Description
Perfumer Gerald Ghislain transforms and
redefines with his creative brilliance.
Dominated by the rare and precious Oudh,
this exclusive collection is deliberately
embellished with a palette of Petrol, Rose and
Amber, materials long used in traditional
perfumery. He has revealed their fierce
strength, veracity and raw beauty making
each an emblem of our natural Earth,
undisturbed by human interference… Plants,
Minerals and Animals
An expression of desire and passion, Ambrarem is a force
of irresistibility that stirs the senses. A dramatic alchemy
composed of marine, distinct anamalic notes from Oman
waters. A white rose craves for the touch of a precious
untamed iris as the proufoundly green gaic casts a spell of
addictive raw pleasure…
A lethal dose of power. Ambrarem was launched in 2011.
ariamhek – :
9 – Salty amber oud with cucumber. Makes me think of eating tomato and cucumber salad at the hippie macrobiotic restaurant when I was a kid.
I think the “cucumber” must be the elemi. Interesting but I’m not quite convinced it works as a blend.
Wrote that bit before looking at the reviews, so I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who got salty cucumber.
Within five minutes the amber has deepened into something delicious.
10 – settled into an animalistic amber, heavy on the castoreum. I’m also getting a fair amount of saffron. I’m enjoying smelling this on me but I don’t think that I’d enjoy it on someone else I was stuck in a room with.
12- skinscent amber
This is the most interesting amber and oud combo I’ve come across, but I don’t know that I really like it. Worth a sample, maybe even a decant, but I’m not inspired to throw down the $$$.
edit – next day, IT WON’T COME OFF. Multiple showers, scrubs, and perfumes later, I’m keeping my forearms as far from my nose as possible because I have a pressure headache and all I can smell is castoreum. Now, in Ambrarem’s defense, I’m one of those people who gets bloodhound nose when I’m sick and can smell that bag of chips you opened upstairs while in the basement and through multiple closed doors.
zanbor – :
You know there is a sexy tobacco smell and there is a disgusting tobacco a smell of a Person that smokes a lot and doesn’t shower, similar to that of a homeless person. Unfortunately, this fragrance smells like the latter and as far away as possible from the earlier. Who would like this garbage?
pegas-misha – :
Very racist review below (by @romanygerges)
please flag
sinykatya – :
I was very surprised by the opening coming from a scent called Ambrarem. Right off the bat I actually get a quite ozonic, slightly salty, fresh cucumber but it is tainted and polluted by petroleum. (Looking at the notes after writing this review, I suppose this comes from the mix of oud and powdery iris). Underneath the petroleum/cucumber accord, there is leathery, lightly smoky castoreum with a hint of spices. After some time the notes and accords preeminent in the opening are still there but then also I get a subtle resinous, woody sweetish amber/vanilla sandalwood combo.
To describe it roughly, so of course it is not exactly that, but to help you imagining what it smells like based on my experiences with it and using more common fragrances: Imagine the top, the beginning of Dior Fahrenheit and Lauren’s Polo Blue intertwined together, adding powdery iris and on top of current, tamer Chanel Antaeus as the base keeping the ozonic vibe a bit dirtier and more leathery. Later on, coming in is an vanilla/amber-y sandalwood to make it rounder and you can guess what Ambrarem is like.
бурундуляка – :
Esseintes review is an excellent description, I second that review.
vayazh – :
MASTERPIECE !!!
Totta – :
A warm, sirupy semi gourmand Amber with Oud and a slight touch of animalic note blended to perfection.This is a real masterpiece fragrance for winter. Will I buy another bottle of this juice? Yes most definitely.
RC80 – :
Nothing in the whole world smells of deep rich tobacco like this one. Brilliant. It s overwhelming because of its strength. I dont get the generic incenses but a spicy tobacco musk. The only true tobacco scent. Maybe a involuntary accord but it rocks. The dry leather at the centre is brilliant.
severyanin – :
I find astonishing ressemblances of Ambrarem with Aramis Calligraphy. Of course, there are subtile perceivable differences in the citrus Ambrarem does not have and in the Animalic Callygraphy does not have. Anyway, both have a very particular tobacco/alcoholic beverage aroma that cannot be explanided from the listed component of both (and that is also present in Parfum d`Empire Amber Russe but more sweet). May be this aroma can be produced by the three notes both share (Saffron, Amber and Oud). I don’t know that much as to decide this. But if this is so, does the pyramid perfume have any sense in this case?
Hoonlilkinvar – :
This whole trio of Edition Rare is absolutely fantastic. All 3 smell terrific and this one is no exception. What makes them all stellar is the longevity. These scents are as powerful as a locomotive and they just keep going. Simply masterful.
rennweg – :
A dark animalic fragrance, best suited for cold winter weather…warming and balsamic.
Performance ist BEAST
7/10
ImmomoSticki68747 – :
Indeed a masterpiece;-)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – :
I once ate sea cucumber in a Chinese restaurant. It tasted nothing like an actual cucumber but when I think of Ambrarem I think ‘sea cucumber.’ Imagine a freshly-cut cucumber dipped in the water of a busy harbour so that it collects not only the salt water but the slick of diesel on the surface. Introduce a soft, vanilla-toned amber and a dark smear of castoreum and that’s Ambrarem. From the opening, which is genuinely astringent and challenging, it doesn’t progress so much as settle down. The roughness mellows to reveal different layers that are all present in the beginning but obscured by the astringency. Quite far into the process, one of these layers – is it the cucumber? – turns out to be a soft, almost powdery oud that drifts around a light caramel amber.
It sounds awful but it is one of the most appealing things I have ever worn. It is completely paradoxical. All the edges that should be sharp and ugly turn out to be welcoming. It’s a concoction of jarring notes that come together beautifully to make something that is utterly ‘other’ – nothing else smells anything like this – and at the same time feels like home.
Absolutely beautiful.
Mercu249JeomiWogkig – :
1 word Materpiece!!!!
amurx – :
ambrarem is proper balls-to-the -wall perfumery and chapeau to ghislain for this trio in general. a completely original and convincing take on what is now a boring cliché: amber oud (speaking of which: nicolai…. no amber, no oud, lotsa wtf!) ambrarem carries most of the editions rare dna plus a whiff of the sea (a strange organic umami kelp vibe), a genuinely dramatic presence of oud wood (rather than oil) and crusty, salty ambregris that has not been made pretty or presentable but is compelling all the same. go ahead & dislike it, but remember lotsa folks think hairless cats are cute… 😉
ps. i LOVE the preceding review, very evocative – thanks for the good laugh 😀
папаша – :
I’m going to be blunt, so look away now if you are of a delicate nature and love this scent – but it is VILE. And stupid me decided to forego the usual paper strips when encountering something brand new, especially something controversial, and just apply straight to my arm.
I literally choked and gagged when I sprayed it on it was so strong and pungent.
It smells like…petrol. And rubber. And oil and concrete. With a hint of something animalic in a bad way.
Basically, imagine a grim multi-storey car park, circa 1996. The concrete floor is grooved to keep people driving slowly. The whole place is lit by dim, sporadic fluorescent strip lights that occasionally flicker, some aren’t working at all, so there are patches of sickly yellow-green light, and larger patches of darkness. There are few windows for light or air entry, and it is a heavy damp cold and overcast day anyway with no air movement.
Some person or persons have been using the alcove at the bottom of the stairwell as a urinal, as well as a smoking spot as there is the unpleasant tang of stale urine and fading cigarette smoke emanating from that area.
The only parking space is on the “lower ground” floor, effectively half a storey underground where the air is even thicker with trapped fumes. The smog of petrol fumes hangs in the air making the air feel thick and heavy, and the concrete floor is stained black from the constant flow of car tyres, from the exhaust fumes, from oil that has dripped onto the floor. There is a slight puddle which has a dark rainbow effect from the petrol trapped in the water. You bend down to tie your shoelace and the smell that hits you close to the ground, the murky mucky damp concrete, the rubber of tires, the petrol and oil that coats the floor, the exhaust fumes in the air, the stale smoke and piss from the stairwell – that is the smell of Ambrarem. And that is putting it politely and in the most positive light I can do!.
After half an hour or so of wanting to remove my arm it has settled slightly in that it now resembles an independent mechanics garage, where the mechanics work on the cars with the doors all flung open. This is really not a good smell. I can detect no amber, no vanilla, no iris or saffron or sandalwood. I have no idea how come people have overwhelmingly voted this as being a like or a love. I don’t understand how they can smell this same smell and perceive anything different. This is not what I was looking for! Try before you buy!
I had to scrub after 2 hours, I just could not stand it any longer and it is unusual for me to have to scrub.
lilu_ta – :
FOR SALE, 98% full….price EUR 110…delivery worldwide.
Send me msg if you are interested.
Cheers
Marios
elo451Unlogrere – :
This smells so bad, I wanted to give it a chance so bad so I kept on sniffing it….all of a sudden I felt nauseous I almost puked, how can you guys like this…smells like something chemical burnt rubber and vomit mixed with vanilla.
alekden2010 – :
Un’ambra oudata molto dark,cupa,sexy. Nessuna dolcezza di fiori o vaniglia, ma oud liquoroso e notturno. Nessuna spezia (contrariamente ad Ambre 114 o ad Ambre Sultan SL, superspeziatissime…Quanto origano !!), tanto avvolgente calore.
Simile ad Ambre Loup Rania J (in cui emerge più vaniglia scura) e ad Amber Absolute Tom Ford (più incensata). Ottima persistenza, con il caldo il sillage acquista più forza. Bellissimo profumo.
LesNik6673 – :
This is a gorgeous perfume. I can’t use beautiful because it’s just too striking for that. It hits like an explosion up the nose that settles into the brain like shakti rising and bliss ensues. The first scent is a nasal clearing pepper followed by a beach at low tide and the definite smell of a diesel engine. After a few minutes the scents calm down and no longer fight one another, but blend and feel calm followed the scent of soft flowers and something like lake water comes into play. The dry down is magnificent, spicy and sweet with hints of sandalwood, water, and that wonderfull pepper that never really leaves all comingled within a delicate flower. This scent is both strong and soft, but neither at the same the same time. An amazing feat to be able to convey the complexity of womanhood itself.
Kpacav4ik – :
This is my favourite amber based fragrance, I think it’s one of the best ambers on the market today and surely the best amber I’ve ever smelled.
The major factors for me are: amber, castoreum and saffron plus a little bid of oud in the background. Thanks to this perfume I’ve learned myself how amber really smells like. It has a little salty aroma and smells deep and resinous to me.
Longevity is around 12 hours on me, sillage is really big as I find it potent(I think it’s an extract of a perfume, not EDP).
Another must have to my collection. A pure beauty.
9InDeX – :
My signature Scent!!! Histoires de Parfums is one of my favorite Houses!!! ambrarem together with petroleum, rosam, 1740, ambre 114, tubereuse 3 animale, 1725, 1969 are all masterpieces. One thing that I can not understand is why a House with so many wonderful scents is so underrated.
mbb440Unlogrere – :
Sombre Negra with breast? Female auto mechanic? Just a few descriptions that jump out. My skin(for this fragrance) completely ignores the perfume pyramid. I can smell the iris just as much as the leather. Honestly I can smell everything pretty evenly. Not a perfume that will engulf the entire atmosphere albeit not at all quiet. Definitely a niche perfume reserved for the coldest month in your city. Don’t waste your time trying to convince ”a regular nosed” person to find fondness for Ambrarem. The aroma could be deemed as “left-field”. On the totem pole of respect, this should be heralded as one of the more interesting ones.
Tomplo – :
Wow! This is an “alpha male” perfume, don’t ask me why. This is just it.
It’s fresher than I thought, and much more masculine than I imagined (I anticipated some quirky unisex amber that would be wearable for any woman, and I was wrong).
The amber note here reminds me of this in AMBRE RUSSE, which is powdery and a tad sweet-ish, although rather on the drier side. The animalic note in AMBRAREM is very strong, if not the strongest of the whole composition. Really… it tickles my nose, something leathery and dark. However, it is not dirty, not clean either, it’s just the perfect balance between elegance and “brutality”.
There is a soft side to it: powdery iris, very well blended but still detectable, especially for the noses that experienced Moulin Rouge from the same brand. The iris here smells exactly the same, but its role is completely different.
What puzzles me in this composition is the fresh note. I have no idea where it comes from. But it’s something vegetal. Reminds me of Black Orchid’s confusing cucumber-ness, although in this context it smells wonderful and balances out all the darkness.
Speaking of darkness, the oud note here is blended with castoreum. AMBRAREM is a very “noir” take on amber, if not the darkest ever (at least in French perfumery). I think this is how Tony Montana would smell like, it’s totally him. Let’s not discuss the moral side of this character, as he’s just an imaginary guy.
Ambrarem smells like testosterone, it smells primal, savage, although it still has its touch of refinement and luxury. Anyways, I can’t imagine it on a woman. But on a man… I really do 🙂
Sillage and longevity are monstrous on my skin. Another masterful work of Mr Ghislain.
vector-87 – :
To this nose, “Ambrarem” is the most intriguing and challenging perfume from Histoires de Parfums to date. This is supposed to an animalic interpretation of “oud” due to the use of castoreum which announces its presence rather forcefully from the very beginning. This vigorous introduction could put many wearers off. It shouldn’t because under the heavy lid lies a mellow heart and a seductive base. Throughout its development it is apparent that you’re dealing with a unique niche fragrance composed of ingredients of the highest quality.
“Ambrarem” may not be perceived as a particularly versatile perfume. It’s not meant to be. Yet it is its off-kilter nature that reminds me why I adore niche perfumery. It’s not a fragrance that sucks up to its wearers. Far from it! “Ambrarem” commands its wearers to get accustomed to it. Most of them won’t, but for a small group of true connoisseurs it’ll undoubtedly become a source of ultimate olfactory pleasure.
To conclude, in order to remain consistent with its animalic character, I’ll resort to the following simile: at first, “Ambrarem” roars like a tiger, both terrifying and awe-inspiring, which gradually transforms into a kitten. Albeit sweet and cuddly, this kitten can still put its claws to very effective (and painful!) use.
hump – :
I had a blotter with Montblanc Legend in my pocket from this morning. After spraying some Ambrarem on my wrist, I took out the blotter and realized that Ambrarem is niche at its finest. Why? Because in comparison to a mainstream scent, Ambrarem is very very difficult to enjoy. Give it to your average Wal Mart shopper, and they will recoil in horror, yet the perfume community is raving about it.
What not to like? It is truly marine in a way that only a beach can smell after a storm subsides, and the tide goes out, leaving marine life to rot under the sunlight. May not sound pleasant, but the only people who would not feel a sense awe at this natural beauty, are those who have never seen the sea.
Once the ocean calms down, the oud comes out. It is smoky, resinous, and acts to put the marine accord on solid ground. The scene which comes to mind involves camping somewhere along the Pacific Northwest Coast, getting stranded in a heavy downpour, and then trying to start a fire to warm yourself and dry your clothes.
This scent has a strong masculine element to it. I am having a hard time figuring it out, but it is something which reminds you of an old toolshed, complete with gasoline and greasy, oil soaked rags.
While not exactly pleasant, it is complex, evocative, and very original.
It was love at first sniff, but after buying a bottle, I realized that I have a very hard time wearing it as it is overbearing regardless of how much you apply.
I give it an 8/10 for everything except wearability, which I give it a 2/10 for.
Veteverian.wordpress.com
DEAD-POOL – :
Intensely leathery, AMBRAREM, the new amber perfume from Histoires de Parfums evokes memories of Parfums d’Empire AMBRE RUSSE. It’s definitely much closer to that dark, oily, black tea-infused perfume than it is to AMBRE 114!
At first I thought that I detected a tiny waft of AMBRE 114 in AMBRAREM, and perhaps I was smelling the vanilla listed among the notes, but shortly thereafter AMBRAREM took on a full-fledged leathery demeanor, leaving any trace of sweet golden amber lurking in the shadows of the darkness apparently imparted by oud conjoined with, of all things: castoreum!
Usually castoreum is a deal-breaker for me, simply too intense. In this perfume, however, as dark as it may be, the animalic quality never achieves an uncomfortable level. In fact, everything is blended together very smoothly and seamlessly. This perfume is highly polished, like a finely crafted, supple black leather jacket, and I definitely like it better than the somewhat clunky AMBRE RUSSE.
AMBRAREM strikes me as rather masculine, so I recommend it especially to the guys for testing. For myself, I find the sweet golden lusciousness of AMBRE 114 quite a bit more appealing.
Isn’t it nice that we have such choices?
anton_kac – :
Ambrarem is an active, wind blown oud. You’ll definitely feel like you are exposed to the desert with this one; it’s dry, barren, and expansive. At the tail end of a deep sniff I detect something sweet, which I can’t say does anything one way or the other for it.
As ouds go this is a good one. It has quality, depth and passion; may God help the man who steps out in it. (Yes, I think this is more for the gents). What keeps this from being the medicinal, chrome-like oud is grounding from the warm base notes. A very, very sensuous touch; I”m glad they didn’t bring in rose, which would have tamed it.
Yeah, I’d crawl in the lap of anyone wearing this.
amd262InsuffBooni – :
Love at first spray <3 To me, Ambrarem doesn’t smell like an old lady’s perfume at all; I think it’s incredibly sexy & utterly delicious. Could easily become my new signature scent-which, until now, is Molecule 01. I haven’t smelled anything this good since I first smelled Molecule 01 two years ago-that was the first perfume that blew me away from first sniff. I have waited a long long time for the next mind blower; and Ambrarem it is!! It is so special, everyone should just try it-only not people in my surroundings because I want to keep this for myself, sorry…
Would love to try Rosam and Petroleum too and guess that I will do that soon. Unfortunately, Histoires de Parfums doesn’t offer samples for these three which I hope they will do in the near future. Please, monsieur Ghislain..I’m begging you!
AKbIH – :
lmao to the review below me that is a great referencesir
andrey1991 – :
Maybe my nose is not as sophisticated as some, but to me, this smells like an old lady wearing her winter Sunday best that has been in storage all summer…sorry…its a no go for me. 1/5
filin70 – :
Here’s another winner from the guys at Histoires De Parfums. Recently released as part of the series Edition Rare together with Petroleum (mineral) and Rosam (vegetative), Ambrarem is supposed to be the animalic one. It strikes as a bold yet incredibly balanced concoction of spicy/peppery oud and vanilla with a strong castoreum presence and leathery/resiny undertones. A touch of iris provides a subtle creamy/lipstick vibe while saffron enhances the oriental quality of the oud. On top of this, you have to add what looks like being the signature of this series: a mineral, sort of watery/marine note juxtaposed to the cumbersome presence of all the other elements.
If compared to the one in Petroleum, the aforementioned marine accord, is definitely toned down and sort of overwhelmed by the bold warmness provided by the oud/amber combo. Don’t get me wrong, if you can’t stand watery/aquatic notes in perfumery, you’ll probably won’t like Ambrarem either but if you’re fine with the style, you’ll probably discover a terrific and modern representation of the oriental genre.
That being said I still think Petroleum is the most original of the lot because of its civet/aldehydes/oud combo that is quite an experience (swimming against the stream here), but if you’re into slightly dirty ambers that are bold and wearable at the same time, you can’t go wrong with Ambrarem.
Rating: 8/10
lytkoff – :
Ditto – beautiful packaging and personalised card. I bought this as a blind buy as I do like these dark notes. I have sprayed it once – sillage is tremendous so need to watch for that! – not sure how I feel about it really. The castoreum is rather overwhelming atm, although I can happily live with the oud and spices. I got 6 samples with, I have just discovered!, a 14ml spray bottle of Moulin Rouge!
artist100 – :
I’m so excited being the first one to review this magnificent perfume. This is indeed a jewel of the perfume world! A pure niche perfume!!! The smell starts with some ambery vanillic notes with spices/oud and then the castoreum dominates the game. This one deserves some attention, worth checking out! It has a leathery animalic sweetness which is indeed great. The first thing that crossed my mind when I first smelled it was Strictly Private by Baldessarini. Another one very nice winter perfume at an acceptable price which reminds Ambrarem without the animalic feel and oud. I suggest this to everyone who needs quality/uniqueness/personality in their perfumes. For me although is consider shared, I see this more acceptable for a man. The Castoreum with the oud and spices is somehow more suited for a man. The vanilla/iris etc are those that make this perfume also wearable by women. Worth Checking out! Beyond that, there is a refined petroleum touch in the perfume that bring also in mind previous best sellers like fahreneit. The fragrance was made in such a way that has little bit of evetything, sweetness, woodyness, leather, vanilla, spice, resins, amber and the final result is outstading. Excellent longevity and Sillage! Price from Histoires de parfum for Europe is EUR 125 for 60ml bottle, concentration 21% pure perfume! The delivery is free of charge and you get also 6 samples of their other perfumes! Excellent! The guys there are very professional. They send you also a hand written card with regards and the perfume is wrapped like a gift to yourself.