Unlisted Brand • Parfum d'Empire Ambre Russe • Fragrances

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*TOP REVIEWER* YoHarajuku on 8/18/2012 10:11:00 AM more reviews by YoHarajuku

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Perhaps as I'm not a drinker I can't appreciate this frgrance. It smells like dense booze and cigarette smoke. Not fo r me!

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*TOP REVIEWER* SNIFFMEALLOVER on 4/17/2012 10:16:00 PM more reviews by SNIFFMEALLOVER

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

While I like the amber and spice notes, the vodka notes are totally off-putting. They really make me feel sick.

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*TOP REVIEWER* WentworthRoth on 10/18/2011 4:10:00 PM more reviews by WentworthRoth

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Notes: vodka, rum, incense, coriander, cinnamon, vanilla, tea, amber, honey and leather.

This fragrance opens with sweet aroma of resins and spices. Amber and leather accords are at the base of this opulent composition. The leather accord is particularly dominant in the early stages of the scent, its dark and animal features remind me of Cuir Mauresque, but it is more delicate than the Serge Lutens. After roughly one and a half hour the leather accord slowly vanishes. As the incense, spices and powdery notes retire, a rich amber accord gains prominence. Its perfectly balanced sweet and salty nature defines the heart of the fragrance, creating a very pleasant and modern olfactory experience. Sadly the main accord loses a lot of its initial power as it develops, after four hours the whole fragrance disappears with a honeyed whisper of nutty amber.

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*TOP REVIEWER* blueelm on 9/10/2011 7:07:00 PM more reviews by blueelm

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Well this is a nice sticky amber, very warm, very beautiful. I'd like to give it 5 stars but I've just smelled other perfumes that take the same notes and give them a better presentation.

It opens with a classic bazaar ambergris, rather intimate, dosed with boozy vanilla. As it wears it smells eerily like my actual sweat, then dries down to a hint of creamy pipe smoke and resin incense.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ocarina on 5/2/2010 4:27:00 AM more reviews by ocarina

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

Total Holy Grail amber. Starts off with a magnificently boozy blast of vodka, but it's the smell you get when you're pouring yourself a top-shelf shot like Finlandia or Grey Goose, not the stale scent of cocktail breath. It disappears in minutes to reveal the most luxurious, decadent amber I've ever smelled, and yet it's not heavy like some ambers can be. Spiced with smoke, cumin, cardamom and tea, Ambre Russe reveals more with every passing hour. It does not have the dry, woodsy quality of Ambra del Nepal, nor the lip-smacking sweetness of Ambre Narguile (although it is faintly sweet) nor the strong herbiness of Ambre Sultan. I would not reserve this for nights out...when applied judiciously, it makes a marvelous daytime scent in cool weather. (If you're on your way to work, perhaps wait a minute for the vodka note to cool off.) Lasts a good long time and leaves your clothes smelling heavenly. The drydown is a sweetly sensual and warm skin scent.Unlike many niche scent lines these days, Parfum d'Empire does not cost an arm and a leg. The 100ml bottle can be had on Luckyscent or Beautyhabit for a respectable $110. And you can bet I'll be buying this again, and again. Amazing, classy fragrance that will put a smile on your face whenever you sniff it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* TwoBostons on 11/14/2009 11:37:00 PM more reviews by TwoBostons

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Have you ever been stuck in an elevator with an alcoholic who's been on a three-day bender? With that sweating-the-alcohol-out-through every-available-pore? This is strikingly similar. Vodka, amber, body odor, and super-sweet black licorice. Licorice isn't listed as a note, but it's slapping me (and everyone around me) in the face. I waited an hour for the drydown, just to see if by some quirk of fate it would turn into a beauty. No such luck, although the licorice backed down a bit. Based on the description, I *should* have loved this--I'm a sucker for amber anything, be it sweet, masculine, whatever. This one is a huge no for me.

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*TOP REVIEWER* rosarita on 9/26/2009 8:10:00 AM more reviews by rosarita

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

HG amber for me. Everyone has said it all here. Wonderful boozy opening and it stays dark throughout development; long lasting, too. Love the faint leathery tobacco note along with all the spicy rum. Parfum d'Empire scents are well made and more affordable than many other niche offerings, comparable to mainstream scents. This works much better for me than SL Amber Sultan and others at a higher price point.

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Fatimamayfield on 8/18/2009 9:43:00 AM more reviews by Fatimamayfield

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other, Dark   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Black    

I'll tell you right off the top, if you're looking for a coy, girly-type amber scent, this is NOT it. Mixtachic wrote a good review that pretty much sums it up. Amber Russe has the guts that I imagine the original Tabac Blond must have had in it's day. This is a strangely beautiful and complex scent that has many subtle nuances going on underneath if you take the time to pay attention, however, what I like is that on me, the notes that dominate are booze,amber, faint leather, and a fine cigar. The kind of woman who goes for this would turn her nose up at all of those silly fruity florals on the market today. I catalogue this one under "scents fit for a femme fatale".

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*TOP REVIEWER* GlamDiva on 8/4/2009 2:04:00 AM more reviews by GlamDiva

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Other, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Ambre Russe is old school, old fashioned, timeless oriental. Reminds me of walking into a library-lounge or hall of faculty offices at
an old university, with the scent of amber, pipe tobacco, leather, and tea wafting in the air. The coriander note helps Ambre Russe feel earthy and comfortable. However, the final drydown goes skunky on me unfortunately, so 2 points off for that.

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*TOP REVIEWER* hadas on 7/11/2009 5:56:00 PM more reviews by hadas

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This is a nice amber scent with a rum note seamlessly woven throughout. It is smoother, less harsh than many other perfumes with amber as a key player. But it also is not terribly unique, by which I mean it has the same labdanum + incense + spices thing going on that can be found in DK Black Cashmere, SSS Tabac Aurea, and many other amber fragrances. I am getting weary of smelling this same slightly medicinal labdanum accord constantly so it's hard for me to get really excited about Ambre Russe, although I love the rum note. And deep within that boozy rum thread of Ambre Russe, I might even smell a subtle, lovely caramel-tobacco lurking, which intesifies as the fragrance dries into its heart; this complexity is another redeeming quality. So I give it a thumbs up.

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*TOP REVIEWER* fpih on 3/16/2009 3:17:00 AM more reviews by fpih

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

I'm not good at defining and describing notes; this is a spicy amber with a touch of spirits (vodka? rum?) for me. I also have amber by L'occitane, but it is too sweet. Ambre Russe is not especially sweet, spicier, very long lasting (lasts all day on me) and with good sillage without being overpowering. I love amber so I love this scent. But now spring is almost here, this is too warm and cozy for me to wear. Will reconsider buying next fall. Update: I did buy Ambre Fetiche at last, I find this my favorite amber scent right now although AR still remains my second choice.

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*TOP REVIEWER* OmToast on 2/23/2009 1:15:00 PM more reviews by OmToast

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

I couldn't seem to get warm today so I resurrected a tried and dismissed sample of Ambre Russe -- it's just what I needed. I get (sadly) none of the early vodka and champagne notes, just an initial blast of amber and honey that's both powerful and almost too sweet. This quickly gives way to a rich tobacco note overlaid with honey and trailing into a very smokey finish. I totally get the previous allusions to benders and men's clubs, but for me the very prominent honey note (I mean, practically singular at times) keeps this frag from leaning too heavily toward testosterone-laden leisure activities. It's kind of perverse -- a very sweet, initially polite whiff that slinks into tannic smokiness alluding, in my mind, to a sort of superficial acceptability. It's a gorgeous, rich amber, but that . . . perversion . . . is what keeps it wearable and interesting for me. It's not my grandmother's amber. Even though it draws on all the warmth and sultriness, it's a little bit wacky. So I'm thinking maybe the solo woman in the smoking club striking up a churchill. She's not waiting for a date, she's there on her own and, buddy, she's no interest in talking to you though feel free to look. I'm definitely considering a full bottle.

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lucullus74 on 11/21/2008 12:01:00 AM more reviews by lucullus74

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

That wonderful boozy beginning it probably the reason I prefer this to the other ambers I've tried. While others, even the the SL Ambre Sultan, can get a little boring and one-note, this one always seems to have a trick up its sleeve, sometimes with incense or tobacco or a cheerful little salty note popping up occasionally. I'm not sure I'd wear this to work, but for sheer fun no other amber tops it.

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gracebaldwin on 11/11/2008 5:12:00 PM more reviews by gracebaldwin

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

This is my HG amber. Warm and rich, it starts with a subtle champagne and vodka notes, then deepens and warms. I get tea, honey, leather, and tobacco notes - it's not sweet at all on me. Lasts and lasts.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Shwets on 8/30/2008 12:29:00 PM more reviews by Shwets

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

This reminds me along the same lines as Renee Musk (which has been compared to Musc Ravegeur). A very cologne type fragrance wonderful to wear in the heat.

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*TOP REVIEWER* proximitythe53rd on 7/8/2008 9:36:00 AM more reviews by proximitythe53rd

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Please read my update, as I did change my opinion of this perfume over time. (Winter, 2011)



I really thought that I was going to like Ambre Russe from the reviews I'd read, and the notes that were in it, but it just does not work on my skin. I would be interested to smell this on someone else who does like it so that I can see if it's Ambre Russe that I don't like, or if it's Ambre Russe on my own skin that I don't like ...
but one way or another, this one is not for me.
The booze notes are very strong at the beginning, and not pleasant - it was actually enough to make me feel slightly ill, and it's the sort of fragrance that just sticks in the nostrils and won't leave me alone. The tea note smells over-brewed to me, and the cumin really does just smell like sweat. It's too bad, because like I said, these are notes that I can usually appreciate. Overall, the whole fragrance has a dark, spiced bitterness that while perhaps somewhat interesting from a purely intellectual point of view, is not a fragrance that I want on my skin.
On me, Ambre Russe is overpowering, and headache-inducing (and I'm not that sensitive to smell-induced headaches, so that's a shame). As the fragrance dries down, the dark bitterness is slowly replaced with a sort of burnt caramel overly cloying sweetness which disagrees with me just as much as the opening.



UPDATE: I've changed my rating from 1 to 4 ... and this is why. A lot of what I said above is still true - I still smell things like bitterness, over-brewed tea, and burnt caramel. However, I've found that when I'm in the right mood for this fragrance, and provided I apply it quite lightly, I actually really really enjoy it. Applied lightly, I don't get headaches or feel ill from Ambre Russe, and I do think that it works best in cold weather. Maybe at those times, not so much when you want a warming fragrance to make you feel less frozen (though I suppose you could put it in this camp) but for me, it's a fragrance that reminds me of the harshness of the cold, and lets you embrace it as though the cold is inevitable, and a part of yourself. A Queen of a land of coldness, but not one on a throne of ice in a frozen palace ... rather I envision a dark smoky, old wooden hall, sparsely furnished with rich, but old, worn furniture and fabrics. The Queen image isn't one who is icy and imperious, rather someone withdrawn, bittersweet ... she's not without warmth or human kindness, but she may not be inclined to exhibit such softer qualities. Everything is somehow slightly overly intense - there's that over-brewed tea, the slightly too alcoholic vodka note, incense layered on top of more of the same going back for years, caramel that's begun to burn, everything just a little bit over-spiced. But somehow, through this, it's not a scent of overindulgence, and opulence (not to me anyhow) but one of a harsher, more austere sentiment - and in that, it does feel very Russian.
This contradiction is what I have found to really love in Ambre Russe - I know it's not what everyone smells, but then again my path to learning to really enjoy this fragrance wasn't a straight one.

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Mixtachic on 6/30/2008 8:41:00 AM more reviews by Mixtachic

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This is one of my HG scents. At the beginning, there's definite vodka and champagne, interesting and unusual but not amazing. What happens after it wears off (and it does wear off quickly) is extraordinary. As it warms it becomes an incredible blend of dark amber (which usually gets all baby powder on me), faint leather, wild honey, and lush tobacco. Part of its appeal is that it's anachronistic - very evocative of the sensuality of the 20s and 30s - glamorous, but edgy. None of this coy and cutsy little girl femininity full of fruits and flowers and all things nice - this is a scent for a woman who is powerful, maybe a little dangerous even, and totally unapologetic about it...

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jemimagold on 5/2/2008 12:10:00 PM more reviews by jemimagold

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

With notes like the ones listed below, I was so intrigued that I had to try it. Ambre Russe is a heavy spicy, honied fragrance with a deep overlay of amber and incense. It is a heady fragrance and would be perfect for someone who enjoys a dark Oriental perfume. Unfortunately that person is not me but I can't help but admire Ambre Russe's beauty and originality.

Notes per Fishbone’s website: tea, incense, vodka, champagne, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ambergris, vanilla, leather.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mayrei on 4/25/2008 1:16:00 PM more reviews by mayrei

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I had heard good things about this, so I got a sample from Luckyscent. I had high hopes, but really... if I wanted to smell like an alcoholic that's been on a three day bender, I'm sure I could make that happen for less than $125.

At some point I will be brave enough to give this stuff a full day of wear instead of immediately rushing to the bathroom to wash it off. I will update my review if I discover anything new about it.

*update* Ok, I did wear this for a couple of days, and it grew on me a little. The vodka smell does wear off quickly, and then it's all leather and sweet tobacco. It smells exactly like the inside of my Grandmother's favorite purse - cigarettes, leather, and Chanel No. 5. Still, I'm not sure I'd want to walk around smelling like that. I might pull it out on occasion to remember Grandma, but that's about it.

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debrsl on 4/8/2008 6:02:00 PM more reviews by debrsl

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

What a beautiful amber! I get a beautiful, sweet amber from this. It's slightly powdery on me, but just barely. I also catch whiffs of tobacco and honey. Thankfully, there is no fruit as mentioned by some other reviewers. Like Amber Sultan, I love it, but it may be just a touch too rich for me. If you can believe that. I would need to get a decant to know with any certainty.

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