Description
Created in 2004 by Jean-Claude Ellena, Hermessence is a collection of unique
fragrances conceived as olfactory poems using perfuming’s most exclusive
elements. As sober and intense as Japanese haiku, they reinvent a nature that is
as precious as it is unusual, as if rendered by the inspired writing of a composer
in search of the new.
Enriched each time the perfumer discovers a new country, a language,
a culture or simply extraordinary new ingredients, as of today the line
consists of eight fragrances, exclusively available in Hermès stores.
Ambre Narguilé: a fruited amber honey mixed with the spiral curls of smoke of
a blond tobacco, it conveys the Orient: hot, voluptuous, inspired by the savoury
scents of the hookah. “A sweet intoxication…”
constman – :
While I do enjoy this one year round, I find it is especially delightful in the Autumn. Boozy rum, tonka, caramel…in fact, the honey, rum, and cinnamon play together to give this a warm honey-spiced toddy feel and I’m completely ok with that. This is a cozy sweater on a blustery day, teetering on the edge of gourmand but still staying firmly in the unisex oriental category. The labdanum, musk, and tobacco give it a nice base, and it is definitely one that captivates me and keeps me sniffing my wrists for as long as I can. And that brings me to my only complaint here, sillage is decent but becomes a skin scent far too quickly, longevity is ok but not great. This is not a beast, but that’s ok, I still adore it. Have a seat in your comfy chair with your spiced toddy and your gothic mystery novel and just let the wind blow outside.
Seeder – :
Simple – the best gourmand scent of all time, but it is so complex and refined that even the gourmand characteristic is not a defining description for Ambre Narguile.
I have never been an admirer of Jean-Claude Ellena’s minimalist creations, but some perfumes from the exclusive Hermes line created by him, mainly Ambre Narguile, made me realize that he is one of the most refined “nose” in the history of perfumery.
Like Chanel and Dior, Hermes seems to have done nothing but waste the precious time of theirs master parfumers with ridiculous style and budget limitations on mainstream portfolios.
I think the expression “a sweet intoxication” defines it best.
Fragrance 10/10
Projection Medium
Longevity 10 h
drieriefecultr – :
Gorgeous perfume reminiscent of cinnamon apple scrolls paired with a deep spiced rum. Easily unisex, and wearable in the morning or in the evening. Having tried almost all fragrances in the Hermessence line, longevity and sillage aren’t fantastic but perfectly reasonable.
Longevity: 8/10 Better than most in the Hermessence line (still detectable after 12 hours on average)
Sillage: 7/10 Again, stronger than most from Hermès, of course there are certainly perfumes with better sillage.
Scent: 11/10 Go ahead, find me a nicer scent, I challenge you.
Price: 7/10 At $340 AUD it is more expensive than the majority of perfumes, that being said, 30 minutes after trying one of the free testers, I placed an order for 100ml, price be damned.
Overall: 10/10 with the only real downsides being the usual lofty Hermès pricing schedule and moderate sillage.
To conclude: ‘some’ say there may be better perfumes available, but I say ‘some’ can sod off because I’ve found my current grail.
worloc – :
I have a longer review coming once I get more acquainted with it but the question I need to ask up front is: how are people not comparing this (in the opening stages, at least) to Montale’s Honey Aoud? Their openings are shockingly identical.
dfkthf – :
This is the beast that unleashed my curiosity for niche perfumes.
I was into the main stream perfumes like most people till I sniffed this by pure coincidence.
1 month later I’m in the store buying it, 1 year later I’m broke as niche perfumes invaded my home and hijacked my wallet 🙂
Great performance, lots of complements. This will always be in my stock.
Valerik84 – :
رایحه آغازین این عطر همش حول صمغ های خوشبوی عسلی و غلیظ، و نت های شرقیِ دانه تونکا و ادویه است، و یک حس پودری شیک شبیه عطر جپور اوم با خودش داره، که در اینجا با گرمای شیرین، طلایی و مشروبیِ آکورد عرق نیشکر ـ دارچین مخلوط میشه. روایح مُشکی بیس عطرو تشکیل میدن. من نت امبر رو احساس نمی کنم، اما یه حس دودی گرم داره که ممکنه بوی امبر رو یاد آوری کنه. و … خب، همینه. کاملاً یه عطر ساده ست، اساساً یه کار خیلی خوش طعم ـ پودری ـ ادویه ای، بسیار خطی و نسبتاً سنگین، که راستشو بخواین سریع یه کم برام خسته کننده میشه. بوی با کیفیتی داره، و هم طرفداران روایح دانه تونکا ـ پودر، هم روایح صمغی ـ خوش طعم احتمالا از این خوششون بیاد، هنوز من احساس میکنم یه چیزی اینجا کمه. این یه عطرِ خوبه. نه چیزی بیشتر از اون. یه کار خیلی ساده ی خوب، اما عطر خاصی نیست برای این قیمت گرونی که داره. هر عطر شرقیِ پودری ـ ادویه ای که بهش فکر کنید احتمالا یه جایگزین خوب برای این باشه. یه عطر واقعا قابل قبول “هیپی بورژوایی” که براحتی به رِنج کارهای بوشرون یا لِ نِریدس و برندهای مشابه میخوره (که من عمیقا بهشون احترام میذارم. درحالیکه اون ها قیمت پایین تری هم از این دارن)
page rank check – :
One word: MASTERPIECE!
uux390speagoessenda – :
Reviews of Ambre Narguile quickly tell an accurate story of a wonderful fragrance. But one thing I will add to the exhausted commentary is a pointer to what may have inspired this beautiful creation. Ambre Narguile has inspired countless other fragrances since its creation but it was relatively groundbreaking on release. Wearing it today, it feels like some inspiration may have been drawn from Chanel’s equally good Egoïst. The big dose of cinnamon, the vanilla, the rose, they all combine in much the same way as they do in Egoïst. But rather than tame the lushness of these notes with a sharp sandalwood, In Ambre Narguile we see the introduction of a beautiful transparent amber and caramel note. Both fragrances will have a place in my collection for a long time to come.
dfgtrgd53 – :
Absolutely wonderful apple pie with cinnamon and rum. Beautiful creation and extremely gourmand to the point that you can taste it. Strong projection and great longevity as well. There isn’t much more to say on it.
5/5
TWiqtieN – :
The notes are as-described. This isn’t my personal go-to scent profile, but it’s superbly well done. On par with the best of this line.
kwaki85 – :
a gourmand u can safely wear to office. a really nice one from hermes
bbbbbvvvvvc – :
I’m not sure how to describe this exactly, but it’s extraordinary. Sweet boozy honey, cinnamon, other spices, and a light layer of tobacco on top of it all. It’s highly addictive and perfect for cooler weather.
Longevity and sillage are both very good on my skin, while projection is good for 4-5 hours before beginning to diminish.
I’ve tried one of the knockoffs, Oajan, and that’s similar but doesn’t quite capture the beauty of this one.
Ffds – :
Desserty oriental. Honey, resins, spices, and fruits; sticky sweet caramel over something slightly medicinal (not sure what, smells kind of like a sourish leather). I do not get amber, just honey and candy and sweet spices. This is a straight up gourmand; a well done gourmand (it’s Hermes) but basically a very simple gourmand. A Christmas-time, pie scented candle. Could easily see this coming from a celebrity. Pretty underwhelmed, especially since I was really looking forward to trying this. I love amber, and I love Hermes but this is just…. “nice.”
stasik4486 – :
Ambre Narguile is for me a great homage to smoking shisha or hookah. While I worked in the middle east and travelled to places like Istanbul and the Mahgreb, this smell of shisha would fill the air as soon as night fell in these places. That aroma of shisha is a great smell and very comforting on a cool desert evening. Jean-Claude Ellena has bottled these beautiful evenings perfectly with Ambre Narguile.
The opening of Ambre Narguile is a very sweet mix of: honey, cinnamon and rum. The rum and honey work well with each other to create a nice booziness to accent the honey. Soon after, we get some very rich tonka and caramel that takes this scent to gourmandish heights, then the benzoin, labdanum and a smidgen of sesame swoop in to calm this scent down back into an oriental spicy. It is at this point that I think that we witness pure genius. Now, this moment has to do with either some sneaky note added by Monsieur JCE or a combination of the benzoin with the florals and the sesame, but Ambre Narguile goes full realistic shisha smoking experience with an effect of bleach that rounds out the scent and it is WONDERFUL! This effect paired with the other notes takes me back to those evenings in the middle east! Ambre Narguile gets to me an unfair comparison to apple pie and to me it is classic shisha, which is crazy because no tobacco is listed. Ambre Narguile is perfume that tells a story and is another example of Hermes’ quality.
To me AN is full bottle worthy. if you like spicy orientals or you enjoy the hookah from time to time. AN is perfect for cold weather (fall/winter) and is great for evenings. Think family gatherings or nights out during the holidays for this fragrance, forget the office. This scent is unisex and smells great on my wife. Give this scent a spray when it is too cold to be out but you are amongst some good friends, Ambre Narguile will remind you of some good stories to share.
Sem-stoun – :
High art. Don’t worry, the cinnamon fades. Complex, elusive, sophisticated, gourmand. Not for little girls.
PIRAT86 – :
Damn, why did I try this? I can’t afford it. It’s exactly what I have been looking for: hookah tobacco smell with green apples. The dates are also something I love. Where might one buy this besides the Hermes (very expensive) website?
Edit: I bought a 15 ml bottle on ebay but I’ll soon run out of this cause you gotta bathe in this stuff to get an effect. It opens wonderfully but doesn’t last at all.
Diofflonsop – :
It took me a few wearings to realize that if spray on skin only, the sweet “cinnamon apple pie” note disappears quite fast, letting the tobacco shine through. On fabric, the gourmand aspects linger on forever.
The tobacco here is the one I prefer (I don’t smoke, but I do love the smell). No smoke, no fire, and definitely no ashtray à la Tuscan Leather. I get fresh cherry pipe tobacco. Light and airy compared to most tobacco-inspired scents — but this is Ellena’s work after all.
8/10
Manswirqxy, – :
Absolutely delicious. Apple, caramel, spices, vanilla, honey. This is so good. The weaker brother to Oajan by PdM, yes. However, AN has a somewhat transparent nature to the scent that lends itself to be more suitable for spring, fall, and cool summer nights out. I really enjoy that because I crave this scent so I wear this one in fall and spring and Oajan in the dead cold. AN is a masterpiece. Also, the Hermessence bottles are some of the classiest in the business.
павлик007 – :
Apple,cinnamon, camomile…i want this, served on a plate for Christmas lunch. Meanwhile I eat my wrists.
mav_sm – :
This is delicious! Definitely reminiscent of Brecourt’s Farah/Haram but with more complexity and, best of all, lacking the chemical overtones. If I’d encountered this first, I would never have bought the Brecourt, despite the price difference. I have a feeling I’ll be wearing this very often in the cooler temperatures this fall and winter.
anatol1987 – :
Although I own and love Ambre Narguile, I have to admit the first half hour or so reminds me of hampster shavings. You know the stuff they put in the cages. After that, it dries down into one of the most beautifully, delicious, warm, and comforting scents. So creamy, soft, and edible but oh how that first half hour kills me
vyioueaclyd – :
Mesmerizing.
This begins with a heavenly boozy accord spiced with cinnamon and sesame while a delicious, light, apple note mingles with a VERY refined and ELEGANT tobacco.
What I love about this scent is, even though it is so perfectly well blended, my nose catches whiffs of EACH accord one at a time. If I sniff the cap, automatically I get hit with the apple…then the spices..then the boozy flavor..then the cinnamon…and a vanilla vibe..Finally Amber.all one at a time, while maintaining a unified whole in the background…if that makes sense.
If it doesn’t than fear not..this is a beautiful fragrance. One thing I disagree on…I do not find this akin to a “gourmand.” It is foody because of that apple vibe..fine.but this is far from gourmand, IMO. This is the essential spicy oriental fragrance that just so happens to be inspired by apple flavored shisha tobacco. (shisha = hookah = narguile).
This is unlike anything out there..I smoke hookah ocassionally and I do see JCE’s inspiration. I just cannot get enough of this stuff. Sorry Sweet Redemption. I wear this in hotter weather..just one spray though..it has a lightness to it on initial spray and forms a light cloud. My housemate in Honolulu smelled this on me while we were walking along the beach and she told me she kept walking behind me on purpose because I smelled so delicious. Light and spicy but very sexy.
Sillage Longevity = perfect in this department. Two words: PROJECTS FOREVER.
ns0909 – :
Probably one of the best in the Hermessence collection. All the notes compliment each other. As described sweet, warm and spicy. The projection is excellent.
mixail0959478822 – :
Love this stuff. Perfection. It’s a boozy sweet caramel honey fragrance and reminds me a little bit of killian back to black thanks to that honey. Perfectly suited for winter. If yout think the initial opener is bomb, just wait until after 10 minutes. Then it gets even better and even more gourmandy. Mouth-watering. It gets spicy while it’s drying down thanks to the cinnamon.
It’s really well blended. The balance between the notes is exceptionally well done, except the honey. The honey is prominent here. Which is a good thing.
In my opinion a decent unisex scent. Men can wear it at any age (ok, maybe not under 18). It’s a little bit feminine side too thanks to the sweetness and little floral notes. A mature classy woman can pull it off too.
I don’t know why people compare it to apple pie, doesn’t smell like apple pie at all. More like some sort of a sweet booze that you’d drink during winter. Someone described the smell as like if someone spilled a boozy drink on you. Very accurate. But in a good way.
Definitely art. You have to dress up to wear this. But I’m not sure at what occasion. A very formal family reunion during christmas maybe?
werad – :
A rare few scents have an elusive quality that is simply transporting, offering an enjoyment that approaches ecstasy. Fragrance of this quality is like great art: you don’t need to know why it enthralls and inspires you: just being in its presence is enough.
This is high art. A marvel, and a wonder.
Nirdana – :
A very nice scent on a man. On my skin I get rumdrink with some tonka, benzoin, caramel and vanilla in it. Really weird, just like someone spilled out a drink on my arm by accident. Not for me.
En trevlig doft på en man. På min hud får jag romdrink som innehåller lite tonka, benzoin, karamell och vanilj. Konstig doft, som om någon av misstag spillt ut en drink på min arm. Inget för mig.
Greml-IN – :
I don’t know what was my daughter thinking when she got the large bottle as a gift for me . I think she was homesick and the smell of cinnamon reminded her of our kitchen. I tried to love it ,, ok or at least like it ,, it really didn’t do the work,, and for such a high price you would expect this one to be long lasting,, No sireii ,, an hour later I couldn’t tell where I sprayed it , I wish she got me the fabourge 21 , which i used many times before
anvar1978 – :
Sesame lends a savoury toasted aroma to the sweet, balsamic combination of labdanum, benzoin and honeyed rum. The cinnamon sugar and vanilla orchids feel breezy as if lightly dusted rather than poured on your skin. The tonka and tobacco appear later and offer a maturity and masculinity you seldom find in such gourmand territory. This is why I love the work of Jean Claude Ellena.
uuuhhhhhhhh – :
it reminds me so very slightly of dzing by l’artisan , very nice leans towards masculine
gameover01 – :
Honey. Real honey. The closest thing to real honey in an EDC/EDT/EDP I have ever smelled. Yes, this is a gourmand. And yes, there is a slight cinnamon note that grows after the opening. I don’t really get the apple pie vibe though – there simply isn’t an apple note in this fragrance to justify that for me. The vibe I DO get, is just… wonderful. I don’t sense a gender from this fragrance – it just “is”. One of the best things I’ve ever smelled. The only negatives would be it’s expense and that I had to buy it retail.
Rotsuntonia – :
Imagine a more airy and less cloying Tobacco Vanille: tobacco and vanilla have been toned down a notch and an apple pie with cinnamon and honey has replaced the potentially nauseating extremely sweet boozy fruits. That’s Ambre Narguile.
I often struggle with gourmands, but AN smells quite natural and absolutely delicious. It’s on the feminine side of unisex and the performance is pretty good. All things considered, it’s a quality fragrance, but also ridiculously expensive. I might pick up the more reasonably priced travel size when my generous sample runs out…
King-Enterprise™ – :
This is a thick, sweet honey with prominent cinnamon. The honey is quite animalic. Not as dirty as for example Absolue Pour le Soir, but absolutely it has the skank turned up a bit. The cinnamon is strong and lively. The sillage and longevity of this perfume is remarkable and unique, it has a powerful yet airy presence. Delicious and edible, like an apple pie right out of the oven, but it’s not solely a gourmand. It could also be placed among the spicy orientals. This is versatile and beautiful, leaning feminine, but made perfectly unisex with the animalic honey and intense spices. A big love for me.
Annaroza81 – :
“A sweet intoxication…” is absolutely right!!! It’s gorgeous!! Fabulous!!!
Rich spicy oriental; smoky and resinous; incensey and delicious. Like a super-rich spicy thick gooey cake! Deeelicious!!!!
I can so relate to rebella, in wanting to drink it – to spray straight into one’s mouth! – surely can!!!! Surely do have to resist that desire!! But that’s ok, because you do definitely taste it, and that’s a wonderful feeling! Yuuuuuum!! Yuuuuuum!!!!!
And it NEVER gets too sweet or overwhelming!!! It’s a fantastic perfume!!!! Lasts and lasts, and wafts very wonderfully a few feet around me, so that everyone nearby can enjoy it too – which they all do!!! Soooo many COMPLIMENTS – I can’t tell you!!! Wow!!!!
Vandersex33 – :
First thing my 9 year old shouted when she smelled this: ‘ apple pie’!!! She loves apple pie; we both do!!!
seperovych – :
Jean-Claude Ellena has undoubtedly smelled cult classic “Cristobal” by Balenciaga, only in Ellenas version the gourmand notes are modest and élégant. I don’t get the references to apple pie at all. Fruity tobacco more so.
hofMoorgeRode – :
Ambre Narguilé is by far the most talked about perfume from Hermes’ higher-end line and is frequently described as an “apple pie in a bottle”. I personally don’t fully agree with that popular description. While I can easily get where that comparison comes from, it’d be much more like a raisin (and maybe prunes too) pie to my nose. A warm, almost burnt/lightly smoky one that was taken out of the oven just in time. One with a lot of spices, like an overdose of cinnamon and with honey and a touch of rum.
But at the same time its name “Narguilé”, or “Hookah” in English which is a pipe of eastern origin to smoke tobacco (And some other “stuff”), is aptly chosen as it does have an aura around the spicy dessert of dry but a little damp and even slightly medicinal tobacco. It plays a big factor in the sense that it counterbalances very well the dense amber-y, bakery like part and prevents the scent from being too sweet to me. I’d say it also gives it a classier and more grown-up aspect.
In the end we’ve got a fragrance that is right at the crossroad between being a gourmand and a spicy oriental. And being from Hermes, it’s made with great ingredients as usual.
It’s easy to me to recognize its appeal and wearable originality. At first I liked it, now it’s a strong love and it’s totally deserving of the love it gets.
isw970Diobtetty – :
First spray from the sample, I get smacked in the nose with CINNAMON. Not a nice, sweet cinna-bun….noooooo, ground up, dry cinnamon sticks blown into my face. I have had 2 tests tonight that had cinnamon as 2nd in the note chart that have killed me. Could it really just be warm weather causing this noxious note to attack? I don’t know, but now….I really don’t even want to try it again in cool/cold weather. I IS a beast though! If you love cinnamon and beastly juices….this is most definitely for you!
lww223InsuffBooni – :
Delicious, luxurious, fluid, smooth and sensual is how I would describe the sweet, warm and softly spiced Ambre Narguile. And unlike some other reviewers, I don’t find this to be too sweet; in my opinion, it’s just right, and is very relaxing and pleasurable to wear. I felt very “me” wearing this.
The perfume opens as an apple pie with a dusting of cinnamon. Or, at least, this is what Jean-Claude Ellena has fooled my nose into believing! The notes I then notice the most during the dry-down are vanilla and caramel, and sometimes, a hint of something roasted (sesame seeds) or boozy (rum). The honey is warm and fluid and gentle, as it winds it’s way through the duration of the scent, soft and natural-smelling. This has a lot of notes which usually smell rather heavy (and you would be forgiven for thinking that) but this perfume is not heavy at all and is instead sheer and see-through, in the trademark minimalist style of Ellena.
The sillage of this elegant and beautifully blended scent is only soft to moderate in strength; but I do get lovely bursts of scent that linger around me from time to time. And whilst I can still smell this on my skin 10 hours after application, it did become a skin scent rather quickly, so longevity is not the best 🙂
bas74 – :
A very gourmand fragrance!! Ambre Narguile it’s very high quality but too much syrupy for me. IMO it’s more suitable for a woman and little versatile. Sinceraly, It remind me to smell of a ”expensive candle” or ”expensive air freshener” of apple and cinnamon. More suitable for Autumn and Winter.
Scent: 9
Longevity: 6
Projection: 6
Sillage: 5
Uniqueness: 9
Versatility: 6
Overall: 6,83
Никон – :
Every time I wear this I think of raisins.
Raisins soaked in honey and cinnamon.
I think I’m gonna bake something that will end up smelling exactly like this.
GestKa4 – :
It smells like Apple Pie.
I love Apple Pie.
seregaserega – :
scent : 9/10
sillage : 9/10
longevity :8/10
100% night fragrance
nice sweet tobacco and boozy scent
reminds me of spicebomb a little bit
серафима1964 – :
It smells like a barberry blended with incense and vanilla. Too sweet.
nickolos – :
I have been on the fence with this one. Now I have landed on one side. Nice beginning here like a cinnamon bun. Then it takes a turn towards a light thing. Sweet but not cloying. Transparent cinnamon. This is a flying around me uncontrolled and I like perfume to sit a little heavier on my skin. It get a very artificial feeling from it too. That is why I stopped liking it. I actually can’t stand it because of that. It never wears off either, but that is good if you like it
kvovan – :
I have samples of this if anyone wants them. It’s too heavy for me.
UK only.
jenalee1 – :
“A plate of honey-cinnamon flavoured gingerbread cookies specially baked for Christmas night, with a little bit rum sneaked in just for the festive season.”
Ambre Narguilé is one of the earliest creations in the Hermèssence line by Hermès, a well-known French luxury brand specialising in leather goods and lifestyle accessories. Conceived by Hermès’ in-house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, Ambre Narguilé is an oriental-spicy fragrance for men and women.
If one likes gourmand fragrance, then Ambre Narguilé is definitely worth a sniff. Its main notes are cinnamon, honey and vanilla, coupled with a small dose of boozy rum and further sweetened with hints of caramel. It’s sweet, light and wearable throughout the day. Both men and women can easily wear this all day, although I personally think this is best worn in slightly cooler climates such as autumn. As an Eau de Toilette, it doesn’t last very long on my skin; I can get faint whiffs after several hours but the sillage is very soft by then. If one wants to appreciate the scent through the whole day, I recommend wearing it twice a day: once in the morning and another in the evening.
Would I buy a full bottle for myself? I would like to but with Hermès emblazoned on it, it’s understandable why it comes at a hefty price. Hence, as much as I like it, I won’t be forking my money out for the full experience.
Perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena is one of the foremost perfumers of this age because of his “watercolour” fragrances. His fragrances have a distinctive signature lightness to them, and his trademark is mostly on minimalism. Most, if not all, all his fragrances are simplistic and pleasant, as opposed to fragrances of the Old World where the ideal fragrance mostly centers around complex and heavy scents.
Ambre Narguilé is a perfect instance of Ellena’s approach to perfume. It’s one of my favourite perfumes in the Hermèssence line and second only to Vetiver Tonka, another wonderful fragrance concocted in the same year. Some fragrance aficionados have criticised how Ellena is beginning to show lack of creativity, which I can kind of understand, I still recognise him for his long history and approach in the art of perfumery.
Roman116911 – :
Oh no no no no no. Reading the reviews, I expected this to be fabulous, but on me it was horrible (my daughter says “very old lady!”) This smelled powdery, amber, and sweet on me. I didn’t get a hint of balsamic, cinnamon, or any masculine notes at all. Very glad I got it as a sample, as this is not for me.
SKRY – :
I didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did! I had serious trepidation about cinnamon. I had worrisome images of apple cinnamon candles, pumpkin pie spice and gluey oatmeal. My friend urged me to try it. We are constantly challenging each other to sneak beyond our comfort zones and look into unknown territory. She is truly an excellent perfume hunting companion (and antique hunter & foodie, too)!
Well, on one Perfume Safari, we went to meet a friendly but extremely lonely Hoarder whom my friend found through the online classifieds. This eccentric dowager was true to her correspondence: she was a first rate Hoarder! I am literally talking about an entire bedroom heaped to the ceiling with perfumes! The perfume hoard was spilling into the hallway and extended even into another bedroom!
Part of the disorder of Hoarding is a compulsion to buy, but the other part is an overwhelming and irrational anxiety about getting rid of even one small piece of the collection. We were permitted to organize the perfumes by manufacturer and olfactory group. We were permitted to smell anything. But, our new friend could not allow any of the thousands of perfumes to leave her home. That’s ok because over the two years that we have come to befriend this lovely lady, we have had such an adventure enjoying her treasure.
It started as a rather grotesque spectacle (we had come to see a Hoarder with our own eyes as if she was a zoo creature on display for our amusement). But now my best friend and I have a rich friendship with a wonderful person who is very much our dearest companion. She appreciated our desire to organize her treasure. We appreciated the great stories she tells us about her belongings and her life. She was lonely. We were curious. Now she is a real friend whom we can talk to about any subject. Not like a mother or grandmother at all- an equal friend. After about a year, our new friend allowed us to take decants of anything. She seems to buy any Oriental fragrance that exists. She has perfumes from 1960s to now. It’s such fun!
Well anyways, Amber Narguile reminds me of my new friend. When we first met her two years ago, this was the first scent I smelled at her home. She had bought it in 2005 and never opened it! We all enjoyed it. Now I have a decant.
On my skin the cinnamon is so complex and warm. It’s spicy, then heated, then woody and resinous, but also a bit nutty, then it turns sweeter, next boozy then a tiny touch powdery, then lush. There is a phase near the beginning of the dry down where I get candle wax for a few minutes. There is also this weird phase at the very beginning where I get ground pepper, but only lasts for a few seconds. I just hold my breath for 10 seconds and stand in front of a fan in the beginning so I don’t sneeze and cough.
It’s a cinnamon ride! It’s like experiencing every possible permutation of cinnamon bark. Really big. Holds my interest for hours!
I don’t really know where in my modest life I would wear it. But love to experience it around my house. This fragrance will always seem great to me because it helped me to form a deep lasting bond with a new friend.
Jakar00777 – :
I only have a sample and i would like to buy it? A liquorous, ambery, sweet (caramel, fruits), and spicy fragrance, very elegant thnaks to the subtle writing of Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermès.
Aerohopleneridhz – :
In the UK we used to have these hot cinnamon sweets called “Red Hots”. The opening is exactly like those : hot spiced cinnamon. It makes my lips tingle and is faintly harsh on the back of my throat.
This changes to spiced gingerbread with a dried fruit prune/date background. If feels more masculine at this phase – definitely no overpowering sweetness thank goodness.
This scent continues to soften into a more vanillic spiced Amber but still with the spiced cinnamon humming along. It doesn’t make the mistake that ELdO Noel au Balcon makes – this is not a candle like cinnamon, it is eminently wearable.
Perfect for Christmas craft markets, bonfire night, or chilly days to warm you up.
mjb765elipseskism – :
Warm spiced Honey, delicious and rich. Beautiful! Very sweet but not too much. Perfect for a party or night time event. The dry down is more resin not as sweet but still beautiful.
dead_man – :
‘Ambre Narguilé’ is certainly not your powdery or floral amber fragrance. It is rich, gourmand and oriental in tone. It opens with a syrupy and sweet honey note which is combined with a variety of dried fruit accord. Prunes, dried apples, currants and raisins are noticeable while being drenched in a glazing of honey. There are facets of slightly burnt caramel along with a heady rum note. After the super-sweet opening, a breathtaking blonde tobacco note evolves, the odor of which smells of fresh wet pipe tobacco leaves yearning to be smoked. Coumarin/tonka bean adds hints of vanilla as well as a scent which can only be described as smell of damp hay. There are a few detectable spices present, the most noticeable of which is cinnamon. Here it carries along the gourmand vibe of the overall composition. The eponymous amber is relegated to the background, its resinous qualities seemingly overshadowed by the showier gourmand notes.
Ambre Narguilé’ seems destined to be worn during the colder months of autumn and winter as it encompasses many of the traditional scents of the season (cinnamon, caramel, rum, etc). Upon first applying to the skin, I did find the initial smell to be a little too sickeningly sweet for my tastes. Thankfully this does not last long, and the composition evolves into one which is more subdued and less sweet in tone. Initially the projection and sillage of this “eau de toilette” are quite powerful, but it becomes more of a warm-ambery skin scent with time and drying down. This Hermessence fragrance can easily be worn by either a man or woman as it is positioned to be universally appealing to either sex. Some men may be turned off by the aforementioned sweet opening, but with patience the more masculine tobacco note predominates and the scent becomes more appealing and well blended overall.
Read my complete review at my personal blog
Fragranceemergency.blogspot.com
kamuz – :
In Turkey, we have a candy called Akide. Smells the same. Even the color of the leather cap is similar!
It may be appreciated if you like your fragrances candied, but with that price point, hell no.
Praz1s – :
Ok, apple pie for $255?!?!? Really? Don’t make me laugh!
mylenkapenka – :
Opens up apple pie and remains linear. Fragrance dries down more honey and has less cinnamon bite. Smooth but maybe for someone with a sweet tooth.
sagnaevoralbek – :
Upon applying Hermès Ambre Narguilé, I can catch whiffs of apple and plum in the sillage. But when I sniff close to the skin, what greets my nose is a hay-like tobacco with a very subtle bitterness. However, it’s not astringent at all despite the bitterness. Instead, it has a f