweet.
Interestingly, I find a distinct correlation here to Jeanne Arthes’ Patchouli Sumatra, even though in this case there is more amber. Both are excellent unisex choices, equally good alone or layered.
Update – Yes, it is sweet too. But only sweet as in dark-sweet! A layering DELIGHT.
Five Stars
yura246 – :
Amber Paste is one of the nicest ambers out there. Very rich and sweet and long lasting. It’s a niche quality sweet amber. It really is a paste that you need to scoop out to apply and rub onto the skin. The longer you have this perfume the better it becomes too. I’ve had mine a few years and it’s even better now. A good buy!